Router unit and routing network for determining an output port by detecting a part of an input packet

Claim 2

A router unit responsive to a plurality of input packets supplied through a plurality of input ports, respectively, for distributing said input packets to at least one output ports as output packets, each of said input packets including a destination bit series representative of a destination and divisible into a plurality of partial bit series placed at bit series positions, respectively, said router unit comprising: first means for producing a position signal indicative of a predetermined one of said bit series positions that is preassigned to said router unit; a plurality of second means responsive to the respective input packets and to said position signal for selecting predetermined ones of the partial bit series from said predetermined positions,respectively; and third means coupled to the respective second means and responsive to the respective input ports for delivering said input packets to said output port as said output packets with reference to the predetermined partial bit series, respectively.

Claim 3

A router unit as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said third means comprises: a plurality of decoding means, each being coupled to the respective second means for decoding each of the predetermined partial bit series into an output port signal specifying each of said output ports to which the input packet is to be delivered; a plurality of arbiters, each being coupled to the respective decoding means and capable of responding to at least (Claim 2 continued) one output port signal for allowing only one output port signal to pass therethrough as an allowed output port signals; and a plurality of delivery means, each being responsive to the respective input packets and said allowed output port signal for delivering one of said input packets as one of said output packets to the output port that is indicated by said allowed output port signal.

Claim 4

A router unit as claimed in Claim 2, wherein each of said delivering means comprises: selecting means responsive to the respective input packets and said allowed output port signal for selecting said one input packet with reference to said allowed output port signal; and supplying means for supplying said one input packet to the output port as said one output packet.

Claim 5

A router unit as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said third means comprises: a plurality of code generating means for generating a plurality of codes which are assigned to the respective input ports; a plurality of substituting means coupled to the respective code generating means and responsive to the respective input packets and said position signal for substituting the respective codes for the respective predetermined partial bit series to produce substituted input packets in which the respective codes are substituted for the predetermined partial bit series; and a plurality of output means, each being coupled to the respective second means and the respective substituting means (Claim 4 continued) for delivering one of said substituted input packets as one of said output packet to the output port with reference to each of the predetermined partial bit series.

Claim 6

A routing network comprising a first partial network and a second partial network coupled to said first partial network, said first partial network comprising a first set of router units, each being responsive to a first set of input packets supplied through a first set of input ports, respectively, for distributing said input packets of said first set to a first set of output ports as a first set of output packets, each of said input packets of said first set including a destination bit series representative of a destination and divisible into a plurality of partial bit series placed at bit series positions, respectively, said second partial network comprising a second set of router units, each being responsive to a second set of input packets supplied through a second set of input ports, respectively, for distributing said second set of said input packets to a second set of output ports as a second set of output packets, said output packets of said first set being supplied to said second partial network as said input packets of said second set; each of the router units of said first set comprising: means for producing a first position signal indicative of a first one of said bit series positions that is preassigned to said each router unit of said first set; means responsive to the input packets of said first set and said first position signal for selecting first ones of the partial bit series from said first bit series position; and (Claim 5 continued) first delivering means responsive to said first set of said input packets and said first partial bit series for delivering the input packets of said first set to the output ports of said first set as the output packets of said first set; each of said router units of said second set comprising: means for producing a second position signal indicative of a second one of said bit series positions that is preassigned to said each router unit of said second set and that is different from said first bit series position; means responsive to the input packets of said second set and said second position signal for selecting second ones of the partial bit series from said second bit series position; and second delivering means responsive to the input packets of said second set and said second partial bit series for delivering the input packets of said second set to the output ports of said second set as the output packets of said second set.

Claim 7

A routing network as claimed in Claim 5, wherein: said first delivering means comprises: first code generating means for generating a first set of first codes assigned to the input ports of said first set; first code substituting means responsive to said first codes, the input packets of said first set, and said first position signal for substituting said first codes for said first partial bit series to produce first substituted input packets having said first codes substituted for said first partial bit series; and (Claim 6 continued) first output means responsive to said first partial bit series for delivering said first substituted input packets to the output ports of said first set as the output packets of said first set; said second delivering means comprising: second code generating means for generating a second set of second codes assigned to the input ports of said second set; second code substituting means responsive to said second codes, the input packets of said second set, and said second position signal for substituting said second codes for said second partial bit series to produce second substituted input packets having said second codes substituted for said second partial bit series; and second output means responsive to said second partial bit series for delivering said second substituted input packets to the output ports of said second set as the output packets of said second set.