Cisco Technology, Inc.

Randall Bernard Baird

Shantanu Sarkar

Stephan Edward Friedl

Scott S Firestone

Shmuel Shaffer

Labhesh Patel

Manjunath Sreedhara Bangalore

Thomas Wesselman

Joe Smyth

J Steven Mayer

Arturo A Rodriguez

Mukul Jain

Christopher Edwin Pearce

Luke K Surazski

Thiyagesan Ramalingam

Jennifer Kay Walker

Vinod Katkam

Liam Patrick O'Gorman

Ryan Knotts

Sanjeev Kumar

Joseph Khouri

Cullen F Jennings

Duanpei Wu

Parameswaran Kumarasamy

Sravan Vadlakonda

Fadi Ramzi Jabbour

Aseem Asthana

Ashish P Chotai

Ian Foo

Wing Cheong Chau

Stuart A Taylor

Steven G Fry

Denise Caballero-Mccann

Leo Nieuwesteeg

Juhee Garg

Madhavi Kadiyala

Cullen Frishman Jennings

Francis Paul Viggiano

Connie M S Tang

Thiya Ramalingam

Jacqueline Munson

Heeral Roy Sharma

Techniques are provided for establishing a Unified Communications (UC) session between a client endpoint device and remote endpoint devices, the client endpoint device managing the session using a first-party call control protocol in response to commands from a third-party control protocol and user input. A hosted virtual desktop (HVD) generates an HVD image and communicates it to the client endpoint device for display, via a virtual desktop interface (VDI) protocol. The HVD image comprises a UC user interface generated by a UC application on the HVD, the user interface comprising at least one user interface element and at least one placeholder where a client-provided user interface element may be inserted. A client UC application receives the HVD image and inserts client-provided user interface elements over the placeholders before sending the integrated image to a client operating system to be rendered on the display of client endpoint device.

Integrated user interface for unified communications applications

Generation of a preview window for video conferencing which is configured to output a silhouette of a user and output feedback on the user's facial position and surrounding lighting conditions. A user's image is captured with an input device and processed to create both the silhouette and indications which indicate if the user's facial position and surrounding light levels are suitable for the videoconference. The created silhouette and indications are outputted to a preview window in the user's video conferencing graphical user interface.

Preview window for video communications

Techniques are provided for establishing an integrated and transparent overlay of a browser window for rendering data such as streaming media on a client endpoint device. A web browser on a Hosted Virtual Desktop (HVD) draws HVD display image comprising a browser window and communicates it to the client endpoint device for display, via a virtual desktop interface (VDI) protocol. The browser window comprises zero or more host-provided window elements such as a window frame and at least one placeholder element where a client-provided frameless browser window may be rendered. A browser (or browser extension) on the HVD works together with a browser server on the client endpoint device to render data such as streaming media in the client-provided frameless browser window in place of the placeholder, before displaying the frameless browser window and the HVD display as an integrated display at the client endpoint device.

Distributed overlay browser for transparent streaming media support in virtualized desktop environment

Techniques are provided for communicating with a plurality of endpoints participating in a conference session. A signal representing audio from each of the endpoints is received at a control unit. The control unit adjusts one or more target power levels for purposes of automatic gain control of the audio from one or more of the endpoints based on information derived in real-time from the audio of the plurality of endpoints during the conference session and predetermined information pertaining to a source of the audio from at least one of the endpoints.

Enhancement of audio conference productivity through gain biasing

Techniques are provided for using a middlebox to composite displays from multiple hosted virtualized applications (HVAs) for transmission to a client endpoint device. The middlebox receives one or more HVA displays via a virtual desktop interface (VDI) protocol, each HVA display from an individual HVA. The middlebox renders and composites the HVA displays together into a hosted virtual desktop (HVD) display, and sends the HVD display to the client endpoint device via a VDI protocol. The client endpoint device is therefore able to display a composite image of multiple HVA displays even if it is a zero client endpoint lacking the capability to perform compositing itself. In some examples, the middlebox reduces computational load by reducing the HVD frame rate, so that it is able to maintain HVD functionality during times of high system activity.

In-network middlebox compositor for distributed virtualized applications

In one embodiment, a method includes electronically prompting, in response to a triggering event, a participant connected to a conference session via a corresponding endpoint device to enter an affirmative response in order to continue attending the conference session. The participant is disconnected from the conference session in the event that the affirmative response is not received within a predetermined time period. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.

