| 摘要 |
A multiple computer conferencing system (11) and method enables hardware platform and data transport independent computer conferencing at physically remote locations. The system comprises a plurality of participant (10, 12-15) systems coupled in a hub-and-spoke architecture, where one participant system serves as a moderator (10) at the hub of the architecture, one serves as a presenter (14), and the remaining participant systems serve as attendees (12, 13, 15). Each participant system comprises a computer system coupled to a message processing unit (30). The message processing unit comprises a conference support services module (40), a conferencing module (46), a transport independent module (42), and one or more transport dependent modules (44). The method of the present invention allows a single instance of a host application to control multiple host application instances. Information transfer between participant systems requiring recipient acknowledgment is routed through the moderator. Conference activities proceed independently of attendee processing rates, and can occur on very low-bandwidth data transport systems.
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