Abstract: A communication event is established between an initiating device and a responding device under the control of a remote communications controller. In a pre-session establishment phase: a compression dictionary or a dictionary link that identifies an addressable memory location, at which a compression dictionary is held, is received at the initiating device. The received compression dictionary or the received dictionary link is stored in electronic storage of the initiating device. In response to a communication event establishment instruction received at the initiating device after the dictionary or the dictionary link has been received and stored at the initiating device, a session is established between the initiating device and the communications controller by the initiating device transmitting an initial session establishment message—compressed using the dictionary—to the communications controller to establish the communication event.

Abstract: Techniques for controlling reactivation of service functions are described. Implementations, for example, enable various ways of controlling and storing service objects that provide service functions.

Abstract: A communication event is established between an initiating device and a responding device under the control of a remote communications controller. In a pre-communication event establishment phase, a secure connection is established between the initiating device and the communications controller, and session key negotiation messages are exchanged between the initiating device and the communications controller via the secure connection to obtain session key data in an electronic storage location accessible to the initiating device. The secure connection terminates once the session key data has been obtained. In a subsequent communication event establishment phase—after the session key data has been obtained and the secure connection has terminated in the pre-establishment phase—a communication event request is transmitted from the initiating device to the communications controller comprising a payload encrypted with the session key data.

Abstract: A communication event is established between an initiating device and a responding device under the control of a remote communications controller. In a pre-communication event establishment phase, a secure connection is established between the initiating device and the communications controller, and session key negotiation messages are exchanged between the initiating device and the communications controller via the secure connection to obtain session key data in an electronic storage location accessible to the initiating device. The secure connection terminates once the session key data has been obtained. In a subsequent communication event establishment phase—after the session key data has been obtained and the secure connection has terminated in the pre-establishment phase—a communication event request is transmitted from the initiating device to the communications controller comprising a payload encrypted with the session key data.

Abstract: A session is established between an initiating device and a remote device. A session request is transmitted from the initiating device to the remote device according to a preferred networking protocol. If no provisional response to the request is received at the initiating device within an initial duration, the initiating device transmits another session request to the other device according to a non-preferred protocol. If a provisional response to the request is received within the initial duration, the initiating device continues to monitor the elapsed time for an so extended duration. If no final response to the request is received within the extended duration, the initiating device transmits another session request to the other device according to a non-preferred protocol. If a final response is received within the extended duration, a session between the initiating device and the other device is established according to the preferred networking protocol.

Abstract: A communication event is established between an initiating device and a responding device under the control of a remote communications controller. In a pre-session establishment phase: a compression dictionary or a dictionary link that identifies an addressable memory location, at which a compression dictionary is held, is received at the initiating device. The received compression dictionary or the received dictionary link is stored in electronic storage of the initiating device. In response to a communication event establishment instruction received at the initiating device after the dictionary or the dictionary link has been received and stored at the initiating device, a session is established between the initiating device and the communications controller by the initiating device transmitting an initial session establishment message—compressed using the dictionary—to the communications controller to establish the communication event.

Abstract: A communication event is established between an initiating device and a responding device under the control of a remote communications controller. In a pre-communication event establishment phase, a secure connection is established between the initiating device and the communications controller, and session key negotiation messages are exchanged between the initiating device and the communications controller via the secure connection to obtain session key data in an electronic storage location accessible to the initiating device. The secure connection terminates once the session key data has been obtained. In a subsequent communication event establishment phase—after the session key data has been obtained and the secure connection has terminated in the pre-establishment phase—a communication event request is transmitted from the initiating device to the communications controller comprising a payload encrypted with the session key data.

Abstract: A communication event is established between an initiating device and a responding device under the control of a remote communications controller. In a pre-communication event establishment phase, a secure connection is established between the initiating device and the communications controller, and session key negotiation messages are exchanged between the initiating device and the communications controller via the secure connection to obtain session key data in an electronic storage location accessible to the initiating device. The secure connection terminates once the session key data has been obtained. In a subsequent communication event establishment phase—after the session key data has been obtained and the secure connection has terminated in the pre-establishment phase—a communication event request is transmitted from the initiating device to the communications controller comprising a payload encrypted with the session key data.

Abstract: A communication event is established between an initiating device and a responding device under the control of a remote communications controller. In a pre-session establishment phase: a compression dictionary or a dictionary link that identifies an addressable memory location, at which a compression dictionary is held, is received at the initiating device. The received compression dictionary or the received dictionary link is stored in electronic storage of the initiating device. In response to a communication event establishment instruction received at the initiating device after the dictionary or the dictionary link has been received and stored at the initiating device, a session is established between the initiating device and the communications controller by the initiating device transmitting an initial session establishment message—compressed using the dictionary—to the communications controller to establish the communication event.

