| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090113053 | AUTOMATED REAL-TIME DATA STREAM SWITCHING IN A SHARED VIRTUAL AREA COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT - 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. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090113066 | AUTOMATED REAL-TIME DATA STREAM SWITCHING IN A SHARED VIRTUAL AREA COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT - 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. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090254842 | INTERFACING WITH A SPATIAL VIRTUAL COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT - 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. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20090254843 | SHARED VIRTUAL AREA COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT BASED APPARATUS AND METHODS - 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. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20090288007 | SPATIAL INTERFACES FOR REALTIME NETWORKED COMMUNICATIONS - A current realtime communication session is established between communicants operating on respective network nodes. A spatial visualization of the current realtime communication session is displayed. The spatial visualization includes a graphical representation of each of the communicants in spatial relation to a graphical representation of a virtual area. During the current communication session, visual cues are depicted in the spatial visualization that show current communication states of the communicants, where each of the communication states corresponds to a state of a respective communication channel over which a respective one of the communicants is configured to communicate. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20100142542 | PERVASIVE REALTIME FRAMEWORK - A pervasive realtime framework supports the execution of realtime software applications with high-level functions that significantly reduce the effort and time needed to develop realtime software applications in a new operating environment paradigm in which realtime connections between network nodes are pervasive. The pervasive realtime framework handles the complex tasks of connecting to communicants, virtual areas, and other network resources, as well as switching those connections in response to user inputs and thereby enables software application developers to focus on developing high-level realtime software application functionality. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100146085 | REALTIME KERNEL - A realtime kernel supports realtime communications between communicants operating on respective network nodes. The realtime kernel handles the complex tasks of connecting to communicants, virtual areas, and other network resources, switching those connections in response to user inputs, and mixing realtime data streams. The realtime kernel enables developers to focus on developing high-level communications functionality instead of low-level plumbing code. The realtime kernel imposes 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. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100146118 | MANAGING INTERACTIONS IN A NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS ENVIRONMENT - A network communications environment has advanced interaction management functionality that enables the opportunities for users to interact with one another to be expanded beyond the opportunities that exist with closed interaction management approaches while still providing reasonable privacy and security protections that are not available with open interaction management approaches. The advanced interaction management functionality also encourages the proliferation of trust-based interactions. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100268843 | AUTOMATED REAL-TIME DATA STREAM SWITCHING IN A SHARED VIRTUAL AREA COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT - 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. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100274848 | MANAGING NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN NETWORK NODES AND STREAM TRANSPORT PROTOCOL - 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. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20100318662 | Automated Real-Time Data Stream Switching in a Shared Virtual Area Communication Environment - 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. | 12-16-2010 |
