Abstract: A device testing capability is presented herein. The device testing capability supports automated testing of media devices (e.g., cameras, microphones, speakers, or the like) for verifying that the media devices are functioning properly. The device testing capability may support automated verification by an endpoint that one or more media devices or one or more sets of media devices associated with endpoint are functioning properly. For example, the device testing capability may support automated verification by a computer that a camera associated with the computer is functioning properly. For example, the device testing capability may support automated verification by a computer that a speaker and a microphone that are associated with the computer are functioning properly. The device testing capability may support automated verification, by a management system, of the proper functioning of media devices associated with endpoints in a set of endpoints.

Abstract: An external capability for measuring roundtrip latency in a conferencing system is provided. The external capability for measuring roundtrip latency in a communication system may include functions of generating a content event, detecting the content event in a received content stream including the content event, determine a first time associated with generation of the content event and a second time associated with detection of the content event, and computing a roundtrip latency based on a difference between the second time and the first time. The content event may be a visual event or an aural event. These functions may be implemented using one or more modules or elements. A computing device may be used to generate and detect the content event and to compute the roundtrip latency. Various other arrangements of modules or elements may be used to provide the functions.

Abstract: A device testing capability is presented herein. The device testing capability supports automated testing of media devices (e.g., cameras, microphones, speakers, or the like) for verifying that the media devices are functioning properly. The device testing capability may support automated verification by an endpoint that one or more media devices or one or more sets of media devices associated with endpoint are functioning properly. For example, the device testing capability may support automated verification by a computer that a camera associated with the computer is functioning properly. For example, the device testing capability may support automated verification by a computer that a speaker and a microphone that are associated with the computer are functioning properly. The device testing capability may support automated verification, by a management system, of the proper functioning of media devices associated with endpoints in a set of endpoints.

Abstract: An external capability for measuring roundtrip latency in a conferencing system is provided. The external capability for measuring roundtrip latency in a communication system may include functions of generating a content event, detecting the content event in a received content stream including the content event, determine a first time associated with generation of the content event and a second time associated with detection of the content event, and computing a roundtrip latency based on a difference between the second time and the first time. The content event may be a visual event or an aural event. These functions may be implemented using one or more modules or elements. A computing device may be used to generate and detect the content event and to compute the roundtrip latency. Various other arrangements of modules or elements may be used to provide the functions.

Abstract: Interacting call appearances are realized by enabling voice input/output to be simultaneously available on any combination of call appearances at a given time on a given terminal. Consequently, a user may, for example, listen to the voice output of one or more call appearances that are active at the terminal at a given time. Additionally, the user may direct voice input to one or more call appearances that are active at the terminal at a given time. Thus, the user, at any given time, may listen or speak to one or more parties on unrelated calls. Additionally, a user can employ more than one voice input/output device at his/her terminal. Specifically, the ability to simultaneously use more than one call appearance at a terminal at a given time is realized by separating call control from media routing and input/output control. Thus, the appearance of a call at a terminal is separated from the voice input/output that is required for the call.

Abstract: In a communications arrangement where services requested by users are provided over a network, communication flow arising from the services are shared by multiple links in the network. The users are required to pay for use of the links to realize the respective services. A target operating point defining the desired amount of communication flow on each link is established. A pricing scheme in accordance with the invention is used to price each link on a per unit of flow basis. Each user elects use of the capacity of those relatively inexpensive links to fulfil the requested service to minimize the cost. Such optimization actions by the individual users give rise to a “routing game” leading to a Nash equilibrium which coincides with the target operating point. Thus, with the inventive pricing scheme, the target operating point is attained over time by virtue of the users' cost optimization actions.

Abstract: Interacting call appearances are realized by enabling voice input/output to be simultaneously available on any combination of call appearances at a given time on a given terminal. Consequently, a user may, for example, listen to the voice output of one or more call appearances that are active at the terminal at a given time. Additionally, the user may direct voice input to one or more call appearances that are active at the terminal at a given time. Thus, the user, at any given time, may listen or speak to one or more parties on unrelated calls. Additionally, a user can employ more than one voice input/output device at his/her terminal. Specifically, the ability to simultaneously use more than one call appearance at a terminal at a given time is realized by separating call control from media routing and input/output control. Thus, the appearance of a call at a terminal is separated from the voice input/output that is required for the call.

