Patent ID: 8682975

Claim:
An apparatus for identity managed collaboration comprising a memory for storing instructions and at least one processor for executing the instructions stored in memory, the instructions when executed by the processor configuring the apparatus to provide: a connection control module for establishing communication with a plurality of access devices authorized to participate in a collaboration session between a plurality of participants each using at least one of the plurality of access devices; a collaboration media module for providing a plurality of types of media included in the collaboration session available to one or more of the plurality of access devices; an access control module for: assigning a respective access mode to each of the plurality of participants in the collaboration session based on a security level assigned to the respective participant and a device used by the respective participant to access the collaboration session, the access mode identifying one or more of the plurality of types of media to provide to the respective participant to restrict access to types of media the respective participant is authorized to access in the collaboration session, the respective access modes assigned to the plurality of participants based on individual participant entitlement records associated with the plurality of participants, each of the entitlement records defining the security level assigned to the respective participant and the types of access devices that can be used by the participant to access the collaboration session; and providing access to at least one of the plurality of types of media from the collaboration media module to at least one of the access devices connected to the connection control module based on the respective access mode assigned to the each of the plurality of participants each associated with the respective access device wherein each of the plurality of participants will only have access to one or more of the plurality of types of media in the collaboration session based upon the respective assigned access mode; and an identity and session manager storing: the plurality of participant entitlements each specifying; which access modes the participant can use; which participant identity security record is to be used to announce the participant's arrival in and departure from the collaboration session; and the participant's privilege to change access devices during the collaboration; one or more collaboration session rules specifying characteristics of the collaboration session; and a plurality of participant identity security records, each one corresponding to one of the plurality of participants and specifying an identity to be used to identify the participant in the collaboration session.