Remote Meeting Access Modes for Device-Limited Conferencing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Video teleconferencing experiences can be suboptimal for users with lower-end hardware or poor internet connectivity, leading to frustration due to display clutter, latency, and synchronization issues, which may disproportionately affect users in developing regions.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that assesses the capabilities of each participant's device to optimize the combination of features for a seamless meeting experience, selecting access modes that provide the richest experience within the device's constraints, using client-side and server-side processing to adjust video and audio fidelity, reconstruction, and document sharing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If high-quality video and audio features are provided, then meeting experience richness is improved, but device complexity and network requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeeting experience richnessVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts video and audio quality settings based on real-time assessment of device capabilities and network conditions. The server modifies encoding parameters, resolution levels, and feature sets to match the actual capabilities of each participant's device, ensuring optimal experience without overwhelming lower-end devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes technical parameters such as video resolution, frame rate, audio bitrate, and feature availability based on assessed device capabilities. The server adjusts these parameters to provide the richest possible experience within the constraints of each device's hardware and network bandwidth.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If advanced meeting features are enabled, then experience quality is improved, but network bandwidth and processing power requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexperience qualityVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth and processing power
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides only the necessary features and quality levels required for each device's capabilities rather than attempting to deliver all possible features at maximum quality. This partial action approach ensures that devices receive sufficient functionality without wasting network bandwidth or processing resources on unsupported features.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The server modifies network transmission parameters including bitrate, resolution, and data compression based on the assessed processing power and network bandwidth of each device. This ensures efficient use of network resources while maintaining acceptable experience quality for devices with varying computational capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Stability of the object's composition

If default high-quality settings are used, then experience consistency is improved, but accessibility for users with limited hardware decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexperience consistencyVSAvoidaccessibility for users with limited hardware
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different quality levels and feature sets tailored to each device's local capabilities rather than using uniform default settings. Each participant receives customized meeting experience parameters matched to their specific hardware and network conditions, ensuring accessibility while maintaining consistent experience quality across diverse devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The server dynamically adapts meeting parameters in real-time based on device capability assessment, replacing static default settings with dynamic, device-specific configurations. This ensures that all users, regardless of hardware level, receive an accessible and consistent experience optimized for their capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Adaptability or versatility

If all available access modes are provided, then system versatility is improved, but device complexity and configuration requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem versatilityVSAvoidconfiguration requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically assesses device capabilities and configures appropriate access modes without requiring user intervention. The server performs self-service configuration by detecting device specifications, network conditions, and capability metrics, then automatically selecting and applying the most suitable feature set and access modes for each participant.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The server performs preliminary capability assessment before the meeting begins, evaluating device specifications and network conditions in advance. This preliminary action allows the system to pre-configure optimal access modes and features, eliminating the need for users to manually configure settings while ensuring versatility is maintained.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4473711B1Optimizing user experience in a computer conference
Publication Date: 2026.03.04 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP4473711B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4473711B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4473711B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A method for one or more meeting-facilitating machines to provide access to a remote meeting comprises assessing a capability metric of a meeting-participant computer device; selecting an access-option set including a combination of mutually compatible access modes, each access mode characterized by (a) an expense metric comparable to the capability metric and (b) a richness metric indicating a relative level of richness the access mode contributes to the remote meeting, the access-option set selected to maximize a net richness of the remote meeting while preventing a net expense of the access-option set from exceeding the capability metric; and providing the meeting-participant computer device access to the remote meeting using the access-option set.