Patent ID: 6728784
Filing Date: 2004-04-27
Classification: H04L,H04M

Abstract:
A collaborative system for use with a plurality of computer processes and servers interconnected by a packet-switched computer network comprises:a plurality of client processes, each client process is executed on a client computer and coupled to the computer network and addressable by a network protocol address dynamically assigned upon connection to the computer network, the plurality of client processes configured to forward to a connection server a respective network protocol address at which the client process is connected to the computer network each time connection to the computer network is established, wherein the dynamically assigned network protocol address is stored at the client computer; the connection server operatively coupled to the computer network and capable of maintaining a compilation of entries, selected of the entries comprising a network protocol address assigned to a respective client process upon connection to the computer network; and a conference server operatively coupled to the computer network and responsive to one or more of the client processes for enabling conferenced communications among the client processes to which communication links are established.