NETWORK TERMINAL AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM

• US 20090003562A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: INADA, Hajime
• Granted Patent: US 8,369,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.50
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

A network terminal includes an operating system on which a plurality of user environments can run in parallel, a plurality of calling units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, and a plurality of cooperative units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively. Priorities different from one another is assigned to the plurality of user environments respectively. Each calling unit is configured to convert a first telephone signal received from an interface and a second telephone signal received from an IP telephone terminal so that an IP telephone communication is performed between the interface device and the IP telephone terminal. Each cooperative unit is configured to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit in response to a calling request received from the IP telephone terminal. A cooperative unit corresponding to a user environment to which the highest priority among the plurality of user environments is assigned communicates the interface with the corresponding calling unit.

Claims

1. A network terminal comprising:

an operating system on which a plurality of user environments can run in parallel, priorities different from one another being assigned to the plurality of user environments respectively;

a plurality of calling units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, each calling unit being configured to convert a first telephone signal received from an interface and a second telephone signal received from an IP telephone terminal so that an IP telephone communication is performed between the interface device and the IP telephone terminal; and

a plurality of cooperative units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, each cooperative unit being configured to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit in response to a calling request received from the IP telephone terminal,

wherein a cooperative unit corresponding to a user environment to which the highest priority among the plurality of user environments is assigned communicates the interface with the corresponding calling unit.

2. The network terminal according to claim 1, wherein cooperative units other than the cooperative unit corresponding to the user environment to which the highest priority is assigned fail to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling units respectively.

3. The network terminal according to claim 1, wherein each cooperative unit detects, in response to the calling request, whether or not the other cooperation cooperative units communicate the interface with the corresponding calling units respectively,

wherein each cooperative unit communicates the interface with the corresponding calling unit if all of the other cooperative units do not communicate the interface with the corresponding calling units respectively,

wherein each cooperative unit fails to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit if at least one of the other cooperative units communicates the interface with the corresponding calling unit.

4. The network terminal according to claim 3, further comprising a varying unit configured to vary a priority of a user environment corresponding to a cooperative unit that has received the calling request to the highest priority.

5. The network terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a storing unit configured to store the priorities, each cooperative unit reading out the priority of the corresponding user environment from the storing unit.

6. A network terminal comprising:

an operating system on which a plurality of user environments can run in parallel, one of the user environments being specified as a specific user environment;

a plurality of calling units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, each calling unit being configured to convert a first telephone signal received from an interface and a second telephone signal received from an IP telephone terminal so that an IP telephone communication is performed between the interface device and the IP telephone terminal; and

a plurality of cooperative units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, each cooperative unit being configured to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit in response to a calling request received from the IP telephone terminal,

wherein a cooperative unit corresponding to the specific user environment communicates the interface with the corresponding calling unit.

7. The network terminal according to claim 6, wherein cooperative units other than the cooperative unit corresponding to the specific user environment fail to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling units respectively.

8. The network terminal according to claim 6, further comprising a specifying unit configured to a user environment which is in an active state where a user can directly operate, via a user interface unit provided in the network terminal, an application running on the user environment as the specified user environment.

9. The network terminal according to claim 6, wherein each cooperative unit detects, in response to the calling request, whether or not the other cooperation cooperative units communicate the interface with the corresponding calling units respectively,

wherein each cooperative unit communicates the interface with the corresponding calling unit if all of the other cooperative units do not communicate the interface with the corresponding calling units respectively,

wherein each cooperative unit fails to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit if at least one of the other cooperative units communicates the interface with the corresponding calling unit.

10. The network terminal according to claim 6, further comprising a storing unit configured to store information indicating the specific user environment, each cooperative unit reading out the information from the storing unit.

11. A network terminal comprising:

an operating system on which a plurality of user environments can run in parallel;

a plurality of calling units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, each calling unit being configured to convert a first telephone signal received from an interface and a second telephone signal received from an IP telephone terminal so that an IP telephone communication is performed between the interface device and the IP telephone terminal; and

a plurality of cooperative units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, each cooperative unit being configured to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit in response to a calling request received from the IP telephone terminal,

wherein if one cooperative unit has received the calling request while another cooperative unit is communicating the interface with the corresponding cooperative unit, the one cooperative unit fails to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit.

12. A network terminal comprising:

an operating system on which a plurality of user environments can run in parallel;

a plurality of calling units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, each calling unit being configured to convert a first telephone signal received from an interface and a second telephone signal received from an IP telephone terminal so that an IP telephone communication is performed between the interface device and the IP telephone terminal; and

a plurality of cooperative units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, each cooperative unit being configured to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit in response to a calling request received from the IP telephone terminal,

wherein if one cooperative unit has received the calling request while another cooperative unit is communicating the interface with the corresponding cooperative unit, the another cooperative unit stops communicating the interface with the corresponding calling unit.

13. A computer readable medium provided in a network terminal including an operating system on which a plurality of user environments can run in parallel, priorities different from one another being assigned to the plurality of user environments respectively;

a plurality of calling units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, each calling unit being configured to convert a first telephone signal received from an interface and a second telephone signal received from an IP telephone terminal so that an IP telephone communication is performed between the interface device and the IP telephone terminal; and

a plurality of cooperative units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, each cooperative unit being configured to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit in response to a calling request received from the IP telephone terminal, the computer readable medium comprising;

acquiring information indicating the priorities; and

controlling, based on the information, a cooperative unit corresponding to a user environment to which the highest priority among the plurality of user environments is assigned to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit in response to the calling request.

14. A computer readable medium provided in a network terminal including an operating system on which a plurality of user environments can run in parallel, one of the user environments being specified as a specific user environment;

a plurality of calling units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, each calling unit being configured to convert a first telephone signal received from an interface and a second telephone signal received from an IP telephone terminal so that an IP telephone communication is performed between the interface device and the IP telephone terminal; and

a plurality of cooperative units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, each cooperative unit being configured to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit in response to a calling request received from the IP telephone terminal, the computer readable medium comprising;

acquiring information indicating the specific user environment; and

controlling, based on the information, a cooperative unit corresponding to the specific user environment to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit in response to the calling request.

15. A computer readable medium provided in a network terminal including an operating system on which a plurality of user environments can run in parallel;

a plurality of calling units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, each calling unit being configured to convert a first telephone signal received from an interface and a second telephone signal received from an IP telephone terminal so that an IP telephone communication is performed between the interface device and the IP telephone terminal; and

a plurality of cooperative units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, each cooperative unit being configured to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit in response to a calling request received from the IP telephone terminal, the computer readable medium comprising;

detecting, in response to the calling request, whether or not one cooperation cooperative unit that is communicating the interface with the corresponding calling unit exists; and

controlling another cooperative unit to fail to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit even if the another cooperative unit has received the calling request, if the one cooperation cooperative unit that is communicating the interface with the corresponding calling unit exists.

16. A computer readable medium provided in a network terminal including an operating system on which a plurality of user environments can run in parallel;

a plurality of calling units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, each calling unit being configured to convert a first telephone signal received from an interface and a second telephone signal received from an IP telephone terminal so that an IP telephone communication is performed between the interface device and the IP telephone terminal; and

a plurality of cooperative units corresponding to the plurality of user environments respectively, each cooperative unit being configured to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit in response to a calling request received from the IP telephone terminal, the computer readable medium comprising;

detecting, in response to the calling request, whether or not one cooperation cooperative unit that is communicating the interface with the corresponding calling unit exists; and

controlling the one cooperative unit stops communicating the interface with the corresponding calling unit if the one cooperative unit that is communicating the interface with the corresponding cooperative unit exists and another cooperative unit has received the calling request.