Abstract: A method for transferring a telephone call from a client computer to a second electronic device includes establishing a connection for a telephone call between the client computer and a first electronic device, and sending a request to a server computer to transfer the telephone call from the client computer to the second electronic device, the client computer and the second electronic device having the same user, the request initiating a consultation call to the second electronic device. The method also includes receiving a response from the server computer that the second electronic device has accepted the telephone call, and replacing the client computer with the second electronic device as a party in the telephone call with the first electronic device, the continuity of the telephone call being maintained at the first electronic device during the time that the client computer is replaced with the second electronic device.

Abstract: Graphical visual representations of electronic business cards may be generated from associated contact file information. Electronic business cards may be sent and received over digital media. Contacts information associated with received electronic business cards may be used for adding to or updating information contained in a recipient's electronic contact files.

Abstract: Architecture for enabling user identities of callers to be collected from data sources and aggregated into respective meta-identities for each caller. Alternate user identities are searched, collected and associated with the meta-identity that can be a user name. A routing rule applied to the meta-identity is then applied across the alternate identities. The user identities can include a name of the caller, a phone number of the caller, or caller information collected from an external source. The phone numbers can include a partial phone number that is normalized into a full phone number format. The user identities can be mapped to the meta-identity and stored according to a hierarchy of confidence ratings. The user identities can be tagged with corresponding data source identifiers that designate respective data sources of the user identities. Conflict resolution is provided for selecting a suitable call routing path between callers having similar meta-identities.

Abstract: Architecture for enabling a group of contacts of a communications framework to be tagged for concurrent availability and participation in a communications session. The status of the contacts is monitored to detect availability of the contacts, and to determine when the contacts are available concurrently to participate in the communications session. A notification is sent to a tagging user of the concurrent availability of the contacts, at which time a meeting can be initiated. A context can be input that serves as a reminder as to the purpose of the communications session. The context can be presented in the notification with the availability status of the contacts. The status can be monitored by subscribing to presence information of the contacts. A contact list can be maintained to identify the contacts to be tagged and includes metadata related to each contact.

Abstract: In a video conference system capable of providing multiple video streams, displayed streams for participants are configured based on automatic selection by the system (such as active speaker) and manual override by the participants. The displayed views are further enhanced by implementing duplicate detection to avoid display of duplicate streams between the automatic selections and manual selections.

Abstract: Users in an enhanced communication system are enabled to tag other users so that the tagging user is notified when both the tagged and tagging users meet a predefined criterion of presence states and/or available modalities to the tagging and the tagged users. The tagging user may then, optionally, initiate a multimodal session with the tagged user utilizing the set of modalities originally specified or another set.

Abstract: Established multimodal conversations are enabled to be parked within an enhanced communication system such that a subscriber of the system can be notified through a variety of means and enabled to retrieve selected or all modalities for continuing the conversation. Different modalities may be parked together or separately. While waiting for the subscriber to retrieve the conversation, a participant may receive audio, video, presentation, or other forms of content as playback.

Abstract: Client devices/applications associated with a subscriber of an enhanced communication system are enabled to generate communication records identifying individual communication sessions along with tie-breaker values such that the records can be evaluated following a trigger event and duplicate records for the same subscriber can be removed in order to provide accurate information to the subscriber when the event is over.

Abstract: Architecture for enabling identification of a call party's representative during calls on behalf of the call party. The call representative is delegated to initiate or answer an IP call on behalf of the call party. An IP-telephony component initiates or answers the IP call by the call representative on behalf of the call party. The IP-telephony component can be an IP telephone, or any other suitable IP calling interface. An identification component presents a representation notification identifying the call representative to a connected call party. The representation notification can be displayed on a caller ID display on an IP phone, or can be displayed on a user interface of the personal computing device, for example. The calls can be point-to-point IP calls with a single participant, or can be conference calls with multiple participants, and can be performed with one or more suitable protocols.

Abstract: Architecture for extending a presence document into additional formats and protocols. An aggregator federates the presence document into a standardized schema that can be consumed at a standardized endpoint. The standardized schema can be a web feed that is interoperably consumed by a web feed consumer, for example, an RSS/Atom schema. Access of the presence document content is controlled based on a relationship between the user and a subscriber. Categories are specified for the presence document content, and access is controlled according to the categories. The specified categories can correspond to user authentication levels. The categories can include multiple syndicated channels corresponding to multiple subscriber access levels. In this way, levels of access are defined for various categories of availability information and activity information, based on the relationship of the user to the subscriber.

