Dynamic Virtual Environment with Proximity-Based Audio Groups
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virtual event platforms fail to replicate the dynamic social interactions and audio adjustments that occur in physical gatherings, limiting effective relationship-building for larger groups.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic virtual environment where participants are represented as icons that can move and form sub-groups, with audio volumes adjusted based on proximity, and features like audio grouping, live entertainment, and interactive games, enhancing social interaction and engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a stationary grid layout is used to display multiple participants, then all participants can be seen equally, but natural social interactions and relationship-building are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static grid layout into a dynamic virtual environment where participant icons can move freely within a venue space. This allows participants to change their positions, form sub-groups, and interact naturally, replicating real-world social behaviors while maintaining system manageability through automated audio routing based on spatial relationships.
2Adaptability or versatility
If audio volumes are adjusted manually for each participant, then clear communication is achieved, but the system becomes complex and does not replicate natural gathering dynamics
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically adjusts audio volumes based on the spatial relationships between participant icons in the virtual venue. The audio routing is self-regulating, dynamically changing which participants are heard based on their positions and formed groups, eliminating the need for manual audio control while replicating natural conversation dynamics.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the positions of participant icons and automatically adjusts audio routing in response to these changes. When participants move closer together or form groups, the system detects this and adjusts audio volumes accordingly, creating a feedback loop that maintains natural social interaction patterns.
3Reliability
If all participant audio is played at equal volume, then everyone is heard clearly, but natural volume variations based on proximity are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different audio volume levels to different participants based on their local spatial relationships. Participants who are closer together or in the same sub-group experience different audio characteristics than those farther away, creating localized audio zones that reflect natural gathering dynamics while maintaining overall audio clarity.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for conducting a virtual event are described. One example method includes displaying, on a display screen of a computing device, a plurality of icons, each icon representing a different virtual event participant, wherein the plurality of icons includes a first icon representing a virtual event participant associated with the computing device; receiving, from an input device of the computing device, input representing a direction of movement for the first icon; and in response to receiving the input, moving the first icon on the display screen in the direction represented by the input.