Patent ID: 8433755

Claim:
A non-transitory machine readable medium of a first computing device of a first participant in a multi-participant communication session, the machine readable medium storing computer program instructions executable by at least one processing unit to cause the first computing device to perform: joining a star network comprising a plurality of computing devices that includes a second computing device acting as a central network hub for distributing content in the multi-participant communication session, wherein each particular computing device is used by a particular participant in the multi-participant communication session; exchanging content with other computing devices through the second computing device of a second participant that (i) generates content of the second participant, (ii) receives content from each computing device in the star network, (iii) composites the generated and received content, and (iv) distributes the composited content to said each computing device in the star network; determining that the second computing device should no longer be the central network hub for the communication session; while maintaining the communication session, dynamically identifying a third computing device of a third participant as a new central network hub; and exchanging content with other computing devices through the third computing device, wherein the third computing device of the third participant (i) generates content of the third participant, (ii) receives content from other computing devices in the star network, (iii) composites the generated and received content, and (iv) distributes the composited content to said each computing device in the star network.