Virtual Break Room System for Remote Work Social Isolation

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Solution Overview

Problem

In telework environments, employees often lack opportunities for informal communication and social interaction, which can lead to reduced morale and increased isolation.

Innovation Solution

A virtual-break-room providing system that automatically connects users to a virtual break room when they enter a designated break area, allowing for informal communication and social interaction through a virtual environment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If users work remotely in telework environments, then work flexibility and home comfort are improved, but opportunities for informal communication and social interaction deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvework flexibilityVSAvoidsocial interaction
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a virtual break room as an intermediary space that mediates between remote work isolation and social interaction needs. The system detects when users are in break areas and automatically connects them to virtual rooms where they can interact with colleagues, thus restoring social connection without requiring physical presence in traditional break spaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions the interaction space from physical dimension to virtual dimension by creating virtual break rooms in cyberspace. This allows users to maintain social interactions in a new dimensional space that is accessible regardless of their physical location, effectively solving the isolation problem of remote work.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of operation

If automatic connection to virtual break room is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic connectionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements self-service functionality by automatically detecting when users enter break areas and autonomously connecting them to appropriate virtual break rooms without requiring manual user input. The system manages the entire connection process automatically, from detection to room assignment, reducing user burden despite the underlying system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring virtual break rooms and establishing connection protocols before users need them. When users enter break areas, the connection infrastructure is already in place and ready to automatically establish connections, making the complex process transparent to users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4156653B1Virtual-break-room providing system, virtual-break-room providing device, and virtual-break-room providing method
Publication Date: 2025.04.23 JVC KENWOOD CORP
  • EP4156653B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4156653B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4156653B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A virtual-break-room providing system (1) includes: a detection device (12; 12A; 12B) including a detection unit (82) configured to detect, based on a detection result of a position detection sensor (64) about a position of a user, whether the user satisfies a condition to connect to a virtual break room (200) that enables the user to communicate with another user in virtual space; and a terminal device (10; 10A; 10B; 10C). The terminal device (10; 10A; 10B; 10C) includes a virtual-break-room connection unit (42) configured to connect to the virtual break room (200) when the detection device (12; 12A; 12B) detects that the user satisfies the condition to connect to the virtual break room (200), a virtual-break-room-information acquisition unit (44) configured to acquire information about the virtual break room (200), and an output control unit (46) configured to output the information about the virtual break room (200).