Gamified Video Puzzle for Communication Fee Waiver

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Gamification has not been effectively applied to enhance real-time communications between users, lacking engagement and interactive elements in current network communication systems.

Innovation Solution

The method involves scrambling live video streams into portions, rearranging them to create a puzzle that users must solve, which upon successful unscrambling, modifies the communication functionality between users, potentially waiving or reducing fees for real-time communication services.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If gamification elements are added to real-time communication systems, then user engagement and enjoyment are improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser engagementVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The video stream is segmented into multiple portions that can be rearranged as puzzle pieces. This segmentation allows the system to introduce gamification elements without requiring complete system redesign, as only the video rendering portion needs modification. The puzzle mechanism is divided into discrete portions that can be independently manipulated and reassembled.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A puzzle layer is introduced as an intermediary between the video stream source and the display output. This intermediary component handles the gamification logic separately from the core communication functionality, allowing engagement elements to be added without directly complicating the underlying communication system architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If video stream is scrambled into multiple portions for puzzle solving, then user interaction is enhanced, but processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser interactionVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The video stream is pre-segmented into portions before transmission, and the puzzle arrangement logic is prepared in advance. This preliminary preparation allows the scrambling and unscrambling operations to proceed efficiently during real-time communication, minimizing additional processing time during active use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the puzzle complexity and portion count based on computational resources available and communication bandwidth. This allows the processing time to be optimized by reducing puzzle complexity when resources are constrained or communication speed is limited.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9089780B1Systems and methods for game-based modification of communications functionality

Publication Date: 2015.07.28 GREGORY A PEARSON

AI summary

Techniques for gamifying real-time network communications between users. In one implementation, a video puzzle based may be created based on scrambling a live video stream from a first user. The video puzzle may be displayed to a second user in communication with the first user. Responsive to a solving of the video puzzle by the second user, communications functionality between the first user and second user may be modified. For example, a fee assessed by a chat service or other facilitator for hosting the communications between the first user and second user may be waived or reduced.