Persistent Hybrid Virtual Workspace for Conference Room Change Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Video conferencing systems often hinder remote participants' ability to fully collaborate due to lack of real-time updates on changes in the conference room environment, as they may not notice or be informed of changes made during meetings, especially if they are not physically present.
Innovation Solution
A system that detects changes in the conference room and updates a virtual space, allowing remote users to track and access these changes in real-time, even if they were not present during the meeting, by using a video conference provider connected to multiple networks and client devices with user identity authentication and encryption capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If video conferencing is used to enable remote participation, then geographic accessibility is improved, but real-time awareness of physical changes in the conference room deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the physical conference room environment and its changes. When physical changes occur in the conference room (such as whiteboard updates or document modifications), these changes are captured and transmitted to remote participants' virtual environments, allowing them to see and interact with the same changes without being physically present.
Solution Approach 2:
The video conference system acts as an intermediary between the physical conference room and remote participants. It captures physical changes through cameras and sensors, processes this information, and relays it to remote users through the virtual workspace, enabling real-time awareness without direct physical connection.
2Adaptability or versatility
If remote users are not physically present in the conference room, then flexibility and remote work capability are improved, but ability to notice and respond to real-time changes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where physical changes in the conference room are continuously monitored and communicated back to remote participants. This feedback loop ensures that remote users are informed of real-time changes through notifications and updated virtual representations, enabling them to respond appropriately without being physically present.
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively notifies remote users about changes before they might discover them through other means. By using notifications and updates in the virtual workspace, the system performs the action of informing users in advance, allowing them to prepare for or respond to changes timely.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If a persistent virtual workspace is created to maintain collaboration continuity, then accessibility after meeting ends is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the video conferencing platform with a persistent virtual workspace. This integration allows the same system to handle both real-time meetings and post-meeting collaboration, eliminating the need for separate systems and reducing overall complexity while maintaining continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual workspace serves multiple functions: it acts as a meeting space during conferences, a collaboration platform after meetings, and a knowledge base for storing resources. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate systems and simplifies the overall architecture while extending collaboration duration.
Data Source
AI summary
One example method includes determining, by a computing device, a user present in a room is associated with a virtual space hosted at a video conference provider, wherein the room includes one or more peripheral devices; connecting, by the computing device, to the virtual space; receiving, by the computing device, data from at least one of the one or more peripheral devices or one or more user devices while connected to the virtual space, the one or more user devices associated with the user or one or more other users within the room; transmitting, by the computing device, at least a portion of the data to the virtual space; determining, by the computing device, a state change associated with the room based on the data received from the one or more peripheral devices or one or more user devices; generating, by the computing device, a change detection signal; and transmitting, by the computing device, the change detection signal to the video conference provider to cause the video conference provider to store data associated with the change detection signal in the virtual space.