Integrated circuits, systems, apparatus, packets and processes utilizing path diversity for media over packet applications

• US 20030202506A1
• Filed: 12/16/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alan Gatherer, Alan V Mccree, Krishanasamy Anandakumar, Stephen J. Perkins, Vishu Viswanathan
• Original Assignee: Alan Gatherer, Alan V Mccree, Krishanasamy Anandakumar, Stephen J. Perkins, Vishu Viswanathan
• Inventors: McCree, Alan V., Viswanathan, Vishu, Perkins, Stephen J., Gatherer, Alan, Anandakumar, Krishanasamy
• Granted Patent: US 6,930,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/024 using relational databases for representation of network management data, e.g. managing via structured query language [SQL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/052 using standardised network management architectures, e.g. telecommunication management network [TMN] or unified network management architecture [UNMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/24 Multipath
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/56 Routing software
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1045 Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 : Backbone network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements

Abstract

In one form of the invention, a process of sending real-time information from a sender computer (103) to a receiver computer (105) coupled to the sender computer (103) by a packet network (100) wherein packets (111,113) sometimes become lost, includes steps of directing (441) packets (111) containing the real-time information from the sender computer (103) by at least one path (119) in the packet network (100) to the receiver computer (105), and directing packets (113) containing information dependent on the real-time information from the sender computer (103) by at least one path diversity path (117) in the packet network (100) to the same receiver computer (105).

Other forms of the invention encompass other processes, improved packets and packet ensembles (111,113), integrated circuits (610), chipsets (DSP 1721, MCU), computer cards (1651), information storage articles (1511,1611), systems, computers (103,105), gateways (191,193), routers (131,133), cellular telephone handsets (181,189), wireless base stations (183,187), appliances (1721,1731,1741), and packet networks (100), and other forms as disclosed and claimed.

Claims

1. A process of sending real-time information from a sender computer to a receiver computer coupled to the sender computer by a packet network wherein packets sometimes become lost, comprising the steps of directing packets containing the real-time information from the sender computer by at least one path in the packet network to the receiver computer, and directing packets containing information dependent on the real-time information from the sender computer by at least one path diversity path in the packet network to the same receiver computer.

2. The process of claim 1 further comprising operating the receiver computer to use both the packets and the dependent packets to reduce packet loss of some of the real-time information when some of the packets and dependent packets are lost.

3. The process of claim 1 further comprising establishing on the network at least first and second proxy forwarder computers in path-diverse locations, and operating the sender computer to direct the packets containing the real-time information from the sender computer through the first proxy forwarder computer to the receiver computer, and directing the packets containing information dependent on the real-time information from the sender computer through the second proxy forwarder computer to the same receiver computer.

4. The process of claim 3 further comprising establishing on the network a server that has information identifying the first and second proxy forwarders.

5. The process of claim 4 further comprising querying from the sender computer the server for said information identifying the first and second proxy forwarders.

6. The process of claim 4 further comprising querying from the receiver computer the server for said information identifying the first and second proxy forwarders.

7. A process of sending real-time information from a sender computer to a receiver computer coupled to the sender computer by a packet network wherein packets sometimes become lost, comprising the steps of operating the sender computer to direct packets containing the real-time information from the sender computer through a first proxy forwarder computer to the receiver computer, and directing packets containing information dependent on the real-time information from the sender computer through the second proxy forwarder computer to the same receiver computer.

8. The process of claim 7 further comprising operating the receiver computer to use both the packets and the dependent packets to reduce packet loss of some of the real-time information when some of the packets and dependent packets are lost.

9. A process of sending real-time information at a sender computer comprising the steps of:

generating, at the sender computer, first packets containing the real-time information, and containing a first particular address of the destination, and containing a second particular address of a first proxy computer;

generating dependent packets containing information dependent on the real-time information, containing the first particular address of the destination, and containing a third particular address of a second proxy computer; and

sending the first packets and the dependent packets.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein the first packets and dependent packets have respective headers and the first generating step includes inserting the address of the first proxy in the header in at least one of the packets, and inserting the particular destination address in at least one of the first packets outside the header;

and

the second generating step includes inserting the address of the second proxy in the header in at least one of the dependent packets, and inserting the particular destination address in at least one of the dependent packets outside the header of the dependent packets.

