Network terminal and computer readable medium

• US 8,369,365 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Inada, Hajime
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mais, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US12/163,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20090003562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 370/537, 370/538, 370/539, 370/540, 710/266
• US Class Current: 370/540
• 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 that is configured to accept a plurality of users that log on in parallel with log-on information and to selectively be connected to an interface for IP telephone communications, the network terminal comprising:

a plurality of applications corresponding to the plurality of users, respectively,

each application being configured to support IP telephone communications and to run in parallel with the other of the plurality of applications when the plurality of users log on to the network terminal in parallel,

each application being configured to convert a first telephone signal received from the interface and a second telephone signal received from an external IP telephone terminal when IP telephone communication is performed between the interface and the external IP telephone terminal,

each application being capable of independently communicating with the external IP telephone when the corresponding user logs on to the network terminal,

the log-on information with which each user logs on to the network terminal being assigned a corresponding priority, and

the plurality of applications including a first application corresponding to log-on information to which a first priority is assigned, and a second application corresponding to log-on information to which a second priority is assigned;

a cooperative unit that is configured to place one of the first application and the second application in communication with the interface according to which of the first application and the second application corresponds to the log-on information that is assigned a higher priority; and

a controller that is configured to prevent one of the first application and the second application from communicating with the interface according to which of the first application and the second application corresponds to the log-on information that is assigned a lower priority.

2. The network terminal according to claim 1, wherein the network terminal comprises a plurality of cooperative units corresponding to the log-on information with which each user logs on to the network terminal, respectively, each cooperative unit being configured to fail to communicate the interface with a corresponding application when that application does not correspond to the log-on information assigned highest priority.

3. The network terminal according to claim 2,

wherein each cooperative unit detects, in response to a calling request, whether or not the other cooperation cooperative units communicate the interface with the corresponding applications, respectively,

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

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

4. The network terminal according to claim 3, further comprising a varying unit configured to vary the priority of the log-on information 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 having a configuration that stores 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 configured to run a plurality of user environments in parallel, each of the user environments corresponding to respective log-on information, the log-on information corresponding to each of the user environments being assigned a corresponding priority;

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 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 communicates the interface with the corresponding calling unit when that cooperative unit corresponds to a user environment with log-on information assigned a highest priority.

7. The network terminal according to claim 6, wherein cooperative units other than the cooperative unit corresponding to the user environment that corresponds to the log-on information with highest priority are configured to fail to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling units respectively.

8. The network terminal according to claim 6, further comprising a specifying unit that is configured to operate in a user environment which is in an active state in which a user can directly operate, via a user interface unit provided in the network terminal, the calling unit running on that user environment, such that the log-on information corresponding to that user environment is assigned the highest priority.

9. The network terminal according to claim 6,

wherein each cooperative unit detects, in response to the calling request, whether or not the other 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, and

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 having a configuration that stores information indicating the priority assigned to each log-on information, each cooperative unit reading out the information from the storing unit.

11. A network terminal comprising:

an operating system configured to run a plurality of user environments in parallel,

each user environment corresponding to respective log-on information, and

the log-on information for each of the user environments being assigned a corresponding priority;

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 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 when the log-on information for that cooperative unit is assigned a highest priority,

wherein if one cooperative unit has received the calling request while another cooperative unit is communicating the interface with the corresponding cooperative unit, the log-on information for the one cooperative unit is assigned a priority lower than the highest priority so the one cooperative unit fails to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit.

12. A network terminal comprising:

an operating system configured to run a plurality of user environments in parallel,

each user environment corresponding to respective log-on information, and

the log-on information for each of the user environments being assigned a corresponding priority;

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 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 when the log-on information for that cooperative unit is assigned a highest priority,

wherein if one cooperative unit has received the calling request while another cooperative unit is communicating the interface with the corresponding cooperative unit, and the log-on information for the another cooperative unit is assigned the highest priority, the another cooperative unit stops communicating the interface with the corresponding calling unit.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium provided in a network terminal,

the network terminal comprising:

an operating system configured to run a plurality of user environments in parallel,

each user environment corresponding to respective log-on information, and

priorities different from one another being assigned to each log-on information, 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 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; and

the computer readable medium comprising;

acquiring the priorities assigned to the log-on information; and

controlling a cooperative unit corresponding to a user environment with log-on information to which highest priority is assigned to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit in response to the calling request.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium provided in a network terminal,

the network terminal comprising:

an operating system configured to run a plurality of user environments in parallel,

each user environment corresponding to respective log-on information, and

priorities different from one another being assigned to each log-on information, respectively, such that one of the user environments assigned a highest priority;

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 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; and

the computer readable medium comprising;

determining which user environment is assigned the highest priority; and

controlling a cooperative unit corresponding to the user environment that is assigned the highest priority to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit in response to the calling request.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium provided in a network terminal,

the network terminal comprising:

an operating system configured to run a plurality of user environments in parallel,

each user environment corresponding to respective log-on information, and

the log-on information for each of the user environments being assigned a corresponding priority;

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 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 being configured to communicate the interface with the corresponding calling unit in response to a calling request received from the IP telephone terminal and

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 corresponds to a user environment with log-on information assigned a highest priority; 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 corresponds to a user environment with log-on information assigned the highest priority.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium provided in a network terminal,

the network terminal comprising:

an operating system configured to run a plurality of user environments 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 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 and

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 corresponds to a user environment with log-on information assigned the highest priority; and

controlling the one cooperative unit to stop communicating the interface with the corresponding calling unit if the one cooperative unit that is communicating the interface with the corresponding cooperative unit does not correspond to a user environment with log-on information assigned the highest priority and another cooperative unit that corresponds to a user environment with a higher priority has received the calling request.