Method and System for Transmission and Low-Latency Real-Time Output and/or Processing of an Audio Data Stream

A receiver configured to receive an audio data stream over a jittering transmission path, wherein the receiver is configured to output and/or process the audio data stream with low-latency and in real-time, the receiver comprising:

• a reference time grid generation means configured to generate a reference time grid that has a start at a beginning of a first calibration packet and a grid width that corresponds to a transmission interval of the packets of the audio data stream;
• an offset determining means configured to determine an offset between packet arrival times at the receiver and corresponding times of the reference time grid for subsequent calibration packets;
• a minimum offset determining means configured to determine a fastest calibration packet and its offset relative to the reference time grid;
• a difference determining means configured to determine a first difference between a length of a jitter window and the offset of the fastest calibration packet;
• an output time grid determining means configured to determine an output time grid for audio output and/or processing, which is delayed relative to the reference time grid by the first difference;
• and
• an output means configured to provide the audio packets in accordance with the output time grid for audio output and/or processing, wherein a first audio packet is provided with a delay, relative to the first audio packet's arrival time, that is determined from the offset of the first audio packet relative to the reference time grid and said first difference.

A system for transmission and real-time low-latency output and/or processing of an audio data stream, the system comprising:

• at least one transmitter;
• at least one receiver;
• wherein the at least one transmitter is configured to transmit the audio data stream over a jittering transmission path to the at least one receiver;
• wherein the receiver is adapted to
• utilize a group of packets of the audio data stream as calibration packets;
• and
• perform a calibration for determining a distribution of a latency in the transmission of packets of the audio data stream, utilizing the calibration packets;
• wherein the calibration is achieved by generating a reference time grid that starts at the reception of the first calibration packet by the at least one receiver, and that has a grid width corresponding to a transmission interval of the calibration packets;
• and
• wherein the receiver is further configured to:
• determine for subsequent calibration packets offsets between their respective arrival times at the at least one receiver and a corresponding time of the reference time grid;
• determine an offset of a fastest calibration packet relative to the reference time grid;
• determine a first difference between a length of a jitter window and the offset of the fastest calibration packet
• determine or generate an output time grid for audio output and/or processing that is delayed by the first difference relative to the reference time grid;
• and
• provide audio packets of the audio data stream in accordance with the output time grid for audio output and/or processing, wherein a first audio packet is provided with a first delay, relative to the first audio packets arrival time, which first delay is determined from the first audio packet's offset relative to the reference time grid and said first difference.