Two-Way Lobby Chat for External Anonymous Guests Before Admission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current virtual meeting technologies do not allow attendees waiting in the virtual lobby to communicate with other participants before being admitted to the meeting, leading to uncertainty and anxiety, especially for external anonymous guests.
Innovation Solution
Implementing lobby chat functionality that enables two-way communication between attendees in the virtual lobby, allowing internal and external users to exchange messages before joining the virtual meeting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If attendees wait in virtual lobby without communication capability, then meeting security and organization are maintained, but user experience deteriorates due to uncertainty and anxiety
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments communication functionality by creating a separate lobby chat channel distinct from the main meeting chat. This allows attendees to communicate in the lobby without giving them access to the full meeting communication environment, thus maintaining security while improving user experience through enabled communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The lobby chat serves as an intermediary communication channel between attendees before they join the main meeting. It provides a controlled environment for preliminary communication, reducing anxiety and uncertainty without compromising the security of the main meeting space.
2Loss of information
If lobby chat functionality is added, then communication capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lobby chat leverages the existing communication service infrastructure already present in the virtual meeting system. By reusing the same chat technology and protocols that power meeting communications, the system adds lobby chat functionality without proportionally increasing complexity, as the communication service handles both lobby and meeting chats uniformly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If anonymous guests are allowed in lobby without identity, then accessibility is improved, but security control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different identity requirements to different spaces: anonymous guests can join the lobby with minimal identification for accessibility, but the lobby chat and meeting chat have different access controls. The lobby chat allows anonymous participation while the meeting chat requires proper authentication, thus maintaining security control while improving accessibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and techniques for lobby chat with external anonymous guests are described. The described systems and techniques allow for two-way chat functionality while attendees of a virtual meeting are in a virtual lobby. A virtual lobby is a gateway to a virtual meeting where participants wait for admittance to the virtual meeting. “Lobby chat” refers to a chat within a virtual lobby of a virtual meeting. Advantageously, through the lobby chat, attendees within the virtual lobby can communicate prior to being admitted to the virtual meeting.