Launch delay offset data flow protection

1. A data protection method comprising the steps of:

providing data path A and data path B;

each of the data paths extending between first and second stations;

paths A and B transporting the same data; and,

offsetting the data transported by path A from the data transported by path B by a time “t” such that following a simultaneous data loss on both paths during a time interval that is less than or equal to “t” an uninterrupted data flow can be recovered using a combination of information from both data paths.

2. A data protection method comprising the steps of:

providing a data transmitting block for receiving and forwarding data and a data receiving block for receiving the forwarded data and delivering data;

coupling dual redundant data paths A and B between the data transmitting block and the data receiving block;

configuring the transmitting block to transmit redundant data on data path B time “t” later than the data transmitted on path A; and,

maintaining an uninterrupted flow of delivered data following a simultaneous data loss on both paths of duration less than or equal to “t” by merging data from paths A and B to provide at least some of the data delivered following to the data loss.

3. The data protection method of claim 1 wherein data lost from path A is replaced by data from path B and wherein data lost from path B is replaced by data from path A.

4. A lost data recovery method comprising the steps of:

providing data path A for transporting data packets;

providing data path B for transporting data packets;

each of the data paths extending between first and second stations;

paths A and B transporting the same data packets; and,

offsetting the data transported by path A from the data transported by path B by a time “t” such that following a simultaneous data loss on both paths during a time interval that is less than or equal to “t” an uninterrupted data flow can be recovered by combining data from both data paths;

wherein packets lost from path A are replaced by packets from path B and wherein packets lost from path B is replaced by packets from path A.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein paths A and B are implemented in the same media using VLAN separation.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein t is at least 50 milliseconds.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein path A interconnects with the first and second stations and path B interconnects with the first and second stations.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the first station is an encoder and the second station is a decoder;

path A interconnects the encoder with a decoder SIPS;

path B interconnects an encoder NAT and delay block with the decoder SIPS; and,

data paths A and B transport multi-channel audio.