11. The process of claim 9 wherein the first packets are identical to the dependent packets.

12. The process of claim 9 wherein the real-time information comprises speech information.

13. The process of claim 9 wherein the real-time information comprises image information.

14. The process of claim 9 further comprising sending a request for information to identify said first and second proxies.

15. The process of claim 9 further comprising sending a request for information to identify a list of proxy candidates including said first and second proxies.

16. The process of claim 15 further comprising processing said list of proxy candidates and selecting said first and second proxies.

17. A process of sending real-time information at a sender computer comprising the steps of:

opening a first network path to a destination wherein the first network path has a first proxy computer;

opening a second diverse network path to the same destination wherein the second network path has a second proxy computer;

generating, at the sender computer, first packets containing the real-time information, and containing a first particular address of the destination, and containing a second particular address of the first proxy computer on the first network path intermediate said sender computer and the destination;

generating dependent packets containing information dependent on the real-time information, containing the first particular address of the destination, and containing a third particular address of the second proxy computer on the second diverse network path intermediate said sender computer and the destination; and

sending the first packets and the dependent packets.

18. The process of claim 17 wherein the first packets and dependent packets have respective headers and the first generating step includes inserting the address of the first proxy in the header in at least one of the packets, and inserting the particular destination address in at least one of the first packets outside the header;

and

the second generating step includes inserting the address of the second proxy in the header in at least one of the dependent packets, and inserting the particular destination address in at least one of the dependent packets outside the header of the dependent packets.

19. The process of claim 17 wherein the first packets are identical to the dependent packets.

20. A process of sending to a receiver computer packets of real-time information at a sender computer via a network that has at least two routers, comprising the steps of:

operating the sender computer to send requests to two or more of said routers to establish at least one common destination for the at least two routers of packets from the sender computer;

then receiving packets of the real-time information from the same one source at the receiver computer from said two or more of said routers to which requests were sent; and

processing the packets from said two or more of said routers to reduce the number of lost packets compared to receiving the packets from only one of said routers.

21. A process of receiving packets of real-time information at a receiver computer connected to a network that has packets originated from a source, the packets being replicated and the packets then sent to multiple destinations through at least two routers, comprising the steps in the receiver computer of:

operating the receiver computer to send requests to two or more of said routers to establish the receiver computer as a destination for said at least two routers of packets from the same one source;

then receiving packets of the real-time information from the same one source at the receiver computer from said two or more of said routers to which requests were sent.

22. The process of claim 21 further comprising processing the packets from said two or more of said routers to reduce the number of lost packets compared to receiving the packets from only one of said routers.

23. A single-chip integrated circuit comprising:

a processor circuit; and

a packet network path diversity software stack.

24. The single-chip integrated circuit of claim 23 further comprising a speech encoder coupled to said packet network path diversity software stack.

25. The single-chip integrated circuit of claim 24 wherein said speech encoder produces frames of encoded speech and said integrated circuit further comprises a packetizer responsive to the frames to output packets including at least one of said frames in a packet.

26. The single-chip integrated circuit of claim 23 wherein said processor circuit comprises a digital signal processor multiplier and arithmetic logic unit.

27. The single-chip integrated circuit of claim 23 further comprising a non-volatile memory storing instructions establishing said packet network path diversity software stack for execution by said processor circuit.

28. The single-chip integrated circuit of claim 23 further comprising a speech encoder and wherein said packet network path diversity software stack includes an interface block and a networking block establishing two or more software objects respectively representing diverse network connections, the interface block coupling said speech encoder concurrently to the two or more software objects.

29. The single-chip integrated circuit of claim 23 further comprising a voice over packet control coupled to said packet network path diversity software stack.

30. The single-chip integrated circuit of claim 23 further comprising a feeder software block coupled to said two or more software objects.

31. The single-chip integrated circuit of claim 30 further comprising a decoder coupled to said feeder software block for receiving packets of real time information and dependent packets.

