Abstract: Described are a system and method for presenting, to a first user, information about a second user to enable the first user to select an appropriate communication means for communicating with the second user. A service node receives from a web browser executing at a communication device used by the first user a request for a web page associated with the second user. The service node collects information related to a current status of activity of the second user, determines one or more options for establishing communications with the second user, and transmits to the first user the web page having the current activity of the second user and the one or more communications options.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of allowing client roaming between gateways of a wireless mesh network is disclosed. The gateways are connected through a layer 3 network to an aggregation router. The method includes a first gateway sending a first route update to the aggregation router when a client joins a first cluster of the first gateway, the first gateway aging the route, and a second gateway sending a second route update to the aggregation router when the client roams to a second cluster of the second gateway.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention relates to a system for distributing audio/video convent via a network, comprising: a client software application, and a channel control software application, wherein the client software application and the channel control software application are operatively connected together via the network such that the client software application receives at least one control message from the channel control software application, wherein the at least one control message causes the client software application to access at least: i) a first audio/video data element and ii) a second audio/video data element, and wherein the at least one control message causes the client software application to composite together at least: i) the first audio/video data element and ii) the second audio/video data element and to render at least the composited first and second audio/video data elements at a client device running the client software application.

Abstract: A method includes receiving, at a carrier network provider, a request from a requestor's mobile device to locate an instant messaging (IM) friend from the requestor's IM friends list; authenticating the request for use of location-based services on the carrier network; receiving geographic location coordinates from the requestor's mobile device; adding random error to the geographic location coordinates; sending the request to locate an IM friend and the geographic location coordinates with random error to an IM portal; receiving a list of the requestor's IM friends within a particular region near the geographic location coordinates with random error; and sending to the requestor's mobile device the list of IM friends within the particular region near the geographic location coordinates with random error.

Abstract: A method includes playing a video clip upon the end of a communication between two users. Another method includes playing an audio clip upon the end of a communication between two users. The audio clip may have been downloaded to a device of at least one of the users or it may be selected by a first user for playing on the device of a second user.

Abstract: A network address assigned a shared designation by a first client computer is received, in a first data format, automatically, at a host computer from the first client computer. The network address is categorized and published. Publishing the network address includes converting the network address into a second data format, receiving, at the host computer, a subscription request from a second client computer, and sending the network address to the second client computer in response to receiving the subscription request.

Abstract: A novel technique is provided for preventing routing loops by disseminating Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) attribute information in an Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) configured network. Specifically, a new OSPF sub-type-length-value (TLV) is introduced for transporting a conventional BGP autonomous system (AS) path attribute through the OSPF-configured network. Like the BGP AS-path attribute, the new OSPF AS-path sub-TLV is configured to store a set of AS numbers corresponding to the AS path of one or more advertised routes. Thus, when a network device receives an OSPF link-state advertisement (LSA) containing the novel AS-path sub-TLV, the network device determines whether it resides in an autonomous system whose AS number is stored in the sub-TLV. If so, the network device does not install the LSA's advertised routes in its link-state database since the routes, if installed, could result in routing loops.

Abstract: A method and implementation are disclosed for binding a mobile node to a subnet. The invention comprises steps and implementations for intercepting messages sent by a mobile node to a server, associating a predetermined subnet with the intercepted messages and forwarding the intercepted messages to the server. The invention intercepts reply messages sent by at least one server and selects reply messages that are associated with the predetermined subnet. The selected reply messages are forwarded to the mobile node, and reply messages that are not associated with the predetermined subnet are discarded.

Abstract: A method for an audio system controls a number of audio devices from a master device over a wired network for at least one wired audio device and over a wireless network for at least one wireless device. The method receives a reply in response to a poll message from each of the wired audio devices and aggregate polling information indicative of the state of the wireless devices from one of the wireless devices.

Abstract: Protocol analyzer systems enable synchronization of timestamps and the capture of data across serially chained boxes that are used together to monitor and capture network data. Through experiment, it can be determined how long it takes to propagate a signal to each box in the chain. These values are then recorded in each box in a delay register so that each box has a recorded delay value corresponding to the time required to propagate a signal to or receive a signal from every other box. Each box applies a control signal, such as a run signal or a trigger signal, to the ports in the box only after the expiration of the delay value indicated in the delay register. The box initiating the signal has the largest delay since the other boxes need to get the signal before the boxes can begin to operate with a common counter, with successive boxes having smaller delays.

Abstract: Mail aliases are dynamically created in response to replies of an electronic mail (e-mail) communication. An e-mail communication is sent to a plurality of recipients, and one or more recipients of the e-mail communication respond to the e-mail. In response to receiving the replies, one or more mail aliases are automatically created.

Abstract: Providing announcements for communication sessions includes facilitating the communication sessions among endpoints comprising a half-duplex push-to-talk endpoint. It is established that a trigger event has occurred at the half-duplex push-to-talk endpoint, where the trigger event indicates an activity status of the half-duplex push-to-talk endpoint. One or more announcements associated with the trigger event are identified. The one or more announcements are provided to at least a subset of the endpoints.

Abstract: A system and method of remotely loading artifacts is disclosed. The method involves storing and indexing a plurality of artifacts in a centralized location. A query is received from a client to locate an artifact, and the artifact is located within the central location. A reply is then returned to the client, wherein the reply includes a location of the artifact. In one embodiment, the method of remotely loading artifacts further involves the artifacts being previously extracted from an application during the installation of the application.

Abstract: A method for indicating probability of spam for email comprises tracking network traffic characteristics for the email, and comparing the tracked characteristics for the email to characteristics for email from trusted or known spam sources.

Abstract: A method, system, and program for coordinating use of independent external resources within requesting grid environments. A external resource dispatcher receives requests for use of external resources. The external resource dispatcher controls the dispatch of a pool of external resources hidden from the grid management systems of requesting grid clients. In particular, the external resource dispatcher coordinates dispatch of a selection of the external resources for temporary registration with a requesting grid client management system. The requesting grid client management system registers the external resources for use within the grid client and monitors whether the external resources are still needed. When a requesting grid client no longer needs a dispatched external resource, the external resource dispatcher controls detachment of the dispatched external resource and returns the external resource to the available pool of external resources.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a peer-to-peer computer network has a multilevel tree structure that includes a plurality of computers. Each computer belonging to the network is assigned to a level such that it can receive a message from an upstream computer and push the message to a downstream computer. The message, which may be a pattern file of an antivirus program, may be rapidly propagated to available computers belonging to the network by pushing the message from a pattern file server to computers on a top level of the network, from computers on the top level of the network to computers on a lower level, and so on.

Abstract: A system for connecting networks that can automatically avoid address clashes to maintain communication in inter-network communication, which includes a storage unit for storing a table, a comparison unit for comparing an interface address which has been set up in a first interface with a second interface address which is set up in a second interface, a network suspension unit for, in response to address clash of the addresses compared by the comparison unit, suspending connection between the second network and an apparatus for connecting networks, a readout unit for reading out addresses including a first interface address which is different from the second interface address out of the table stored in the storage unit, and an address change unit for changing the interface address which has been set up in the first interface to the first interface address included in the addresses read out by the readout unit.

Abstract: A method of maintaining network protocol timers in data structures associated with different respective processors in a multi-processor system. The timers accessed by a respective one of the processors include timers of connections mapped to the processor.