Abstract: A method for operating a telephone system with at least two telephony terminals to where, in addition to voice data or user data, functional data is transmitted by means of special functions of the telephone system, such as forwarding or holding established call connections. It shall be possible in a simple way for the user to handle even a relatively large multitude of special functions. For this purpose, according to the invention, an action key of a first telephony terminal, provided for triggering special functions is assigned the respective special function to be triggered, depending on its own status or the status of a second telephony terminal within the same team.

Abstract: An approach for automatically ensuring compatibility of a requested code module for a program-code environment is provided in which the requested code module provides an indication of at least one compatible operating system version which can execute the requested code module. This indication is automatically compared to version information of a currently-running operating system of the program-code environment when the currently-running operating system loads the requested code module. Compatibility of the requested code module is ensured upon the automatic comparison establishing agreement between the indication and the version information of the currently-running operating system. In another aspect, when the requested code module is to be loaded in response to a request to access the requested code module, a code-module version requirement of a requesting code module is automatically compared to version information of the requested code module to ensure compatibility of the requested code module.

Abstract: A method of facilitating computing-environment control of a resource to be accessed by existing program code is provided which includes transparently replacing an uncontrolled resource referenced by existing program code with a resource controlled by a computing environment. The method also includes transparently interposing at least one resource management service of the computing environment between the existing program code and the resource controlled by the computing environment, wherein the at least one resource management service provides computing-environment control of the resource to be accessed by the existing program code. The replacing of the uncontrolled resource prevents the existing program code from directly accessing the resource.

Abstract: A method of porting code from a native platform to a non-native platform is provided which utilizes a non-native, platform-specific layer of code and a platform-neutral layer of code. The platform-neutral layer substantially emulates the native platform of ported code and provides a platform-neutral interface to the ported code. Together, the platform-specific layer and the platform-neutral layer provide an execution environment in which the ported code operates as a kernel extension of the non-native platform. The platform-neutral layer of the execution environment is portable to other non-native platforms so that code can be ported to another non-native platform by replacing the platform-specific layer with a customized platform-specific layer, which is adapted to the other non-native platform.

Abstract: Methods and systems for allowing users to participate in concurrent real-time audio or audio-video communication sessions over the Internet, the public telephone networks, and other networks. A user may switch among two or more conversations, and upon doing so, can play back the conversational content that was created while the user was engaged in other conversations or other tasks. After playing back part or all of the new conversational content, the user can reply with an audio or audio-video instant message that can then be played by the other conversation participants. Temporary storage of the conversation content (the instant messages) can occur on network servers, on the sender's terminal or on the recipient's terminal, depending upon preferences and the capacity of the terminal devices.

Abstract: A stream manager provides a way of redirecting and managing messaging and information access in a packet network environment. The stream manager is linked to a packet network, such as the Internet. The stream manager receives over the packet network a message from a user's host server initiated by a user and intended for a destination site. The message bears an address for the stream manager which is provided to the host server by the address server for the packet network, such as a server utilized as part of the domain name system. The stream manager determines the availability of at least one destination server at the destination site to receive and process the message. If a destination server at the destination site is available to receive and process the message, the stream manager selects a destination server from those available.

Abstract: An improved method for sharing multimedia information across a data communication network based on a concurrent connection among users communicating with one another on a first communication network such as a telephone network, the data communication network distinct from the first communication network. Attributes of the first communication network (e.g., phone call or conference call) are used to establish a means of transmitting information over the data communication network (e.g., a cable network) to the same users who are communicating with one another over the first communication link. When the first communication link is established, a session identifier is created and associated with the user accounts of two or more participants. The user account data are used to specify which users of a second communication link are granted permission to join the specified data communication session.