Patent ID: 7158527

Claim:
A protocol multiplexer which receives multiplexed packets and which uses the multiplexed packets to form carrying packets which are stored in an output buffer, the multiplexer receiving the multiplexed packets belonging to differing ones of plural virtual channels but forming a given carrying packet to comprise one or more multiplexed packet(s) belonging to only one virtual channel, the multiplexer comprising a common timer which times a delay interval if receipt of a multiplexed packet belonging to any of the plural virtual channels would result in the carrying packet being formed as a partially-filled carrying packet, the common timer initiating timing of the delay interval regardless from which of the plural virtual channels the multiplexing packet which would result in the carrying packet being formed as a partially-filled carrying packet is received; a multiplexer controller which, upon occurrence of a predetermined event, determines if the partially-filled carrying packet should be stored in the output buffer in accordance with whether the timer is finished timing the delay interval.