Virtual Whiteboard Action Regions Automate Third-Party API Calls

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current collaboration systems face challenges in enabling seamless concurrent collaboration among multiple users during shared sessions, particularly with structured media, which can hinder efficient interaction and action execution on third-party systems like issue tracking and content management platforms.

Innovation Solution

A virtual whiteboard graphical user interface that allows users to create and manage user-defined graphical elements, which can be dragged into action regions to automatically perform actions on associated platforms, such as creating issues, updating statuses, or searching platforms, through API commands.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If users interact with multiple third-party systems separately, then each system can be operated with full functionality, but user productivity decreases and workflow becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser productivityVSAvoidworkflow complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple third-party system interactions into a single unified whiteboard interface. Users can create, update, and track issues from Jira, Trello, and other platforms simultaneously within one whiteboard environment, eliminating the need to switch between multiple applications and thereby improving productivity while reducing workflow complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The whiteboard system provides universal functionality that works with multiple different third-party platforms through a common interface. The same whiteboard tools and collaboration features can interact with various issue tracking systems, project management tools, and communication platforms, allowing users to perform diverse operations through a single multi-functional system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Stability of the object's composition

If structured media is used for collaboration, then information organization is improved, but real-time concurrent collaboration becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation organizationVSAvoidconcurrent collaboration ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms static structured media into a dynamic whiteboard environment where elements can be freely moved, resized, and reorganized in real-time. Users can drag and drop cards, stickers, and comments across the whiteboard space, allowing concurrent collaborators to simultaneously modify the arrangement and content of elements while maintaining information organization through visual grouping and spatial relationships.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Quantity of substance

If multiple users collaborate concurrently on structured media, then collaboration capacity increases, but interaction efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollaboration capacityVSAvoidinteraction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the whiteboard into distinct functional zones and allows users to create separate action regions for different tasks and platforms. This segmentation enables multiple users to work in different areas simultaneously without interfering with each other, maintaining collaboration capacity while improving interaction efficiency through reduced conflicts and clearer task boundaries.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Device complexity

If manual actions are performed on third-party systems, then system integration is simplified, but time consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem integration complexityVSAvoidtime consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by automatically executing actions on third-party systems as soon as users drop elements into action regions on the whiteboard. The system pre-configures API connections and action mappings, so when a user drops a card into an action region, the corresponding action (such as creating an issue in Jira or updating a task in Trello) is automatically triggered without requiring manual confirmation or separate system interactions, thereby reducing time consumption while maintaining simple integration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4394680A1Configurable virtual whiteboard graphical user interface to automatically perform a user action
Publication Date: 2024.07.03 ATLASSIAN PTY LTD
  • EP4394680A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4394680A1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4394680A1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

A computer-implemented method is disclosed. The method includes designating an area (202, 204) in a virtual whiteboard graphical user interface (200a) configured to receive a graphical element (206, 208, 210, 212) of a plurality graphical elements by dragging the graphical element (206, 208, 210, 212) to the designated area (202, 204) from other areas of a virtual whiteboard graphical user interface (200a). The method includes extracting content of the graphical element (206, 208, 210, 212) dragged into the designated area (202, 204), and identifying an action to be performed on the issue tracking platform (122). The method includes displaying an interface window (220) including a preview of the action to be performed, and in response to receiving a confirmation input, generating an application programming interface (API) command including at least a portion of the extracted content and an API action to be performed.