System and method for online lobby

• US 20070050452A1
• Filed: 03/27/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Raju, Venkatesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system is provided that includes a plurality of electronic devices, a network and a server. The plurality of electronic devices each having a graphic user interface (GUI). The network is in communication with the plurality of electronic devices. The server is in communication with the network. The server is operable to execute an online lobby application and promote presentation of the online lobby to the plurality of GUIs of the electronic devices. The online lobby displays a first activity area that is selectively replaceable with a second activity area supported by the online lobby.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of electronic devices, each of the electronic devices having a graphic user interface (GUI);

a network providing communication among the plurality of electronic devices; and

a server in communication with the network, the server operable to execute an online lobby application and promote presentation of the online lobby to the plurality of GUIs of the electronic devices, the online lobby displaying a first activity area that is selectively replaceable with a second activity area supported by the online lobby.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first activity area is a text chatting area.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the second activity area is selected from the group of activity areas consisting of an audio conferencing area, a video conferencing area, a photo sharing area, an audio sharing area, a video sharing area, a desktop sharing area, a multiplayer gaming area, and an application sharing area.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the server responds to a request to initiate an online lobby received from any of the electronic devices.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the online lobby continuously displays selected information regardless of the activity presented by the first and second activity areas, the selected information being at least one type of information consisting of a lobby name, lobby participants, capability icons of electronic devices associated with participants in the online lobby, and visual representations of participants in the online lobby.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the online lobby is configured to simultaneously display a still image of a first participant in the online lobby and live video of a second participant in the online lobby.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the online lobby is configured to display text near a visual representation of each participant in the online lobby.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the text displayed near each of the visual representations can be changed while participants in the online lobby interact in an activity supported by the online lobby.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the text displayed near each visual representation is limited based on the activity being displayed by the online lobby.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic devices are selected from the group of electronic devices consisting of cellular phones, smart phones, laptop computers, personal digital assistants, and desktop computers.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein audio and video of the participants of the plurality of electronic devices are provided to the lobby while engaged in a first activity in the area and while engaged in a second activity in the area.

12. A method, comprising:

displaying an online lobby having a first activity in an area of the graphical user interface (GUI) of the online lobby;

participants selecting another activity for the online lobby; and

if needed, replacing the first activity in the area of the GUI with a second activity in the area of the GUI of the online lobby, the second activity being different from the first activity area.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising displaying a portion of the online lobby that does not change if the first activity in the area of the GUI is replaced by the second activity in the area of the GUI.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising displaying, in the online lobby, visual representations of the participants.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising displaying, in the online lobby, text corresponding to at least one of the visual representations of the participants.

16. A storage medium that stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to:

promote using online lobbies in response to requests from electronic devices;

promotes organize a directory of online lobbies; and

promotes communication with the electronic devices to display, for each online lobby, a first activity in an area of a GUI that, upon request, is replaced by a second activity in the area of the GUI, the second activity is different from the first activity.

17. The storage medium of claim 16 wherein, the GUI includes a first area wherein the first activity is displayed and a second area wherein the second activity is displayed.

18. The storage medium of claim 16 wherein the first activity area is a text chatting area.

19. The storage medium of claim 16 wherein, when executed, the computer-readable instructions cause the computer to display as the second activity area at least one activity area selected from the group consisting of an audio conferencing area, a video conferencing area, a photo sharing area, a music sharing area, a video sharing area, a desktop sharing area, a multiplayer gaming area, and an application sharing area.

20. The storage medium of claim 16 wherein audio and video for at least one or more of participants using the electronic devices is provided to the online lobby.