Methods and computer executable instructions for improving communications in a packet switching network

A method of communicating between a plurality of terminal locations in a packet network, comprising the steps of

• establishing a communications link between said terminal locations;
• at one of said terminal locations, sending a plurality of information packets;
• and
• at another of said terminal locations,
• i) estimating an arrival time between at least two of said information packets;
• ii) receiving at least two of said information packets;
• iii) measuring an actual arrival time between said at least two of said received information packets;
• iv) storing said at least two of said received information packets in a buffer;
• v) comparing said arrival time to said actual arrival time to determine whether a size of said buffer should be altered;
• and
• vi) when said actual arrival time is slower than said arrival time, increasing said size of said buffer.

In a video conference between at least two terminal locations in a packet network, a method for improving the playback of information packets containing audio or video information sent from one of said terminal locations and received by the other of said terminal locations, at said other of said terminal locations the steps comprising:

• estimating a jitter time between said information packets sent from said one of said terminal locations;
• defining a size for a buffer, said buffer for storing said information packets upon receipt from said one of said terminal locations until said information packets are played at said playback speed
• defining a playback speed for said information packets corresponding to said jitter time;
• measuring an actual time between said information packets sent from said one of said terminal locations;
• comparing said jitter time to said actual time to determine whether said playback speed should be altered;
• and
• altering said size of said buffer if said jitter time and said actual time are not substantially equal.

A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing the steps of:

• storing a jitter time that estimates the time between reception of a plurality of packets;
• establishing a buffer size in a computer for a buffer corresponding to said jitter time;
• comparing said jitter time to an actual arrival time between said packets to determine whether said buffer size should be altered;
• and
• when said actual arrival time is greater than said jitter time, increasing said buffer size of said buffer.