VIRTUAL AREA BASED TELEPHONY COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20110274104A1
• Filed: 06/21/2011
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sococo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Social Communications Company
• Inventors: Cozzi, Eric, Brody, Paul J., Leacock, Matthew, Van Wie, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,357,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A persistent virtual area that supports establishment of respective presences of communicants operating respective network nodes connected to the virtual area even after all network nodes have disconnected from the virtual area is maintained. A presence in the virtual area is established for a user of a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) terminal device. Transmission of data associated with the virtual area to the PSTN terminal device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

maintaining a persistent virtual area that supports establishment of respective presences of communicants operating respective client network nodes connected to the virtual area even after all network nodes have disconnected from the virtual area;

establishing a presence in the virtual area for a user of a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) terminal device; and

administering transmission of data associated with the virtual area to the PSTN terminal device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a respective presence in the virtual area for a communicant operating a respective client network node.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising managing establishment of a realtime audio connection between the client network node and the PSTN terminal device in association with the virtual area.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the managing comprises initiating the realtime audio connection in response to a request received from the client network node.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the request comprises a telephone number associated with the PSTN terminal device, and the managing comprises transmitting the telephone number to a PSTN service provider.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein managing comprises transmitting a telephone number associated with the virtual area to the PSTN service provider.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the virtual area is associated with a spatial visualization, and the request is received from the client network node in connection with the spatial visualization.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the spatial visualization comprises a graphic representation of a room and a graphic representation of audio call connection object in the room, and the request is received in connection with the audio call connection object.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the managing comprises initiating the realtime audio connection in response to a request received in connection with the PSTN terminal device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the virtual area is associated with a telephone number, and the request comprises the telephone number.

11. The method of claim 3, further comprising managing a current realtime communication session between the client network node and the PSTN terminal device in the virtual area.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the managing comprises specifying locations of graphical representations of the user and the communicant in spatial relation to a graphical representation of the virtual area.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein, based on entry of another communicant operating a second client network node into the virtual area, the managing comprises administering establishment of a respective audio connection between the second client network node and each of the first client network node and the PSTN terminal device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the administering comprises administering transmission of audio data associated with the virtual area to the PSTN terminal device, and deriving the audio data from one or more realtime audio data streams respectively received from one or more client network nodes being operated by one or more respective communicants who are present in the virtual area.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising producing a recording from at least one of the realtime audio streams, and storing the recording in association with the virtual area, wherein the deriving comprises deriving the audio data from the recording.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing comprises establishing the presence for the user in the virtual area based on receipt of a telephone number that is associated with the virtual area.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the virtual area comprises multiple zones each of which supports establishment of a respective presence for one or more communicants, at least one of the zones is associated with a respective telephone number, and the establishing comprises receiving a respective one of the telephone numbers in connection with the PSTN terminal device and establishing the presence for the user in the zone associated with the received telephone number.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting a request for one or more communicants to join the user in the virtual area based on one or more commands received in connection with the PSTN terminal device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising instantiating the virtual area based on receipt of the telephone number.

20. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing persistent records describing interactions between the user and the communicant in the virtual area.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the data in association with the virtual area, wherein the stored data remains associated with the virtual area independent of the user'"'"'s presence in the virtual area, and the administering comprises transmitting the stored data to the PSTN terminal device.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a presence in the virtual area for a communicant operating a client network node;

associating each of the PSTN terminal device and the client network node with a respective object in the virtual area; and

transmitting to the client network node a specification of a spatial visualization of the virtual area and respective positions of the objects in relation to the spatial visualization;

wherein the administering comprises administering synchronous audio communication between the PSTN terminal device and the client network node.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the virtual area comprises zones associated with respective switching rules for establishing communications between devices based on the respective locations of the objects in relation to the zones;

and

further comprising transmitting to the client network node position data for navigating the object associated with the PSTN terminal device from one of the zones to another one of the zones based on virtual area navigation data received in connection with the PSTN device.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a first connection over which audio data is transmitted to the PSTN terminal device, and a second connection over which data describing the virtual area and positions of object in the virtual area is transmitted to the PSTN terminal device.

