Patent ID: 8145780

Claim:
An apparatus for reliably transferring media over a network, comprising: a sending node connected to the network, the sending node including: a media ascertaining element configured to ascertain if media to be transmitted from the sending node to a receiving node is either time-sensitive or not time-sensitive, the time-sensitivity of the media based on an intent of a recipient to review the media either immediately upon receipt or at a later time after receipt; and a transmission element, the transmission element configured to: (i) transmit the non time-sensitive media from the sending node to the receiving node by adjusting the rate of transmission of the non time-sensitive media at the sending node based on network conditions; and (ii) transmit the time-sensitive media from the sending node to the receiving node; the receiving node including: a media loss ascertaining element configured to ascertain at the receiving node if a predetermined acceptable network transmission loss level is met; and a receipt report generator, the receipt report generator configured to: (iii) generate one or more low priority requests for the retransmission of any missing time-sensitive media lost during transmission if the predetermined acceptable network transmission loss level is met; and (iv) generate one or more low priority requests for the retransmission of any missing non time-sensitive media lost during the transmission; the transmission element of the sending node further configured to retransmit the missing time-sensitive and not time-sensitive media in response to the low priority requests when bandwidth on the network becomes available in excess of what is needed for the transmission of time-sensitive media.