Patent ID: 6970940
Filing Date: 2005-11-29
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for distributing multi-program audio over a network comprising: creating a plurality of network audio frames from a plurality of blocks of data from a plurality of audio programs, each audio program being encoded with a respective one of a plurality of audio formats; placing each of the plurality of network audio frames within a respective one of a plurality of transport structures for transport across the network; and assigning a multicast address to the plurality of transport structures prior to delivering the plurality of transport structures to a physical media, wherein the plurality of transport structures are part of a single multicast stream, each network audio frame includes a respective network audio header followed by at least one of the plurality of blocks of data from any one of the plurality of audio programs, and each network audio header includes information that enables the carriage of the plurality of audio formats within the single multicast stream.