25. Apparatus, comprising:

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

maintaining a persistent virtual area that supports establishment of respective presences of communicants operating respective client network nodes connected to the virtual area even after all network nodes have disconnected from the virtual area;

establishing a presence in the virtual area for a user of a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) terminal device; and

administering transmission of data associated with the virtual area to the PSTN terminal device.

26. At least one computer-readable medium having processor-readable program code embodied therein, the processor-readable program code adapted to be executed by a processor to implement a method comprising:

maintaining a persistent virtual area that supports establishment of respective presences of communicants operating respective client network nodes connected to the virtual area even after all network nodes have disconnected from the virtual area;

establishing a presence in the virtual area for a user of a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) terminal device; and

administering transmission of data associated with the virtual area to the PSTN terminal device.

27. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

establishing a respective presence in a persistent virtual area for a communicant operating a respective client network node connected to the virtual area;

managing establishment of a realtime audio connection between the client network node and a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) terminal device in association with the virtual area;

establishing a presence in the virtual area for a user of the PSTN terminal device; and

administering transmission of audio data associated with the virtual area to the PSTN terminal device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the managing is based on a request received in connection with the client network node,

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the request comprises a telephone number associated with the PSTN terminal device, and the managing comprises transmitting the telephone number to a PSTN service provider.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein managing comprises transmitting a telephone number associated with the virtual area to the PSTN service provider.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the virtual area is associated with a spatial visualization, and the request is received from the client network node in connection with the spatial visualization.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the managing is based on a request received in connection with a PSTN terminal device.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the virtual area is associated with a telephone number, and the request comprises the telephone number.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

associating each of the PSTN terminal device and the client network node with a respective object in the virtual area; and

transmitting to the client network node a specification of a spatial visualization of the virtual area and respective positions of the objects in relation to the spatial visualization.

35. The method of claim 27, further comprising establishing a first connection over which the audio data is transmitted to the PSTN terminal device, and a second connection over which data describing the virtual area and positions of object in the virtual area is transmitted to the PSTN terminal device.

36. A method, comprising:

establishing a presence in a virtual area for a user of a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) terminal device based on receipt of a telephone number associated with the virtual area; and

administering transmission of data associated with the virtual area to the PSTN terminal device.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the virtual area comprises multiple zones each of which supports establishment of a respective presence for one or more communicants, at least one of the zones is associated with a respective telephone number, and the establishing comprises receiving a respective one of the telephone numbers in connection with the PSTN terminal device and establishing the presence for the user in the zone associated with the received telephone number.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising transmitting a request for one or more communicants to join the user in the virtual area based on one or more commands received in connection with the PSTN terminal device.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising instantiating the virtual area based on receipt of the telephone number

40. Apparatus, comprising:

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

establishing a presence in a virtual area for a user of a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) terminal device based on receipt of a telephone number associated with the virtual area; and

administering transmission of data associated with the virtual area to the PSTN terminal device.

41. At least one computer-readable medium having processor-readable program code embodied therein, the processor-readable program code adapted to be executed by a processor to implement a method comprising:

establishing a presence in a virtual area for a user of a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) terminal device based on receipt of a telephone number associated with the virtual area; and

administering transmission of data associated with the virtual area to the PSTN terminal device.

42. A method, comprising:

displaying a graphical interface comprising a graphical representation of a virtual area;

receiving a command to communicate with a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) terminal device;

based on the command, transmitting to a network infrastructure service environment supporting communicant interactions in the virtual area a request to communicate with the PSTN terminal device;

from the network infrastructure service environment, receiving a graphical representation of a user of the PSTN terminal device and a realtime data stream associated with the user of the PSTN terminal device; and

in the graphical user interface, displaying the graphical representation of the user in spatial relation to the graphical representation of the virtual area.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a selection of a communicant from a graphical user interface, and a single click selection of a graphical user interface button.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising

based on the selection of the communicant, determining a telephone number associated with the PSTN terminal device;

and

transmitting the telephone number with the request comprises.