Abstract: An online conferencing system that provides an automatic mechanism to broadcast an online conference. A video gathering component gathers video streams for each of at least some of the current participants in the online conference. A broadcast start triggering component allows one or more of the participants to trigger operation of a broadcasting component. The broadcast component that, when triggered, causes a resulting video stream comprising at least a composite of at least some of the gathered video streams to be published to a plurality of viewers. In some embodiments, pre-processing of the video streams to create the resulting video stream also occurs. Such pre-processing could include, for instance, composing a stream from multiple video streams, altering one or more of the video streams, applying augmented reality to the video stream, and so forth.

Abstract: Techniques for controlling reactivation of service functions are described. Implementations, for example, enable various ways of controlling and storing service objects that provide service functions.

Abstract: A service is delivered by a computer system comprising a processor, a memory accessible to the processor and computer storage. The memory holds code which defines service object classes. The service object classes are configured to provide service functions, and the service object classes are instantiated to create service objects which implement the service functions. For each service object, an associated service object identifier is generated in the memory which distinguishes that service object from any other service object. The service objects are serialized to generate serialized data, the serialized data comprising a representation of each service object, and the representation comprising that service object's service object identifier, that service object's associated state data and the service object identifier of any other service object referenced by that service object. Following deactivation, the service objects can be recreated by following the chain of references.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and devices (e.g. servers) for establishing a real-time communication event between a user of a client device and another user of another client device via a communication network. A message pertaining to the communication event (e.g. to a communication event establishment procedure) includes multiple options pertaining to the communication event and, for each of the multiple options, a different network address unique to that option which can be accessed to select that option.

Abstract: An online conferencing system that provides an automatic mechanism to broadcast an online conference. A video gathering component gathers video streams for each of at least some of the current participants in the online conference. A broadcast start triggering component allows one or more of the participants to trigger operation of a broadcasting component. The broadcast component that, when triggered, causes a resulting video stream comprising at least a composite of at least some of the gathered video streams to be published to a plurality of viewers. In some embodiments, pre-processing of the video streams to create the resulting video stream also occurs. Such pre-processing could include, for instance, composing a stream from multiple video streams, altering one or more of the video streams, applying augmented reality to the video stream, and so forth.

Abstract: In a cluster of servers, each server is configured as follows. A request is received at the server from a requesting entity. The request includes an identifier of the request. The server determines whether the request identifier is already associated with any of the servers in a cluster database. If the request identifier is already associated with a different one of the servers in the cluster database, it is forwarded to the different server. If the request identifier is not already associated with any of the servers, it is associated with the server. The server generates a response to the request, and, stores in local storage accessible to the server and transmits a copy of it to a requesting entity. If the request is already associated with the server in the cluster database, the server locates any response to the request that is already stored in the local storage.

Abstract: A session is established between an initiating device and a remote device. A session request is transmitted from the initiating device to the remote device according to a preferred networking protocol. If no provisional response to the request is received at the initiating device within an initial duration, the initiating device transmits another session request to the other device according to a non-preferred protocol. If a provisional response to the request is received within the initial duration, the initiating device continues to monitor the elapsed time for an so extended duration. If no final response to the request is received within the extended duration, the initiating device transmits another session request to the other device according to a non-preferred protocol. If a final response is received within the extended duration, a session between the initiating device and the other device is established according to the preferred networking protocol.

Abstract: A communication event is established between an initiating device and a responding device under the control of a remote communications controller. In a pre-communication event establishment phase, a secure connection is established between the initiating device and the communications controller, and session key negotiation messages are exchanged between the initiating device and the communications controller via the secure connection to obtain session key data in an electronic storage location accessible to the initiating device. The secure connection terminates once the session key data has been obtained. In a subsequent communication event establishment phase—after the session key data has been obtained and the secure connection has terminated in the pre-establishment phase—a communication event request is transmitted from the initiating device to the communications controller comprising a payload encrypted with the session key data.

Abstract: A communication event is established between an initiating device and a responding device under the control of a remote communications controller. In a pre-session establishment phase: a compression dictionary or a dictionary link that identifies an addressable memory location, at which a compression dictionary is held, is received at the initiating device. The received compression dictionary or the received dictionary link is stored in electronic storage of the initiating device. In response to a communication event establishment instruction received at the initiating device after the dictionary or the dictionary link has been received and stored at the initiating device, a session is established between the initiating device and the communications controller by the initiating device transmitting an initial session establishment message—compressed using the dictionary—to the communications controller to establish the communication event.

Abstract: A service is delivered by a computer system comprising a processor, a memory accessible to the processor and computer storage. The memory holds code which defines service object classes. The service object classes are configured to provide service functions, and the service object classes are instantiated to create service objects which implement the service functions. For each service object, an associated service object identifier is generated in the memory which distinguishes that service object from any other service object. The service objects are serialized to generate serialized data, the serialized data comprising a representation of each service object, and the representation comprising that service object's service object identifier, that service object's associated state data and the service object identifier of any other service object referenced by that service object. Following deactivation, the service objects can be recreated by following the chain of references.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and devices (e.g. servers) for establishing a real-time communication event between a user of a client device and another user of another client device via a communication network. A message pertaining to the communication event (e.g. to a communication event establishment procedure) includes multiple options pertaining to the communication event and, for each of the multiple options, a different network address unique to that option which can be accessed to select that option.