Patent ID: 7577095

Claim:
A process of delivering audio signals from a source node to a destination node on a packet switched data network comprising the steps of: providing a number of packet switches that transmit prioritized data packets on a packet switched data network; coupling the switches to a number of nodes for sending and receiving digital audio signals on the packet switched data network including one or more source nodes for converting analog audio input to digital audio data packets and also including one or more destination nodes for converting the digital audio data packets to analog audio output; and limiting a receive buffer size TBuffer MIN of at least some of said nodes to satisfy a relation: TBuffer MIN ≦T AF +(T TMAX *N SW ), where: T AF =audio frame time, T TMAX =transmission time of maximally sized packet on the packet switched network, and N SW =number of intervening network switches the packets pass through between the source nodes and the destination nodes, in order to minimize delays in processing audio signals arriving at said node.