Multi-media jitter removal in an asynchronous digital home network

A method for transmitting packetized multi-media data over an Ethernet network, the method comprising:

• receiving the packetized multi-media data from a signal source, the packetized multi-media data having synchronizing information;
• synchronizing a server clock to a clock associated with the signal source in response to the synchronizing information;
• generating data frames having the packetized multi-media data included therein;
• placing the data frames on the Ethernet network to transmit the data frames to a client device, wherein a synchronizing time stamp is generated and placed in each data frame at the physical layer, each synchronizing time stamp being indicative of the time the respective data frame is place in the Ethernet network, wherein the synchronizing time stamps may be used by the client devices to synchronize a clock associated with the client device to the server clock.

An apparatus for receiving and processing packetized multi-media data over an Ethernet network, the packetized multi-media data comprising data frames having synchronizing time stamps indicative of the time respective data frames are placed on the Ethernet network, the apparatus comprising;

• an input, coupled to the Ethernet network, for receiving the data frames transmitted by a server device;
• a time stamp device, coupled to the input, for generating a second synchronizing time stamp indicative of the time the data frame is received at the input and placing the synchronizing time stamp in the data frame at the physical layer;
• a clock;
• a controller, coupled to the clock and the time stamp device, for synchronizing the clock to a clock associated with the server device in response to the synchronizing time stamps and the second synchronizing time stamps.

A method for controlling a client device in response to the receipt of data frames received over an Ethernet network, each data frames including packetized multi-media data and a synchronizing time stamp indicative of the time the data frame is placed on the Ethernet network, the method comprising;

• receiving the data frames transmitted by a server device;
• generating second time stamps upon receipt of the data frames and placing the second time stamps in the data frames at the physical layer, each second time stamp being indicative of the time a respective data frame is received over the Ethernet network;
• and
• synchronizing a clock in the client device in response to the synchronizing time stamps and the second synchronizing time stamps.