Zero-Footprint Meeting Content Sharing via Plug-In Connection Unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic meeting tools face challenges such as inefficiency, lack of participation, scalability issues, complexity in networking infrastructure, security concerns, and difficulties in real-time content sharing, leading to cumbersome and unproductive meetings.
Innovation Solution
An electronic meeting tool utilizing a peripheral device with a zero-footprint screen scraping capability, allowing users to easily share arbitrary media content through a plug-and-play connection, enabling peer-to-peer content sharing and real-time display on a central screen without requiring installation on the processing device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional presentation software and electronic meeting tools are used, then meetings can be conducted digitally, but the tools are cumbersome and reduce meeting efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential functionality of content sharing from complex meeting software systems. The connection unit is a standalone device that provides screen scraping and content transmission capabilities without requiring installation of heavy software, thereby reducing technical complexity while maintaining productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The connection unit is designed as a portable, plug-and-play device that can be easily connected and disconnected. It leaves no footprint on the host system, allowing users to bring their own devices to meetings without permanent installation, reducing both technical complexity and setup time
2Adaptability or versatility
If screen scraping software is installed on the host system, then content sharing capability is improved, but the host system becomes more complex and security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connection unit acts as an intermediary device between the host system and the network. It performs screen scraping and content transmission functions externally, allowing the host system to remain simple and secure while still achieving versatile content sharing capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The connection unit creates a visual copy of the screen content through screen scraping and transmits it to the network. This copying mechanism enables content sharing without requiring software installation or modification of the host system, maintaining system simplicity
3Ease of operation
If multiple participants share content simultaneously, then meeting participation is enhanced, but networking infrastructure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the content sharing functionality into individual connection units, each handling one participant's content independently. This segmentation allows multiple participants to share content simultaneously through their own devices, simplifying the networking infrastructure compared to centralized solutions
4Speed
If connection units are connected to the network, then real-time content sharing is enabled, but security concerns and networking complexity arise
Solution Approach 1:
The connection unit is designed to be self-contained with all necessary functionality integrated into the device itself. It connects to the network independently without requiring host system software, reducing security risks associated with software installation and network configuration while enabling real-time content sharing
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic meeting tool and method for communicating arbitrary media content from users at a meeting includes a node configuration adapted to operate a display node of a communications network, the display node being coupled to a first display. The node configuration is adapted to receive user selected arbitrary media content and to control display of the user selected arbitrary media content on the first display. A peripheral device adapted to communicate the user selected arbitrary media content via the communications network is a connection unit including a connector adapted to couple to a port of a processing device having a second display, a memory and an operating system, and a transmitter. A program is adapted to obtain user selected arbitrary media content, the program leaving a zero footprint on termination. The user may trigger a transfer of the user selected arbitrary media content to the transmitter.