Virtual Room Access Control via Profile-Based Mediation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems for managing resources within virtual rooms lack efficient mechanisms for participant device management, access control, and content notification, particularly in dynamic and collaborative environments like instant messaging and electronic collaboration sessions.

Innovation Solution

The system displays a list of virtual rooms, identifies and associates participant devices with selected rooms, selectively displays content, and notifies devices of changes, using a profile-based access control system that restricts access based on user identity, device type, and access rights, with modules for profile management, participant detection, storage, and interface control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a profile-based access control system is implemented to restrict access based on user identity, device type, and access rights, then security and access control are improved, but device complexity and system configuration requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess controlVSAvoidsystem configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring profile-based access control rules and participant device associations before virtual room sessions begin. The server stores and manages access control policies in advance, automatically applying them when participants join rooms, thereby reducing real-time configuration complexity while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that manages the complex access control logic and profile-based restrictions. The server acts as a mediator between participants and virtual rooms, handling authentication and authorization without requiring complex client-side configuration, thus improving security while abstracting system complexity to the server layer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If participant devices are automatically identified and associated with virtual rooms, then collaboration efficiency is improved, but system complexity and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollaboration efficiencyVSAvoidparticipant device management
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements self-service by enabling participant devices to automatically identify and associate themselves with virtual rooms without manual intervention. Devices transmit their identifiers to the server, which automatically matches them with appropriate rooms based on pre-configured associations, thereby improving collaboration efficiency while automating the management process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The server implements feedback mechanisms by monitoring participant device connections and automatically updating room associations based on device identifiers and access rights. This continuous feedback loop ensures that participants are correctly associated with rooms while the system dynamically adjusts to changing conditions without increasing client-side complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of information

If content changes are automatically notified to all participants, then information synchronization is improved, but network bandwidth and system resources are consumed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent synchronizationVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by notifying participants selectively based on their access rights and profile characteristics. Instead of uniformly notifying all participants of every content change, the server determines which participants should receive notifications based on their specific roles and permissions, thereby improving information synchronization while reducing unnecessary network traffic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements partial action by sending content change notifications only to the subset of participants who have relevant access rights, rather than notifying all room members. This selective notification approach ensures that essential information reaches the right participants while conserving network bandwidth by avoiding redundant notifications to users without access rights.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2074521B1Methods and apparatuses for managing resources within a virtual room
Publication Date: 2018.03.21 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC
  • EP2074521B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2074521B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2074521B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses display a list configured to represent a plurality of virtual rooms; identify a selected participant device associated with a selected virtual room from the plurality of virtual rooms wherein the selected participant device is a member of the selected virtual room; selectively display content associated with the selected virtual room to the selected participant device; and notify the selected participant device of a change to the content associated with the selected virtual room.