Patent ID: 8151005

Claim:
A network communication method over a packet-switched network, comprising the following computer implemented steps: prior to a transport of audio/video data over said packet-switched network, reserving a quality of service for said transport that has a guaranteed level of bandwidth and latency for a duration of a communication session between a first device and a second device, said reservation being performed across one or more bridge devices between said first device and said second device using a time synchronization protocol that exchanges timing information between said first device and said second device to synchronize a first clock in said first device with a second clock in said second device, wherein each of said one or more bridge devices recognizes said guaranteed level of bandwidth and said guaranteed level of latency for traffic contained in said communication session between said first device and said second device; prior to an initiation of said transport, determining, by said second device, a minimum level of compression for said audio/video data that would enable said audio/video data to fit within said guaranteed level of bandwidth that is recognized by said one or more bridge devices; compressing, by said second device, said audio/video data at said determined level of compression; and transmitting packets based on said compressed audio/video data from said second device to said first device over said packet-switched network.