System and method for controlling computer originated audio file transmission

A method, comprising:

• transmitting, from a terminal unit, a request to a server located remote from the terminal unit to transmit a computer originated audio file;
• establishing a control channel between the terminal unit and the server, the control channel operable to communicate control information between the server and the terminal unit;
• and
• receiving, at the terminal unit, at least one command from the server using the control channel, wherein the at least one command comprises an instruction to a jitter buffer associated with the terminal unit to stop playback of the file and to discard contents of the jitter buffer.

A server, comprising:

• a communications module operable to communicate with a terminal unit located remote from the server over a path of communication, wherein the communications module is further operable to send at least one command selected from a group of commands consisting of pause playback, continue playback, and stop playback;
• a storage module operable to store at least one computer originated audio file;
• a processor operable to separate the file into a plurality of packets;
• and
• wherein the communications module is further operable to establish a control channel between the server and the terminal unit.

A terminal unit, comprising:

• a communications module operable to communicate with a server located remote from the terminal unit over a path of communication;
• a jitter buffer operable to receive a computer originated audio file from the server, the file including a plurality of packets;
• and
• wherein the communications module is further operable to establish a control channel between the server and the terminal unit, wherein the communications module is further operable to receive one or more commands consisting of pause playback, continue playback, and stop playback.

A system, comprising:

• means for receiving, at a server, a request to transmit a computer originated audio file to a terminal unit located remote from the server, the file including a plurality of packets;
• means for establishing a control channel between the server and the terminal unit;
• and
• means for transmitting at least one command from the server to the terminal unit using the control channel, wherein the at least one command comprises an instruction to a jitter buffer associated with the terminal unit to stop playback of the file and to discard contents of the jitter buffer.

A system, comprising:

• means for transmitting, from a terminal unit, a request to transmit a computer originated audio file to a server located remote from the terminal unit, the file including a plurality of packets;
• means for establishing a control channel between the server and the terminal unit;
• and
• means for receiving, from the server, at least one command at the terminal unit using the control channel, wherein the at least one command comprises an instruction to a jitter buffer associated with the terminal unit to stop playback of the file and to discard contents of the jitter buffer.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, at a server, a request to transmit a computer originated audio file to a terminal unit located remote from the server, the file including a plurality of packets;
• establishing a control channel between the server and the terminal unit, the control channel operable to communicate control information between the server and the terminal unit and wherein the control channel comprises an out of band control channel;
• transmitting at least one command from the server to the terminal unit using the control channel;
• transmitting an initial burst of packets from the server to the terminal unit, the initial burst of packets including at least two of the plurality of packets;
• and
• transmitting additional packets of the plurality of packets from the server to the terminal unit at a predetermined rate of transmission.