Patent ID: 7764713

Claim:
A method for synchronizing packet data streams, comprising: generating a first synchronization packet, wherein said first synchronization packet has a payload that includes a synchronization flag; inserting said first synchronization packet in a first data stream; generating a second synchronization packet, wherein said second synchronization packet has a payload that includes a synchronization flag, and wherein said second synchronization packet corresponds to said first synchronization packet; inserting said second synchronization packet in a second data stream, wherein said first and second data streams are related to one another, wherein said generating first and second synchronization packets and inserting said first and second synchronization packets in first and second data streams respectively is performed at a first network entity; at a second network entity: generating a third synchronization packet, wherein said third synchronization packet has a payload that includes a synchronization flag; inserting said third synchronization packet in a third data stream; generating a fourth synchronization packet, wherein said fourth synchronization packet has a payload that includes a synchronization flag; and wherein said fourth synchronization packet corresponds to said third synchronization packet; inserting said fourth synchronization packet in a fourth data stream; at a third network entity: receiving said first, second, third and fourth data streams; detecting in said first data stream said first synchronization packet; detecting in said second data stream said second synchronization packet; determining that said first and second synchronization packets correspond to one another; aligning packets included in said first data stream in a vicinity of said first synchronization packet with packets included in said second data stream in a vicinity of said second synchronization packet; detecting in said third data stream said third synchronization packet; detecting in said fourth data stream said fourth synchronization packet; determining that said third and fourth synchronization packets correspond to one another; aligning packets included in said third data stream in a vicinity of said third synchronization packet with packets included in said fourth data stream in a vicinity of said fourth synchronization packet.