Abstract: A method for providing a status to a plurality of devices in a distributed VoIP system includes circulating a first status data packet between each device in the first group of devices and circulating a second status data packet between each device in the second group of devices. One device in the first group of devices participates in circulating both the first status data packet and the second status data packet, while the other devices in the first group of devices circulate only the first status data packet. One device in the second group of devices participates in circulating both the first status data packet and the second status data packet, while the other devices in the second group of devices circulate only the second status data packet.

Abstract: A method for providing a status to a plurality of devices in a distributed VoIP system includes circulating a first status data packet between each device in the first group of devices and circulating a second status data packet between each device in the second group of devices. One device in the first group of devices participates in circulating both the first status data packet and the second status data packet, while the other devices in the first group of devices circulate only the first status data packet. One device in the second group of devices participates in circulating both the first status data packet and the second status data packet, while the other devices in the second group of devices circulate only the second status data packet.

Abstract: A method for resolving conflicts between conference bridges in a distributed conferencing system includes determining that a conflict exists between a first conference bridge and a second conference bridge. The conflict may arise from the first conference bridge and the second conference bridge independently providing a meeting resource for a first meeting. The method also includes determining at the first conference bridge and at the second conference bridge that the meeting resource is to be provided by the first conference bridge. In determining that the meeting resource is to be provided by the first conference bridge, there is a probability of determining that the meeting resource is to be provided by the second conference bridge. The method also includes, providing the meeting resource for the first meeting at the first conference bridge and stopping providing the meeting resource for the first meeting at the second conference bridge.

Abstract: A method for providing a status of a device to a plurality of devices in a distributed system includes receiving a status data packet from the device, the status data packet including the status of the device. The method also includes saving the status of the device to a memory and obtaining a list of the plurality of devices in the distributed system. The list is associated with a sequence for circulating the status data packet between the plurality of devices. The method further includes sending the status data packet including the status of the device to a next device in the sequence.

Abstract: Improved techniques for managing image data associating with asset records in an electronic media programs catalog list between a media server (e.g., a video-on-demand server) and a terminal device or a client system (e.g., a set-top box) is disclosed. The catalog list is created by a module and displayed on a terminal device. Each of the asset records represents a media program that the user can browse. Each of these media programs may associate with a graphical image data, which is also displayed, when the user browses at that particular record. The image data are stored on the media server with a portion duplicated in an image windowing cache on the terminal device. The image windowing cache is intelligently filled by a predictive pre-fetch operation in the background while the user browses a particular record. The predictive operation ensures additional n images are pre-fetched in user scroll direction.