Embodiments of the invention enable the synchronization of clocks across
packet switched networks, such as the Internet, sufficient to drive a
jitter buffer and other quality-of-service related buffering. Packet time
stamps referenced to a local clock create a phase offset signal. A
shortest-delay offset generator uses a moving-window filter to select the
samples of the phase offset signal having the shortest network
propagation delay within the window. This shortest network propagation
delay filter minimizes the effect of network jitter under the assumption
that queuing delays account for most of the network jitter. The addition
of this filtered phase offset signal to a free-running local clock
creates a time reference that is synchronized to the remote clock at the
source thus allowing for the transport of audio, video, and other
time-sensitive real-time signals with minimal latency.