Unified Theme Management for Multi-Display Meeting Rooms

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Solution Overview

Problem

In meeting spaces equipped with multiple display and audio devices, the lack of cohesion in user interfaces across different devices degrades the user experience due to varying functionalities and interfaces.

Innovation Solution

Implementing customizable and shared theme management for meeting room systems, allowing users to select and customize themes, layouts, and locations of user interface elements across multiple display devices through a configuration user interface, which can be deployed to each device for a cohesive presentation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple display devices with different functionalities are deployed in a meeting space, then the system provides greater versatility and functionality, but the user interface cohesion deteriorates due to varying interfaces across devices

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovefunctionalityVSAvoidinterface cohesion

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal theme management system that applies consistent visual themes, layouts, and styling across multiple display devices with different functionalities. The controller device distributes unified theme configurations to various display devices, ensuring that despite hardware differences, all devices present a cohesive and consistent user interface experience throughout the meeting space.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Stability of the object's composition

If theme configurations are customized for each display device individually, then interface cohesion is improved, but the system complexity and deployment effort increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterface cohesionVSAvoidconfiguration management

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the theme management functionality into a centralized controller device that handles configuration for all display devices simultaneously. Instead of requiring separate configuration processes for each device, the controller consolidates theme distribution, allowing administrators to manage and update themes across the entire meeting space from a single point, thereby reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary theme configuration and validation on the controller device before deploying to display devices. Themes are prepared, validated for compatibility, and staged for distribution in advance, which simplifies the actual deployment process and reduces on-site configuration complexity when devices are installed or updated.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple user interface configurations are maintained for different devices, then device-specific optimization is achieved, but processing resources and memory consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice optimizationVSAvoidprocessing resources

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by distributing theme configurations that are tailored to each display device's specific capabilities and context. The controller device analyzes each display's characteristics and applies appropriate theme variations locally, allowing device-specific optimization while maintaining overall thematic consistency, thereby avoiding the need to maintain entirely separate interface configurations for each device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Stability of the object's composition

If theme updates are propagated to multiple display devices simultaneously, then interface consistency is maintained, but bandwidth consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterface consistencyVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements periodic action by updating theme configurations in scheduled intervals or triggered by specific events rather than continuously propagating changes to all devices simultaneously. The controller device can batch theme updates and distribute them across display devices at optimized times, reducing instantaneous bandwidth consumption while maintaining interface consistency through controlled, periodic synchronization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS10346185B2Customizable and shared theme management for meeting room systems

Publication Date: 2019.07.09 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Technologies are described for customizable and shared theme management A theme and layout configuration may be provided to a meeting room management device through a shared location such as a shared network storage or manually through a configuration user interface presented by the meeting room management device to allow selection and customization of a theme, a layout of user interface elements, and/or a location of the user interface elements for multiple display devices associated with the meeting room management device. The theme, layout of the user interface elements, and/or location of the user interface elements for each of the display devices may be presented through the configuration, user interface to allow users to see how selected options may be seen on different devices. The theme, layout of the user interface elements, and/or location of the user interface elements may be deployed to each of the display devices.