Method and apparatus for running customized data and/or video conferencing applications employing prepackaged conference control objects utilizing a runtime synchronizer

摘要

An object-oriented DVC application runtime interface (RI) having a number of runtime management and channel objects is provided for assisting running of customized DVC applications incorporated with prepackaged conference control objects that facilitate accesses to conferencing services of GPPC applications. An identical copy of the DVC application RS is to be provided on each system, interposed between the DVC and the GPPC applications, to synchronize A/V rendering as well as data and file channels of the local DVC application to its remote counterpart. The runtime management and channel objects include a Runtime Manager Object, a Channel Manager Object, a pair of Control Input and Output Channel Objects, zero or more pairs of Data Input and Output Channel Objects, and zero or more pairs of File Input and Output Channel Objects for augmenting accesses having repercussion on the remote DVC application, and/or imposes proper end-to-end synchronization on the accesses, before passing the accesses onto the interposed GPPC application. In the presently preferred embodiments, the Runtime Manager Object also automatically exchanges capability information with its counterpart and disables the capabilities of the local DVC application that are unsupported by the connected remote DVC application. Lastly, both data as well as file blocks are sent and received as messages.