Apparatus for collaborative computing

Claim 2

A collaborative computing system for a computer network comprising: an application module at a workstation for providing a network independent computing function; a conference engine at the workstation for processing data and event task requests from the application module, distributing data and events over the network, receiving data and events from the network, providing data and event information to the application module, and maintaining a collaborative computing state, wherein the conference engine is coupled to the application module; means for connecting the conference engine to the network; wherein the conference engine coordinates and negotiates with other conference engines to form a distributed conference session; wherein each conference engine within said session tracks the status of every participant in said session; wherein each conference engine maintains a distributed state machine that is dynamically updated to reflect the current state of every distributed conference session that the conference engine is monitoring; and wherein a centralized server is not needed to create a conference session.

Claim 3

The collaborative computing system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface module for providing a custom user interface for the application module.

Claim 4

The collaborative computing system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface module for providing a user interface for the application module wherein the user interface is independent of the application module.

Claim 5

The collaborative computing system if claim 1 , further comprising: a conference manger at the workstation for setting the collaborative computing state.

Claim 6

The collaborative computing system of claim 4 , wherein the conference manager maintains a list of users for collaborative computing sessions.

Claim 7

The collaborative computing system of claim 1 , further comprising an application library linked to the application module for providing network and collaborative computing functions to the application module.

Claim 8

The collaborative computing system of claim 6 , wherein the application library includes functions to connect the application module to the conference engine, to create and respond to events, to determine the status of the application module, to allocate and manage memory, to create a data packet for transmission over the network, and to transmit the data packet over the network.

Claim 9

The collaborative computing system of claim 1 , further comprising means for connecting the application module to the network.

Claim 10

The collaborative computing system of claim 1 , wherein the application module is a text tool, a graphics tool, an audio tool, a video tool, or a whiteboard tool.

Claim 11

The collaborative computing system of claim 1 , wherein the conference engine includes a clipboard for use by the application module.

Claim 12

The collaborative computing system of claim 10 , wherein the application library further includes at least one function to use the conference engine clipboard.

Claim 13

A collaborative computing system for a computer network comprising: a plurality of application modules at a workstation, each for providing a network independent collaborative computing function; a graphics subsystem at the workstation coupled to at least one of the application modules; a compression/decompression subsystem at the workstation coupled to at least one of the application modules; a multimedia subsystem at the workstation coupled to at least one of the application modules, a conference engine at the workstation for processing data and event task requests from at least one of the plurality of application modules, distributing data and events over the network, receiving data and events from the network, providing data and event information to at least one of the plurality of application modules, and maintaining a collaborative computing state, wherein the conference engine is coupled to the plurality of application modules; means for connecting the conference engine to the network; wherein the conference engine coordinates and negotiates with other conference engines to form a distributed conference session; wherein each conference engine within said session tracks the status of every participant in said session; wherein each conference engine maintains a distributed state machine that is dynamically updated to reflect the current state of every distributed conference session that the conference engine is monitoring; and wherein a centralized server is not needed to create a conference session.

Claim 14

A collaborative computing system for a computer network comprising: a plurality of application modules at a workstation, each for providing a network independent collaborative computing function; a graphics subsystem at the workstation coupled to at least one of the application modules; a compression/decompression subsystem at the workstation coupled to at least one of the application modules; a multimedia subsystem at the workstation coupled to at least one of the application modules, a conference engine at the workstation for processing data and event task requests from at least one of the plurality of application modules, distributing data and events over the network, receiving data and events from the network, providing data and event information to at least one of the plurality of application modules, and maintaining a collaborative computing state, wherein the conference engine is coupled to the plurality of application modules; means for connecting the conference engine to the network; wherein the conference engine coordinates and negotiates with other conference engines to form a distributed conference session; wherein each conference engine within said session tracks the status of every participant in said session; wherein each conference engine maintains a distributed state machine that is dynamically updated to reflect the current state of every distributed conference session that the conference engine is monitoring; and wherein a centralized server is not needed to create a conference session.

Claim 15

The collaborative computing system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the plurality of application modules supports windowing system clipboard operations.

Claim 16

The collaborative computing system of claim 12 , wherein one of the plurality of application modules is a conference manager for controlling and displaying a collaborative computing state.

Claim 17

The collaborative computing system of claim 14 , wherein the conference manager initiates requests over the network and responds to requests received from the network to initiate a collaborative computing session.

Claim 18

A collaborative computing system for a computer network comprising: an application module at a workstation for providing a network independent computing function; a conference engine at the workstation including a collaborative computing states machine, wherein the conference engine is coupled to the application module; means for connecting the conference engine to the network; wherein the conference engine coordinates and negotiates with other conference engines to form a distributed conference session; wherein each conference engine within said session tracks the status of every participant in said session; wherein each conference engine maintains a distributed state machine that is dynamically updated to reflect the current state of every distributed conference session that the conference engine is monitoring; and wherein a centralized server is not needed to create a conference session.

Claim 19

A collaborative computing system for a computer network comprising: an application module at a workstation for providing a network independent computing function; a conference engine at the workstation including a collaborative computing states machine, wherein the conference engine is coupled to the application module; means for connecting the conference engine to the network; wherein the conference engine coordinates and negotiates with other conference engines to form a distributed conference session; wherein each conference engine within said session tracks the status of every participant in said session; wherein each conference engine maintains a distributed state machine that is dynamically updated to reflect the current state of every distributed conference session that the conference engine is monitoring; and wherein a centralized server is not needed to create a conference session.