INTERFACING WITH A SPATIAL VIRTUAL COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT

• US 20130104057A1
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sococo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Social Communications Company
• Inventors: Leacock, Matthew, Van Wie, David, Brody, Paul J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,411,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/757
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A spatial layout of zones of a virtual area in a network communication environment is displayed. A user can have a respective presence in each of one or more of the zones. Navigation controls and interaction controls are presented. The navigation controls enable the user to specify where to establish a presence in the virtual area. The interaction controls enable the user to manage interactions with one or more other communicants in the network communication environment. A respective presence of the user is established in each of one or more of the zones on response to input received via the navigation controls. Respective graphical representations of the communicants are depicted in each of the zones where the communicants respectively have presence.

Claims

1-65. -65. (canceled)

66. A method, comprising on a display:

presenting a spatial layout of zones of a virtual area in a network communication environment supporting realtime communications between network nodes respectively associated with a user and one or more other communicants who are represented by respective avatars in respective ones of the zones, wherein

each zone supports establishment of communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in the zone, and

for each of multiple ones of the zones, realtime conferencing data streams transmitted in communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in the zone are independent of realtime conferencing data streams transmitted in communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in other ones of the multiple zones; and

displaying a graphic visualization of multiple simultaneous communication sessions occurring between network nodes in different respective ones of the zones of the virtual area, wherein the graphic visualization demarcates each of the zones with a respective visual geometric boundary in the spatial layout, and the displaying comprises displaying visual cues indicating current communication states of the communicants in respective ones of the zones of the virtual areas.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein the visual cues comprise visual indications of which of the communicants in the communication sessions currently are talking.

68. The method of claim 66, wherein the visual cues comprise visual indications of which of the communicants in the communication sessions currently are typing chat messages

69. The method of claim 66, wherein the visual cues comprise visual indications of which of the communicants in the communication sessions currently are sharing contents of respective data files with other communicants who are co-present with the sharing communicants in respective ones of the zones.

70. The method of claim 66, further comprising

with respect to interactions of one or more of the communicants in a particular one of the zones of the virtual area, enabling the user to perceive the interactions with a first level of detail when the user is present in the particular zone, and enabling the user to perceive the interactions with a second level of detail that is less than the first level of detail when the user is not present in the particular zone.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein:

when the user is present in the particular zone, the enabling comprises presenting on the display visible geometric elements of the zone and visual cues that show current communication states of communicants in the particular zone; and

when the user is present in a respective one of the zones other than the particular zone but is not present in the particular zone, the enabling comprises presenting on the display visible geometric elements of the zone without presenting visual cues that show current communication states of communicants in the particular zone.

72. The method of claim 66, further comprising:

providing navigation controls and interaction controls, wherein the navigation controls enable the user to specify where to establish a presence in the virtual area and the interaction controls enable the user to manage interactions with one or more other communicants in the virtual area;

based on input received via the navigation controls, establishing a respective presence of the user in a particular one of the zones; and

based on the presence of the user in the particular zone, administering one or more real-time data stream connections between a network node being operated by the user and respective ones of the network nodes associated with the particular zone.

73. The method of claim 66, further comprising displaying a notification window describing an event associated with a particular one of the zones.

74. The method of claim 73, wherein the notification window comprises a link that references the particular zone;

and

further comprising, in response to a user selection of the link, moving the avatar of the user to the respective zone from the zone where the user had presence before the selection and establishing a presence for the user in the particular zone.

75. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed by a computer to perform operations comprising:

presenting a spatial layout of zones of a virtual area in a network communication environment supporting realtime communications between network nodes respectively associated with a user and one or more other communicants who are represented by respective avatars in respective ones of the zones, wherein

each zone supports establishment of communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in the zone, and

for each of multiple ones of the zones, realtime conferencing data streams transmitted in communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in the zone are independent of realtime conferencing data streams transmitted in communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in other ones of the multiple zones; and

displaying a graphic visualization of multiple simultaneous communication sessions occurring between network nodes in different respective ones of the zones of the virtual area, wherein the graphic visualization demarcates each of the zones with a respective visual geometric boundary in the spatial layout, and the displaying comprises displaying visual cues indicating current communication states of the communicants in respective ones of the zones of the virtual areas.

