Videoconferencing communication device and method
View Patent ↗The device for videoconferencing between a local user ( 1 ) and at least one remote user ( 3 ) comprises a screen ( 7 ) capable of displaying to the local user ( 1 ) an image of the remote user (I 3 ), and an image sensor ( 9 ) capable of receiving an image from the local user (I 1 ) to be transmitted to the remote user ( 3 ). The device further comprises a delaying unit ( 14 ) capable of applying a chosen delay (R) to the image (I 1 ) of the local user ( 1 ) coming from the local image sensor, the screen ( 7 ) being capable of showing the local user ( 1 ) the image of the local user thereby delayed, such that the image of the local user thereby delayed is shown locally at the same time as the image of the local user shown remotely.
1. A videoconferencing device configured to enable a videoconference between a local user and at least one remote user, the device comprising:
a local image sensor capable of capturing a non-delayed local image of the local user to transmit to the remote user as a transmitted local image;
a delaying unit capable of applying a chosen delay to the non-delayed local image of the local user generated by the local image sensor to produce a delayed local image such that a timing, at the local user of the delayed local image is same as a timing, at the remote user, of the transmitted local image;
a superimposing unit configured to superimpose the non-delayed local image with the delayed local image to produce a superimposed image; and
a screen configured to simultaneously display to the local user an image of the remote user and the superimposed image containing the non-delayed local image and the delayed local image such that discrepancies between the non-delayed local image and the delayed local image are visible to the local user.
2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the delay is calculated as a function of technical characteristics of elements belonging to the group formed by the communication network, the encoding of the images, the distance, and the voice and image propagation speed, and/or the transmission time experienced.
3. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the delay is calculated according to the round-trip transmission lag between the local user and the remote user.
4. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the delay is calculated in real time, dynamically, permanently, or at a given pace.
5. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the delayed local image of the local user is shown locally, additionally taking into account a bitrate or error rate of the transmission between the local user and the remote user.
6. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises:
a processing unit capable of converting a sound echo existing within sound transmission between a local user and a remote user, into a visual or vibrational representation.
7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the remote user is equipped with another communication device, the another communication device comprising:
a remote image sensor capable of capturing a non-delayed remote image of the remote user to transmit to the local user as a transmitted remote image;
a remote delaying unit capable of applying a chosen delay to the non-delayed remote image of the remote user generated by the remote image sensor to produce a delayed remote image such that a timing, at the remote user of the delayed local image is same as a timing, at the local user, of the transmitted remote image;
a superimposing unit configured to superimpose the non-delayed remote image with the delayed remote image to produce a superimposed remote image; and
a screen configured to simultaneously display to the remote user an image of the local user and the superimposed image containing the non-delayed remote image and the delayed remote image such that discrepancies between the image of the non-delayed remote image and the delayed remote image are visible to the remote user.
8. A method of performing a videoconference between a local user and at least one remote user, the method comprising:
capturing, by a local image sensor, a non-delayed local image of the local user to transmit to the remote user as a transmitted local image;
applying a chosen delay to the non-delayed local image of the local user generated by the local image sensor to produce a delayed local image such that a timing, at the local user of the delayed local image is same as a timing, at the remote user, of the transmitted local image;
superimposing the non-delayed local image with the delayed local image to produce a superimposed image; and
simultaneously displaying to the local user an image of the remote user and the superimposed image containing the non-delayed local image and the delayed local image such that discrepancies between the non-delayed local image and the delayed local image are visible to the local user.