32. The single-chip integrated circuit of claim 23 wherein said packet network path diversity software stack comprises a process of sending real-time information including generating on the integrated circuit first packets containing the real-time information, and containing a first particular address of the destination, and containing a second particular address of a first proxy computer;

generating dependent packets containing information dependent on the real-time information, containing the first particular address of the destination, and containing a third particular address of a second proxy computer; and

sending the first packets and the dependent packets.

33. A chipset article of manufacture comprising a digital signal processor (DSP) integrated circuit and a microcontroller (MCU) integrated circuit wherein the chipset further comprises partitioned between the DSP and the MCU a speech encoder, a packet network path diversity interface block and a packet network protocol stack establishing two or more software objects respectively representing diverse network connections, the interface block coupling said speech encoder concurrently to the two or more software objects.

34. The chipset article of manufacture of claim 33 further comprising a feeder software block coupled to said two or more software objects.

35. A single-chip integrated circuit comprising

processor circuitry;

a speech decoder;

a networking block executed on the processor circuitry and establishing two or more software objects respectively representing diverse network connections;

a feeder software block concurrently coupling packets of real time information and dependent packets from the software objects representing diverse network connections to said speech decoder concurrently from the two or more software objects.

36. The single-chip integrated circuit of claim 35 further comprising a voice over packet control coupled to said feeder software block.

37. A wireless telephone comprising an antenna, a voice transducer, and at least one integrated circuit assembly coupling the voice transducer to the antenna, said at least one integrated circuit assembly providing voice over packet transmissions and including a single-chip integrated circuit having a processor circuit and a packet network path diversity software stack.

38. The wireless telephone of claim 37 further comprising a speech encoder coupled to said packet network path diversity software stack.

39. The wireless telephone of claim 37 further comprising a speech encoder and wherein said packet network path diversity software stack includes an interface block and a networking block establishing two or more software objects respectively representing diverse network connections, the interface block coupling said speech encoder concurrently to the two or more software objects.

40. The wireless telephone of claim 37 further comprising a voice over packet control coupled to said packet network path diversity software stack.

41. The wireless telephone of claim 37 further comprising a feeder software block coupled to said two or more software objects.

42. The wireless telephone of claim 37 further comprising a decoder coupled to said feeder software block for receiving packets of real time information and dependent packets.

43. The wireless telephone of claim 37 wherein said packet network path diversity software stack comprises a process of sending real-time information including generating on the integrated circuit first packets containing the real-time information, and containing a first particular address of the destination, and containing a second particular address of a first proxy computer;

generating dependent packets containing information dependent on the real-time information, containing the first particular address of the destination, and containing a third particular address of a second proxy computer; and

sending the first packets and the dependent packets.

44. An information storage article of manufacture comprising:

a storage medium having physical variations representing bits of information; and

said bits of information comprising a packet network packet diversity software stack.

45. The information storage article of manufacture of claim 44 wherein said bits of information further comprise a speech encoder coupled to said packet network packet diversity software stack.

46. The information storage article of manufacture of claim 44 wherein said bits of information further comprise instructions for a digital signal processor.

47. An information storage article of manufacture comprising:

a storage medium having physical variations representing bits of information; and

said bits of information comprising instructions of sending real-time information from a sender computer to a receiver computer coupled to the sender computer by a packet network wherein packets sometimes become lost, including instructions directing packets containing the real-time information from the sender computer by at least one path in the packet network to the receiver computer, and instructions directing packets containing information dependent on the real-time information from the sender computer by at least one path diversity path in the packet network to the same receiver computer.

48. An information storage article of manufacture comprising:

a storage medium having physical variations representing bits of information; and

said bits of information comprising instructions of;

opening a first network path to a destination wherein the first network path has a first proxy computer;

opening a second diverse network path to the same destination wherein the second network path has a second proxy computer;

generating, at a sender computer, first packets containing the real-time information, and containing a first particular address of the destination, and containing a second particular address of the first proxy computer on the first network path intermediate said sender computer and the destination; and

generating dependent packets containing information dependent on the real-time information, containing the first particular address of the destination, and containing a third particular address of the second proxy computer on the second diverse network path intermediate said sender computer and the destination.

