Patent ID: 8081958

Claim:
A network device for managing communications over a network, comprising: a transceiver to send and receive data over the network; and a processor that is operative to perform actions, including: receiving, from a first client device, a request to generate an invitation to a second client device, to join a session; generating a unique identifier based on an identifier associated with the second client device and the session, wherein the unique identifier is unique to the second client device and the session; sending an invite message to the second client device, wherein the invite message appears to be from the first client device and includes a link based on the unique identifier; receiving a request to join the session from the second client device, wherein the request includes the unique identifier; and if the unique identifier is valid for the session and the second client device, enabling the second client device to automatically, without additional user actions, participate in the session, wherein if the unique identifier is valid for the session and the second client device further comprises: receiving an identifier associated with the second client device; using the unique identifier to compare to the received identifier associated with the second client device and session identifier; and if the unique identifier is based on the received identifier associated with the second client device and session identifier, then determining that the second client device is valid to participate in the session.