US 5,754,775 A · Method and apparatus for formulating connection addresses on a PC conferencing system supporting multiple transport type

Abstract

The conference manager of a conferencing application is provided with an enhanced connect function for connecting the PC conferencing system to other PC conferencing systems. The connect function includes a common connect dialog box and associated logic for assisting the user in formulating the connect address to be used in attempting the connection. The common dialog box and its associated logic facilitate formulation of the connect address in at least an enter and a select mode. Under either the enter or the select mode, the user is provided with a list of validated transport types supported by the PC conferencing system. Under the enter mode, the user enters a connection number and selects a transport type from the validated transport types. Under the select mode, the user enters a desired callee name, and in response, a list of connection numbers of a matched addressee is further returned, and one of the returned connection numbers as well as one of the supported transport types are automatically selected for the user if one of a number of predetermined conditions is met.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A personal computer (PC) conferencing system comprising a conferencing application having a connect function for connecting the PC conferencing system to another PC conferencing system, the connect function having a multi-mode common connect dialog interface and associated logic for facilitating formulation of a connection address by a user, the connection address being used to connect the PC conferencing system to the other PC conferencing system, wherein the multi-mode common connect dialog interface and associated logic provides at least an enter and a select mode for the user to formulate the connection address, and under either mode, a list of one or more validated transport types supported by the PC conferencing system is made available to the user to aid the user in formulating the connection address.

In a personal computer (PC) conferencing system, a method for formulating a connection address to be used to connect the PC conferencing system to another PC conferencing system, the method comprising the steps of:

a) interrogating transport hardware of the PC conferencing system and ascertaining transport types supported by the PC conferencing system;
b) returning the supported transport types in either one of an enter and a select mode of a multi-mode user interface;
c) allowing a name of a desired callee to be entered in the select mode by a user;
d) matching the entered name against addressee names of address records of a selected address book, while operating in the select mode;
e) if a matched addressee is found, returning a list of connection numbers of the matched addressee, while operating in the select mode;
and
f) automatically selecting a connection number from the returned list of connection numbers and a transport type from the returned transport types if at least one transport type supported by the matched addressee is among the returned transport types of the PC conferencing system, while operating in the select mode.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for formulating connection addresses on a PC conferencing system supporting multiple transport type

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for formulating connection addresses on a PC conferencing system supporting multiple transport type

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14