System for providing a directory of av devices and capabilities and call processing such that each participant participates to the extent of capabilities available

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A multimedia collaboration system that integrates separate real-time and asynchronous networks--the, former for real-time audio and video and the latter for control signals and textual, graphical and other, data--in a manner that is interoperable across different computer and network operating system, platforms and which closely approximates the experience of face-to-face collaboration, while liberating, the participants from the limitations of time and distance. These capabilities are achieved by exploiting, a variety of hardware software and networking technologies in a manner that preserves the quality and, integrity of audio/video/data and other multimedia information even after , …