Per-Message Chat Participation for External Users

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication systems do not efficiently allow external users to participate in ongoing meetings' chats without disrupting the conversation flow, leading to fragmented discussions, security risks, and inefficient use of computing resources.

Innovation Solution

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

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If external users are added to the ongoing meeting chat, then collaboration capability is improved, but security and privacy are compromised due to exposure of full chat content 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 separate message threads - one for internal meeting participants and another for external users. This allows selective sharing of specific messages with external users without exposing the entire chat history or participant list, thus resolving the contradiction between collaboration capability and security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different access permissions to different parts of the chat system. Internal participants receive full access to all messages and the participant list, while external users receive limited access only to specific shared messages. This differentiated permission structure enables collaboration with external users while maintaining security for sensitive information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If external users are added to the ongoing meeting chat, then collaboration capability is improved, but the conversation flow is disrupted leading to fragmented discussions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollaboration capabilityVSAvoidconversation continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a separate message thread for external users while maintaining the original internal chat thread intact. This segmentation allows external users to collaborate on specific messages without interfering with the flow and continuity of the main conversation among internal participants.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If external users are added to the ongoing meeting chat, then collaboration capability is improved, but computing resources are inefficiently used due to prolonged meetings and follow-ups

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollaboration capabilityVSAvoidmeeting efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables external users to be added to the meeting chat before the meeting concludes, allowing them to participate in ongoing discussions and provide input in real-time. This preliminary inclusion eliminates the need for follow-up meetings or additional communication channels, thereby improving meeting efficiency and reducing computing resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Adaptability or versatility

If external users are added to the ongoing meeting chat, then collaboration capability is improved, but security issues arise due to inadvertent sharing of sensitive information

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollaboration capabilityVSAvoidinformation leakage

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the information access by creating distinct message threads with controlled visibility. Sensitive information in the internal chat thread remains inaccessible to external users, while only selected non-sensitive messages are shared in the external thread. This segmentation prevents inadvertent information leakage while maintaining collaboration capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different security qualities to different parts of the chat system. The internal chat thread maintains high security with full access only for authorized participants, while the external thread has limited access for external users. This local differentiation of security properties enables safe collaboration without exposing sensitive information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11997102B2Data object for selective per-message participation of an external user in a meeting chat

Publication Date: 2024.05.28 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

The techniques disclosed herein improve existing systems by generating a data object indicative of a defined group of users of a communication session, messages being communicated between the defined group of users, and permissions defined for the defined group of users to access content of the communication session. In response to receiving a selection of a message set including a subset of the messages of the defined group for corresponding with a non-member user who is not a member of the defined group, the system updates the first data object to include 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, and permissions defined for the additional participant to limit full access to other subsequent messages in the defined group not directed to the selected message set.