Interfacing with a spatial virtual communication environment
First Claim
1. 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, whereineach 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, andin the spatial layout, the zones of the virtual area are arranged in a list and sorted based on a query on relationship database records describing contexts of respective interactions between communicants in respective ones of the zones of the virtual area; 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 area.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method, comprising on a display:
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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 in the spatial layout, the zones of the virtual area are arranged in a list and sorted based on a query on relationship database records describing contexts of respective interactions between communicants in respective ones of the zones of the virtual area; 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 area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. At least one non-transitory 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:
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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 in the spatial layout, the zones of the virtual area are arranged in a list and sorted based on a query on relationship database records describing contexts of respective interactions between communicants in respective ones of the zones of the virtual area; and displaying a graphic visualization of multiple simultaneous communication sessions occurring between respective ones of the 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 area.
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17. Apparatus, comprising
a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions, and a data processing unit coupled to the non-transitory 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 in the spatial layout, the zones of the virtual area are arranged in a list and sorted based on a query on relationship database records describing contexts of respective interactions between communicants in respective ones of the zones of the virtual area; and displaying a graphic visualization of multiple simultaneous communication sessions occurring between respective ones of the 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 area.
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18. A method, comprising by a server network node:
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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 zones of a virtual area; in each zone, supporting establishment of communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in the zone; for each of multiple ones of the zones, maintaining independence between realtime conferencing data streams transmitted in communication sessions between network nodes of communicants who are co-present in the zone and 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 administering each of respective ones of the network nodes in presenting a respective graphic visualization of a spatial layout of multiple simultaneous communication sessions occurring between the respective network nodes in different respective ones of the zones of the virtual area, wherein the administering comprises arranging the zones in each graphic visualization in a list sorted based on a query on relationship database records describing contexts of respective interactions between communicants in respective ones of the zones of the virtual area, 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 area. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification