Adaptive Jitter Buffer for VoIP Decoder Packet Error Handling

The patent introduces a jitter buffer as an intermediary component between the packet receiver and the audio decoder. This buffer temporarily stores incoming VoIP packets and releases them at regular intervals, mediating between the variable packet arrival times from UDP transmission and the constant playback rate required for audio output. The buffer compensates for packet delays and reordering without requiring retransmission, thus maintaining both speed and reliability.

The patent implements a dynamic jitter buffer that continuously adapts its parameters based on real-time network conditions. The buffer size, fill threshold, and drain interval are dynamically adjusted according to the observed packet arrival patterns and jitter characteristics. When network conditions are good, the buffer operates with smaller size and shorter delay; when jitter increases, the buffer expands and adjusts timing to maintain voice quality, thus optimizing the trade-off between quality and delay.

The patent implements a self-service mechanism where the jitter buffer automatically tracks sequential bad frames and triggers appropriate recovery actions without external intervention. The buffer monitors packet sequence numbers, identifies gaps indicating lost packets, and autonomously decides when to switch to comfort noise generation or other recovery strategies. This self-managing approach maintains speech continuity while keeping the control logic integrated and relatively simple within the buffer module.