Patents Assigned to Social Communications Company
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Publication number: 20130024785Abstract: Apparatus transmits an identifier for association with a virtual area by an administering network service, generates output data from human perceptible stimulus in a physical space, transmits the output data in connection with the virtual area, receives input data associated with the virtual area, and generates human perceptible stimulus in the physical space from the input data. A persistent association is created between the apparatus and a virtual area. A respective presence is established in the virtual area for a communicant operating a client network node connected to the virtual area. A respective connection between each active pair of complementary sources and sinks of the client network node and the apparatus are administered in association with the virtual area. A client network node displays a graphical user interface, establishes the administered connections, and presents interaction controls associated with the object for interacting with communicants in the physical space.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2012Publication date: January 24, 2013Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventor: David Van Wie
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Publication number: 20120324001Abstract: Other communicants in a network communications environment who have relationship ties with a user that satisfy a particular relationship predicate and who are present in a zone of a respective other virtual area that is assigned to the other communicant are determined. Indications of presence of the determined other communicants in the zones of the other virtual areas is transmitted to the user. Each virtual area is associated with a respective communicant who is present in the virtual area and has a relationship tie with the user that satisfies a relationship predicate. Responsive to user input referencing a selected virtual area, a request to establish a presence for the user in the selected virtual area is transmitted. Responsive to user input referencing a particular communicant, a request to establish a network communications link between the respective network nodes operated by the user and the particular communicant is transmitted.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2011Publication date: December 20, 2012Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Publication number: 20120254858Abstract: Examples that are described herein provide systems and methods for creating virtual areas for realtime communications. Some examples provide a quick and easy process for creating a virtual area for a set of communicants and provisioning those communicants for realtime communications in the virtual area. Some examples provide a quick and easy way for a user to wrap a realtime communications framework around a network service. Through seamless integration of realtime communications (e.g., realtime audio, video, chat, screen sharing, and file transfer) in persistent virtual areas, these examples are able to enhance and improve communicants' experiences with a network service relative to traditional browser based methods of collaborating on network service based projects.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2012Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Josh Moyers, Matthew Leacock, Paul J. Brody, David Van Wie, Seth Miller
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Publication number: 20120246582Abstract: In a network communications environment supporting realtime communications between respective network nodes of a user and other communicants in virtual areas associated with respective sets of communicant members, a graphical user interface (GUI) is provided in connection with the user's network node. The GUI includes controls for establishing presence in respective ones of the virtual areas, managing realtime communications with other communicants in respective ones of the virtual areas, and presenting different views of communicants associated with the network communications environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2012Publication date: September 27, 2012Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Publication number: 20120226987Abstract: A graphical user interface is displayed. The graphical user interface includes at least one communication control for managing communications with other network nodes and at least one browser control for navigating to different network resource addresses. Human perceptible realtime output is generated from realtime communication data relating to a realtime communication session with at least one other client network node. In the process of generating of at least some of the human perceptible realtime output, operation of the client network node is managed based on at least one performance target. In the graphical user interface, a graphical representation of a network resource identified in connection with the browser control is displayed.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2012Publication date: September 6, 2012Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: David Van Wie, Joseph Altmaier
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Publication number: 20120215900Abstract: Apparatus and methods relating to persistent network resource and virtual area associations for realtime collaboration include managing and displaying an object associated with a virtual area that supports establishment of respective presences of communicants operating respective client network nodes. Examples of the object include an object that has one or more user-modifiable property fields and an object that is associated with screen sharing functionality of the client network node.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2012Publication date: August 23, 2012Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Josh Moyers, Mattew Leacock, Paul J. Brody, David Van Wie, Robert J. Butler
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Publication number: 20120216131Abstract: Apparatus and methods relating to persistent network resource and virtual area associations for realtime collaboration include managing and displaying an object associated with a virtual area that supports establishment of respective presences of communicants operating respective client network nodes. Examples of the object include an object that has one or more user-modifiable property fields and an object that is associated with screen sharing functionality of the client network node.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2012Publication date: August 23, 2012Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Josh Moyers, Matthew Leacock, Paul J. Brody, David Van Wie, Robert J. Butler
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Publication number: 20120207290Abstract: A telephony interface for realtime network communications in virtual communication environments allows telephony communicants to interact with other communicants in an immersive communication environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2012Publication date: August 16, 2012Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Josh Moyers, David Van Wie
