Palo Alto Research Center Inc.

Eric Stephen Nickell

Nicolas B Ducheneaut

James Douglass Thornton

Daniel Gureasko Bobrow

W Keith Edwards

Diana Kathryn Smetters

Robert John Moore

Ian E Smith

Robert D Moore

Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed that access a first coefficient vector that represents a first temporal profile and a second coefficient vector that represents a second temporal profile. The first and second temporal profiles represent presence histories of a first entity and a second entity within a persistent virtual environment. Once the coefficient vectors are accessed, the technology generates a predictive function responsive to the coefficient vectors. The predictive function provides a likelihood with respect to a future time that the first entity and the second entity will be temporally compatible. The technology then presents a representation of said predictive function or information derived from said predictive function.

Method, apparatus, and program product for predicting virtual presence in a persistent virtual enviornment

A system and method for providing text of interest to a player from text messages in an online game is provided. A player profile for a player participating in an online game is maintained. Text messages from sources in the online game are received substantially simultaneously within a buffer for a limited text area of a display during an online game session. A main conversation in which the player is involved with one of the sources from the text messages is identified and removed from the buffer. The text messages in the buffer not identified as the main conversation are analyzed for text of interest to the player included in the player profile. The text of interest is provided in the limited text area in the display interspersed with the main conversation concurrent to receipt of each text message within which the text of interest was included.

System and method for managing a multiplicity of text messages in an online game

Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed that accumulate a presence history of an entity within a persistent virtual environment by repeated gathering of virtual presence information. The virtual presence information includes an entity identification value and a sampling time value. Once the virtual presence information is collected, the technology performs a general least-squares-fit to a set of basis functions on a portion of the presence history to create a coefficient vector. The coefficient vector represents a temporal profile consistent with the presence history and includes coefficients responsive to the general least-squares-fit. Once the coefficient vector is created, the technology characterizes the entity responsive to its coefficient vector and presents the characterization of the entity.

Method, apparatus, and program product for modeling presence in a persistent virtual environment

Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed that accesses coefficient vectors each of which represent an entity within a persistent virtual environment. Each accessed coefficient vector includes coefficients having coefficient values related to the represented entity. The coefficients represent a temporal profile of the entity in the persistent virtual environment. This aspect assigns a coefficient weight to at least one of the coefficients. and partitions the coefficient vectors responsive to the coefficient weight and at least one of the coefficients of each of the coefficient vectors into clusters. Finally, the technology presents a recommendation responsive to the clusters. Furthermore, a compatibility metric can be determined by comparing weighted coefficient vectors of two entities, and the compatibility metric can also be presented.

Method, apparatus, and program product for clustering entities in a persistent virtual environment

Apparatus, methods, and a computer-usable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to synchronize the presentation of an experiential data stream at a local device with the presentation of a similar experiential data stream using a playback position received over a control link.

Method, apparatus, and program products for socially synchronizing an experiential data stream

Apparatus, methods, and program products that enable an audience member of a local device to navigate, by activation of user selectable controls, through an experiential data stream presented on the local device.

Method and apparatus for controlling an experiential data stream in a social space

A method and a computer-usable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method, which provides content to supplement a presentation of an experiential data stream. The method includes a step of receiving a request for content configured to be included in said presentation of the experiential data stream. The method also determines content parameters from the request that are used to select the content. It also provides the content and records appropriate transaction information.

Method for providing commentary audio and additional or replacement video content

Apparatus, methods, and a computer-usable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to enable a presentation device to automatically accommodate conversations in a social space. This system monitors a first playback position in a time dimension of an experiential data stream on a local device for at least one local audience member, and monitors one or more utterances received by the local device. Then, the system enables the presentation of the experiential data stream in response to the step of monitoring.

Methods, apparatus, and program products for controlling presentation of an experiential data stream responsive to conversations in a shared social space

Apparatus, methods, and a computer-usable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to establish a control link, establish a human communication channel, and create a shared social space that enables a local audience member and a remote audience member to simultaneously experience a recorded experiential data stream, whereby the local audience member and the remote audience member are enabled to communicate over the human communication channel about the experiential data stream.

Methods, apparatus, and program products to support a shared viewing experience from remote locations

Apparatus, methods, and a computer-usable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform an operation for determining where to position received transitory audio within an experiential data stream of a shared social space so as to provide minimal disruption to the experiential data stream.

Method and apparatus for associating commentary audio with a position in an experiential data stream

Apparatus, methods, and a computer-usable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to present replacement/additional content in conjunction with an experiential data stream by maintaining a first playback position in the experiential data stream, detect proximity of the first playback position to an insertion coordinate associated with the replacement/additional content, and present content at the insertion coordinate from the replacement/additional instead of from the experiential data stream content.

Methods, apparatus, and program products for presenting replacement content instead of a portion of a recorded content

Device, method, and computer program product for monitoring the social health of a persistent virtual environment. The disclosed technology monitors social interactions between subscribers of on-line entities who have interactions related to the persistent virtual environment.

Method, device, and program product to monitor the social health of a persistent virtual environment

Device, method, and computer program product that provides a user interface for monitoring the social health of a persistent virtual environment. The disclosed technology allows a user to monitor and diagnose the health of the persistent virtual environment based on the social interactions between subscribers of on-line entities who have interactions related to the persistent virtual environment.

Method, device, and program product for a social dashboard associated with a persistent virtual environment

Apparatus, methods, and program products that present commentary audio in conjunction with an experiential data stream by detecting proximity of a playback position to an audio trigger position associated with a commentary audio clip and presenting the commentary audio clip accordingly.

Methods, apparatus, and program products for presenting commentary audio with recorded content

A system and method for identifying viable refactorings of program code using a comprehensive test suite is presented. Program code is maintained, including program statements written in accordance with a programming language and defining operations executed following transformation into machine code. A test suite associated with the program code is specified and includes one or more additional program operations to determine satisfactory generation of expected results during the operations execution. A plurality of refactorings are speculatively applied to the program code by evaluating one or more of the program statements against a set of refactoring rules and restructuring the program statements pursuant to at least one refactoring rule. The test suite is executed against the program code following each restructuring of the program statements and each refactoring that passes the test suite is determined.

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Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

Eric Stephen Nickell