49. The information storage article of manufacture of claim 48 wherein the first packets and dependent packets have respective headers and the instructions of firstly generating include inserting the address of the first proxy in the header in the packets, and inserting the particular destination address in the first packets outside the header;

and the instructions of secondly generating include inserting the address of the second proxy in the header in the dependent packets, and inserting the particular destination address in the dependent packets outside the header of the dependent packets.

50. An information storage article of manufacture comprising:

a storage medium having physical variations representing bits of information; and

said bits of information including;

a speech processing block of instructions;

a networking block of instructions that when executed establish two or more software objects respectively representing diverse network connections; and

a feeder software block of instructions that when executed concurrently couple packets of real time information and dependent packets from the two or more software objects representing diverse network connections to said speech processing block concurrently.

51. The information storage article of manufacture of claim 50 wherein said bits of information further comprise a voice over packet control coupled to said feeder software block.

52. The information storage article of manufacture of claim 50 wherein said bits of information further comprise an interface software block of instructions that couple outgoing speech from said speech processing block to said networking block concurrently to the two or more software objects representing diverse network connections.

53. The information storage article of manufacture of claim 50 further comprising hard disk drive control circuitry assembly and said storage medium including a rotatable hard disk controlled and read by said hard disk drive control circuitry assembly.

54. The information storage article of manufacture of claim 50 wherein said storage medium includes an optically readable surface.

55. The information storage article of manufacture of claim 50 wherein said storage medium includes a magnetically readable surface.

56. The information storage article of manufacture of claim 50 wherein said storage medium includes an integrated circuit memory.

57. A process of operating a network comprising the steps of:

providing proxies that forward voice over packet communications providing a list server with stored information about the proxies;

executing an identification process that identifies upon request at least two of said proxies for packet network path diversity using the stored information about the proxies.

58. The process of claim 57 wherein said identification process is responsive to a request including a destination area, and includes the steps of selecting the at least two proxies from a prestored list of proxies by geographic region providing path diversity relative to the destination area.

59. The process of claim 57 wherein said identification process is responsive to a request including a destination area, and includes the steps of responding with proxy identifiers for a first one of the at least two proxies from a first prestored list of proxies in a first geographic region and responding with proxy identifiers for a second one of the at least two proxies from a second prestored list of proxies in a second geographic region.

60. The process of claim 57 wherein said identification process is responsive to a request and includes the steps of

providing a prestored region table that identifies the proxies located in respective regions;

identifying first region in which a source computer lies, and a second region in a destination computer lies;

from the source and destination regions thus identified, then identifying third and fourth regions other than the first and second regions, wherein the third and fourth regions are displaced from a line joining the source and destination regions;

accessing the region table for the third region and providing at least one identifier of a proxy in the third region; and

accessing the region table for the fourth region and providing at least one identifier of a proxy in the fourth region.

61. The process of claim 57 wherein said identification process is responsive to a request and includes the steps of providing a table of distances between proxies and selecting at least one pair of proxies that are more than a predetermined distance apart.

62. The process of claim 61 wherein the predetermined distance exceeds 200 kilometers.

63. The process of claim 57 wherein said identification process is responsive to a request and includes the steps of providing a table of proxy descriptors relevant to path diversity and selecting at least one pair of proxies that have different descriptors indicative of path diversity.

64. The process of claim 63 wherein the table of proxy descriptors includes class of service information for different proxies.

65. The process of claim 63 wherein the table of proxy descriptors includes geographic information for different proxies.

66. The process of claim 61 wherein the table of proxy descriptors includes location information about different proxies and said selecting step including computing a distance between proxies from the location information.

67. The process of claim 61 wherein the table of proxy descriptors includes service provider information about different proxies.

68. The process of claim 57 wherein said identification process is responsive to a request and includes the steps of providing a table of distances between proxies;

executing a search in the table of distances for one or more acceptable proxy pairs according to a search condition; and

selecting at least one pair of acceptable proxies.

69. The process of claim 68 wherein the search condition provides at least that proxies be more than a predetermined geographic distance apart.