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Publication number: 20120179672Abstract: Improved systems and methods for navigating and interacting in virtual communication environments. 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2012Publication date: July 12, 2012Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Publication number: 20120159354Abstract: Switching real-time data stream connections between network nodes sharing a virtual area is described. In one aspect, the switching involves storing a virtual area specification. The virtual area specification includes a description of one or more switching rules each defining a respective connection between sources of a respective real-time data stream type and sinks of the real-time data stream type in terms of positions in the virtual area. Real-time data stream connections are established between network nodes associated with respective objects each of which is associated with at least one of a source and a sink of one or more of the real-time data stream types. The real-time data stream connections are established based on the one or more switching rules, the respective sources and sinks associated with the objects, and respective positions of the objects in the virtual area.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2012Publication date: June 21, 2012Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Patent number: 8191001Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2009Date of Patent: May 29, 2012Assignee: Social Communications CompanyInventors: David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Publication number: 20120066306Abstract: A user's presence is established in a particular zone of a virtual area that is assigned to the user. An indication of the user's presence in the particular zone is transmitted to each communicant who has a respective relationship tie with the user that satisfies a governance rule that is associated with the particular zone.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2011Publication date: March 15, 2012Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Publication number: 20110302509Abstract: In a network communication environment in which communicants operating from respective client network nodes connect to different server applications, communicants who are related to a target communicant are ascertained, statuses of the related communicants with respect to the different server applications are determined, and indications of the related communicants and the determined statuses of the related communicants are transmitted to the target communicant. Graphical representations of the related communicants and graphical indications of the statuses of the related communicants with respect to connections to the different server applications may be displayed on a display. A contact list including a respective graphical representation of each of one or more of the communicants also may be displayed in association with visual cues representing the ascertained types of current interaction activities respectively engaged in by the one or more communicants.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2011Publication date: December 8, 2011Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Publication number: 20110274104Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2011Publication date: November 10, 2011Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Eric Cozzi, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody, Matthew Leacock
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Publication number: 20110185286Abstract: A web browser interface for visualizing realtime network communications in spatial communication environments allows communicants to interact with other communicants in an immersive spatial communication environment without having to install any specialized communication software and without requiring special proxies or firewall additions or exceptions.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2010Publication date: July 28, 2011Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Josh Moyers, David Van Wie
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Publication number: 20100318662Abstract: In one aspect, one or more real-time data stream connections that deliver a set of real-time data streams to a given network node are determined based at least in part on bandwidth capabilities of the given network node. In another aspect, for each of one or more recipient network nodes, a respective link over which to transmit a respective transmission set of one or more real-time data streams is determined. For each of the links, the respective link bandwidth is apportioned to between one or more channels that are respectively allocated to the one or more real-time data streams in the respective transmission set.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2010Publication date: December 16, 2010Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Patent number: 7844724Abstract: In one aspect, one or more real-time data stream connections that deliver a set of real-time data streams to a given network node are determined based at least in part on bandwidth capabilities of the given network node. In another aspect, for each of one or more recipient network nodes, a respective link over which to transmit a respective transmission set of one or more real-time data streams is determined. For each of the links, the respective link bandwidth is apportioned between one or more channels that are respectively allocated to the one or more real-time data streams in the respective transmission set.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2007Date of Patent: November 30, 2010Assignee: Social Communications CompanyInventors: David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Publication number: 20100274848Abstract: A stream transport protocol supports realtime network communications between communicants operating on respective network nodes. The stream transport protocol supports remote management of client communication sessions, including provisioning of each pair of client network nodes with a respective session definition defining a respective peer-to-peer session over a network connection between the constituent client network nodes of the pair. The stream transport protocol has relatively low computational resource requirements so that realtime communications performance can be achieved using a wide range of computing devices and network connections that currently are available.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2010Publication date: October 28, 2010Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Joseph Altmaier, Robert J. Butler, David Van Wie
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Publication number: 20100268843Abstract: Switching real-time data stream connections between network nodes sharing a virtual area is described. In one aspect, the switching involves storing a virtual area specification. The virtual area specification includes a description of one or more switching rules each defining a respective connection between sources of a respective real-time data stream type and sinks of the real-time data stream type in terms of positions in the virtual area. Real-time data stream connections are established between network nodes associated with respective objects each of which is associated with at least one of a source and a sink of one or more of the real-time data stream types. The real-time data stream connections are established based on the one or more switching rules, the respective sources and sinks associated with the objects, and respective positions of the objects in the virtual area.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2010Publication date: October 21, 2010Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Publication number: 20100257450Abstract: Ones of the windows associated with a software process are identified in a screen layout on a local display of a sharer network node. On the sharer network node, an image of the identified windows as they are arranged in the screen layout and free of obscuration by any other windows in the screen layout is generated. The image is transmitted from the sharer network node to a viewer network node. Also, commands derived from input device events on sharer and viewer network nodes are received. The received commands are processed into a command sequence, which is passed to a shared process executing on the sharer network node. Windows associated with the shared process are presented on the sharer network node in accordance with the received command sequence. An image of the presented windows is generated and transmitted from the sharer network node to the viewer network node.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2009Publication date: October 7, 2010Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Alex Say Go, Viadimir Petter