The connector and active devices mechanisms for constructing multimedia applications

Some software mechanisms implemented in the multimedia workstations of an experimental multimedia teleconferencing system are discussed. These mechanisms are used to interface with the different types of devices involved in multimedia conference applications and to direct information flow among them. They are concerned with teleconferencing applications with which people in different offices can talk to each other while simultaneously editing the same file, debugging the same program, or working on some other arbitrary applications. Users engaged in teleconferencing may use multimedia workstations equipped with peripherals such as telephone handsets, image scanners, network interfaces, and mass storage. In the prototype system, the workstations are connected to an experimental fast packet switch capable of switching voice, data, and video on a single network