US Patent 8004993 Multirouter for time-controlled communication system

To relay messages in a time-controlled communication system with a star coupler arranged as a multirouter, messages arriving via ports are relayed according to a rule defined in the star coupler. Relaying paths are switched according to a rule defined in the star router which describes relaying paths for messages, namely in the synchronized operating state depending on the time according to the global time basis of the communication system. Two relaying paths can occur simultaneously in at least one time slot whereby they are in disjunction to one another. Each port belongs to only one relaying path respectively at any time. A check is conducted on the basis of a message's content as to whether the relaying of the message complies with an acceptance rule. Relaying of the message to those target ports which do not match the rule is cancelled or ended under the invalidation of the message.