45. The method of claim 42, further comprising establishing a first connection over which the audio data is transmitted to the PSTN terminal device, and a second connection over which data describing the virtual area and positions of object in the virtual area is transmitted to the PSTN terminal device.

46. Apparatus, comprising:

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

displaying a graphical interface comprising a graphical representation of a virtual area;

receiving a command to communicate with a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) terminal device;

based on the command, transmitting to a network infrastructure service environment supporting communicant interactions in the virtual area a request to communicate with the PSTN terminal device;

from the network infrastructure service environment, receiving a graphical representation of a user of the PSTN terminal device and a realtime data stream associated with the user of the PSTN terminal device; and

in the graphical user interface, displaying the graphical representation of the user in spatial relation to the graphical representation of the virtual area.

47. At least one computer-readable medium having processor-readable program code embodied therein, the processor-readable program code adapted to be executed by a processor to implement a method comprising:

displaying a graphical interface comprising a graphical representation of a virtual area;

receiving a command to communicate with a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) terminal device;

based on the command, transmitting to a network infrastructure service environment supporting communicant interactions in the virtual area a request to communicate with the PSTN terminal device;

from the network infrastructure service environment, receiving a graphical representation of a user of the PSTN terminal device and a realtime data stream associated with the user of the PSTN terminal device; and

in the graphical user interface, displaying the graphical representation of the user in spatial relation to the graphical representation of the virtual area.

48. A method, comprising:

from a user receiving a single-click command to communicate with of a communicant selected from a list presented in a graphical user interface;

based on the command, determining a telephone number associated with a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) terminal device;

transmitting a request to communicate with the PSTN terminal device in a virtual area to a network infrastructure service environment supporting communicant interactions in the virtual area, wherein the request comprises the telephone number;

displaying graphical representations of the user and the communicant in spatial relation to a graphical representation of the virtual area; and

establishing a realtime audio communication session with a client network node associated with the communicant in the virtual area.

49. At least one computer-readable medium having processor-readable program code embodied therein, the processor-readable program code adapted to be executed by a processor to implement a method comprising:

from a user receiving a single-click command to communicate with of a communicant selected from a list presented in a graphical user interface;

based on the command, determining a telephone number associated with a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) terminal device;

transmitting a request to communicate with the PSTN terminal device in a virtual area to a network infrastructure service environment supporting communicant interactions in the virtual area, wherein the request comprises the telephone number;

displaying graphical representations of the user and the communicant in spatial relation to a graphical representation of the virtual area; and

establishing a realtime audio communication session with a client network node associated with the communicant in the virtual area.

50. A method, comprising:

establishing a realtime audio communication session over a first connection with a first server network node;

over the first connection, receiving from the first server network node a realtime audio data stream derived from one or more realtime audio communications associated with communicants who are present in a virtual area;

establishing a data communication session over a second connection with a second server network node supporting communicant interactions in the virtual area;

over the second connection, receiving from the second server network node specifications of graphical representations of communicants who are present in the virtual area in spatial relation to a graphical representation of the virtual area, and visual cues indicating communication states of audio channels of the communicants who are present in the virtual area;

rendering the realtime audio data stream; and

displaying the graphical representations of the communicants in spatial relation to a graphical representation of the virtual area, and the visual cues synchronized with the rendering of the realtime audio data stream.

51. Apparatus, comprising:

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

establishing a realtime audio communication session over a first connection with a first server network node;

over the first connection, receiving from the first server network node a realtime audio data stream derived from one or more realtime audio communications associated with communicants who are present in a virtual area;

establishing a data communication session over a second connection with a second server network node supporting communicant interactions in the virtual area;

over the second connection, receiving from the second server network node specifications of graphical representations of communicants who are present in the virtual area in spatial relation to a graphical representation of the virtual area, and visual cues indicating communication states of audio channels of the communicants who are present in the virtual area;

rendering the realtime audio data stream; and

displaying the graphical representations of the communicants in spatial relation to a graphical representation of the virtual area, and the visual cues synchronized with the rendering of the realtime audio data stream.