Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Claus T Giloi

Max Glenn Morris

Markham MacLin

Ido Miles Ben-Shachar

Lon-Chan Chu

Ivan J Leichtling

Yikang Xu

Leonard Alan Collins

Laura Janet Butler

Deborah L Dubrow

Jane L Dailey

Jane R Liles

A method and system for setting up and managing secure data/audio/video conferences with a wide range of topologies is described. The disclosed method and system allow extending the range of topologies possible with the H.323 conferencing standards while overcoming T.120 negotiating constraints. Security in such conferences may be based on a trusted node system or on more complex security procedures. Furthermore, the taught conference topologies fully utilize the T.120 standards while also permitting the reach of the conferences to the extent enabled by the H.323 standards by implementing additional modules to manage the setting up and tearing down of one or more conference connections. In addition, the method and system allow for dynamically adjusting conference connections to improve bandwidth usage and utilize H.323 support for gatekeepers.

Security and support for flexible conferencing topologies spanning proxies, firewalls and gateways

In order to minimize the delay of the video images viewed by a network conference attendee, an intelligent buffering process (IB process) selectively discards video frames from at least one point, and in an embodiment, many network points, such as at 'in' and/or 'out' buffers of clients, servers, routers, etc. Packets of video frame data arrive at a buffer, which can fill to a predetermined limit if the packets cannot be forwarded due to delays or slow connections. To forward the most current video images, old frames in the buffer are discarded rather than forwarded. In a particular embodiment, when the buffer is full, the next arriving delta frame packet is discarded. To avoid distortion, each subsequent delta frame is discarded until a new key frame eventually arrives. If the buffer is still full when the key frame arrives, the buffer is purged and the new key frame is added.

Intelligent buffering process for network conference video

A method and system for controlling admission of new nodes to a secured conference combines transport layer security mechanism and application layer certificate exchange. A new node that is not directly connected to the top provider of the conference sends a request to join the conference and a certification identifying itself to a first conference node connected to the top provider. The first node performs transport level authentication of the new node, and then forwards the request and certificate of the new node on an application level to the top provider. The top provider verifies the identity of the new node based on the certificate. If the new node is allowed to join the conference, the top provider updates a list of conference participants and makes the certificate of the new node available to other conference nodes so that they can also verify the identity of the new node.

Multiparty conference authentication

User interface for displaying and interacting with images corresponding to applications shared over a computer network in a data conference is described. The described interface provides a user with greater control over the use of a desktop by providing controls for moving and sizing images, including fake windows, corresponding to shared applications by displaying such windows in a frame. The frame is the entity that is manipulated by a user with familiar graphical symbols, or even custom designs, thus avoiding potential complexity in managing control over the images of the shared applications. This user interface facilitates frames that may optionally be semi-transparent or transparent in order to allow a user to keep track of icons and windows covered by the frame. Frames are also useful in reducing network traffic by providing a method for detecting the level of interest of a user in a shared application. Thus, they can be used to modulate the frequency of updating images of shared applications to reflect the need for changes determined by whether the frame is in focus or even closed.

Application sharing in a frame

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

Claus T Giloi