Abstract: Users from one forest can share PIM data with users from another forest by replicating user account information from one forest into the other forest, including SIDs for each user account (referred to herein as a synchronization process). Using this replicated information, the sharing user wishing to share PIM data across a forest boundary can set a permission to allow the cross-forest user to access the PIM data. The sharing user adds the SID of the cross-forest user to the ACL of the sharing user's mailbox. When the cross-forest user wishes to access the PIM data from the sharing user, the cross-forest user's PIM application obtains the mailbox identifier information of the sharing user from the user's forest. With this mailbox information, the cross-forest user's PIM application can then send a request to the sharing user's mailbox server to access the PIM data.

Abstract: Subscribers and endpoints of enhanced multimodal communication systems are enabled to direct call requests and escalations during an existing conversation based on capabilities of endpoints. A list of communication mode/endpoint identifiers are exchanged when a conversation is established, enabling the endpoints to direct requests to for particular communication modes to endpoints capable of facilitating the communication mode at any point during the conversation. Additional capabilities/endpoints are added to the list through updates during the conversation.

Abstract: Conversation rights for multi-modal communications are managed and enforced in an enhanced communication system. Through physical and/or software components, rights are assigned to a communication session and related components upon user request. Permitted participants of the session are provided access tools such as decryption keys. Restrictions based on the assigned conversation rights are extended to preserved recordings and associated documents of the communication session.

Abstract: A method and system for maintaining real-time conversations over unreliable connections is provided. The reliable messaging system initiates a conversation from a sending participant to a receiving participant by sending an invitation to join the conversation to the receiving participant. Once a connection is established, the reliable messaging system associates the conversation with the connection. If the connection is lost, then the reliable messaging system attempts to restore the connection by sending an invitation to the participant that was disconnected. If the reliable messaging system is able to restore the connection, then the new connection is associated with the previous conversation, and the conversation can continue.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a user may transfer a multimodal conversation. A multimodal conversation may have a first mode communication session and a second mode communication session. A first user point of presence may execute a first transfer of the first mode communication session with a first partner point of presence from the first user point of presence to a first target point of presence. A second user point of presence may execute a second transfer of the second mode communication session with a second partner point of presence from the second user point of presence to a second target point of presence.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a user paired controller communication device may pair with a user paired server communication device. The user paired controller communication device may direct the user paired server communication device to execute a first mode communication session of a multimodal conversation, such as a voice session. The user paired controller communication may execute a second mode communication session of the multimodal conversation, such as an instant messaging session.

Abstract: Communication requests added to a conversation are routed directly to a user without following the pre-configured routing rules for the user during a breakthrough period. The breakthrough period may last for the duration of the conversation or for some other period of time. A conversation may be initiated using any supported type of communication. For example, if a user initially sets up an IM conversation with a remote user, then when a voice call is made to the user from the remote user, the voice call is routed directly to the user without applying the routing rules that are configured for the user. Once the breakthrough period has elapsed, the routing rules become active again and are applied to communications received from the remote user that are directed to the user.

Abstract: Techniques to manage digital telephones are described. An apparatus may comprise a digital telephone management component having a telephone interface module operative to receive security information in the form of a personal identification number (PIN) for an operator or device. The digital telephone management component may also comprise a telephone security module communicatively coupled to the telephone interface module, the telephone security module operative to receive encrypted security credentials from a computing device, and decrypt the encrypted security credentials with the PIN. The digital telephone management component may further comprise a telephone authentication module communicatively coupled to the telephone security module, the telephone authentication module operative to authenticate the digital telephone using the security credentials. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: The entry and transmission of notes to recipients along the conversation chain. Notes can be created based on an incoming caller. The notes can be transmitted to the conversation recipient for viewing before, during, and after the recipient accepts the conversation. This is facilitated by a communications client that operates to allow entry of the notes, and forwarding of the call recipient via a SIP framework. Moreover, notes previously taken and/or information provided manually and/or automatically by the communications system can be provided to an agent (e.g., ACD, receptionist) receiving the conversation, at any point in the conversation chain for quick identification not only of the conversation source but of previous information already collected.

Abstract: A hierarchical address book for an organization is implemented where employees are represented by user objects and departments are represented by department objects. Computer-readable media include executable instructions for displaying and navigating the hierarchical address book. Computer-readable media also include executable instructions for ordering a list of recipients of an electronic mail message as a function of the seniority rating of an object in the hierarchical address book.