Virtual Whiteboard Page Routing and Reintegration for Guided Breakouts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional video conferencing breakout rooms lack guidance for participants, leading to inefficiencies as they may be unclear about tasks or tools to use, resulting in wasted time and slowed progress when returning to the main meeting.

Innovation Solution

A host device can selectively assign pages of an interactive virtual whiteboard to breakout rooms during a video conference, guiding participants with predefined content, and these pages can be combined back into the main meeting upon rejoining.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If participants are sent to breakout rooms without predefined guidance, then the breakout rooms can be easily formed, but participants become unclear about tasks or tools to use, resulting in wasted time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of forming breakout roomsVSAvoidtime wasted due to lack of guidance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-assigns specific whiteboard pages to breakout rooms before the breakout session begins. These pages contain predefined content, templates, and guidance materials that participants will need during their breakout session, eliminating the need for them to figure out what to work on from scratch.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If participants start fresh whiteboards in breakout rooms, then they have complete freedom, but they are unprepared to bring desired content back to the main meeting

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefreedom in choosing whiteboard contentVSAvoidmeeting progress when returning from breakout

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system prepares specific whiteboard pages with predefined content and structures before assigning them to breakout rooms. These pages include templates, guidance materials, and preparatory content that guides participants through creating prepared outcomes, ensuring they are ready to share with the main meeting.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If breakout rooms operate independently, then they can focus on specific tasks, but participants lack clear instructions on what content to add

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebreakout room efficiencyVSAvoidunclear task instructions

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses pre-assigned whiteboard pages as intermediary carriers that transmit specific task instructions, guidance materials, and content requirements from the main meeting organizer to the breakout rooms. These pages serve as a mediator that provides clear directions while allowing breakout participants to work independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12401702B2Moving pages of a virtual whiteboard to breakout rooms associated with a video conference and combining the pages

Publication Date: 2025.08.26 ZOOM COMMUNICATIONS INC

AI summary

A system may instantiate a virtual whiteboard during a video conference controlled by a host device. The whiteboard may include a first page configured to output first visual content and a second page configured to output second visual content to displays of participant devices connected to the video conference. The system may move the first page to a first breakout room associated with the video conference and the second page to a second breakout room associated with the video conference. Access to the first page within the first breakout room may be limited to a first group of one or more of the participant devices connected to the first breakout room and the host device. Access to the second page within the second breakout room may be limited to a second group of one or more of the participant devices connected to the second breakout room and the host device.