Audio sequestering and opt-in sequences for a conference session

One system described herein, among others, comprises receiving a plurality of slice groups created by converting a plurality of video stream using flexible macroblock ordering (FMO); compositing a plurality of slice groups to create a sequence of composite pictures, wherein the sequential progression of compositing pictures from the source video streams is according to pictures having a presentation time within a time interval corresponding to the composition operation; adding pad slice groups to the source slice groups to create a composite image compatible with a video standard, wherein the pad slice groups are added to create a rectangular composite picture size compatible with an output display format, and wherein the pad slice groups are keyed with a distinct pattern indicative of padding for the composite pictures; and transmitting a single composite output stream comprised of reordered source slice groups and pad slice groups.

Creation of composite images from a plurality of source streams

Techniques are provided herein for providing survivable browsing when a client endpoint device loses contact with its host server. A Hosted Virtual Desktop (HVD) draws and communicates an HVD display image comprising a HVD browser window to the client endpoint device for display, via a virtual desktop interface (VDI) protocol. A browser (or browser extension) on the HVD works together with a browser server on the client endpoint device to synchronize browser data, and in some examples to render data such as streaming media in a client-provided frameless browser window in place of a placeholder in the HVD browser window. In response to the detection of an inactive VDI session, the browser server on the client endpoint device launches an endpoint browser instance to seamlessly switch browsing from the HVD browser window to an endpoint browser window, using the browser synchronization data.

Survivable browsing in virtualized desktop environment when host connectivity is lost

A method in one embodiment includes storing a voicemail message in a mailbox of a recipient, the voicemail message being left by a sender, and then electronically receiving one or more attachments from the sender. The one or more attachments are stored as content associated with the voicemail message. Upon accessing the mailbox, the voicemail message and the one or more attachments are provided to the recipient. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

Attachment of rich content to a unified message left as a voicemail

A system includes a first interface to connect with a network, and a second interface to connect with a telephone device of an enterprise. A unit controls a connection between the first and second interfaces for an outgoing call from the telephone device to a remote telephone device connected to the network. A processor subsystem coupled with the unit operates to initiate communications with a telephone device associated with a supervisor having authority to allow or deny the call. The processor subsystem also operates too present the supervisor with information that includes a purpose or reason for the outgoing call. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.

Authorization to place calls by remote users

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a directory service, a call from a user of a mobile phone requesting a number of a communication device associated with a callee. The number is then retrieved from a database by the directory service and then dialed to connect the mobile phone with the communication device. The directory service also sends the number to the mobile phone, the mobile phone being configured to store the number in a storage location. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.

Pushing a number obtained from a directory service into a stored list on a phone

Techniques are provided for establishing a Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI) connection at a virtual desktop thin client (VDTC) device, between a VDI client in the VDTC device and a VDI server in a hosted virtual desktop server (HVDS). A unified communications (UC) control connection is established between a UC protocol stack on the VDTC device and a primary call agent, where the UC control connection is configured to allow the UC protocol stack to register with the primary call agent, and to send or receive commands from the primary call agent that are based on signals from a UC control application running on the HVDS. A UC control backup application is started on the virtual desktop thin client device in a standby mode that is configured to switch to an active mode in response to a failure to establish or maintain the UC control connection, or a failure to establish or maintain the VDI connection. A user interface is launched on the virtual desktop thin client device that is configured to perform UC backup functions.

Support for virtualized unified communications clients when host server connectivity is lost

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for performing video conferencing is provided that includes an I-frame injector element operable to intercept I-frame requests from one or more end points and to attempt to service the I-frame requests such that at least a portion of the requests are prevented from propagating back to an originating sender. In more specific embodiments, when a receiver endpoint sends a fast video update (FVU) request upstream, it is intercepted by the I-frame injector element and rather than passing the FVU request to the sender the I-frame injector element replaces a next P-frame from the sender with an I-frame, whereby the I-frame is constructed so that when decoded, it matches the P-frame that it replaced. In still more detailed embodiments, the I-frame injector element operates in one of three modes that are associated with bandwidth parameters.

System and method for performing distributed multipoint video conferencing

According to one embodiment of the invention a method for facilitating communication includes receiving an indication that a caller desires to camp-on a telephone associated with a campee and in response to the indication assigning the caller to a camper queue that stores a prioritized list of a plurality of campers camping on the telephone associated with the campee.

Method and system for providing a camp-on service in telecommunications

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Randall Bernard Baird