Patents by Inventor Nicholas Sauriol

Nicholas Sauriol 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).

  • Patent number: 8082297
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing communication between participants in a virtual environment enables the participants to elect to automatically connect with each other via a preferred communication mechanism, manually connect with each other, or choose not to connect with each other. The connection may be point-to-point between two participants or may include multiple participants. Establishment of a connection, or the ability to establish a connection, may be based on the proximity of the participants, or the Avatars representing the participants, in the virtual environment. Once the connection is established, the connection may be managed so that the connection is maintained while the Avatars remain proximate each other and is automatically severed once the Avatars move away from each other. Environmental noise and other audio aspects may be included in the connection to simulate a real-world conversation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Avaya, Inc.
    Inventors: Dany Syvain, Nicholas Sauriol, Arn Hyndman
  • Publication number: 20110047267
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing communication between participants in a virtual environment enables the participants to elect to automatically connect with each other via a preferred communication mechanism, manually connect with each other, or choose not to connect with each other. The connection may be point-to-point between two participants or may include multiple participants. Establishment of a connection, or the ability to establish a connection, may be based on the proximity of the participants, or the Avatars representing the participants, in the virtual environment. Once the connection is established, the connection may be managed so that the connection is maintained while the Avatars remain proximate each other and is automatically severed once the Avatars move away from each other. Environmental noise and other audio aspects may be included in the connection to simulate a real-world conversation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventors: Dany Syvain, Nicholas Sauriol, Arn Hyndman
  • Patent number: 7840668
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing communication between participants in a virtual environment enables the participants to elect to automatically connect with each other via a preferred communication mechanism, manually connect with each other, or choose not to connect with each other. The connection may be point-to-point between two participants or may include multiple participants. Establishment of a connection, or the ability to establish a connection, may be based on the proximity of the participants, or the Avatars representing the participants, in the virtual environment. Once the connection is established, the connection may be managed so that the connection is maintained while the Avatars remain proximate each other and is automatically severed once the Avatars move away from each other. Environmental noise and other audio aspects may be included in the connection to simulate a real-world conversation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Dany Sylvain, Nicholas Sauriol, Arn Hyndman
  • Publication number: 20100169798
    Abstract: Users create profiles containing their interests, professional qualifications, and/or personal information. When users encounter each other in the virtual environment, the information contained in the personal profiles is used to provide visual indications of the profile information so that other users know some modicum of information about the user associated with the Avatar. The user associated with the personal profile may control what information is provided publicly and what information is provided privately. Information in other users' profiles may be filtered to enable relevant information to be presented to the user. Filtering may be explicit and based on user-defined criteria. Filtering may be inherent as well and implemented to select visual indications based on similarities between the user's profile information and the other users' profile information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Arn Hyndman, Nicholas Sauriol
  • Publication number: 20100164956
    Abstract: Avatars focal points are monitored as the Avatars move within a virtual environment to determine, statistically, where users are looking at in the virtual environment. The Avatar's focal point may be used to control a virtual brush that may paint the virtual environment in an attention monitoring function. A statistical distribution about the focal point is used to affect the coloration, and other known information about the virtual environment may be used to affect the statistics. As attention records from multiple users are collected, they may be overlaid to obtain a very accurate picture of how users are interacting with the virtual environment and with objects in the virtual environment. The attention monitoring function may generate a thermal overlay to the virtual environment to visually show where users tend to focus within the virtual environment. Users' attention on three dimensional and graphic objects may be monitored as well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Arn Hyndman, Nicholas Sauriol
  • Publication number: 20100169795
    Abstract: Interaction with web content in a web browser can control actions in an embedded virtual environment, and events in the virtual environment can be used to update content and applications running in the web browser. In one embodiment, particular events in the virtual environment are passed to a mapping component that listens for triggers and issues commands in the web browser. A JavaScript mapping component may be used to listen for the triggers, capture parameters associated with the trigger, lookup the trigger type in a mapping table, and call a mapped JavaScript function with the trigger parameters. In the reverse direction, if a JavaScript function call is entered in the web browser, the JavaScript function invokes a function exposed by a virtual environment plugin. The plug-in invokes an event within the virtual environment so that interaction with the web content can control actions in the virtual environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Arn Hyndman, Nicholas Sauriol, Christopher Andrew Hatko
  • Publication number: 20100169799
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling interaction with a large number of participants in a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment is provided. In one embodiment, a participant in a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment is able to simultaneously exist in multiple areas of a sliced virtual environment or in multiple instances of an instanced virtual environment. In this embodiment, the user's Avatar is replicated across the multiple regions/instances to simultaneously appear to users supported by multiple servers. Since users on multiple servers are able to see and hear the replicated Avatar, the virtual environment may be used to present information to a larger number of users than would be able to see the presenter's Avatar in the virtual environment hosted by a single virtual environment server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Arn Hyndman, Albert Reiche, Nicholas Sauriol
  • Publication number: 20100153497
    Abstract: Participants in a conference are associated with communication terminals, each of which including an expression client that is configured to interact with an expression control function. When a first participant desires to share expression information, the first participant may select expression information representing a desired expression via a first expression client provided by the first participant's communication terminal. The first expression client will provide a corresponding expression request to the expression control function, which will process the expression request and provide an expression instruction to one or more of the expression clients of the participants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: NORTEL NETWORKS LIMITED
    Inventors: Dany Sylvain, Nicholas Sauriol
  • Publication number: 20090240818
