Isochronous audio network software interface

Abstract

A computer system includes a network interface that transmits and/or receives isochronous audio packets and data packets. The computer system may have isochronous audio software to extract audio data from the isochronous audio packets, or isochronous audio software to format audio data into isochronous audio packets. The software may extract data from the data packets.

1 . A computer system, comprising: 
 a network interface operable to receive isochronous audio packets and data packets from a network; and    isochronous audio software that is executable to extract audio data from the isochronous audio packets received from a network.    
     
     
         2 . The computer system of  claim 1  further comprising network software executable to extract data from the data packets received from the network.  
     
     
         3 . The computer system of  claim 1  where the isochronous audio software comprises an isochronous audio driver.  
     
     
         4 . The computer system of  claim 1  where the isochronous audio software comprises an isochronous audio application.  
     
     
         5 . The computer system of  claim 1  where the data packets are formatted to a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol.  
     
     
         6 . The computer system of  claim 1  where the network is an Ethernet network and the network interface is an Ethernet network interface.  
     
     
         7 . The computer system of  claim 1  where the network interface conforms to an IEEE 802.3 standard.  
     
     
         8 . The computer system of  claim 1  where the network interface is adapted to transmit the isochronous audio packets to the network.  
     
     
         9 . The computer system of  claim 8  where the isochronous audio software is executable to format audio data into the isochronous audio packets.  
     
     
         10 . The computer system of  claim 1  where the isochronous audio packets are formatted in accordance with a CobraNet specification.  
     
     
         11 . A computer system, comprising: 
 a network interface adapted to transmit isochronous audio packets to a network and configured to receive data packets from a network; and    isochronous audio software executable to format audio data into isochronous audio packets.    
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 11  where the isochronous audio packets are formatted in accordance with a CobraNet specification.  
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 11  comprising network software that is executable to extract data from the data packets received from the network.  
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 11  where the isochronous audio software comprises an isochronous audio driver.  
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 11  where the isochronous audio software comprises an isochronous audio application.  
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 11  where the data packets are formatted to a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol.  
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 11  where the network is an Ethernet network and the network interface is an Ethernet network interface.  
     
     
         18 . A computer system, comprising: 
 a network interface;    an operating system that is executable to communicate with a network via the network interface according to a plurality of network protocols; and    isochronous audio software executable to communicate isochronous audio packets with the network via the network interface.    
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 18  where one protocol of the plurality comprises a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol.  
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 18  where the isochronous audio packets are formatted to a CobraNet specification.  
     
     
         21 . A method of communicating isochronous audio packets over a network, 
 comprising:    receiving a packet with a network interface;    processing the packet with a network interface driver;    processing the packet with an NDIS driver; and    processing the packet with an isochronous audio driver.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  where processing the packet with an NDIS driver includes determining whether the packet is an isochronous audio packet.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  where processing the packet with an isochronous audio driver includes extracting audio data from the packet only if the packet is an isochronous audio packet.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  where processing the packet with an isochronous audio driver comprises processing the audio data with an isochronous audio application.  
     
     
         25 . An isochronous audio driver, comprising: 
 code executable to receive an isochronous audio packet from an operating system;    code executable to extract audio data from the isochronous audio packet; and    code executable to transmit the audio data to an isochronous audio application.    
     
     
         26 . The isochronous audio driver of  claim 25  further comprising: 
 code executable to receive audio data from an isochronous audio application;    code executable to format the audio data into an isochronous audio packet; and    code executable to send an isochronous audio packet to an operating system.