System and method for communication of audio data over a packet-based network

A packet-based computer network, comprising:

• a backbone coupling, and for communicating packeted data between, first and second computer nodes, serial transmission of data packets through said computer network requiring variable periods of transmission time;
• means, coupled to said first node, for receiving an original audio signal and generating therefrom a corresponding stream of digital audio data;
• a packet assembly circuit, associated with said first computer node, for constructing data packets from portions of said stream of digital audio data, each of said data packets including:
• one of said portions, and
• a position identifier indicating a temporal position of
• said one of said portions relative to said stream, said packet assembly circuit queuing said data packet for serial transmission to said second node through said backbone;
• a packet disassembly circuit, associated with said second computer node and a buffer, for serially receiving said data packets from said backbone, said packet disassembly circuit disassembling each of said data packets by:
• inserting said portion into an absolute location of said buffer, said position identifier determining said location, said portion synchronized with adjacent portions of said stream of digital audio data in said buffer to compensate for said variable periods of transmission time;
• and
• means, coupled to said second node, for generating a reconstructed audio signal from said stream of digital audio data in said buffer.

A method for communicating packeted data over a backbone coupling first and second computer nodes of a packet-based computer network, serial transmission of data packets through said computer network requiring variable periods or transmission time, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving an original audio signal at said first computer node and generating therefrom a corresponding stream of digital audio data;
• constructing data packets from portions of said stream of digital audio data with a packet assembly circuit associated with said first computer node, each of said data packets including:
• one of said portions, and
• a position identifier indicating a temporal position of said one of said portions relative to said stream,
• said data packet queued for serial transmission to said second computer node through said backbone;
• serially receiving said data packets from said backbone with a packet disassembly circuit associated with said second computer node and a buffer, said packet disassembly circuit disassembling each of said data packets by:
• inserting said portion into an absolute location of said buffer, said position identifier determining said location, said portion synchronized with adjacent portions of said stream of digital audio data in said buffer to compensate for said variable periods of transmission time;
• and
• generating a reconstructed audio signal from said stream of digital audio data in said buffer.