Architecture for an extensible real-time collaboration system

• US 20050091435A1
• Filed: 08/14/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bobde, Nikhil, Ganesan, Krishnamurthy, Potra, Adrian, Han, Mu
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An architecture for an extensible real-time collaboration system is provided. The architecture presents a unified application program interface for writing application programs that use communications protocols. The architecture has activity objects, endpoint objects, and multiple media stacks. These objects may use various communications protocols, such as Session Initiation Protocol or Real-Time Transport Protocol to send and receive messages. The activity objects, endpoint objects, and multiple media stacks may each have one or more APIs that an application developer can use to access or provide collaboration-related functionality. These objects map the API to the underlying implementation provided by other objects. Using the activity objects enables a developer to provide less application logic than would otherwise be necessary to provide complex collaboration services.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computing system for providing real-time collaboration services in an application, comprising:

instantiating an activity object, the activity object having an application program interface for providing a collaboration service; and

invoking methods of the application program interface, the invoked methods providing management services and content communications services between applications that are communicating information of the collaboration service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein an endpoint object provides the management services.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the endpoint object uses a Session Initiation Protocol.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a media stack object provides the content communications services.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the media stack object uses Real-Time Transport Protocol.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the media stack object uses Real-Time Control Protocol.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the management services include providing presence information.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the content communications services include providing media.

9. An extensible real-time collaboration system, comprising:

multiple media stack objects;

an endpoint object, the endpoint object for providing or receiving signaling information; and

multiple activity objects, wherein the activity objects provide an application program interface to applications and utilizes the multiple media stack objects and endpoint object to provide collaboration services, further wherein the application uses the application program interface and does not need to provide logic to coordinate the media stack objects and endpoint object.

10. The extensible real-time collaboration system of claim 9 wherein the application program interface provides a consistent interface name even when two underlying objects actually providing associated functionality use different interface names.

11. The extensible real-time collaboration system of claim 9 wherein one of the collaboration services is messaging.

12. The extensible real-time collaboration system of claim 9 wherein one of the collaboration services is videoconferencing.

13. The extensible real-time collaboration system of claim 9 wherein one of the collaboration services is application sharing.

14. The extensible real-time collaboration system of claim 9 adding media stack objects.

15. The extensible real-time collaboration system of claim 9 wherein the endpoint object comprises a profile component, a publishing and subscribing component, a signaling component, and a protocol stack component.

16. The extensible real-time collaboration system of claim 15 wherein the protocol stack component uses a Session Initiation Protocol.

17. The extensible real-time collaboration system of claim 15 wherein the protocol stack component uses a signaling protocol.

18. The extensible real-time collaboration system of claim 9 wherein one of the multiple media stack objects uses Real-Time Transport Protocol.

19. The extensible real-time collaboration system of claim 18 wherein the protocol stack component uses a Session Initiation Protocol.

20. The extensible real-time collaboration system of claim 18 wherein the protocol stack component uses a signaling protocol.

21. The extensible real-time collaboration system of claim 18 wherein the activity object coordinates one of the multiple media stack objects and the endpoint object under direction of an application.

22. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for providing an extensible real-time collaboration system, comprising:

providing an application program interface relating to a real-time collaboration component having an implementation;

receiving another real-time collaboration component having another implementation; and

providing the application program interface relating to the other real-time collaboration component even though the implementation of the real-time collaboration component is not identical to the implementation of the other real-time collaboration component.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 wherein a component underlying the real-time collaboration component has a different application program interface name than the other real-time collaboration component.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 including coordinating both real-time collaboration components upon an indication of a collaboration request from an application.