Communication system
View Patent ↗A communication system including a plurality of terminals; and a switchboard connected to the terminals, includes a means for causing each of the terminals to register an identifier and an address of the terminal itself in the switchboard; a means for, when one of the terminals transmits a request of transmitting a list of the terminals connected to the switchboard, causing the switchboard to transmit the list of the terminals to the terminal that transmits the request; a means for, when the terminal that transmits the request selects one of the terminals from the list and transmits the identifier of the selected terminal to the switchboard, causing the switchboard to transmit the address of the selected terminal to the terminal that transmits the request; and a means for causing the terminal that transmits the request to establish a communication with the selected terminal using the received address and a default port number.
1. A communication system including a plurality of terminals and a switchboard connected to the terminals, comprising:
means for causing each of the terminals to register one or more communication types which are executable on the terminal, an IP address of the terminal corresponding to said one or more communication types, one or more port numbers respectively corresponding to said one or more communication types, with the switchboard, while correlating said one or more communication types, said IP address and said one or more port numbers to an identifier of a user of the terminal;
means for, when one terminal among the terminals transmits a request for transmitting a list including at least the identifiers of the users, causing the switchboard to transmit the list to said one terminal;
means for, when said one terminal selects one of the identifiers of the users from the received list and transmits the selected identifier of the user to the switchboard, causing the switchboard to transmit, to said one terminal, said one or more communication types, said IP address and said one or more port numbers, which are correlated to the selected identifier of the user; and
means for causing said one terminal to select a port number and establish a communication with the terminal having the IP address which corresponds to the selected identifier of the user and has been transmitted from the switchboard to said one terminal using the selected port number,
wherein if said one or more communication types which are correlated to the selected identifier of the user and have been transmitted from the switchboard to said one terminal include a communication type which is requested to be started, said selected port number is the port number which corresponds to the communication type which is requested to be started with respect to the selected identifier of the user and has been transmitted from the switchboard to said one terminal.
2. The communication system according to claim 1 ,
wherein if said one or more communication types which are correlated to the selected identifier of the user and have been transmitted from the switchboard to said one terminal do not include a communication type which is requested to be started, the selected port number is a default port number which corresponds to the communication type which is requested to be started with respect to the selected identifier of the user.
3. A communication method in a communication system including a plurality of terminals and a switchboard connected to the terminals, said method comprising the steps of:
causing each of the terminals to register one or more communication types which are executable on the terminal, an IP address of the terminal corresponding to said one or more communication types, one or more port numbers respectively corresponding to said one or more communication types, with the switchboard, while correlating said one or more communication types, said IP address and said one or more port numbers to an identifier of a user of the terminal;
when one terminal among the terminals transmits a request for transmitting a list including at least the identifiers of the users, causing the switchboard to transmit the list to said one terminal;
when said one terminal selects one of the identifiers of the users from the received list and transmits the selected identifier of the user to the switchboard, causing the switchboard to transmit, to said one terminal, said one or more communication types, said IP address and said one or more port numbers, which are correlated to the selected identifier of the user; and
causing said one terminal to select a port number and establish a communication with the terminal having the IP address which corresponds to the selected identifier of the user and has been transmitted from the switchboard to said one terminal using the selected port number,
wherein if said one or more communication types which are correlated to the selected identifier of the user and have been transmitted from the switchboard to said one terminal include a communication type which is requested to be started, said selected port number is the port number which corresponds to the communication type which is requested to be started with respect to the selected identifier of the user and has been transmitted from the switchboard to said one terminal.
4. The communication method according to claim 3 ,
wherein if said one or more communication types which are correlated to the selected identifier of the user and have been transmitted from the switchboard to said one terminal do not include a communication type which is requested to be started, the selected port number is a default port number which corresponds to the communication type which is requested to be started with respect to the selected identifier of the user.