Video Call Server Preliminary Phase for User Comfort

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users engaging in video calls with strangers often experience psychological burdens due to uncertainty and lack of control over the call initiation and progression, leading to discomfort and reduced service acceptance.

Innovation Solution

A server-based method that initiates a preliminary call for a preset time, allowing users to assess and respond to the call, with graphical user interfaces displaying countdowns and gradually revealing or hiding counterpart images, enabling users to decide whether to proceed with a main call.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If video call service is provided between users who do not know each other, then service accessibility and usage scope are improved, but user psychological burden and discomfort increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice accessibilityVSAvoiduser psychological burden

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a preliminary call phase before the main video call, where users can assess each other in a controlled environment with countdown timers and optional image blocking. This preliminary action allows users to prepare mentally and evaluate compatibility before committing to a full video call, thereby reducing psychological burden while maintaining service accessibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The video call service is divided into distinct phases: a preliminary call phase with time limits and control features, and a main call phase. This segmentation allows users to progress through stages of increasing commitment, reducing the initial psychological burden while enabling versatile service usage for those who complete the preliminary phase

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If users are given full control over call initiation and progression, then user comfort and ease of operation are improved, but service complexity and system requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser comfortVSAvoidservice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The server acts as an intermediary that manages the complex call initiation and progression logic, including countdown timers, image blocking controls, and phase transitions. This mediates the complexity away from user devices while providing users with simple comfort-focused controls during the call experience

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts call parameters such as countdown timer duration and image visibility based on user preferences and call phase. This dynamic control provides users with comfort through adaptability while the server manages the underlying complexity of these adjustments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If preliminary call with preset time is implemented, then user comfort and control are improved, but call duration and service efficiency are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser comfortVSAvoidcall duration

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The preliminary call with preset time limit serves as a efficient filtering mechanism that provides user comfort through controlled interaction. While individual preliminary calls are time-limited, they enable faster overall service efficiency by quickly identifying compatible users who then proceed to main calls, reducing the total time needed for successful matching

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Object-affected harmful factors

If countdown timer and image blocking are used during preliminary call, then user comfort and psychological safety are improved, but service functionality and features are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepsychological safetyVSAvoidservice functionality

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The countdown timer and image blocking features are applied locally during the preliminary call phase rather than throughout the entire service. This provides psychological safety where needed during initial contact while maintaining full service functionality and versatility for users who progress to main calls

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4075772B1Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing video call service

Publication Date: 2024.08.14 HYPERCONNECT INC

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AI summary

Provided is an operation method of a server for relaying a call. The server (1100) relays a preliminary call (920) between a first terminal (1200) and a second terminal (1210) for a preset time, based on matching (910) of a first user of the first terminal (1200) and a second user of the second terminal (1210), and after the preset time has elapsed, receives (930), from the first terminal (1200) and the second terminal (1210), a response as to whether to continue the preliminary call. The server (1100) may determine (940) whether to proceed with a main call based on the received response.