Communication terminal, repeater, peripheral equipment and computer readable memory medium

• US 6,625,140 B1
• Filed: 05/24/1999
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamimura, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): LY, ANH VU H
• Application Number:
  US09/317,433
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 370/274, 370/352, 370/356, 379/201.1, 379/201.11, 379/202.01, 379/433.01, 379/428.03, 379/420.04, 379/419, 709/227, 709/228, 709/204, 709/205
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A communication terminal includes a CPU and a work memory to hold an identifier. When a connection is established to a repeater, the CPU outputs a connection establishing request, together with communication terminal information including its own identifier, to the repeater. If a connection between the communication terminal and the repeater is established, the repeater similarly transmits communication terminal information on another communication terminal established in connection state to the repeater, to this communication terminal. The CPU searches for particular communication terminal information having common identification information to its own from those of received communication terminal information. If particular communication terminal information is found, the CPU displays a character corresponding to its own identifier on a display.

Claims

1. A communication terminal for implementing communication through a repeater, comprising:

a memory holding an identifier;

an establishing means for establishing a connection state to said repeater;

a receiving means for receiving from said repeater an identifier of another communication terminal connected to said repeater, wherein a plurality of identifiers is received by the receiving means over a period of time;

a search means for searching for a particular identifier associated with said identifier held in said memory from among the plurality of identifiers received by said receiving means; and

a display means for displaying a predetermined character depending upon a result of search by said search means.

2. A communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein said establishing means further comprises:

a transmitting means for transmitting a request to establish said connection state together with said identifier held in said memory to said repeater.

3. A communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising

an accepting means for accepting a communication start instruction;

a request means for requesting said repeater to start communications with a particular communication terminal corresponding to said identifier in response to said communication start instruction; and

a communication processing means for performing communication processing with said particular communication terminal.

4. A communication terminal according to claim 3, wherein

said communication start instruction is a select character.

5. A communication terminal according to claim 3, further comprising

a second receiving means of said plurality of receiving means for receiving a new identifier transmitted from said particular communication terminal;

and

a write means for writing said new identifier to said memory.

6. A communication terminal according to claim 5, wherein

said write means updates said identifier held in said memory by said new identifier.

7. A communication terminal according to claim 5, wherein

said predetermined character possesses a shape corresponding to said identifier held in said memory.

8. A communication terminal according to claim 3, further comprising

a mike for performing sound communication with said communication terminal.

9. A communication terminal according to claim 3, further comprising

a camera for performing image communication with said communication terminal.

10. A communication terminal for implementing communication through a repeater, comprising:

a memory for holding an identifier;

an establishing means for transmitting said identifier to said repeater and establishing a state of connection to said repeater;

a receiving means for receiving through said repeater a communication start request transmitted from another communication terminal;

a communication processing means for performing communication processing with another communication terminal in response to said communication start request; and

a transmitting means for transmitting a new identifier different from said identifier to said another communication terminal when a predetermined relation is established to said another communication terminal.

11. A communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein

said identifier includes at least two category codes, wherein one of said category codes representing a category including a category represented by the other category code.

12. A communication terminal according to claim 11, wherein

said identifier held in said memory is different from said new identifier at least in category code representative of a minimal category.

13. A computer readable recording medium for recording a program to be executed by a communication terminal for implementing communication through a repeater, said program comprising:

an establishing step for establishing a connection state with said repeater;

a first receiving step of a plurality of receiving steps for receiving from said repeater an identifier of another communication terminal connected to said repeater, wherein a plurality of identifiers is received by the plurality of receiving steps over a period of time;

a search step for searching for a particular identifier of the plurality of identifiers associated with said identifier held in said memory from among the plurality of identifiers received by said first receiving step; and

a display step for displaying a predetermined character depending upon a result of search by said search step.

14. A recording medium according to claim 13, wherein said establishing step, further comprises:

a transmitting step for transmitting to said repeater a request to establish said connection state together with said identifier held in said memory.

