Patent ID: 6594276
Filing Date: 2003-07-15
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
An apparatus, operable in a communications network that uses a special channel upon a radio link for the transmission of real-time media from a first node to a second node, the real-time media data packets including a first packet and at least one subsequent packet for converting real-time media data packets formed of the first and at least one subsequent packets, respectively, into compressed radio-link format amenable for efficient transmission over the special channel, the packets each having a payload portion and a header portion, wherein the header portion of each of the first and at least one subsequent packet comprises a first header field, the first header field of the first and at least one subsequent packet substantially identical with one another, and at least a second header field, the second header field of the first and at least one subsequent packet containing separate, time-varying time stamps, said apparatus comprising:means for receiving the first and at least one subsequent packets; and a header compressor coupled to the means for receiving and to the special channel, wherein the header compressor receives the real-time media formed of the first and at least one subsequent packets, and, upon determining that the at least one subsequent packet includes a packet header field that contains information that is compressible relative to the first packet, compresses the at least one packet header thereof before passing the subsequent packet for transmission over the special channel by truncating the first header field of the at least one subsequent packet and by substituting the time stamp contained in the second header field of the at least one subsequent data packet with a substitute value, compression thereby of the at least one subsequent packet causing the real-time media to form the compressed radio-link format.