Patent ID: 6636530
Filing Date: 2003-10-21
Classification: H03M,H04L

Abstract:
A method of transmitting a source analog signal over a packet-based computer network from a source node to a destination node, the method comprising the steps of:(a) converting the analog signal into a stream of digital data samples; (b) collecting the digital data samples into primary data samples and secondary data samples; (c) dividing the primary data samples into a series of segments corresponding to the direction in which the analog signal moves; (d) compressing each segment, the segment being compressed referred to as a current segment and the segment immediately previously compressed referred to as a previous segment, into an 8-bit byte represented by the bit pattern ABBBCCCC, wherein A is a sign bit representing the direction of movement of the current segment, BBB represents the amount of change between the current segment and the previous segment, and CCCC represents the number of primary data samples within the current segment; (e) assembling the primary and secondary data samples into a series of data packets such that every two adjacent data packets contain a portion of redundant data; (f) transmitting the data packets over the network serially, such that a first packet is transmitted followed by a second packet and so forth until a last packet is transmitted; (g) receiving the transmitted data packets at the destination node; and (h) converting the received data packets into a form that is representative of the source analog signal; whereby the redundant and secondary data are played back at the destination node when a data packet is late or lost to compensate for network congestion and latency.