Data communication system, method and apparatus for communicating a data signal formed of successive data elements

Claim 2

A data communications system for communicating a data signal formed of successive data elements, said system comprising a transmission node, a reception node, and a link providing a data connection from said transmission node to said reception node, said transmission node comprising: a data clock transmitter configured to transmit a synchronization clocking signal to said reception node via said link, said synchronization clocking signal having synchronizing features occurring at a frequency lower than a data element rate; and an assembler configured to assemble elements of said data signal into data frames, each data frame having a plurality of successive data elements of said data signal, for transmission to said reception node via said link, said assembler being responsive to said synchronization clocking signal so as to set a synchronization flag associated with a data element having a first predetermined temporal relationship with a synchronizing feature of said synchronization clocking signal; and said reception node comprising: a detector configured to detect said synchronizing feature of said synchronization clocking signal received from said transmission node; a disassembler configured to diassemble received data frames to regenerate said data signal, said disassembler being operable to detect a data element associated with said set synchronization flag; and an output unit configured to output said data element associated with said set synchronization flag at a second predetermined temporal relationship with respect to said synchronizing feature of said received synchronization clocking signal, said output unit comprising a time delay arrangement, so that data elements from a data frame associated with said set synchronization flag are output a predetermined delay time after said reception node receives said synchronizing feature of said synchronization clocking signal, wherein said first and second predetermined temporal relationships are arranged so that a predetermined system latency exists between input of a data element to said transmission node and subsequent output of that data element by said reception node.

Claim 3

The system according to claim 1 , wherein said first predetermined temporal relationship corresponds to a first-transmitted data element position within the data frame.

Claim 4

The system according to claim 1 , wherein said a data clock transmitter further transmits a data clock to said receiving node via said link, said data clock defining a timing of said data elements or components of said data elements, and said reception node comprises a data clock receiver configured to receive said data clock from said transmitting node and output said data elements in accordance with said received data clock.

Claim 5

The system according to claim 3 , wherein said data clock transmitter is configured to transmit a Multipoint Low-Voltage Differential Signaling signal to said receiving node.

Claim 6

The system according to claim 3 , wherein: said transmission node comprises a combiner configured to combine said synchronization clocking signal and said data clock to form a multiplexed clock signal for transmission to said reception node via said link; and said data clock receiver comprises a demultiplexer configured to demultiplex said synchronization clocking signal and said data clock from said multiplexed clock signal.

Claim 7

The system according to claim 5 , wherein said combiner comprises a timing adjuster configured to adjust the timing of a subset of clock pulses of said data clock signal in dependence on said synchronizing feature of said synchronization clocking signal.

Claim 8

The system according to claim 6 , wherein: said data clock is defined with respect to periodic reference clock edges; said transmission node is configured to adjust the timing of one or more clock edges of said data clock other than the periodic reference edges in response to said synchronizing feature of said synchronization clocking signal; and said reception node comprises a timing deviation detector configured to detect timing deviations in clock edges of said data clock other than the periodic reference edges.

Claim 9

The system according to claim 1 , wherein said transmission node is responsive to an externally supplied synchronization clocking signal.

Claim 10

The system according to claim 1 , wherein said predetermined delay time is substantially equal to a latency time required by said transmission node and said reception node to handle a data element for transmission via said link.

Claim 11

The system according to claim 1 , wherein said data elements are samples of a one-bit signal.

Claim 12

The system according to claim 1 , wherein said data elements are plural-bit data words.

Claim 13

The system according to claim 11 , wherein said data elements comprise audio samples.

Claim 14

The system according to claim 12 , wherein said data elements are derived from Audio Engineering Standard 3 (AES3) audio sample subframes.

Claim 15

The system according to claim 12 , wherein said data elements are derived from one-bit, delta-sigma modulated audio samples.

Claim 16

The system according to claim 3 , wherein: said data clock defines the timing of individual data bits of each data word; said transmission node and said reception node operate in accordance with a word clock, being a sub-multiple of said data clock, to define the timing of individual data words.

Claim 17

The system according to claim 15 , wherein said synchronizing feature of said synchronization clocking signal has a constant temporal relationship to said word clock.

