Context-Aware Virtual Background Selection for Video Conferences

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Solution Overview

Problem

The process of selecting a virtual background during video conferences is cumbersome, often requiring participants to navigate complex graphical user interfaces and choose from a pool of available backgrounds, which can lead to overwhelming choices and potential clashes with personal appearance or meeting context.

Innovation Solution

A video conference software client that dynamically selects a suitable virtual background based on characteristics of the participant, such as captured images or profile information, and contextual information about the video conference, such as its type and time, from a pool of available backgrounds.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If participants manually select virtual backgrounds from a pool of available backgrounds, then they can choose a background, but the process becomes cumbersome and overwhelming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of background selectionVSAvoidcomplexity of background selection process

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically selects virtual backgrounds without requiring manual user intervention. The client device analyzes participant characteristics and meeting context to autonomously choose appropriate backgrounds, eliminating the cumbersome manual selection process while maintaining suitability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts background selection based on changing parameters such as meeting type, time of day, and participant characteristics. This allows the background to adapt automatically to different contexts without requiring manual reselection by participants.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If participants manually navigate through graphical user interfaces to select backgrounds, then they can choose a background, but it requires excessive time and interaction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of background setupVSAvoidtime spent on background selection

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs background selection in advance automatically, before the participant needs to join the meeting. By pre-analyzing characteristics and pre-selecting appropriate backgrounds, the system eliminates the time-consuming manual navigation process during the actual meeting setup.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The automatic background selection system operates autonomously without requiring participant interaction or time investment. The client device independently completes the entire background selection process, freeing participants to focus on meeting preparation rather than background configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Adaptability or versatility

If a pool of multiple virtual backgrounds is provided for selection, then participants have choices, but it leads to overwhelming decisions and potential mismatches

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevariety of background optionsVSAvoidsimplicity of background selection

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system maintains a diverse pool of virtual backgrounds with different characteristics but automatically selects only the most appropriate one based on specific meeting contexts and participant features. This provides versatility in the pool while ensuring simplicity in the final selection through context-aware filtering.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Extent of automation

If automatic background selection is implemented, then user interaction is minimized, but the system must analyze multiple characteristics to ensure appropriateness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelevel of automatic background selectionVSAvoidcomplexity of characteristic analysis

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The client device performs multiple functions including participant characteristic analysis, meeting context analysis, and background selection within a single integrated system. This multi-functionality allows comprehensive automation while managing complexity through unified processing rather than separate systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12212889B2Dynamic context-sensitive virtual backgrounds for video conferences

Publication Date: 2025.01.28 ZOOM VIDEO COMM INC

AI summary

One example device for dynamic context-sensitive virtual backgrounds for video conferences includes a communications interface; a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and one or more processors configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium to join a video conference hosted by a video conference provider; select a virtual background from a plurality of virtual backgrounds based on a characteristic of the virtual background and at least one of a characteristic of the video conference or a characteristic of a user of the client device; receive, from a camera, a video stream, the video stream including video images of the user; generate a video feed comprising the video images of the user superimposed over the selected virtual background; and provide the video feed to the video conference provider.