Virtual Workspace Canvas Access for Isolated Breakout Collaboration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional video conferencing systems do not allow participants to interact with shared content, limiting collaboration and preventing simultaneous work on different digital assets within a virtual workspace.

Innovation Solution

A collaboration and video conferencing system that enables multiple participants to actively interact with a shared virtual workspace by assigning specific canvases to different groups, allowing only certain groups to access and collaborate on designated portions of the workspace while restricting access to others.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional video conferencing systems are used, then participants can view shared content, but they cannot actively interact with or edit the content simultaneously

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent interaction capabilityVSAvoidcollaboration efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual workspace is divided into multiple canvases that can be independently assigned to different participant groups. Each canvas acts as an independent collaboration zone where specific groups can edit and interact with digital assets without affecting other groups' work areas, enabling simultaneous active collaboration across multiple topics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces a hierarchical canvas structure with parent-child relationships, allowing workspaces to be organized into categories and sub-categories. This dimensional organization enables multiple groups to work on different canvases within the same virtual workspace simultaneously, adding a layer of spatial organization that resolves the contradiction between simultaneous interaction and content isolation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the entire virtual workspace is made accessible to all participants, then everyone can view all content, but groups working on specific tasks cannot be isolated from distractions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveworkspace access flexibilityVSAvoidcross-group interference

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual workspace is segmented into multiple canvases that can be independently assigned to different participant groups. Each canvas acts as an independent collaboration zone where specific groups can edit and interact with digital assets without affecting other groups' work areas, enabling simultaneous active collaboration across multiple topics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The collaboration server acts as an intermediary that manages canvas access permissions and coordinates interactions between different groups. It enables selective visibility and editing rights, allowing groups to access specific canvases while preventing cross-group interference, thus mediating between open access and focused collaboration needs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If multiple groups work on different digital assets simultaneously, then collaboration productivity increases, but system complexity increases to manage access and coordination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollaboration efficiencyVSAvoidworkspace management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The canvas structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it organizes digital assets by category, defines access permissions for different groups, provides spatial arrangement for virtual meeting rooms, and enables independent editing zones. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate management systems, thereby limiting the increase in complexity despite supporting multiple groups.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12401700B2Systems and methods for establishing virtual breakout meetings in a video conference by utilizing various canvases of a virtual workspace

Publication Date: 2025.08.26 BLUESCAPE BUYER LLC

AI summary

Systems and methods are provided for operating a network node to implement a collaborative breakout session in a video conference or in a content collaboration session between other network nodes hosted in part by a collaboration system. The system includes logic to initiate a collaboration server of the collaboration system to provide a first group of network nodes access to a first canvas of a virtual workspace to commence collaboration on the first canvas of the virtual workspace by the first group of network nodes. The system includes logic to initiate the collaboration server of the collaboration system to provide the first group of network nodes access to the entire virtual workspace to commence collaboration on the virtual workspace upon conclusion of the collaborative breakout session.