Patent ID: 8649369

Claim:
A method for operating a first user equipment device arranged to communicate with at least a second user equipment device in a VoIP service data transmission, the method comprising: receiving a data stream from at least the second user equipment device, the data stream being included in the VoIP service data transmission, the data stream being associated with a normative playout rate; buffering at least a portion of the data stream into memory on the first user equipment device; determining an interruption in the VoIP service data transmission with the second user equipment device, the determined interruption having at least a minimum length; estimating a time period of the interruption; setting a delay period to the estimated time period when the interruption is determined to be a channel switch; outputting the buffered data at a non-normative playout rate from the first user equipment device based on the determined interruption, thereby obtaining a more efficient interactivity in VoIP communications between the first user equipment device and the second user equipment device; and delaying the playout of data based on the delay period, wherein the non-normative playout rate is greater than the normative playout rate.