70. The process of claim 68 wherein given a line between a source computer and a destination computer, the search condition provides at least that acceptable proxies lie on opposite sides of the line.

71. The process of claim 68 wherein given a line between a source computer and a destination computer, each proxy has a perpendicular distance to the line, and the search condition provides at least that respective distances from acceptable proxies to the line lie in a predetermined zone width but more than a predetermined distance from the line.

72. The process of claim 68 wherein given a line segment between a source computer and a destination computer, the search condition provides at least that acceptable proxies are ones located such that there are respective perpendiculars from the acceptable proxies that intersect the line segment itself.

73. The process of claim 68 wherein the table of distances provides network distances including number of hops between proxies.

74. The process of claim 68 wherein the table of distances provides network distances including a first number of hops between a pair of proxies, and given a second number of hops between one of the proxies and the source, the search condition provides at least that acceptable proxies are ones wherein the first number divided by the second number exceeds a predetermined amount.

75. The process of claim 68 wherein the table of distances provides network distances including numbers of hops from source-to-proxyA, from source-to-proxyB, from proxyA-to-proxyB, from proxyA-to-destination, and from proxyB-to-destination, and the search condition at least provides inequalities on a set of ratios H1, H2, H3, H4 wherein Ratio H1 is a ratio of the number of hops Hab from proxyA-to-proxyB to the number of hops Hsa from source to proxy A, H2 is the ratio of the number of hops Hab from proxyA-to-proxyB to the number of hops Hsb from source to proxy B, H3 is the ratio of the number of hops Hab from proxyA-to-proxyB to the number of hops Had from proxy A to destination, and H4 is the ratio of the number of hops Hab from proxyA-to-proxyB to the number of hops Hbd from proxy B to destination;

and wherein the inequalities are that H1, H2, H3, H4 are respectively greater than respective predetermined constants.

76. The process of claim 68 wherein the table of distances provides network distances including numbers of hops Hsa from source-to-proxyA, Hsb from source-to-proxyB, Had from proxyA-to-destination, and Hbd from proxyB-to-destination, and the search includes a search in a range of values of a path-length ratio H0=(Hsa+Had)/(Hsb+Hbd).

77. The process of claim 68 wherein the table of distances includes network distances as a matrix of entries to indicate presence or absence of a network link between a given pair of network nodes free of any intermediate network node between the given pair.

78. The process of claim 77 wherein given a source and a destination, the process includes searching the matrix of entries for different network paths between the source and destination.

79. The process of claim 78 wherein at least one pair of paths are selected depending on a search condition depending on number of path nodes in common.

80. The process of claim 78 wherein at least one pair of paths are selected which has a ratio of a first number of path nodes in common divided by a sum of the nodes in each path wherein the ratio is less than a predetermined amount.

81. The process of claim 68 wherein given a source and a destination, the process includes searching the table of distances for different network paths between the source and destination.

82. The process of claim 81 wherein at least one pair of paths are selected based on a first number depending on links shared by the paths divided by a second number depending on the number of links in at least one of the paths.

83. The process of claim 81 wherein at least one pair of paths are selected by comparing numbers of links in the paths of the pair.

84. An information storage article of manufacture comprising:

a storage medium holding physical variations representing bits of information; and

said bits of information including stored information about proxies and an identification process that identifies upon request at least two of the proxies for packet network path diversity using the stored information about the proxies.

85. A media over packet networking appliance comprising:

a network interface;

an audio transducer; and

at least one integrated circuit assembly coupling the audio transducer to the network interface, said at least one integrated circuit assembly providing media over packet transmissions and including a processor circuit and a packet network path diversity software stack.

86. The media over packet networking appliance of claim 85 further comprising a speech encoder coupled to said packet network path diversity software stack.

87. The media over packet networking appliance of claim 85 further comprising a speech encoder and wherein said packet network path diversity software stack includes an interface block and a networking block establishing two or more software objects respectively representing diverse network connections, the interface block coupling said speech encoder concurrently to the two or more software objects.

88. The media over packet networking appliance of claim 85 further comprising a voice over packet control coupled to said packet network path diversity software stack.

