Patent ID: 7136400

Claim:
A protocol multiplexer, comprising: a plurality of protocol handlers for receiving signals, each signal operating in accordance with one of a plurality of communication protocols and for providing data and control streams in response to the processed signals; and a port multiplexer for receiving the data and control streams and for multiplexing the data streams into a first path and for multiplexing the control streams into a second path; wherein the protocol handler comprises: a serializer/deserializer for converting the signal from a serial format signal to a parallel format signal; and a channel processor configured to operate in accordance with one of the communication protocols to frame the parallel format signal in response to the communication protocol; and wherein the port multiplexer comprises: a decoder to convert the parallel format signal from a first format to a second format; a first multiplexer for receiving the control streams of the second format from the decoder and for providing a control function in response to the controls streams; and a second multiplexer for receiving the data streams of the second format and for providing the data streams in response to the control function.