Meeting Chat Message Segmentation for Secure External Participation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication systems fail to efficiently allow external users to participate in ongoing meetings without compromising security and privacy, leading to fragmented conversations, inefficient use of computing resources, and potential production loss.

Innovation Solution

A system that enables external users to participate in a meeting chat on a per-message basis, with granular permissions, allowing selected messages to be shared while keeping the full content and participant list private, using a multi-dimensional data structure for message-level control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If external users are added to the ongoing meeting or its chat, then collaboration with external users is enabled, but security and privacy are compromised by sharing the entire conversation history and participant list

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollaboration capabilityVSAvoidsecurity risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the chat access permission by creating a subset of messages that the external user can view, rather than providing access to the entire conversation history. The interface displays only selected messages and responses related to those messages, while keeping other messages and the full participant list hidden. This segmentation enables collaboration with external users while protecting sensitive information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by providing different levels of access to different parts of the chat system. The external user receives a customized view with specific quality characteristics (only certain messages and responses), while internal users maintain full access. This allows the system to optimize security for external users without degrading the collaboration experience for authorized participants.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a new chat thread is started with the external user, then security is maintained, but conversation continuity is lost and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity protectionVSAvoidcollaboration efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of creating a separate chat thread, the patent segments the existing chat by filtering messages based on permissions. The external user views a subset of messages from the original chat thread, maintaining contextual continuity while enforcing security. This eliminates the need to restart conversations and preserves productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system acts as an intermediary by introducing a permission layer between the external user and the chat system. The interface mediates access control, automatically filtering messages and responses based on the external user's permissions without requiring manual intervention to start new threads. This maintains both security and conversation flow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If the entire conversation history is shared with external users, then collaboration is simplified, but sensitive information is inadvertently exposed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollaboration simplicityVSAvoidinformation leakage
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the message set into authorized and non-authorized portions, allowing the system to maintain simplicity in the user interface while enforcing granular security controls. The external user experiences a simplified collaboration process without needing to understand the underlying permission complexity, as the system automatically displays only permitted content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides self-service security by automatically filtering and controlling what content is displayed to external users based on pre-configured permissions. The interface autonomously prevents information leakage without requiring manual review or intervention, maintaining both simplicity and security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Object-affected harmful factors

If multiple chat threads are maintained for different external users, then security is improved, but computing resources are inefficiently used

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity controlVSAvoidcomputing resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the chat interface universal by enabling it to serve multiple functions: it simultaneously supports internal users with full access and external users with restricted access through the same interface infrastructure. The permission-based filtering mechanism allows a single chat thread to serve multiple user types with different security requirements, eliminating the need for separate thread management and reducing computing resource overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4305829B1Selective per-message participation of an external user in a meeting chat
Publication Date: 2025.12.10 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP4305829B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4305829B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4305829B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

The disclosed techniques render a first user interface (UI) on a device of a member in a defined group, including messages being communicated between the defined. A selection of a message set including a subset of the messages of the defined group is received for corresponding with a non-member user who is not a member of the defined group. The selected message set is delivered to the non-member user. A second UI is rendered including the selected message set and subsequent messages exchanged between the non-member user and a subset of the users in the defined group directed to the selected message set. Full access is not provided to other subsequent messages in the defined group not directed to the selected message set. Subsequent messages exchanged between the non-member user and the defined group are rendered. The subsequent messages are rendered in context of messages prior to the selected message.