Virtual Proximity Radius Web Conferencing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current virtual conference systems lack informal interaction opportunities, leading to a lack of engagement and poor user experience as they primarily focus on formal interactions, failing to facilitate spontaneous conversations and social interactions among participants.

Innovation Solution

A communication system that provides a user interface representing a virtual environment, allowing participants to establish connections based on virtual proximity and analyze participant profiles to recommend potential conversations of interest by using personal communication bridges and virtual indicators within a defined radius, enabling participants to move and adjust their proximity to engage with like-minded individuals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If virtual conferences focus on formal interactions with presentations and agendas, then conference structure and speaker control are improved, but participant engagement and informal social interactions deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconference structureVSAvoidparticipant engagement

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual conference environment is segmented into multiple virtual spaces including formal presentation areas and informal interaction zones (hallways, lounges, breakout rooms). This segmentation allows participants to engage in formal presentations while simultaneously enabling informal social interactions in dedicated spaces, resolving the contradiction between structured conferences and participant engagement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a spatial dimension to virtual conferences by creating a virtual environment with multiple locations and pathways. Participants can physically move between different virtual spaces, adding a dimensional aspect that enables spontaneous interactions while maintaining the formal presentation structure, thus improving engagement without sacrificing conference organization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If virtual conferences follow a presentation agenda with primary speakers, then conference organization and content delivery are improved, but spontaneous conversations and networking opportunities deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent deliveryVSAvoidnetworking opportunities

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Virtual indicators serve as intermediaries between participants in the virtual environment. These indicators display information about other participants and enable spontaneous connections based on proximity and shared interests, facilitating networking while the formal presentation agenda continues to deliver content effectively

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The virtual environment dynamically adapts to participant needs by allowing real-time movement between formal and informal spaces. The system dynamically creates and manages virtual proximity relationships, enabling spontaneous networking opportunities while maintaining the structured content delivery schedule

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Loss of time

If participants are allocated fixed time slots for formal interactions, then conference scheduling and speaker coordination are improved, but time for informal conversations and meeting like-minded people deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetime allocation efficiencyVSAvoidconversation flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system preliminarily structures the virtual environment with designated interaction zones and pathways before participants arrive. This preliminary setup enables spontaneous informal conversations to occur naturally during transitions between formal sessions, maximizing both time efficiency and conversation flexibility without requiring additional scheduled time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11616701B2Virtual proximity radius based web conferencing

Publication Date: 2023.03.28 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

Techniques for utilizing a communication system that provides access to a representation of a virtual environment to participants. The communication system may establish connections between personal communication bridge(s) associated with participant(s) interacting within a virtual proximity radius of one another's virtual indicator in the virtual environment. The communication system may cause conversation data to be sent each personal communication bridge associated with a participant that is within the virtual proximity radius of the sender, and cause conversation data to be received via the personal communication bridge of a participant that is within the virtual proximity radius of the sender. The communication system may also analyze data associated with the participant profile(s) and transcribed conversation data from the communication bridges(s) to recommend potential conversations of interest to participant(s).