PACKET COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT AND METHOD FOR SWITCHING LINE OF PACKET COMMUNICATION NETWORK

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide packet communication equipment with a no-hit line function by which neither error nor less of user information is generated even if a line failure occurs, a packet communication network and its method for switching lines in asynchronous communication network with simple structure. SOLUTION: Transmission packet communication equipment is constituted so that a marked packet is inserted and transmitted in packet a flow with prescribed cycles and inserts error check information of user packets between marked packets and packet identification information of the packets into the marked packet. Receiving packet communication equipment performs phase management and error detection of the packets asynchronously received from information about the received marked packets, switches and outputs an original packet flow of a normal line by a plurality of packet units included between the marked packets by using the marked packets. The packet communication network transmits/receives the marked packets including error detection information and the identification information of a plurality of the marked packets by a plurality of the units and switches the lines by using the marked packets. COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO