Patent ID: 7227922

Claim:
A method for the transmission of multimedia data between at least two communication devices which are connected together over a data network, each of the communication devices having an associated coding device and an associated decoding device connected thereto, comprising: performing source- and channel-coding on multimedia data to be sent, using a coding method furnished within the coding device associated with a first communication device, which sends the multimedia data; performing inverse source- and channel-coding on multimedia data received, using a decoding method furnished within the decoding device associated with a second communications device, which receives the multimedia data; transmitting and receiving coded multimedia data using an associated transmitting and receiving device arranged between the data network and the coding and decoding devices; when there is a connection setup which cannot be implemented due to incompatible coding and decoding methods: transmitting the multimedia data from the transmitting and receiving device associated with the first communication device to a converting device provided in the data network, converting the multimedia data within the converting device to thereby form converted multimedia data, and transmitting the converted multimedia data to the transmitting and receiving device associated with the second communication device; identifying a connection setup which cannot be implemented due to incompatible coding and decoding methods, using a monitoring device arranged within a control device; sending a first identification from the monitoring device to a signaling device arranged within the control device, the first identification indicating incompatibility; sending a signal for polling the decoding method furnished within the decoding device associated with the second communication device, the signal being sent by the signaling device; transmitting a second identification from the second communication device to the control device in dependence on the decoding method furnished within the decoding device associated with the second communication device; sending a third identification from the control device, the coding method of the first communication device being identified with the third identification, the third identification being sent to the converting device; and converting the multimedia data within the converting device in dependence on the second and third identifications.