Virtual Conference Server Connection Grouping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Virtual meeting systems face inefficiencies due to excessive computational demand and user experience degradation when multiple endpoints are co-located, as they generate simultaneous alerts and establish individual connections, leading to a high number of connections and alerts that can confuse users and strain server resources.
Innovation Solution
The system determines location identifiers for endpoints to identify co-located devices and establishes a single connection on behalf of multiple endpoints, reducing the number of connections and alerts, thereby improving user experience and server efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If individual connections are established for each endpoint in a virtual meeting, then each endpoint can independently communicate, but the number of connections increases significantly, straining server resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual endpoint connections into a single group connection when endpoints are co-located. The system determines location identifiers for endpoints, identifies co-located devices, and establishes one connection on behalf of multiple endpoints, thereby reducing connection complexity while maintaining communication reliability through group representation
2Ease of operation
If simultaneous alerts are generated for each co-located endpoint, then each user is notified individually, but user experience degrades due to confusion from multiple simultaneous alerts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual alerts into a single group alert for co-located endpoints. By identifying endpoints with the same location identifier, the system generates one consolidated notification instead of multiple simultaneous alerts, eliminating user confusion while ensuring all co-located users are informed of the meeting
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple connections are established for co-located endpoints, then each endpoint has direct server access, but computational load on the server increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual connections into a single group connection for co-located endpoints. The system reduces computational load by establishing one connection on behalf of multiple endpoints rather than processing multiple separate connections, while maintaining adaptability through location-based identification and group formation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the connection parameter from individual endpoint connections to group-based connections. By introducing location identifiers as a new parameter for organizing endpoints, the system transforms the connection model to reduce server computational load while maintaining necessary connectivity
Data Source
AI summary
Approaches are disclosed for reducing a number of connections established by a server for a virtual meeting session. In some embodiments, the server receives a request to initiate a virtual meeting session involving a plurality of endpoints. The server may determine a location identifier for each of the plurality of endpoints based on location data generated by each of the plurality of endpoints. When the server determines that two or more of the plurality of endpoints are co-located at a location based on the location identifier, it can automatically establish only one connection on behalf of the two or more of the plurality of endpoints. The connection may be established to, e.g., a nearby conferencing device or one of the endpoints that are in the same location. The device or endpoint to which the connection is established may be determined based on which device or endpoint historically initiates virtual meetings.