Method and apparatus for reducing delays in a packets switched network

1. A method of reducing delays associated with communication packets conveyed in a packetized network, comprising:

providing a plurality of data frames belonging to different communication sessions conveyed along respective communication channels;

providing protection data for protecting at least one of said plurality of data frames; and

multiplexing one or more of said plurality of data frames into a second communication packet,

wherein said second communication packet comprises protection data for protecting at least one first data frame that had already been transmitted in a first communication packet which transmission preceded a transmission of the second communication packet, the at least one first data frame belonging to a first communication session,

wherein said protection data comprised in the second communication packet is attached to a second data frame, being at least one of the data frames multiplexed into the second communication packet, the second data frame belonging to a second communication session and having a second frame header that identifies the second communication session to which the second data frame belongs,

wherein the protection data is operative to protect the at least one first data frame being at least one data frame transmitted in the first communication packet, the protection data being attached to the second data frame with a first frame header that identifies the first communication session to which the at least one first data frame belongs, and

wherein the first communication session to which the at least one first data frame belongs is different from the second communication session to which the second data frame carrying the protection data for the at least one first data frame belongs.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said protection data comprises at least one member of the group that consists of:

an identification of a channel associated with the first communication session to which said first data frame belongs;

an identification of the first communication session to which said first data frame belongs;

a unique channel identifier for each of a plurality of users associated with said plurality of data frames;

an indication denoting the association of said at least one second data frame with protection data;

an indication denoting a type of protection provided;

an indication of a time stamp and/or sequence number associated with said at least one first data frame; and

an indication denoting the enumeration of the protection frame.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an original data frame that was transmitted in the preceding first communication packet and which is protected by said protection data comprises voice information or voiceband data information or audio information or video information.

4. A method of reducing delays associated with communication packets conveyed in a packetized network, comprising:

providing a plurality of data frames belonging to different communication sessions conveyed along respective communication channels;

providing protection data for protecting at least one of said plurality of data frames; and

multiplexing one or more of said plurality of data frames into a second communication packet,

wherein said second communication packet further comprises protection data for protecting at least one first data frame that had already been transmitted in a first communication packet which transmission preceded a transmission of the second communication packet,

wherein said protection data comprised in the second communication packet is attached to a second data frame being at least one of the data frames comprised in that second communication packet,

wherein the protection data is operative to protect a first data frame being at least one data frame comprised in the first communication packet, and

wherein each of said first and second data frames belongs to a different communication session; and

preventing transmission of protection data frames within a communication packet which comprises the at least one data frame for which said protection data is intended.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said step of preventing transmission of protection data comprises delaying transmission of protection data that should be comprised within the communication packet that comprises the data frame for which said protection data is intended, and transmitting that protection data in a proceeding communication packet.

6. A communication apparatus, comprising:

means operative to process a plurality of data frames received along different communication channels, wherein each of the different communication channels is operative to convey a communication session thereat;

means operative to retrieve and/or process and/or generate protection data for protecting at least one of the plurality of data frames and to attach the protection data to at least one second data frame, the at least one second data frame belonging to a second communication session and having a second frame header that identifies the second communication session to which the at least one second data frame belongs;

multiplexing means operative to multiplex the at least one second data frame and the protection data attached thereto, with one or more of the plurality of data frames into a second communication packet; and

transmitting means operative to transmit the second communication packet along a path comprised in a packetized network;

wherein the protection data is adapted to provide protecting data for at least one first data frame that had already been transmitted by the transmission means within a first communication packet that was transmitted prior to the transmission of the second communication packet in which the protecting data is transmitted, the at least one first data frame belonging to a first communication session, the protection data being attached to the at least one second data frame with a first frame header that identifies the first communication session to which the at least one first data frame belongs, and

wherein the first communication session to which the at least one first data frame belongs is different from the second communication session to which the second data frame carrying the protection data for the at least one first data frame belongs.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:

means operative to attach, to the at least one second data frame, the protection data that is intended to protect the at least one first data frame,

wherein said at least one second data frame belongs to the second communication session which is different from the first communication session to which said at least one first data frame belongs.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said means operative to retrieve and/or process and/or generate protection data are further operative to provide the protection data that comprises the first frame header, the first frame header being a mini header.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the mini header comprises an indication denoting that it is associated with the protection data.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said means operative to retrieve and/or process and/or generate protection data are further operative to provide protection data that comprises an indication of a time stamp and/or sequence number associated with an original data packet that was transmitted in a preceding communication frame, and which is protected by said protection data.

11. A communication apparatus, comprising:

means operative to process a plurality of data frames received along different communication channels, wherein each of the different communication channels is operative to convey a communication session thereat;

means operative to retrieve and/or process and/or generate protection data for protecting at least one of the plurality of data frames and to attach the protection data to at least one second data frame;

multiplexing means operative to multiplex the at least one second data frame and the protection data attached thereto with one or more of the plurality of data frames into a second communication packet; and

transmitting means operative to transmit the communication frame along a path comprised in a packetized network,

wherein the protection data is adapted to provide protecting data for at least one first data frame that had already been transmitted by the transmitting means within a first communication packet that was transmitted prior to a transmission of the second communication packet in which the protecting data is transmitted,

wherein each of said first and second data frames belongs to a different communication session, and

wherein said means operative to retrieve and/or process and/or generate protection data are further operative to provide protection data that comprises an indication of the enumeration of the protection.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said means operative to retrieve and/or process and/or generate protection data are further operative to provide protection data that comprises an indication of a type of the protection data.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said means operative to retrieve and/or process and/or generate protection data are further operative to provide protection data that comprises an indication of a sequence number associated with an original data packet that was transmitted in the at least one first data frame, and which is protected by said protection data.