INTERFACING WITH A SPATIAL VIRTUAL COMMUNICATIONS ENVIRONMENT
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- connecting to a network communications environment supporting realtime communications between respective network nodes of a user and other communicants in virtual areas each of which is associated with its own respective set of communicant members;
in connection with the user'"'"'s network node, providing a graphical user interface comprising controls for establishing presence in respective ones of the virtual areas, managing realtime communications with other communicants in respective ones of the virtual areas, and presenting different views of communicants associated with the network communications environment; and
based on user input in connection with the graphical user interface, establishing a presence for the user in a selected one of the virtual areas, administering realtime communications between the user and one or more communicants who are present in the selected virtual area, and displaying a visualization that shows graphical representations, locations of presence, and realtime activities of communicants across respective ones of the virtual areas.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a network communications environment supporting realtime communications between respective network nodes of a user and other communicants in virtual areas associated with respective sets of communicant members, a graphical user interface (GUI) is provided in connection with the user'"'"'s network node. The GUI includes controls for establishing presence in respective ones of the virtual areas, managing realtime communications with other communicants in respective ones of the virtual areas, and presenting different views of communicants associated with the network communications environment. Based on user input in connection with the GUI, a presence is established for the user in a selected one of the virtual areas, realtime communications are administered between the user and one or more communicants who are present in the selected virtual area, and a visualization that shows graphical representations, locations of presence, and realtime activities of communicants across respective ones of the virtual areas is displayed.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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connecting to a network communications environment supporting realtime communications between respective network nodes of a user and other communicants in virtual areas each of which is associated with its own respective set of communicant members; in connection with the user'"'"'s network node, providing a graphical user interface comprising controls for establishing presence in respective ones of the virtual areas, managing realtime communications with other communicants in respective ones of the virtual areas, and presenting different views of communicants associated with the network communications environment; and based on user input in connection with the graphical user interface, establishing a presence for the user in a selected one of the virtual areas, administering realtime communications between the user and one or more communicants who are present in the selected virtual area, and displaying a visualization that shows graphical representations, locations of presence, and realtime activities of communicants across respective ones of the virtual areas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. Apparatus, comprising:
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a memory storing processor-readable instructions; and a processor coupled to the memory, operable to execute the instructions, and based at least in part on the execution of the instructions operable to perform operations comprising connecting to a network communications environment supporting realtime communications between respective network nodes of a user and other communicants in virtual areas each of which is associated with its own respective set of communicant members; in connection with the user'"'"'s network node, providing a graphical user interface comprising controls for establishing presence in respective ones of the virtual areas, managing realtime communications with other communicants in respective ones of the virtual areas, and presenting different views of communicants associated with the network communications environment; and based on user input in connection with the graphical user interface, establishing a presence for the user in a selected one of the virtual areas, administering realtime communications between the user and one or more communicants who are present in the selected virtual area, and displaying a visualization that shows graphical representations, locations of presence, and realtime activities of communicants across respective ones of the virtual areas.
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42. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having processor-readable program code embodied therein, the processor-readable program code adapted to be executed by a processor to perform operations comprising:
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connecting to a network communications environment supporting realtime communications between respective network nodes of a user and other communicants in virtual areas each of which is associated with its own respective set of communicant members; in connection with the user'"'"'s network node, providing a graphical user interface comprising controls for establishing presence in respective ones of the virtual areas, managing realtime communications with other communicants in respective ones of the virtual areas, and presenting different views of communicants associated with the network communications environment; and based on user input in connection with the graphical user interface, establishing a presence for the user in a selected one of the virtual areas, administering realtime communications between the user and one or more communicants who are present in the selected virtual area, and displaying a visualization that shows graphical representations, locations of presence, and realtime activities of communicants across respective ones of the virtual areas.
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43. A method, comprising:
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connecting to a network communications environment supporting realtime communications between respective network nodes of a user and other communicants in virtual areas each of which is associated with its own respective set of communicant members; in connection with the user'"'"'s network node, providing a graphical user interface comprising controls for establishing presence in respective ones of the virtual areas, managing realtime communications with other communicants in respective ones of the virtual areas, and presenting different views of communicants associated with the network communications environment; and based on user input in connection with the graphical user interface, establishing a presence for the user in a selected one of the virtual areas, administering realtime communications between the user and one or more communicants who are present in the selected virtual area, and displaying an arrangement of spatial visualizations of respective ones of the virtual areas, wherein each of the spatial visualizations shows a respective view of the respective virtual area and graphical representations of the communicants who are present in the respective virtual area according to their respective locations of presence.
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Specification