Patent ID: 7644190

Claim:
A processing means for pipelined processing of data packets, said processing means comprising: an input arranged to receive data packets; an output; a device; and a pipeline connected between the input and the output, said pipeline having i) on an input side, at least one processing stage connected to receive the data packets from the input, ii) an access point connected to an output of said one processing stage, iii) a request channel connecting said access point to said device, said request channel comprising a transmit connection for transmitting a request from said access point to said device and a receive connection for said access point to receive a response from said device, said request being based on data processing information extracted from at least part of one of said data packets and any additional information associated with said one data packet, said request being at least one of i) a first type of said request directing said device to perform a data processing operation which alters said one data packet, and ii) a second type of said request directing said device to perform a data processing operation which alters said any additional information associated with said one data packet, said response to said first type of said request including an alteration to said one data packet, said response to said second type of request including an alteration to said any further additional information associated with said one data packet, wherein, said access point comprises i) at least one FIFO store for storing data entering the access point, said data corresponding to said at least part of said one data packet and said any additional information associated with said one data packet, ii) a response FIFO store connected to said device via said receive connection, said response FIFO store for storing a first response corresponding to said request, said first response received on the receive connection, iii) a synchronization mechanism arranged to synchronize fetching of a first entry in said at least one FIFO store and the first response in said response FIFO store, said first entry corresponding to said at least part of said one data packet and said any additional information associated with said one data packet, and iv) a response substitution entity connected to receive a) said first response as an output of said response FIFO store and b) said first entry as an output of said at least one FIFO store, said response substitution entity arranged to form a resultant data packet by merging said received first response into said received first entry, said resultant data packet being an output of said access point.