Screen Sharing Privacy Control via Dynamic Popup Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing video conference applications lack the ability to flexibly control the display of non-conference-related content during screen sharing, leading to user experience degradation due to the inability to selectively share specific application areas or manage multiple windows within a shared screen.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method utilizing a data structure and machine learning techniques to analyze the urgency and correlation of to-be-popup application information, determining whether to share it with attendees, and adjusting the sharing granularity dynamically, allowing users to control the display of content and manage multiple windows effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If the entire screen is shared during a web conference, then all content is visible to attendees, but privacy is compromised and non-conference-related content is exposed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidscreen sharing simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The screen sharing functionality is segmented into multiple independent sharing regions, allowing users to share only specific portions of their screen rather than the entire display. This enables selective sharing of conference-related content while keeping non-conference content private, resolving the contradiction between privacy protection and sharing effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the screen are assigned different sharing qualities - some regions are designated for sharing with attendees while others remain private. This local differentiation allows the system to protect privacy in certain areas while maintaining ease of sharing in others, addressing the contradiction between privacy and operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If only specific application areas are shared, then privacy is maintained, but the ability to manage multiple windows and flexibly control content display is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent display flexibilityVSAvoidscreen sharing control mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The screen sharing system implements dynamic control where sharing regions can be adjusted, resized, and reconfigured during the conference. Users can flexibly modify which areas are shared and when, allowing adaptive control over content display while maintaining relatively simple operation through automated region detection and management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The screen sharing mechanism is designed to handle multiple functions within a unified system - it can detect application windows, determine sharing relevance, manage multiple sharing regions, and control display flexibility all through one integrated mechanism. This multi-functionality increases adaptability without proportionally increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Loss of information

If popup applications are automatically shared, then all incoming information is visible to attendees, but user privacy and selective information control are lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation controlVSAvoidinformation management efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

An intermediary analysis mechanism is introduced between the popup application and the screen sharing system. This intermediary evaluates incoming popup information to determine its relevance to the conference context before allowing it to be shared. It uses correlation analysis with current meeting content and urgency assessment to make intelligent decisions, preserving both information control and management efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis of popup applications before they are shared with attendees. By pre-evaluating the relevance and urgency of incoming information and comparing it with current meeting context, the system can proactively determine what should be shared, eliminating the need for manual review while maintaining information control and privacy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12192678B2Dynamically controlling foreground applications during screen sharing conferences

Publication Date: 2025.01.07 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

A computer-implemented method for managing information during a web conference is provided. The computer-implemented method includes collecting and formatting meeting application information at a processor of a computing device having a screen being shared with attendees of the web conference and collecting and formatting to-be-popup application information at the processor. The computer-implemented method further includes analyzing, by the processor, an urgency of the to-be-popup application information and a correlation between the to-be-popup application information and the meeting application information and determining, by the processor, whether to share the to-be-popup application information with a user of the computing device and with the attendees based on results of the analyzing.