SHARED VIRTUAL AREA COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT BASED APPARATUS AND METHODS

• US 20160342303A1
• Filed: 08/04/2016
• Published: 11/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sococo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sococo, Inc.
• Inventors: Van Wie, David, Brody, Paul J.
• Granted Patent: US 11,023,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• 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: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827

Abstract

Improved systems and methods for navigating and interacting in virtual communication environments are described. At least some of these systems and methods provide a framework that includes one or more virtual areas and supports realtime communications between the communicants. At least some of these systems and methods provide an interface that includes navigation controls that enable a user to navigate virtual areas and interaction controls that enable the user to interact with other communicants in the one or more virtual areas.

Claims

1-211. -211. (canceled)

212. A computer-implemented method in a network communications environment comprising a network service implemented by at least one server network node, the method comprising:

associating, by the network service, a document with a virtual area;

establishing, by the network service, a respective presence in the virtual area for each of multiple communicants operating respective client network nodes;

managing, by the network service, realtime collaboration on the document by ones of the communicants who are copresent in the virtual area, wherein the managing comprises providing respective client data streams for generating respective concurrent views of the document on the client network nodes of the copresent ones of the communicants, performing operations on the document based on input data streams received from respective ones of the client network nodes of the copresent ones of the communicants in connection with the document, and administering realtime communications between the client network nodes of ones of the communicants who are copresent in the virtual area.

213. The method of claim 212, wherein the managing comprises, by the network service, executing a shared instance of a document processing application program on the document.

214. The method of claim 213, wherein the document processing application program is one of a text document processing application program, a spreadsheet document processing application program, and a presentation document processing application program.

215. The method of claim 213, wherein the managing comprises, by the network service, multiplexing the input data streams to the executing document processing application program to produce output data, and generating the client data streams from the output data produced by the document processing application program.

216. The method of claim 215, wherein the multiplexing comprises multiplexing the received realtime input data streams into a composite input data stream, and inputting the composite input data stream to the shared instance of the document processing software application.

217. The method of claim 215, wherein the managing comprises, by the network service, transmitting the respective client data streams to the client network nodes of respective ones of the communicants who are copresent in the virtual area.

218. The method of claim 212, wherein the managing comprises enabling the client network nodes of the copresent ones of the communicants to generate respective concurrent views of the document while enabling realtime communications between respective ones of those copresent communicants.

219. The method of claim 212, wherein the administering comprises administering realtime text chat communications between the network nodes of the copresent ones of the communicants.

220. The method of claim 212, wherein the administering comprises administering realtime audio communications between the network nodes of the copresent ones of the communicants.

221. The method of claim 212, wherein the administering comprises administering realtime video communications between the network nodes of the copresent ones of the communicants.

222. The method of claim 212, wherein the providing comprises transmitting to each of respective ones of client network nodes of the communicants who are present in the virtual area a respective document interface for interacting with the document and a respective communications interface for communicating with other communicants who are present in the virtual area.

223. The method of claim 222, wherein each document interface is associated with a respective one of the input data streams.

224. The method of claim 222, wherein each communications interface supports realtime text chat communications with other communicants who are present in the virtual area.

225. The method of claim 212, further comprising maintaining records of communicant actions in the virtual area, and transmitting a respective listing of respective ones of the communicant actions to each of one or more of client network nodes of the communicants who are present in the virtual area.

226. The method of claim 212, wherein the input data streams comprise data generated based on input device events occurring on respective ones of the client network nodes.

227. The method of claim 226, wherein at least some of the input device events correspond to realtime computer keyboard events.

228. The method of claim 226, wherein at least some of the input device events correspond to realtime computer mouse events.

229. Apparatus, comprising

a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing computer-readable instructions, and

a data processing system 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:

associating a document with a virtual area;

establishing a respective presence in the virtual area for each of multiple communicants operating respective client network nodes;

managing realtime collaboration on the document by ones of the communicants who are copresent in the virtual area, wherein the managing comprises providing respective client data streams for generating respective concurrent views of the document on the client network nodes of the copresent ones of the communicants, performing operations on the document based on input data streams received from respective ones of the client network nodes of the copresent ones of the communicants in connection with the document, and administering realtime communications between the client network nodes of ones of the communicants who are copresent in the virtual area.

230. A computer-implemented method in a network communications environment comprising a network service implemented by at least one server network node and supporting realtime communications between communicants who are operating respective client network nodes and are co-present in any of multiple virtual areas that define different respective communication contexts in the network communications environment, the method comprising:

establishing, by the network service, a respective presence for each of multiple ones of the communicants in a particular one of the virtual areas associated with a document;

administering, by the network service, realtime communications between copresent ones of the communicants in the particular virtual area;

executing, by the network service, an instance of a document processing software application in connection with the document;

receiving, by the network service, realtime input data streams in connection with the document from respective ones of the client network nodes associated with respective ones of the copresent communicants in the particular virtual area;

multiplexing the received realtime input data streams into a composite input data stream;

inputting the composite input data stream to the executing instance of the document processing software application;

generating respective instances of an output data stream based on output produced by the executing instance of the client software application responsive to the inputting; and

transmitting, by the network service, the instances of the output data stream to respective ones of the client network nodes of the copresent communicants in the particular virtual area.

231. The method of claim 230, wherein the instances of the output data stream transmitted to respective ones of the client network nodes of the copresent communicants in the particular virtual area correspond to respective views of the document to be rendered on the client network nodes of the copresent ones of the communicants.