Patent ID: 7958276

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for configuring peripheral devices used with voice and video over IP (VVoIP) software running on a computer, the method comprising: a) performing by the computer a device assessment resulting in a list of available peripheral devices currently connected to the computer, wherein the available peripheral devices are user input/output devices permitting a human user to interact with the computer using voice and video over IP (VVoIP) software; b) computing by the computer from the list of peripheral devices a configuration setting value that corresponds to a current selection of the available peripheral devices for use with voice and video over IP (VVoIP) software; c) when the computed configuration setting value exists in a settings repository, then automatically restoring by the computer a prior selection of the peripheral devices using a device selection in the settings repository corresponding to the computed configuration setting value; d) when the computed configuration setting value does not exist in the settings repository, then automatically selecting by the computer selected devices from among the available peripheral devices in accordance with a predetermined devices database comprising possible devices and corresponding priority ranks for the possible devices, and saving by the computer the computed configuration setting value together with a current device selection in the settings repository; wherein the settings repository comprises a list of prior configuration setting values and corresponding prior peripheral device selections for use with voice and video over IP (VVoIP) software.