Transmission apparatus and transmission method

A transmission method for use in a communication network comprising:

• a receiving step of receiving a receive packet consisting of a priority packet to be transmitted by priority and a non-priority packet having a lower processing priority than said priority packet;
• a sorting step of sorting said receive packet into said priority packet and said non-priority packet by inspecting substantially at the same time a plurality of communication protocol headers provided in different upper and lower protocol layers constituting said receive packet;
• a step of separately outputting said priority packet and said non-priority packet in parallel, wherein said priority packet and said non-priority packet sorted in said sorting step are transferred in parallel;
• and
• a processing step of separately processing said priority packet and said non-priority packet;
• wherein the processing of said priority packet and the processing of said non-priority packet are independently performed from each other, and wherein the processing of said sorted priority packet and the processing of said sorted non-priority packet are performed concurrently, and
• wherein said priority packet sorted by said receive packet sorting step is subject to termination processing of said protocol layers with said communication protocol headers being removed and the resultant priority data is transferred to said priority packet processing step, whereas said non-priority packet is transferred to said non-priority packet processing step without removing said communication protocol headers.

A transmission apparatus comprising:

• a receive frame processing part of receiving a priority packet to be processed by priority and a non-priority packet having a lower processing priority than said priority packet;
• plural defragment processing parts that contain a first defragment processing part of performing defragment processing of said priority packet and a second defragment processing part of performing defragment processing of said non-priority packet;
• and
• a receive packet sorting part of sorting the receive packet stored in said receive frame processing part into said priority packet and said non-priority packet,
• wherein said non-priority packet processing part of processing said non-priority packet includes said second defragment processing part,
• wherein in the case where said receive packet is not fragmented, said receive packet sorting part determines whether said receive packet is said priority packet or said non-priority packet and outputs it separately, and in the case where said receive packet is fragmented, when said receive packet can be determined to be said non-priority packet, said receive packet sorting part transfers said receive packet to said non-priority packet processing part and stores the identifier of said receive packet, and when said receive packet can be determined to be said priority packet, said receive packet sorting part transfers said receive packet to said first defragment processing part and stores the identifier of said receive packet, and when said receive packet cannot be determined to be said priority packet or said non-priority packet according to information of said receive packet, said receive packet sorting part determines it by using said identifier and when it cannot be determined even if said identifier is used, transfers said receive packet to said first defragment processing part,
• said first defragment processing part performs defragment processing of at least priority packet and when said receive packet is determined to be said non-priority packet, transfers all packets relating to said receive packet to said non-priority packet processing part, and
• said non-priority packet processing part performs defragment processing of said non-priority packet.