Marc E Block

US Patent:

60646667, May 16, 2000

Filed:

Nov 15, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/751091

Inventors:

Barry E. Willner - Briarcliff Manor NY
Marc A. Block - Fairfield CT
Stephen Brady - White Plains NY
Davis Foulger - Wappingers Falls NY
Alan G. Ganek - Chappaqua NY
Colin G. Harrison - Brookfield CT
Barry Marks - Parsippany NJ
Thomas E. Newman - High Bridge NJ
Gopalaswamy Soora - Cary NC
Edith H. Stern - Boca Raton FL
Asser N. Tantawi - Somers NY

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

H04L 1266
H04L 1228
H04J 316
H04M 342

US Classification:

370352

Abstract:

An apparatus and means enabling a user to operate across multiple service domains using a single IDENTIFIER, ID. A Cross Service Association Domain mapping system is used to allow the desired IDENTIFIER and common user integration. A user is able to employ a single appropriate ID to access any of a plurality of services. The apparatus associates and relates all the IDENTIFIERs associated with each common user by maintaining an image of all the IDENTIFIERs for each user for all that user's applications which bridge the service and/or domain boundaries. Once a user is identified with any of the associated user IDENTIFIERs, the means allows the connection and/or routing to and from even otherwise disparate services. Included are a method, apparatus, and architecture which satisfies the above requirements while providing domain service interrelation and a common user image for the resulting interrelation. It provides for real time collaboration for cooperative, shared, and adaptive service network entities.