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Interfacing with a spatial virtual communication environment

  • US 9,411,489 B2
  • Filed: 11/01/2012
  • Issued: 08/09/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2007
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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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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