89. The media over packet networking appliance of claim 85 further comprising a feeder software block coupled to said networking block wherein said feeder software block couples to two or more software objects when the software objects are established.

90. The media over packet networking appliance of claim 89 further comprising a decoder coupled to said feeder software block to receive packets of real time information and dependent packets dependent on the real time information.

91. The media over packet networking appliance of claim 85 wherein said packet network path diversity software stack includes instructions implementing a process of sending real-time information including generating in the integrated circuit assembly first packets containing the real-time information, and also containing a first particular address of the destination, and further containing a second particular address of a first proxy computer;

generating dependent packets containing information dependent on the real-time information, and also containing the first particular address of the destination, and further containing a third particular address of a second proxy computer; and

sending the first packets and the dependent packets.

92. The media over packet networking appliance of claim 85 wherein said integrated circuit assembly comprises a digital signal processor and said packet network path diversity software stack comprises a block of software instructions executable at least in part by said digital signal processor.

93. The media over packet networking appliance of claim 85 wherein said integrated circuit assembly comprises processor circuitry and a non-volatile memory storing instructions establishing said packet network path diversity software stack for execution by said processor circuitry.

94. The media over packet networking appliance of claim 85 further comprising a television set enclosure holding a television electronics and display assembly and a user interface both coupled to said integrated circuit assembly.

95. The media over packet networking appliance of claim 85 wherein said network interface includes a wireless interface unit coupled to said integrated circuit assembly.

96. The media over packet networking appliance of claim 85 further comprising a set top box enclosure and wherein said network interface includes a cable modem coupled to said integrated circuit assembly.

97. The media over packet networking appliance of claim 85 further comprising a wearable mobile enclosure holding a user interface coupled to said integrated circuit assembly.

98. The media over packet networking appliance of claim 85 further comprising a home appliance enclosure holding a tactile user interface coupled to said integrated circuit assembly.

99. The media over packet networking appliance of claim 85 further comprising an automotive accessory enclosure holding a user interface coupled to said integrated circuit assembly.

100. The media over packet networking appliance of claim 85 further comprising a compressed-image packet interface coupled to said integrated circuit assembly and an image display coupled to said integrated circuit assembly.

101. A computer comprising:

a network interface;

an audio reception transducer;

an audio emission transducer; and

at least one integrated circuit assembly coupling the audio reception transducer and audio emission transducer to the network interface, said at least one integrated circuit assembly providing media over packet transmission and reception and including a packet network path diversity control of media packets and dependent packets bearing information dependent on said media packets.

102. The computer of claim 101 further comprising a speech encoder coupled to said packet network path diversity software stack.

103. The computer of claim 101 further comprising a speech encoder and wherein said packet network path diversity software stack includes an interface block and a networking block establishing two or more software objects respectively representing diverse network connections, the interface block coupling said speech encoder concurrently to the two or more software objects.

104. The computer of claim 101 further comprising a voice over packet control coupled to said packet network path diversity software stack.

105. The computer of claim 101 further comprising a feeder software block coupled to said networking block wherein said feeder software block couples to two or more software objects when the software objects are established.

106. The computer of claim 105 further comprising a decoder coupled to said feeder software block to receive packets of real time information and dependent packets dependent on the real time information.

107. The computer of claim 101 wherein said packet network path diversity software stack includes instructions implementing a process of sending real-time information including generating in the integrated circuit assembly first packets containing the real-time information, and also containing a first particular address of the destination, and further containing a second particular address of a first proxy computer;

generating dependent packets containing information dependent on the real-time information, and also containing the first particular address of the destination, and further containing a third particular address of a second proxy computer; and

sending the first packets and the dependent packets.

108. The computer of claim 101 wherein said integrated circuit assembly comprises a digital signal processor and said packet network path diversity software stack comprises a block of software instructions executable at least in part by said digital signal processor.

109. The computer of claim 101 wherein said integrated circuit assembly comprises processor circuitry and a non-volatile memory storing instructions establishing said packet network path diversity software stack for execution by said processor circuitry.

