Terminal Candidate List Management in Videoconference Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing videoconference systems lack efficient management of candidate lists for transmission terminals, leading to difficulties in managing communication sessions and terminal connections, particularly in handling deletions and updates of terminal information across multiple terminals.

Innovation Solution

A management system that centrally manages candidate lists for each transmission terminal, associating identification information of capable counterpart terminals, and upon receiving a deletion request, it deletes the corresponding terminal information from both the requesting and recipient terminals, and notifies the affected terminals of the deletion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a management system centrally manages candidate lists for each transmission terminal, then the accuracy and consistency of terminal information is improved, but the system complexity and communication overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of terminal informationVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A management server is introduced as an intermediary component that centrally manages candidate lists for all transmission terminals. The management server receives deletion requests, updates the candidate lists, and notifies affected terminals, thereby ensuring information accuracy while centralizing control logic to manage complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The management server implements a feedback mechanism by notifying terminals of candidate list changes. When a terminal is deleted from a candidate list, the management server sends notifications to the affected terminals, ensuring they receive real-time updates about the changes in their candidate lists.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Stability of the object's composition

If the management system deletes terminal information from both requesting and recipient terminals upon receiving a deletion request, then the consistency of communication sessions is improved, but the loss of information and communication overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconsistency of communication sessionsVSAvoidloss of terminal information

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The management server performs preliminary actions by maintaining a centralized candidate list that reflects the current state of all terminals. Before processing deletion requests, the system ensures the candidate list is up-to-date, allowing consistent updates across all terminals without redundant information storage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The management server creates and distributes copies of the candidate list to relevant terminals. When changes occur, the server updates the centralized list and notifies terminals of the changes, ensuring all terminals have access to the current candidate list information without duplicating the entire data set.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Speed

If the management system provides immediate notification of deletions to affected terminals, then the responsiveness and user experience are improved, but the communication overhead and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponsiveness of deletion notificationVSAvoidenergy consumption for notification

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The management server implements partial notification by sending deletion notifications only to terminals that are directly affected by the change. Instead of notifying all terminals in the system, the server identifies and notifies only those terminals whose candidate lists have been modified, reducing unnecessary communication overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS9602768B2Apparatus, system, and method of managing terminals, and recording medium

Publication Date: 2017.03.21 RICOH CO LTD

AI summary

A management system manages a candidate list for each one of a plurality of transmission terminals, the candidate list associating identification information of one or more candidate counterpart terminals each capable of communicating with the transmission terminal, with identification information of the transmission terminal. In response to receiving a deletion request for deleting identification information of a second transmission terminal of the plurality of transmission terminals from the candidate list of a first transmission terminal of the plurality of transmission terminals, the management system deletes the identification information of the second transmission terminal from the candidate list of the first transmission terminal, and further deletes identification information of the first transmission terminal from a candidate list of the second transmission terminal; and transmits, to the second transmission terminal, notification indicating deletion of the identification information of the first transmission terminal from the candidate list of the second transmission terminal.