Patent ID: 9357025
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: H04L,H04W

Claim Text:
1. A method, comprising by computer apparatus: maintaining a persistent virtual area that supports establishment of respective presences of communicants operating respective client network nodes connected to the virtual area and persists even after all network nodes have disconnected from the virtual area, wherein the virtual area comprises multiple zones each of which supports establishment of respective presences for communicants and is associated with a respective dial-in telephone number for calling into the respective zone; establishing a respective presence in a particular one of the zones of the virtual area for a first user operating a client network node; responsive to a request received from the client network node while the communicant is present in the particular zone and comprising a telephone number of a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) terminal device being operated by a second user who is not present in the virtual area, administering transmission of data associated with the particular zone of the virtual area to the PSTN terminal device.