Patents by Inventor Matthew Leacock
Matthew Leacock has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10148457Abstract: Apparatus and methods of managing a virtual area based on communicant capabilities are described. The communicant capabilities are updated based on rules in response to events in the virtual area. An action by one communicant can affect the capabilities of another communicant. Communicant capabilities can be stored in respective server-side proxies and the virtual area can be managed without transmitting any of the capabilities to the communicants' client network nodes. Capability-based permissions checks can be performed against communicant capabilities with wildcarded attribute fields.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2016Date of Patent: December 4, 2018Assignee: Sococo, Inc.Inventors: Robert J. Butler, Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody, F. Randall Farmer
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Patent number: 10069873Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 31, 2016Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: Sococo, Inc.Inventors: Eric Cozzi, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody, Matthew Leacock
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Publication number: 20160323122Abstract: Apparatus and methods of managing a virtual area based on communicant capabilities are described. The communicant capabilities are updated based on rules in response to events in the virtual area. An action by one communicant can affect the capabilities of another communicant. Communicant capabilities can be stored in respective server-side proxies and the virtual area can be managed without transmitting any of the capabilities to the communicants' client network nodes. Capability-based permissions checks can be performed against communicant capabilities with wildcarded attribute fields.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2016Publication date: November 3, 2016Inventors: Robert J. Butler, Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody, F. Randall Farmer
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Patent number: 9483157Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2012Date of Patent: November 1, 2016Assignee: Sococo, Inc.Inventors: Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Publication number: 20160285925Abstract: 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: May 31, 2016Publication date: September 29, 2016Inventors: Eric Cozzi, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody, Matthew Leacock
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Patent number: 9411489Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2012Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: Sococo, Inc.Inventors: Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Publication number: 20160163070Abstract: In a network communications environment supporting realtime communications between respective network nodes of a user and other communicants in virtual areas each of which is associated with its own respective set of communicant members, a graphical user interface is provided in connection with the user's network node. The graphical user interface 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: January 29, 2016Publication date: June 9, 2016Inventors: Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Patent number: 9357025Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 21, 2011Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Eric Cozzi, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody, Matthew Leacock
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Publication number: 20150365277Abstract: 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: August 18, 2015Publication date: December 17, 2015Inventors: Josh Moyers, Matthew Leacock, Paul J. Brody, David Van Wie, Robert J. Butler
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Publication number: 20150312285Abstract: 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: July 3, 2015Publication date: October 29, 2015Inventors: Josh Moyers, Matthew Leacock, Paul J. Brody, David Van Wie, Seth Miller
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Patent number: 9124662Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 17, 2012Date of Patent: September 1, 2015Assignee: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Josh Moyers, Matthew Leacock, Paul J. Brody, David Van Wie, Robert J. Butler
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Patent number: 9077549Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 28, 2012Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Josh Moyers, Matthew Leacock, Paul J. Brody, David Van Wie, Seth Miller
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Patent number: 9065874Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 17, 2012Date of Patent: June 23, 2015Assignee: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Josh Moyers, Matthew Leacock, Paul J. Brody, David Van Wie, Robert J. Butler
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Publication number: 20150127741Abstract: 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: December 31, 2014Publication date: May 7, 2015Inventors: Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Patent number: 8930472Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 15, 2011Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Patent number: 8775595Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 9, 2011Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Patent number: 8756304Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 9, 2011Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody
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Publication number: 20130073707Abstract: Apparatus and methods of managing a virtual area based on communicant capabilities are described. The communicant capabilities are updated based on rules in response to events in the virtual area. An action by one communicant can affect the capabilities of another communicant. Communicant capabilities can be stored in respective server-side proxies and the virtual area can be managed without transmitting any of the capabilities to the communicants' client network nodes. Capability-based permissions checks can be performed against communicant capabilities with wildcarded attribute fields.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 5, 2012Publication date: March 21, 2013Applicant: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Robert J. Butler, Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody, F. Randall Farmer
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Publication number: 20130073978Abstract: Apparatus and methods of managing a virtual area based on communicant capabilities are described. The communicant capabilities are updated based on rules in response to events in the virtual area. An action by one communicant can affect the capabilities of another communicant. Communicant capabilities can be stored in respective server-side proxies and the virtual area can be managed without transmitting any of the capabilities to the communicants' client network nodes. Capability-based permissions checks can be performed against communicant capabilities with wildcarded attribute fields.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 5, 2012Publication date: March 21, 2013Applicant: SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS COMPANYInventors: Robert J. Butler, Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody, F. Randall Farmer
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Patent number: 8397168Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2009Date of Patent: March 12, 2013Assignee: Social Communications CompanyInventors: Matthew Leacock, David Van Wie, Paul J. Brody