Patent ID: 8379526

Claim:
A method for relaying data from a first network device to a second network device over a communications network comprising: obtaining a data stream from a data source at the first network device, the data stream having a first data format and comprising a bi-directional communication call; forwarding the obtained data stream in the first data format over the network; while forwarding the obtained data stream in the first data format over the network, monitoring the obtained data stream in the first data format at the first network device to detect a data transfer mode associated with inclusion of synchronization characters in the obtained data stream without interrupting the obtained data stream in the first data format from flowing toward the second network device; removing, at the first network device, a plurality of synchronization characters from the obtained data stream in the first data format to produce a bandwidth-reduced data stream having a second data format different from the first data format and forwarding the bandwidth-reduced data stream to the second network device instead of the obtained data stream in response to detecting the data transfer mode; in response to determining that detection of a data transfer mode associated with inclusion of synchronization characters has ceased, sending a control message to the second network device, wherein the control message indicates the determination that detection of a data transfer mode associated with inclusion of synchronization characters has ceased; and wherein receipt of the control message by the second network device causes the second network device to cease insertion, into the bandwidth-reduced data stream, of the synchronization characters that the first network device had removed from the obtained data stream.