110. The computer of claim 101 further comprising a mobile computer enclosure holding a user interface coupled to said integrated circuit assembly.

111. The computer of claim 101 wherein said network interface includes a wireless interface unit coupled to said integrated circuit assembly.

112. The computer of claim 101 wherein said network interface includes a cable modem coupled to said integrated circuit assembly.

113. The computer of claim 101 further comprising a compressed-image packet interface coupled to said integrated circuit assembly and an image display coupled to said integrated circuit assembly.

114. A gateway comprising:

a packet network interface;

an non-packet network interface for real-time media on said non-packet network; and

at least one integrated circuit assembly coupling the non-packet network interface to the packet network interface, said at least one integrated circuit assembly providing media over packet transmission and reception of media packets and dependent packets bearing information dependent on said media packets, and said at least one integrated circuit assembly including a packet network path diversity software stack.

115. A router comprising:

a first packet network port;

a second packet network port for real-time media on said second packet network interface; and

at least one integrated circuit assembly coupling the first packet network port to said second packet network port, said at least one integrated circuit assembly providing media over packet transmission and reception of media packets and dependent packets bearing information dependent on said media packets, and said at least one integrated circuit assembly including a packet network path diversity software stack.

116. A private branch exchange comprising:

telephone interface circuitry having plural connectors ready for connection to plural telephone units;

a digital network interface ready for connection to PSTN (public switched telephone network); and

at least one integrated circuit assembly coupling the telephone interface circuitry to the digital network interface, said at least one integrated circuit assembly providing voice over packet transmission and reception of voice packets and packets dependent on the voice packets and including a packet network path diversity software stack.

117. A wireless base station comprising:

cellular telephone wireless transmit/receive interface circuitry for communication with cell telephone handsets in the vicinity of the wireless base station;

a packet network interface; and

at least one integrated circuit assembly coupling the cellular telephone wireless transmit/receive interface circuitry to the packet network interface, said at least one integrated circuit assembly providing voice over packet transmission and reception and including a packet network path diversity software stack establishing a process of directing voice packets and packets dependent on the voice packets over diverse packet network paths.

118. A computer card comprising:

a processor circuit;

a packet network path diversity software stack; and

a printed wiring board bearing said processor circuit and packet network path diversity software stack, said printed wiring board having an output connector for passage of packets and dependent diversity packets therethrough from said processor and said printed wiring board further having an insertion connector, whereby the printed wiring board is insertable via the insertion connector.

119. The computer card of claim 118 further comprising a speech encoder coupled to said packet network path diversity software stack.

120. The computer card of claim 118 further comprising a speech encoder and wherein said packet network path diversity software stack includes an interface block and a networking block establishing two or more software objects respectively representing diverse network connections, the interface block coupling said speech encoder concurrently to the two or more software objects.

121. The computer card of claim 118 further comprising a voice over packet control coupled to said packet network path diversity software stack.

122. The computer card of claim 118 further comprising a feeder software block coupled to said networking block wherein said feeder software block couples to two or more software objects when the software objects are established.

123. The computer card of claim 122 further comprising a decoder coupled to said feeder software block to receive packets of real time information and dependent packets dependent on the real time information.

124. The computer card of claim 118 wherein said packet network path diversity software stack includes instructions implementing a process of sending real-time information including generating in the integrated circuit assembly first packets containing the real-time information, and also containing a first particular address of the destination, and further containing a second particular address of a first proxy computer;

generating dependent packets containing information dependent on the real-time information, and also containing the first particular address of the destination, and further containing a third particular address of a second proxy computer; and

sending the first packets and the dependent packets.

125. The computer card of claim 118 wherein said integrated circuit assembly comprises a digital signal processor and said packet network path diversity software stack comprises a block of software instructions executable at least in part by said digital signal processor.

126. The computer card of claim 118 wherein said network interface includes a wireless interface unit coupled to said integrated circuit assembly.

127. The computer card of claim 118 wherein said network interface includes a cable modem coupled to said integrated circuit assembly.

128. The computer card of claim 118 wherein said network interface includes a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem coupled to said integrated circuit assembly.