    Abstract: Each person to a communication session records their contributions to the communication session. Metadata is maintained for each contribution to identify the time of the contribution and any other useful information to enable the content of the contribution to be accessed at a later point in time. When a portion of the communication session is to be recreated, the people involved in the communication session are requested to provide their contributions for a particular period of time or all contributions associated with a particular topic. Users will then select and forward previously recorded contributions that they are willing to have included in the recreation. By collecting contributions from the individuals involved in the communication session, the intended portion of the communication session may be recreated. Since each person is recording their own contribution to the communication session, no explicit permission is required to record the conversation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2008
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Arn Hyndman, Nicholas Sauriol
  • Publication number: 20090240359
    Abstract: A participant in a three dimensional computer-generated virtual environment is able to control a dispersion pattern of his Avatar's voice such that the Avatar's voice may be directionally enhanced using simple controls. The audio dispersion envelope is designed to extend further in front of the Avatar and less to the sides and rear of the Avatar. The audio dispersion envelope may be static or controllable by the participant to enable the distance that the Avatar's voice travels within the virtual environment to be adjusted. This enables the Avatar to whisper or “shout” in the virtual environment such that other Avatars normally outside of hearing range of the Avatar may selectively receive audio generated by the user. Separate audio streams are mixed for each user from audio generated by users with Avatars within their Avatar's dispersion envelope. The volume of audio from a user in the mixed audio stream depends on the separation of the Avatars within the virtual environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2008
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Arn Hyndman, Andrew Lippman, Nicholas Sauriol
  • Publication number: 20090129565
    Abstract: Information may be provided to a telephony customer from an overlay service by causing a second stream of audio information to be overlayed on a primary stream of audio information. The overlayed information may be whispered to the user by causing the overlayed information to be compressed into a limited frequency spectrum which is inserted into a manufactured gap in the primary audio stream. This allows the user to continue to hear the main audio stream while also hearing the overlayed information. The overlay service may provide administrative information, advertisements, music, and/or Internet search results via the overlayed audio. Users may issue commands to the overlay service, to have particular information transmitted via overlayed audio. Where the user is also associated with a telephony application running on a computer platform, the overlayed information may be incorporated onto the information being shown to the user on a computer display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Arn Hyndman, Nicholas Sauriol
  • Publication number: 20080282080
    Abstract: Hosts connecting to the network implement an adaptive networks client that monitors other applications on the host and provides information to an adaptive networks server to provide information about traffic being generated by the host. The client may also capture information about the user, host, access type, and other information of interest. The information provided by the adaptive network client may allow the network to adapt to the user, the device, the application, and the protocol being used. Users and applications can be authenticated and trusted. From a network standpoint, having a trusted client associated with the host allows the same benefits as deep packet inspection, regardless of whether the traffic is encrypted, and without requiring the network elements to actually perform deep packet inspection. The administrator may also centrally apply policy to control which applications are allowed to run on the hosts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Arn Hyndman, Nicholas Sauriol
  • Patent number: 7215949
    Abstract: A method for retransmitting a received radio programming signal is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: receiving the signal over a cellular transmission network at a first transceiver station configured to output the radio programming signal; and transmitting the signal from the first transceiver station to at least a second transceiver station configured to output the radio programming signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Nicholas Sauriol, Alex Sauriol
  • Publication number: 20060075478
    Abstract: A distributed firewall system is used to implement a network firewall with enhanced control over network traffic to allow policy to be implemented on a per-user basis, a per-application basis, a per-user and application basis, and to allow ports to be dynamically opened and closed as needed by the applications. The distributed firewall system may include application identifiers associated with applications running on a network element, one or more firewall agents instantiated on the network element hosting the applications, and a firewall configured to interface with the firewall agents. Communications between the distributed components are secured to allow the firewall to detect if an agent has been compromised, and to allow the firewall agent to determine if the application has been compromised. The distributed firewall system may work in a VPN environment, such as in connection with a VPN server, to implement firewall policy at the point where VPN traffic enters the protected network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Publication date: April 6, 2006
    Applicant: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Arn Hyndman, Nicholas Sauriol
  • Publication number: 20050278547
    Abstract: A federated identity, established through possession of a single sign-on token, will allow a personal wireless device (PWD) to be used in a commercial environment to purchase goods or services, access a building, access a telephone, wireless, or computer network, or in numerous other instances. The token may be obtained by the user authenticating with the PWD and the PWD authenticating with the network. When the PWD comes within range of a service provider, a session is established using a short range wireless protocol, such as Bluetooth or infrared. The session is secured using a security protocol such as SSL, and the service provider authenticates its identity to the PWD. Policy may be implemented regarding transmission of the token to the service provider. Upon receipt of the token, the service provider will validate the token with the federated identity provider, obtain identifying information, and complete the transaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2004
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Applicant: Nortel Networks Limited
    Inventors: Arn Hyndman, Nicholas Sauriol
  • Publication number: 20020090936
    Abstract: A system and method for receiving radio programming over a cellular transmission network. The system comprises an input for receiving the radio programming signal, an audio output for delivering an audible portion of the radio programming signal, and a processor means for processing the radio programming signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2001
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Inventors: Nicholas Sauriol, Alex Sauriol
  • Publication number: 20020086638
    Abstract: The invention provides a technique for transmitting radio programming over a cellular transmission network. In some embodiments, the technique provides a system for making radio programming available in a digital form over a processor based network. The radio programming is then accessed by a cellular transmission system and broadcast to cellular receivers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Inventors: Nicholas Sauriol, Jun Liu, Alex Sauriol
  • Publication number: 20020087480
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a technique for providing a system and method that enables vendors and consumers to conduct E-commerce transaction while reducing the above described risks associated with each party. In some embodiments, the technique is realized by providing a secured network that stores consumer data in protected environment. In addition, some embodiments of the secured network may include an approved list of vendors that satisfy predetermined criteria.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Inventors: Nicholas Sauriol, Alex Sauriol