Relationship based presence indicating in virtual area contexts
US8775595B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 9, 2011 |
| Grant date | Jul 8, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 30, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA63F2300/5573
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
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.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.