# US 2016/0366205 A1 · Method and apparatus for time stretching to hide data packet pre-buffering delays > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0366205 A1 - Document ID: US20160366205A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/248,531 - Filed: 2016-08-26 - Published: 2016-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2000-03-03 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P. - Applicants: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P. - Inventors: Mathias R. KRETSCHMER; James H. Snyder - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160366205A1 ## CPC - H04L 65/80: Responding to QoS - H04L 12/64: Hybrid switching systems - H04L 65/612: for unicast - H04L 65/764: {at the destination (reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355)} - H04N 21/44004: {involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A special rendering mode for the first few seconds of play out of multimedia data minimizes the delay caused by pre-buffering of data packets in multimedia streaming applications. Instead of pre-buffering all incoming data packets until a certain threshold is reached, the streaming application starts playing out some of the data packets immediately after the arrival of the first data packet. Immediate play out of the first data packet, for example, results in minimum delay between channel selection and perception, thereby allowing a user to quickly scan through all available channels to quickly get a notion of the content. The immediate play out is done at a reduced speed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: while processing, via a processor, a first data packet in a stream of data packets, generating fill packets associated with the first data packet; and after processing the first data packet, and before processing a second data packet which is next to and following the first data packet in the stream of data packets, processing the fill packets. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein processing the first data packet further comprises rendering the first data packet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein processing the second data packet further comprises rendering the second data packet. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising switching, after processing the first data packet, from a first speed used to process the first data packet to a second speed used to process the second data packet, wherein the first speed is slower than the second speed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a number of the fill packets rendered is associated with perceptual entropy of the first data packet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the first data packet is initiated upon receiving the first data packet. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a buffering delay of processing the stream of data packets is hidden by the processing of the fill packets. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the fill packets are copies of the first data packet. ### Claim 9 A system comprising: at least one processor; and a computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by the at least one processor, result in the at least one processor performing operations comprising: while processing a first data packet in a stream of data packets, generating fill packets associated with the first data packet; and after processing the first data packet, and before processing a second data packet which is next to and following the first data packet in the stream of data packets, processing the fill packets. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein processing the first data packet further comprises rendering the first data packet. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein processing the second data packet further comprises rendering the second data packet. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, the computer-readable storage device having additional instructions stored which, when executed by the at least one processor, result in operations comprising switching, after processing the first data packet, from a first speed used to process the first data packet to a second speed used to process the second data packet, wherein the first speed is slower than the second speed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein a number of the fill packets rendered is associated with perceptual entropy of the first data packet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the processing of the first data packet is initiated upon receiving the first data packet. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein a buffering delay of processing the stream of data packets is hidden by the processing of the fill packets. ### Claim 16 A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by at least one processor associated with a computing device, result in the at least one processor of the computing device performing operations comprising: while processing a first data packet in a stream of data packets, generating fill packets associated with the first data packet; and after processing the first data packet, and before processing a second data packet which is next to and following the first data packet in the stream of data packets, processing the fill packets. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein processing the first data packet further comprises rendering the first data packet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein processing the second data packet further comprises rendering the second data packet. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein a buffering delay of processing the stream of data packets is hidden by the processing of the fill packets. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the fill packets are copies of the first data packet.