Patent ID: 8244808

Claim:
A computer-readable storage medium that does not consist of a signal, the computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a host computing device, cause the host computing device to perform a method for initiating a collaboration session, the computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for: receiving, at the host computing device, a request from a user of the host computing device to initiate the collaboration session, wherein the host computing device includes a wireless adapter, and the request to initiate the collaboration session is received by a collaboration application hosted by the host computing device; prompting, by the collaboration application, the user of the host computing device to provide a name and a password for the collaboration session; establishing, by the collaboration application, the collaboration session on the host computing device, the collaboration session having the name provided by the user and being secured by the password provided by the user; automatically configuring, by the collaboration application in conjunction with establishing the collaboration session, a wireless ad hoc network for a duration of the collaboration session using the wireless network adapter of the host computing device, the wireless ad hoc network configured to have a network connection identifier that includes the name of the collaboration session provided by the user and to be secured by the password for the collaboration session provided by the user, the wireless ad hoc network enabling other wireless computing devices in close proximity to the host computing device to connect to the host computing device via a wireless ad hoc network connection in peer-to-peer fashion without using a router; inviting, by the collaboration application, one or more other wireless computing devices in close proximity the host computing device to join the collaboration session by: sending the name and the password for the collaboration session to the one or more other wireless computing devices in close proximity to the host computing device through another communications channel, and broadcasting the network connection identifier of the wireless ad hoc network that includes the name of the collaboration session from the host computing device for enabling the one or more other wireless computing devices in close proximity to the host computing device to discover the network connection identifier of the wireless ad hoc network that includes the name of the collaboration session when scanning for available wireless networks; and joining, by the collaboration application, the one or more other wireless computing devices to the collaboration session on the host computing device when each of the one or more other wireless computing devices supplies the password for the collaboration session to connect to the wireless ad hoc network identified by the network identifier that includes the name of the collaboration session.