User interfaces for multimedia multiparty communications

Network control and coordination functions needed to support multimedia multiparty applications are discussed. Emphasis is placed on user interfaces for these applications. Whereas conventional, single-medium devices (such as telephones) present their users with one connection to one party during a call, these new applications make multiple network resources visible to their users. The authors' experience suggests that the user interfaces for these applications should not be built as simple additions to interfaces for conventional devices, but rather should reflect new communication models with independent controls of the network resources associated with the application. Important features of user interfaces are discussed for multimedia conferencing systems, illustrating how individual controls for network resources can be made available to the application user during a communication session. The benefits of building user interfaces as a collection of modules, in which some modules are responsible for conference conduct and others provide controls for exchange of information in each medium, are explained.<>