Method and apparatus for multiple media digital communication system

A method of communicating media data packets from a first processing machine to at least one remote processing machine over a communication system, said method comprising:

• enabling at said first processing machine a connection processing stream for said remote processing machine with which said first processing machine communicates over said system during a connection;
• enabling at said first processing machine at least one media processing stream associated with said connection processing stream;
• establishing a relationship in said first processing machine which associates a media processing stream located in said remote processing machine with said connection processing stream in said first processing machine;
• processing with said media processing stream in said first processing machine at least one type of media data to produce media data packets;
• determining a communication path for sending said media data packets to said media processing stream located at said one remote processing machine and through said connection stream at said first processing machine based on said established relationship;
• transmitting said media data packets to said media processing stream in said remote processing machine through said communication path;
• storing in said first processing machine a first time relating to a first event associated with the transmission of at least one of said transmitted media data packets,
• recording in said remote processing machine a second time relating to a second event associated with the transmission of said at least one of said transmitted media data packets,
• comparing said first time to said second time to determine end-to-end system delay;
• and
• receiving an acknowledgment message from said remote processing machine containing information related to said end-to-end system delay.

A method of communicating packets associated with media data from a first processing machine to at least one remote processing machine over a communication system, said method comprising:

• enabling at said first processing machine a connection processing stream for said remote processing machine with which said first processing machine communicates over said system during a connection;
• enabling at said first processing machine at least one media processing stream associated with said connection processing stream;
• establishing a relationship in said first processing machine which associates a media processing stream located in said remote processing machine with said connection processing stream in said first processing machine;
• processing with said media processing stream in said first processing machine at least one type of media data to produce packets associated with media data;
• determining a communication path for sending said packets associated with media data to said media processing stream located at said one remote processing machine and through said connection stream at said first processing machine based on said established relationship;
• transmitting said packets associated with media data to said media processing stream in said remote processing machine through said communication path;
• recording in said first processing machine a time of transmission for at least one of said packets associated with media data;
• receiving an acknowledgment message from said remote processing machine containing information representing a receiver event time related to when said at least one packet associated with media data sent from said first processing machine was processed at said remote processing machine;
• and
• determining at said first processing machine a system path delay based on said recorded time of transmission of said at least one packet associated with data media and said information in said acknowledgment message.