Communication Management Apparatus for Shared Display Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
In communication systems, especially those using electronic whiteboards for remote conferencing, simultaneous operations on shared stroke images can lead to inconsistencies due to the processing order of data arrival, causing user intentions to be misunderstood, and restricting individual operations is insufficient to prevent these inconsistencies.
Innovation Solution
A communication management apparatus that employs a hierarchical data structure to manage shared display screens, allowing operations on specific objects and their associated lower-layer data only when both are editable, and transmitting success notifications to ensure synchronized updates across terminals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If data items corresponding to respective operations are processed in the order of data arrival to the communication management apparatus, then the processing is simple and efficient, but the operation result may not reflect the intention of either of the users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by determining the editability status of both the target object and its associated lower-layer data before processing the operation request. The communication management apparatus checks whether editing is permitted for both the specific object and its associated lower-layer data in advance, and only processes the operation if both are editable. This preliminary check ensures that user intentions are respected while maintaining efficient processing of valid operations.
2Reliability
If the operation on individual stroke data is restricted to prevent inconsistency, then the editing consistency is improved, but the other communication terminal may perform operations on the entire screen such as page switching operations, and restricting individual data alone is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the restriction mechanism from a single dimension (individual stroke data) to multiple dimensions by incorporating both the target object and its associated lower-layer data in the editability check. This hierarchical approach adds a new dimension to the restriction logic, ensuring that operations on individual objects do not create inconsistencies with their parent structures, while still allowing versatile operations like page switching when appropriate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where the editability of an object is checked in the context of its associated lower-layer data. The restriction mechanism nests the individual object check within the broader context of its parent data structure, creating a hierarchical validation system that ensures consistency at multiple levels while maintaining operational flexibility.
3Ease of operation
If editing of the particular object is allowed, then the user can perform the intended operation, but editing of associated lower-layer data may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by checking the editability status of associated lower-layer data and using this information to determine whether to permit the operation on the target object. The system provides feedback about the state of related data structures and adjusts its decision accordingly, ensuring that operations are only permitted when they will not compromise data integrity at any level of the hierarchy.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication management apparatus includes a memory and circuitry. The memory stores a hierarchical data structure in which each page of a plurality of pages forming a display screen shared by a plurality of communication terminals is associated with one or more objects included in the each page. The circuitry receives, from one communication terminal of the plurality of communication terminals, an operation request that requests an operation on a particular object of the one or more objects. When editing of the particular object and editing of data in a lower layer associated with a higher layer of the particular object are both allowed, the circuitry transmits a success notification to the one communication terminal to notify success of the operation on the particular object.