Importance

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Abstract

A method of communicating among participants at participant stations 1-N, the participant stations 1-N connected to a data communications network. A number of audio packet queues 1-N are assigned to each participant station 1-N. A composite audio packet is sent over the data communications network to each of the stations. The composite audio packet is comprised of an audio packet and a sending station identification (ID), the sending station ID corresponding to the station at which the composite packet originates. When the talking is done, a composite end-of-utterance marker packet is sent over the data communications network to each station. The composite end-of-utterance marker packet is comprised of an end-of-utterance marker and the sending station ID. At a receiving station, the audio packet corresponding to the sending station at which the composite packet originates is placed in an audio packet queue allocated to that sending station. The receiving station detects the composite end-of-utterance marker packet, at which time the contents of the audio packet queue are moved to a ready-to-play queue. The audio packets are played back from the ready-to-play queue.

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First Claim