Patent ID: 8504605

Claim:
A method for adjusting sound data transmitted between a first client and a second client, the method comprising: before exchanging data packets between the first client and the second client using a processor for exchanging contextual information including sound characteristic adjustment rules between the first client and the second client for determining an adjustment to be provided based on a proximity between the first client and the second client; wherein either or both of the first client and the second client supplies all or a portion of the sound characteristic adjustment rules, wherein a first sound characteristic adjustment rule governs a volume adjustment of data within a transmission of data packets and a second sound characteristic adjustment rule governs a volume adjustment of data within a receipt of data packets between the first client and the second client; wherein the contextual information is communicated using a structured hierarchy that is defined by Extensible Markup Language (XML); determining the proximity between the first client and the second client; and performing actions in response to determining that the determined proximity between the first client and the second client has changed from a previous determination of the proximity, the actions, comprising: selecting sound characteristics to be adjusted based on the determined proximity; adjusting the sound data based on the determined proximity; and transmitting the adjusted sound data.