Abstract: In an intranet, servers provide services for a price. A user is allotted a budget consisting of a limited amount of electronic credits to pay for the services. When the user requests a selected service from a server, the server offers a service price which can be accepted or rejected by the user, depending on the importance of the service to the user. The service price is determined based on, for example, the workload attendant to the requested service, its quality of service (QOS) requirements and current conditions pertaining to the server, in accordance with a pricing strategy. The latter is implemented to achieve network-wide objectives such as reducing network congestion by balancing load among the servers.

Abstract: A circuit configuration in a multimedia network representing a controllably persistent virtual meeting room simulates an actual meeting room where conferences between two or more people may be held. This facilitates the creation in the network of flexible, long-term multimedia conferences between conferees who are separated from one another. Any number of conferees may communicate with one another via one or more of audio, video, and data. Virtual meeting rooms may persist in the network for predetermined periods of time controlled by the users of the meeting room. The room may remain in the network independent of whether or not a user is connected to the room. The meeting room is a vehicle whereby the activity of various media servers is coordinated to effectuate conferences between multiple participants in more than one medium. The servers are associated with storage devices which may record or store certain aspects of multimedia conferences using the virtual meeting room.

Abstract: Store group circuits (102a,b,c or 202a,b,c) in fixed priority bus allocation arrangements eliminate lockouts and reduce delays for devices (101a,b,c) requesting access to a shared resource such as a data bus. The store group circuit stores (111 or 205-1 through 205-3) all access requests (REQA, REQB, REQC) from the devices present at a time instant, inhibits (110 or 210) storage of subsequent requests until each device associated with a stored request is granted access (GRANTA, GRANTB, GRANTC), and removes from storage each request associated with a device which has been granted access. Arbitration is performed among the stored requests using existing arbiters (103) in the fixed priority bus allocation arrangement. Bus access is guaranteed for devices whose requests are stored in the store group circuit thereby eliminating lockouts.

Abstract: Various size frames or pages of information elements stored in a computer system can be simultaneously displayed on a screen-based terminal. The computer processor identifies the screen position the user selects for each of the stored pages and the top-to-bottom order of the pages with respect to visibility in the event that pages overlap. The processor selects the pages in descending order, topmost page first. Information elements of selected pages are transferred to appropriate locations in a display memory only in the event that an auxiliary memory registers that an information element has not priorly been transferred to those locations. After all the pages are transferred, background data is written into each display memory location that the auxiliary memory registers as not having an information element transferred thereto. The display memory is scanned in a conventional manner to apply the display information therein to the viewing screen.

Abstract: Store group circuits (102a,b,c or 202a,b,c) in fixed priority bus allocation arrangements eliminate lockouts and reduce delays for devices (101a,b,c) requesting access to a shared resource such as a data bus. The store group circuit stores (111 or 205-1 through 205-3) all access requests (REQA, REQB, REQC) from the devices present at a time instant, inhibits (110 or 210 ) storage of subsequent requests until each device associated with a stored request is granted access (GRANTA, GRANTB, GRANTC), and removes from storage each request associated with a device which has been granted access. Arbitration is performed among the stored requests using existing arbiters (103) in the fixed priority bus allocation arrangement. Bus access is guaranteed for devices whose requests are stored in the store group circuit thereby eliminating lockouts.

Abstract: First-come, first-served bus allocation apparatus are distributed to each device sharing a common resource, such as a data bus. Bus allocation is achieved by placing each request from a device for control of the resource in an ordinal ranking with respect to requests from other devices. Requests are assigned positions in the ordinal ranking concurrent with other activity on the data bus. Substantially simultaneous requests are ordered sequentially. As control of the data bus is relinquished by one device, control is transferred to the device whose position in the ordinal ranking is contiguous with that of the relinquishing device. Delay in making this transfer is substantially eliminated.

Abstract: An address translator, which is designated to operate in a fraction of the memory cycle time, and associated modular organized memory accepts logical addresses and converts each to a corresponding physical address. Each physical address uniquely identifies a particular module and a particular storage location therein for data transfer. The overall structure is adaptable for full utilization of a variable number of modules occasioned by failure thereby providing a soft fail feature. The access time provided by the address translator and associated modules remains constant independent of the storage location being used. Adaption for accommodating changes in the number of modules is provided by altering the parameters of the address translation and changing the identification constants associated with each module.