Patent ID: 7120169

Claim:
A network device for a telecommunications network with synchronous digital hierarchy, for delay compensation of data packets, the network device comprising: an input stage and an output state, where delay occurs during passage of the data packets through the input stage and the output stage of the network device, a first transfer path and a second transfer path connecting the input stage to the output stage, where a first delay occurs on the first transfer path and a second delay occurs on the second transfer path, and where the data packets are transferred in multiplex frames, each containing at least one data packet to be transferred and at least one phase reference identifier for determining the respective position of the data packet within the corresponding frame; phase correcting means for adjusting the phase reference identifier allocated to a respective data packet by a predetermined phase correcting value, leading in the phase, which corresponds to a maximum expected delay for a transfer of the data packets on the first transfer path or the second transfer path; and buffer means for buffering the data packets by buffering times such that for each respective data packets, buffering time and delay needed for passing through the network device, in total correspond to the maximum expected delay taken into account in allocated, adjusted phase reference identifier of respective data packet.