Patent ID: 7006504

Claim:
An apparatus for merging virtual connections in an LSR (Label Switching Router) system of an MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) network, comprising: control means for generating control signals to control an ingress connection or an egress connection in accordance with an order of connection establishment/termination from a central controller; cell receiving means for establishing/terminating a multi point-to-point (VC merging) or a point-to-point (non-VC merging) connection and attaching an ingress channel handle to a header of cell payload received from upstream, based on the control signals from the control means; header information converting means for receiving data having a payload and the ingress channel handle as a header from the cell receiving means, reading a TSAR channel identifier of the egress connection by using the ingress channel handle as an address of a lookup memory, and performing header conversion based on the control signals from the control means; and cell transmitting means for: 1) establishing/terminating the multi point-to-point (VC merging) or the point-to-point (non-VC merging) connection, 2) receiving data having the TSAR channel identifier of the egress connection and a payload from the header information converting means as a header, and 3) segmenting data having the TSAR channel identifier of the egress connection and payload from the header information converting means as a header into cells having an egress connection label as a header or generating cells having an egress connection label as a header according to the multi point-to-point or the point-to-point connection by using the TSAR channel identifier of the egress connection, thereby transmitting the cells downstream.