76. Apparatus, comprising p1 a computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions, and

a data processing unit coupled to the computer-readable medium, operable to execute the instructions, and based at least in part on the execution of the instructions operable to perform operations comprising:

presenting a spatial layout of zones of a virtual area in a network communication environment supporting realtime communications between network nodes respectively associated with a user and one or more other communicants who are represented by respective avatars in respective ones of the zones, wherein;

each zone supports establishment of communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in the zone;

for each of multiple ones of the zones, realtime conferencing data streams transmitted in communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in the zone are independent of realtime conferencing data streams transmitted in communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in other ones of the multiple zones; and

displaying a graphic visualization of multiple simultaneous communication sessions occurring between network nodes in different respective ones of the zones of the virtual area, wherein the graphic visualization demarcates each of the zones with a respective visual geometric boundary in the spatial layout, and the displaying comprises displaying visual cues indicating current communication states of the communicants in respective ones of the zones of the virtual areas.

77. A method, comprising on a display

presenting a spatial layout of zones of a virtual area in a network communication environment supporting realtime communications between network nodes respectively associated with a user and one or more other communicants who are represented by respective avatars in respective ones of the zones, wherein

each zone supports establishment of communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in the zone, and

for each of multiple ones of the zones, realtime conferencing data streams transmitted in communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in the zone are independent of realtime conferencing data streams transmitted in communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in other ones of the multiple zones;

displaying a graphic visualization of multiple simultaneous communication sessions occurring between network nodes in different respective ones of the zones of the virtual area; and

reporting an event associated with a particular one of the zones.

78. The method of claim 77, wherein the reporting comprises reporting that a new chat message was submitted by a respective one of the communicants in the particular zone.

79. The method of claim 77, wherein the reporting comprises reporting an invitation for the user to join a respective one of the communicants in the particular zone.

80. The method of claim 77, wherein the reporting comprises reporting a change in a communicant'"'"'s presence state in relation to the particular zone.

81. The method of claim 80, wherein the reporting comprises reporting that a particular communicant has entered the particular zone.

82. The method of claim 80, wherein the reporting comprises reporting that a particular communicant has left the particular zone.

83. The method of claim 77, wherein the reporting comprises presenting a notification window comprising a link that references the particular zone;

and

further comprising, in response to a user selection of the link, moving the avatar of the user to the particular zone from the zone where the user had presence before the selection, and establishing a presence for the user in the particular zone.

84. At least one computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed by a computer to perform operations comprising:

presenting a spatial layout of zones of a virtual area in a network communication environment supporting realtime communications between network nodes respectively associated with a user and one or more other communicants who are represented by respective avatars in respective ones of the zones, wherein

each zone supports establishment of communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in the zone, and

for each of multiple ones of the zones, realtime conferencing data streams transmitted in communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in the zone are independent of realtime conferencing data streams transmitted in communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in other ones of the multiple zones;

displaying a graphic visualization of multiple simultaneous communication sessions occurring between network nodes in different respective ones of the zones of the virtual area; and

reporting an event associated with a particular one of the zones.

85. Apparatus, comprising

a computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions, and

a data processing unit coupled to the computer-readable medium, operable to execute the instructions, and based at least in part on the execution of the instructions operable to perform operations comprising:

presenting a spatial layout of zones of a virtual area in a network communication environment supporting realtime communications between network nodes respectively associated with a user and one or more other communicants who are represented by respective avatars in respective ones of the zones, wherein;

each zone supports establishment of communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in the zone;

for each of multiple ones of the zones, realtime conferencing data streams transmitted in communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in the zone are independent of realtime conferencing data streams transmitted in communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in other ones of the multiple zones;

displaying a graphic visualization of multiple simultaneous communication sessions occurring between network nodes in different respective ones of the zones of the virtual area; and

reporting an event associated with a particular one of the zones.