129. A packet network comprising first computer and a second computer both adapted for media over packet, and a network of routers and transmission media coupling said first computer and said second computer, said packet network further comprising packet network path diversity software stacks.

130. The packet network of claim 129 wherein said network of routers and transmission media includes a computer having information about diverse proxies, said computer and said proxies being accessible by said packet network path diversity software stacks.

131. The packet network of claim 129 wherein said network of routers and transmission media includes multicasting routers.

132. An improved packet carried in a packet network already carrying a first packet containing real-time information, a destination address, and a first proxy address, wherein the improved packet has

dependent bits representing information dependent on the real-time information;

bits representing the same destination address; and

bits representing a second proxy address.

133. The improved packet of claim 132 wherein the improved packet has a header including the bits representing the second proxy address, and a non-header portion including the dependent bits representing information dependent on the real-time information and the bits representing the same destination address.

134. A packet ensemble carried in a packet network, the packet ensemble comprising:

a first packet having bits representing real-time information, a destination address, and a first proxy address; and

a second packet having dependent bits representing information dependent on the real-time information;

bits representing the same destination address; and

bits representing a second proxy address.

135. The packet ensemble of claim 134 wherein the second packet has a header including the bits representing the second proxy address, and a non-header portion including the dependent bits representing information dependent on the real-time information and the bits representing the same destination address.

136. The packet ensemble of claim 135 wherein the first packet has a header including the bits representing the first proxy address, and a non-header portion including the bits representing the real-time information and the bits representing the destination address.

137. A packet network comprising first computer and a second computer both adapted for media over packet, and a network of routers and transmission media coupling said first computer and said second computer, wherein packets sometimes become lost, and said packet network further comprising a first proxy directing packets containing the real-time information from the sender computer by at least one path in the packet network to the receiver computer, and a second proxy directing packets containing information dependent on the real-time information from the sender computer by at least one path diversity path in the packet network to the same receiver computer.

138. The packet network of claim 137 further comprising a server connected to some part of the transmission media, said server having information accessible from elsewhere on the network, the information identifying the first and second proxy forwarders.

139. An improved packet comprising:

bits representing data related to real-time information; and

at least one bit representing whether packet network path diversity is being used to communicate the data.

140. The improved packet of claim 139 further comprising:

bits representing whether the data in the packet is dependent data relative to the real-time information.

141. A process of operating a router comprising the steps of:

providing a proxy that forwards packets for voice over packet communications;

testing at least one of the packets for at least one path diversity bit field representing whether packet network path diversity is being used to communicate the data; and

when the path diversity bit field represents diversity not being used, then executing code relating to a path diversity process and, when the path diversity bit field represents diversity being used then bypassing at least part of said code.

142. A process of operating a network comprising the steps of:

providing proxies that forward voice over packet communications

providing a list server with stored information about the proxies;

executing an identification process that identifies upon request at least two of said proxies for packet network path diversity using the stored information about the proxies wherein said identification process includes;

providing a table of correlations between pairs of proxies by a measure of their quality of service;

executing a search in the table of correlations for one or more acceptable proxy pairs according to a search condition; and

selecting at least one pair of acceptable proxies.

143. The process of claim 142 wherein the search condition provides at least that a correlation for an acceptable proxy pair be less than a predetermined correlation value.

144. In a computer system having a computer, a user interface coupled to the computer, a process comprising the steps of:

providing the computer with a link matrix having information representing interconnected network links; and

converting at least some of the information in the link matrix into a displayable form corresponding to a hops digraph.

145. The process of claim 144 further comprising

searching the link matrix to find path diverse network paths;

and

utilizing the paths thus found to identify the at least some information in the link matrix for said converting step.

146. The process of claim 144 further comprising contacting an informational server to obtain information to prepare for packet network path diversity transmissions;

and displaying through the user interface a visual indicating the contacting step being performed.

147. The process of claim 144 further comprising

searching the link matrix to find path diverse network paths;

and establishing a connection with a destination computer via proxies on at least two of the path diverse network paths.

148. The process of claim 147 further comprising displaying through the user interface a visual indicating the establishing connection step being performed.