System and method for transmission of digital information of varying sample rates over a synchronous network

Abstract

A system for transmitting digital information over a synchronous network includes at least one source node and at least one sink node both coupled with the synchronous network. The source node provides source information sampled at a source sample rate (Fsi) to the synchronous network in the form of digital information. The source information may include blocks of multi-channel data. The synchronous network operates on a network master clock rate (Fn) with a frequency that may be higher, lower or equal to the source sample rate (Fsi). The digital information is transmitted over the network to the sink node. Digital information representative of a portion of a block of multi-channel data may be transmitted separately. The sink node processes the digital information to generate synthesized source information. Where portions of blocks of multi-channel data are transmitted separately, the sink node may combine the separate portions to generate synthesized complete blocks of multi-channel data.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of transmitting multi-channel data as digital information over a synchronous network, the method comprising: 
 a) processing a plurality of blocks of multi-channel data at a first rate to generate digital information;    b) clocking the digital information into network frames in a synchronous network at a second rate, the second rate different than the first rate; and    c) indicating digital information representative of partial blocks of multi-channel data within each of the network frames.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 d) transmitting each of the network frames over the synchronous network;    e) receiving the digital information from the synchronous network; and    f) processing the digital information as a function of the first rate, the second rate and the indication of partial blocks of multi-channel data to generate synthesized blocks of multi-channel data.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a) comprises processing blocks of multi-channel audio data.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein b) comprises clocking digital information representative of partial blocks of multi-channel data into the network frames without waiting for the remainder of the partial blocks of multi-channel data to be processed.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein c) comprises including a header in each of the network frames, the header indicative of partial blocks of multi-channel data and the number of complete blocks of multi-channel data included in an associated network frame.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a) comprises storing the digital information in a buffer, the digital information initially stored as input source information and stored as output source information prior to b).  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein b) comprises clocking a source counter value and a header into each of the network frames, the source counter value indicative of the first rate and the header indicative of partial blocks of multi-channel data within a corresponding network frame.  
     
     
         8 . A method of processing multi-channel data transmitted as digital information over a synchronous network, the method comprising: 
 a) receiving a first network frame from a synchronous network, wherein each transmitted network frame includes digital information representative of multi-channel data sampled at a first rate, a source counter value indicative of the first rate and indication of whether a partial block of multi-channel data is represented in the network frame;    b) processing the first network frame to generate a synthesized block of multi-channel data as a function of the source counter value, a network counter value indicative of a synchronous network master clock rate and the indication of whether a partial block of multi-channel data is represented; and    c) processing at least one second network frame to complete generation of the synthesized block of multi-channel data when it is indicated that a partial block of multi-channel data is represented in the first network frame.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein each transmitted network frame also includes indication of the number of complete blocks of multi-channel data included in the transmitted network frame and b) comprises processing the first network frame to generate a synthesized block of multi-channel data as a function of the indication of the number of blocks of complete multi-channel data included in the first network frame.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein b) comprises extracting from a header of the first network frame indication of whether a partial block of multi-channel data is represented in the first network frame, the header including an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion indicative of complete blocks of multi-channel data included in the first network frame and the lower portion indicative of partial blocks of multi-channel data included in the first network frame.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first rate and the second rate are different and b) comprises identifying redundant transmission of digital information as a function of the source counter value and the network counter value.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein b) comprises counting the frequency of the synchronous network master clock rate to determine the network counter value.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein indication that a partial block of multi-channel data is represented indicates one of a left stereo sample and a right stereo sample is omitted from the first network frame.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a), b) and c) are performed with an output stage and subsequently transmitted over the synchronous network to a processing module to generate the synthesized block of multi-channel data.  
     
     
         15 . A synchronous network transmission system for transmitting multi-channel audio data as digital information over a synchronous network, the system comprising: 
 a source node operable to generate digital information, the digital information comprising a plurality of blocks of multi-channel data sampled at a first rate; and    a synchronous network coupled with the source node, wherein the synchronous network is operable at a second rate different than the first rate, the digital information sequentially clocked into the synchronous network at the second rate, wherein the blocks of multi-channel data remain sampled at the first rate,    the source node operable to identify partial blocks of multi-channel data within the digital information that is clocked into the synchronous network.    
     
     
         16 . The synchronous network transmission system of  claim 15 , further comprising a sink node coupled with the synchronous network, the sink node operable to process digital information to generate synthesized blocks of multi-channel data as a function of the identification of partial blocks of multi-channel data received over the synchronous network.  
     
     
         17 . The synchronous network transmission system of  claim 16 , wherein the sink node comprises an output stage and a processing module, the output stage operable to identify and form complete blocks of multi-channel data from the partial blocks of multi-channel data, the processing module operable to generate synthesized blocks of multi-channel data.  
     
     
         18 . The synchronous network transmission system of  claim 15 , wherein the source node comprises a source clock, an information generator, an N-bit counter and a buffer.  
     
     
         19 . The synchronous network transmission system of  claim 15 , wherein digital information is clocked into a plurality of network frames, the source node operable to identify partial blocks of multi-channel data within each of the network frames.  
     
     
         20 . The synchronous network transmission system of  claim 15 , wherein each of the network frames include a header having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion indicative of complete blocks of multi-channel data included within the network frame, the lower portion indicative of partial blocks of multi-channel data included within the network frame.  
     
     
         21 . The synchronous network transmission system of  claim 15 , wherein each of the network frames includes a header, a source counter value representative of the first rate, a first source information word and a second source information word, the header indicative of partial and complete blocks of multi-channel data within the first source information word and the second source information word.  
     
     
         22 . The synchronous network transmission system of  claim 15 , wherein the multi-channel data comprises multi-channel audio data.  
     
     
         23 . The synchronous network transmission system of  claim 15 , wherein the multi-channel data comprises one of two channel audio data, six channel audio data and eight channel audio data.