Claim 18

The system according to claim 16 , wherein said reception node comprises a word clock extractor configured to derive said word clock from said synchronizing features of said synchronization clocking signal.

Claim 19

The system according to claim 1 , wherein said link is a wired link.

Claim 20

The system according to claim 1 , wherein said link comprises the physical layer of an Ethernet link.

Claim 21

The system according to claim 1 , wherein said assembler is configured to set a synchronization flag associated with a data frame containing a data element having a first predetermined temporal relationship with a synchronizing feature of said synchronization clocking signal, and to position such a data element at a predetermined position within that data frame.

Claim 22

A data communications system for communicating a data signal formed of successive data elements, said system comprising a transmission node, a reception node, and a link providing a data connection from said transmission node to said reception node, said transmission node comprising: a data clock transmitter configured to transmit a synchronization clocking signal to said reception node via said link, said synchronization clocking signal having synchronizing features occurring at a frequency lower than a data element rate; and an assembler configured to assemble elements of said data signal into data frames, each data frame having a plurality of successive data elements of said data signal, for transmission to said reception node via said link, said assembler being responsive to said synchronization clocking signal so as to set a synchronization flag associated with a data element having a first predetermined temporal relationship with a synchronizing feature of said synchronization clocking signal, said assembler comprising a frame assembly arrangement configured to receive input data elements at an input data rate and to buffer the input data elements prior to performing a frame assembly operation in which buffered data is retrieved and assembled to form the framed data, said frame assembly arrangement configured to output said framed data for transmission at a framed data rate; and said reception node comprising: a detector configured to detect said synchronizing feature of said synchronization clocking signal received from said transmission node; a disassembler comprising a frame receiving arrangement configured to receive framed data from said transmission node at said framed data rate and to buffer said received framed data, and to disassemble said buffered received frame data to regenerate said data signal, said diassembler configured to detect a data element associated with said set synchronization flag; and an output unit configured to output said data element associated with said set synchronization flag at a second predetermined temporal relationship with respect to said synchronizing feature of said received synchronization clocking signal, wherein said first and second predetermined temporal relationships are arranged so that a predetermined system latency exists between an input of a data element to said transmission node and a subsequent output of such data element by said reception node, and output of framed data is commenced by said frame assembly arrangement prior to assembly of a complete frame and output of data blocks is commenced by said frame receiving arrangement prior to disassembly of a complete frame of received framed data.

Claim 23

A data communications system for communicating a data signal formed of successive data elements, said system comprising a transmission node, a reception node, and a link providing a data connection from said transmission node to said reception node, said transmission node comprising: a data clock transmitter configured to transmit a synchronization clocking signal to said reception node via said link, said synchronization clocking signal having synchronizing features occurring at a frequency lower than a data element rate; and an assembler configured to assemble elements of said data signal into data frames, each data frame having a plurality of successive data elements of said data signal, for transmission to said reception node via said link, said assembler being responsive to said synchronization clocking signal so as to set a synchronization flag associated with a data element having a first predetermined temporal relationship with a synchronizing feature of said synchronization clocking signal, said assembler comprising a frame assembly arrangement configured to receive input data elements at an input data rate and to buffer the input data elements prior to performing a frame assembly operation in which buffered data is retrieved and assembled to form the framed data, said frame assembly arrangement configured to output said framed data for transmission at a framed data rate; and said reception node comprising: a detector configured to detect said synchronizing feature of said synchronization clocking signal received from said transmission node; a disassembler comprising a frame receiving arrangement configured to receive framed data from said transmission node at said framed data rate and to buffer said received framed data, and to disassemble said buffered received frame data to regenerate said data signal, said diassembler configured to detect a data element associated with said set synchronization flag; and an output unit configured to output said data element associated with said set synchronization flag at a second predetermined temporal relationship with respect to said synchronizing feature of said received synchronization clocking signal, wherein said first and second predetermined temporal relationships are arranged so that a predetermined system latency exists between an input of a data element to said transmission node and a subsequent output of such data element by said reception node, and output of framed data is commenced by said frame assembly arrangement prior to assembly of a complete frame and output of data blocks is commenced by said frame receiving arrangement prior to disassembly of a complete frame of received framed data.