15. A recording medium according to claim 13, said program further comprising:

an accepting step for accepting a communication start instruction;

a request step for requesting said repeater to start communication with a particular communication terminal corresponding to said particular identifier in response to said communication start instruction; and

a communication processing step for performing communication processing with said particular communication terminal.

16. A recording medium according to claim 15, said program further comprising

a second receiving step for receiving a new identifier transmitted from said particular communication terminal;

and

a write step for writing said new identifier to said memory.

17. A recording medium according to claim 16, wherein

said write step updates said identifier held in said memory by said new identifier.

18. A communication terminal for implementing communication through a repeater, comprising:

a memory for holding an identifier;

an establishing means for establishing a connection state to said repeater;

a first transmitting means for transmitting to said repeater said identifier held in said memory;

a first receiving means for receiving from said repeater a particular identifier associated with said identifier held in said memory; and

a display means for displaying a predetermined character when said particular identifier is received.

19. A communication terminal according to claim 18, further comprising:

an accepting means for accepting a communication start instruction;

a request means for requesting to said repeater to start communication with a particular communication terminal associated with said particular identifier in response to said communication start instruction; and

a communication processing means for performing communication processing with said particular communication terminal.

20. A communication terminal according to claim 19, wherein

said communication start instruction selects said predetermined character.

21. A communication terminal according to claim 19, further comprising:

a second receiving means for receiving a new identifier transmitted from said particular communication terminal; and

a write means for writing said identifier to said memory.

22. A communication terminal according to claim 21, wherein

said write means includes an update means for updating said identifier held in said memory by said new identifier.

23. A communication terminal according to claim 19, further comprising:

a mike for performing sound communication with said particular communication terminal.

24. A communication terminal according to claim 19, further comprising:

a camera for performing image communication with said particular communication terminal.

25. A repeater for repeating communication, comprising:

an establishing means for establishing a connection state to a communication terminal;

a memory for holding an identifier of a communication terminal established in said connection state;

a detecting means for detecting a particular identifier associated with an identifier to be identified from among a plurality of identifiers held in said memory;

a transmitting means for transmitting said particular identifier to a communication terminal having said identifier to be identified; and

a repeater processing means for relay processing with a particular communication terminal having said particular identifier in response to a communication start request from said communication terminal having said identifier to be identified.

26. A repeater according to claim 25, wherein

said detecting means detects said particular identifier from among identifiers for communication terminals which are established in said connection state but being out of communication.

27. A computer-readable recording medium for recording a program to be executed by a communication terminal to implement communication through a repeater, said program comprising:

an establishing step for establishing a state of connection to said repeater;

a first transmitting step for transmitting an identifier held in a memory to said repeater;

a first receiving step for receiving from said repeater a particular identifier associated with said identifier held in said memory; and

a display step for displaying a predetermined character when said particular identifier is received.

28. A recording medium according to claim 27, said program further comprising:

an accepting step for accepting a communication start instruction;

a request step for requesting to said repeater to start communication with a particular communication terminal having said particular identifier in response to said communication start instruction; and

a communication processing step for performing communication processing with said particular communication terminal.

29. A recording medium according to claim 28, further comprising:

a second receiving step for receiving new identifier transmitted from said particular communication terminal; and

a write step for writing said new identifier to said memory.

30. A recording medium according to claim 29, wherein

said write step includes an update step for updating said identifier held in said memory by said new identifier.

31. A peripheral equipment to be used together with a communication terminal for implementing communication through a repeater, comprising:

a memory for holding an identifier associated with a particular communication terminal;

an input means for inputting information;

an interface for providing said identifier and said information to said communication terminal;

an intake means for intaking a cartridge recorded with an identifier;

a read means for reading out said identifier recorded on said cartridge; and

an update means for updating said identifier held in said memory by said identifier read out by said read means.

32. A peripheral equipment according to claim 31, further comprising a write means for writing said identifier held in said memory to said cartridge.

33. A peripheral equipment according to claim 32, wherein said write means includes an update means for updating said identifier recorded on said cartridge by said identifier held in said memory.