Multi-media jitter removal in an asynchronous digital home network

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

• receiving the packetized multi-media data from a selected one of a plurality of remote signal sources each corresponding to one or more head-end networks, the packetized multi-media data having synchronizing information associated with the selected signal source;
• generating a clock adjustment factor for correlating a server clock to a clock associated with the selected signal source in response to the synchronizing information;
• generating data frames having the packetized multi-media data and the clock adjustment factor included therein;
• placing the data frames on the asynchronous network to transmit the data frames to a client device, wherein a synchronizing time stamp is generated and placed in each data frame, each synchronizing time stamp being indicative of the time the respective data frame is place in the asynchronous network, wherein the synchronizing time stamps and the clock adjustment factor are used by the client devices to synchronize a clock associated with the client device to the clock associated with the selected signal source without changing the server clock.

An apparatus for processing packetized multi-media data received over an asynchronous network, the packetized multi-media data comprising data frames having first synchronizing time stamps indicative of the time respective data frames are placed on the asynchronous network, and a clock adjustment factor that correlates a server clock with a clock associated with a signal source, the apparatus comprising;

• an input, coupled to the asynchronous network, for receiving the data frames transmitted by a server device operatively coupled to a selected one of a plurality of remote signal sources each corresponding to one or more head-end networks;
• 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;
• a clock;
• a controller, coupled to the clock and the time stamp device, for synchronizing the clock to a clock associated with the selected one of a plurality of remote signal sources in response to the first synchronizing time stamps, the clock adjustment factor and the second synchronizing time stamps and without changing the server clock.

A method for controlling a client device in response to a receipt of data frames received over an asynchronous network, each of the data frames including packetized multi-media data, a first synchronizing time stamp indicative of the time the data frame is placed on the asynchronous network, and a clock adjustment factor indicative of a correlation between a sever clock and a signal source clock, the method comprising;

• receiving the data frames transmitted by a server device operatively coupled to a selected one of a plurality of remote signal sources each corresponding to one or more head-end networks;
• generating second synchronizing time stamps upon receipt of the data frames, each second time stamp being indicative of the time a respective data frame is received by the client device;
• and
• synchronizing a clock in the client device to the signal source clock in response to the first synchronizing time stamps, the clock adjustment factor and the second synchronizing time stamps and without changing the server clock.