Patent ID: 8682336

Claim:
An apparatus for transmitting media over a network, the apparatus comprising: a sending node, the sending node including: a transmitter configured to transmit media from the sending node to a receiving node over the network; and a network element configured to receive receipt reports from the receiving node, the receipt reports including a first priority request for retransmission of transmitted voice media, for consumption in either a real-time or time-shifted mode, noted as missing as a result of media loss during transmission between the sending node and the receiving node, the first priority request defining a request for the retransmission of missing media to occur at a low priority when bandwidth on the network is available in excess of what is needed to transmit media that is being consumed by a recipient in real-time; the transmitter further configured to monitor available network bandwidth between the sending node and the receiving node and determine, based on available network bandwidth, when to retransmit the noted missing media in response to the first priority request for retransmission, the retransmission occurring when bandwidth on the network is available in excess of what is needed to transmit media that is being consumed by the recipient in real-time so that the retransmission does not interfere with the media consumed by the recipient in real time, while guaranteeing that the noted missing media is eventually received at the receiving node and is available for rendering a complete copy of the voice media in a time-shifted mode by the recipient.