VOICE/AUDIO DATA COMMUNICATION WITH NEGOTIATED COMPRESSION SCHEME AND DATA HEADER COMPRESSED IN PREDETERMINED SCHEME

Modem-equipped computers can initiate an audio channel using the modem data connection. The connection is initiated with a protocol that does not require any additional modem hardware or telephone line features, and is not tied to any proprietary hardware/software compression or transmission schemes. The protocol negotiates an audio data compression/decompression scheme and then establishes an audio channel using a socket. Headers are compressed and decompressed using a predetermined compression scheme. Compressed audio data is delivered to the remote computer where it is decompressed using the negotiated compression/decompression. The protocol significantly reduces the latency which disrupts normal speech patterns when voice data is sent over a data connection. This protocol also reduces the bandwidth required to send voice over a data connection.