US 9,851,863 B2 · Communicating between a virtual area and a physical space

Abstract

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.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method, comprising by a client network node that has a client source of a respective data stream content type and a client sink of a respective data stream content type:

displaying a user interface comprising a representation of a virtual area that supports establishment of respective presences of communicants operating respective client network nodes, a representation of each of the communicants who is present in the virtual area, and a representation of an object associated with an apparatus in a physical space, wherein the apparatus has an apparatus sink that is complementary to the client source and an apparatus source that is complementary to the client sink;
establishing a respective connection between each active pair of complementary sources and sinks of the client network node and the apparatus in association with the virtual area, wherein each connection supports transmission of the respective data stream content type between the apparatus and the client network node;
presenting interaction controls associated with the object for interacting with communicants in the physical space.

Apparatus, comprising:

a memory storing processor-readable instructions;
and
a processor coupled to the memory, operable to execute the instructions, and based at least in part on the execution of the instructions operable to perform operations comprising sending to a client network node instructions for
displaying a user interface comprising a representation of a virtual area that supports establishment of respective presences of communicants operating respective client network nodes, a representation of each of the communicants who is present in the virtual area, and a representation of an object associated with an apparatus in a physical space, wherein the apparatus has an apparatus sink of a respective data stream content type that is complementary to a client source of the client network node and an apparatus source of a respective data stream content type that is complementary to a client sink of the client network node,
establishing a respective connection between each active pair of complementary sources and sinks of the client network node and the apparatus in association with the virtual area, wherein each connection supports transmission of the respective data stream content type between the apparatus and the client network node, and
presenting interaction controls associated with the object for interacting with communicants in the physical space.

3 more elements

At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising processor-readable program code embodied therein, the processor-readable program code adapted to be executed by a client network node and comprising:

processor-executable code for displaying a user interface comprising a representation of a virtual area that supports establishment of presences of communicants operating respective client network nodes, a representation of each of the communicants who is present in the virtual area, and a representation of an object associated with an apparatus in a physical space, wherein the apparatus has an apparatus sink of a respective data stream content type that is complementary to a client source of the client network node and an apparatus source of a respective data stream content type that is complementary to a client sink of the client network node;
processor-executable code for establishing a respective connection between each active pair of complementary sources and sinks of the client network node and the apparatus in association with the virtual area, wherein each connection supports transmission of the respective data stream content type between the apparatus and the client network node;
processor-executable code for presenting interaction controls associated with the object for interacting with communicants in the physical space.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Communicating between a virtual area and a physical space

Life of this patent

Communicating between a virtual area and a physical space

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20