Conference Assistance System Data Filtering via Intermediary

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conference assistance systems face challenges in effectively managing and securing conference data, particularly in determining whether to transmit handwritten or voice inputs to decision-making assistance services, while ensuring confidentiality and user permissions are respected.

Innovation Solution

A conference assistance system that includes an electronic whiteboard and a character conversion apparatus, connected via a network, which uses authentication and permission determination to control the transmission of handwritten and voice data to decision-making assistance services, allowing users to select transmission permissions and detect confidential information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the conference assistance system transmits all handwritten and voice data to decision-making assistance services, then the decision-making support is improved, but the risk of confidential information leakage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedecision-making support qualityVSAvoidconfidential information leakage risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a character conversion apparatus as an intermediary component between the electronic whiteboard and the decision-making assistance service. This intermediary converts handwritten characters into text data and filters information before transmission, allowing the system to share necessary conference data while preventing confidential information from being transmitted to external services.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments the data transmission process into multiple stages: data collection at the electronic whiteboard, character conversion and filtering at the character conversion apparatus, and selective transmission to the decision-making assistance service. This segmentation allows different parts of the system to handle different types of data appropriately, maintaining both utility and security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the system implements strict permission determination and authentication, then the security of conference data is improved, but the complexity of the system increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata securityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements authentication and permission determination before data transmission occurs. The character conversion apparatus performs preliminary checks to verify whether the current user has permission to transmit specific data to the decision-making assistance service. This preliminary action prevents unauthorized data transmission without requiring complex runtime security mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses the existing electronic whiteboard's authentication mechanisms and user identification capabilities to perform permission checks. Rather than introducing a completely new authentication system, the patent leverages the self-service authentication already present in the electronic whiteboard, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the system filters and determines text data before transmission, then the confidentiality control is improved, but the processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfidentiality controlVSAvoiddata processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual review and filtering processes with automated character conversion and permission determination systems. The character conversion apparatus automatically converts handwritten text and determines transmission permissions through programmed logic, eliminating the need for manual inspection of each data point while maintaining confidentiality control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS10567590B2Apparatus, system, and method of conference assistance

Publication Date: 2020.02.18 RICOH CO LTD

AI summary

A conference assistance system and method for assisting a user in utilizing conference-related information, each of which: receives input of voice or writing of at least one meeting participant; determines whether text data representing the received voice or writing is to be used by the conference assistance system to generate assistance information, to generate a determination result; when the determination result indicates that the text data is to be used, generates, based on the text data, assistance information for assisting the meeting participant; and controls a display to display the generated assistance information.