Importance

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Abstract

A conferencing system provides for the simultaneous processing of audio and document information during a conference call. An audio conferencing bridge includes the functionality to provide an audio connection between attendees who have dialed into the bridge through either the Public Switch Telephone Network or over a data network using IP telephony. Each of the meeting attendees has access to a user interface with a connection to a data network. On each user interface is a web browser which includes a specially designed plug-in for converting documents from traditional word processing or database formats to HTML. A list is compiled in the conferencing bridge which includes the names and IP addresses for each of the attendees. Once the plug-in has converted the documents to HTML format, a series of icons are incorporated into the documents which provide for the transmission of this information to the other parties. At the time a party wishes to broadcast this information to the others, it is first transmitted via an e-mail to the conferencing bridge which accesses a list of attendees. Using PUSH technology, the documents are transmitted via the data network to the web browsers of all the other attendees. The specially designed plug-in allows each conference attendee to broadcast documents to all other attendees.

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First Claim