Virtual Meeting Scheduling Based on Sustainability Attributes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Virtual meetings often consume significant resources, including electricity from non-sustainable power sources, making it challenging to select meeting times that minimize environmental impact.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for dynamically scheduling virtual meetings based on sustainability attributes, which includes a virtual meeting device with logic to gather participant settings, determine sustainability attributes, and provide meeting options indicated by color codes (green, red, yellow) based on a sustainability threshold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If virtual meetings are scheduled without considering sustainability attributes, then meeting scheduling is simple and fast, but environmental impact is increased due to non-sustainable power source usage
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of sustainability attributes (power source types, device locations, network infrastructure) before finalizing meeting schedules. This allows the system to pre-calculate environmental impacts and present optimized time slots to users, resolving the contradiction by embedding sustainability considerations into the initial scheduling phase rather than adding complexity post-scheduling
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary sustainability assessment module that acts as a mediator between the simple scheduling interface and the complex environmental evaluation processes. This intermediary layer translates complex sustainability metrics into user-friendly recommendations without requiring users to directly interact with the underlying complexity, thus reducing perceived system complexity while improving environmental outcomes
2Object-affected harmful factors
If meeting times are selected based on sustainability thresholds with color indications, then environmental impact is reduced, but user decision-making time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses color-coded indications (green, yellow, red) to represent different sustainability threshold levels for various meeting time slots. This visual encoding allows users to instantly grasp the environmental impact of different options without analyzing complex data, significantly reducing decision-making time while effectively communicating environmental considerations
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-calculates and displays sustainability ratings for multiple potential meeting times before the user makes a selection. By having this information prepared in advance with clear visual indicators, users can make informed decisions quickly without needing to perform real-time sustainability assessments, thus reducing time loss while maintaining environmental benefits
3Object-affected harmful factors
If virtual meeting settings are adjusted to reduce environmental impact, then sustainability is improved, but meeting quality and functionality may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts virtual meeting settings based on real-time sustainability assessments. Instead of using fixed, overly conservative settings that would degrade meeting quality, the system adapts parameters such as video resolution, screen sharing quality, and participant limits according to the specific sustainability attributes of each meeting context. This dynamic approach allows optimization of environmental impact while maintaining adequate meeting functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies specific technical parameters of virtual meeting operations (video transmission rates, camera usage settings, data transmission frequencies) based on sustainability thresholds. By making targeted, incremental parameter adjustments rather than blanket reductions, the system achieves environmental benefits while preserving essential meeting functions and quality standards
4Object-affected harmful factors
If sustainability attributes are monitored during virtual meetings, then environmental compliance is improved, but system resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous monitoring of sustainability attributes during virtual meetings to ensure ongoing environmental compliance. By maintaining constant oversight of power source types, device locations, and network infrastructure sustainability metrics, the system can detect and respond to changes in real-time, ensuring environmental compliance throughout the entire meeting duration without significant additional resource consumption
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, methods, and processes for dynamically generating indications regarding the sustainability of one or more virtual meeting options is described herein. Virtual meetings can have participants join from all over the world and from very different computing devices which can each be powered by different power source types. When selecting a time for a virtual meeting between a number of participants, a large number of combinations may occur with each option having a different level of sustainability associated with it. However, by accessing historical data, sustainability data, participant data and by gathering various virtual meeting settings, a plurality of options can be presented having one or more indications associated with a particular category of sustainability. A sustainability threshold may be determined and utilized to categorize virtual meeting options as well. This sustainability threshold can also be utilized to dynamically alter configurations during the meeting to stay under that threshold.