Communication system and communication control apparatus

Claim 2

A communication system comprising: a communication control apparatus connected to a plurality of types of communication lines with different communication methods; and a plurality of communication terminal apparatuses that are connected to the communication control apparatus and perform communications with external communication terminal apparatuses via the plurality of types of communication lines, wherein the communication control apparatus includes: identification information storage means for storing identification information for identifying a communication terminal apparatus of another party that is communicating with the communication terminal apparatus; control means for performing control such that when the communication terminal apparatus is about to start particular communications using a communication line of a particular type and another communication terminal apparatus is already performing communications using the communication line of the particular type, then the communications that are currently being performed are disconnected and the particular communications are started; and reconnection means for, when the communications are disconnected by the control means, reconnecting the disconnected communications using another communication line that is not being used for communication, based on the identification information stored in the storage means.

Claim 3

The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the communication control apparatus includes disconnection notification means for transmitting disconnection notification information indicating that the communications will be disconnected to the communication terminal apparatus that is performing the communications to be disconnected, when the communications that are currently being performed are disconnected by the control means, and the communication terminal apparatus includes disconnection informing means for receiving the disconnection notification information from the disconnection notification means and informing the user of the contents of the disconnection notification information.

Claim 4

The communication system of claim 2 , wherein the disconnection notification means transmits the disconnection notification information in the form of speech signals using the communication line.

Claim 5

The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the communication control apparatus includes particular notification means for transmitting particular notification information indicating that the particular communications will be performed to the other communication terminal apparatuses connected thereto when the communications that are currently being performed are disconnected by the control means, and the communication terminal apparatus includes particular informing means for receiving the particular notification information from the particular information means and informing the user of the contents of the particular notification information.

Claim 6

The communication system of claim 2 , wherein the communication control apparatus includes particular notification means for transmitting particular notification information indicating that the particular communications will be performed to the other communication terminal apparatuses connected thereto when the communications that are currently being performed are disconnected by the control means, and the communication terminal apparatus includes particular informing means for receiving the particular notification information from the particular information means and informing the user of the contents of the particular notification information.

Claim 7

The communication system of claim 3 , wherein the communication control apparatus includes particular notification means for transmitting particular notification information indicating that the particular communications will be performed to the other communication terminal apparatuses connected thereto when the communications that are currently being performed are disconnected by the control means, and the communication terminal apparatus includes particular informing means for receiving the particular notification information from the particular information means and informing the user of the contents of the particular notification information.

Claim 8

The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the communication control apparatus includes predetermined operation storage means for storing an operation table in which a predetermined operation of the communication terminal apparatus, the communication control apparatus performing the predetermined operation and an operation number assigned to each predetermined operation are associated with each other, and the communication terminal apparatus includes predetermined information notification means for notifying the control means of a predetermined information related to the operation number, wherein when receiving the predetermined information notified from the predetermined information notification means, the control means refers to the operation table and instructs the communication terminal apparatus corresponding to the operation number to perform the predetermined operation.

Claim 9

The communication system of claim 2 , wherein the communication control apparatus includes predetermined operation storage means for storing an operation table in which a predetermined operation of the communication terminal apparatus, the communication control apparatus performing the predetermined operation and an operation number assigned to each predetermined operation are associated with each other, and the communication terminal apparatus includes predetermined information notification means for notifying the control means of a predetermined information related to the operation number, wherein when receiving the predetermined information notified from the predetermined information notification means, the control means refers to the operation table and instructs the communication terminal apparatus corresponding to the operation number to perform the predetermined operation.

Claim 10

The communication system of claim 3 , wherein the communication control apparatus includes predetermined operation storage means for storing an operation table in which a predetermined operation of the communication terminal apparatus, the communication control apparatus performing the predetermined operation and an operation number assigned to each predetermined operation are associated with each other, and the communication terminal apparatus includes predetermined information notification means for notifying the control means of a predetermined information related to the operation number, wherein when receiving the predetermined information notified from the predetermined information notification means, the control means refers to the operation table and instructs the communication terminal apparatus corresponding to the operation number to perform the predetermined operation.

Claim 11

The communication system of claim 4 , wherein the communication control apparatus includes predetermined operation storage means for storing an operation table in which a predetermined operation of the communication terminal apparatus, the communication control apparatus performing the predetermined operation and an operation number assigned to each predetermined operation are associated with each other, and the communication terminal apparatus includes predetermined information notification means for notifying the control means of a predetermined information related to the operation number, wherein when receiving the predetermined information notified from the predetermined information notification means, the control means refers to the operation table and instructs the communication terminal apparatus corresponding to the operation number to perform the predetermined operation.

Claim 12

The communication system of claim 5 , wherein the communication control apparatus includes predetermined operation storage means for storing an operation table in which a predetermined operation of the communication terminal apparatus, the communication control apparatus performing the predetermined operation and an operation number assigned to each predetermined operation are associated with each other, and the communication terminal apparatus includes predetermined information notification means for notifying the control means of a predetermined information related to the operation number, wherein when receiving the predetermined information notified from the predetermined information notification means, the control means refers to the operation table and instructs the communication terminal apparatus corresponding to the operation number to perform the predetermined operation.

Claim 13

The communication system of claim 6 , wherein the communication control apparatus includes predetermined operation storage means for storing an operation table in which a predetermined operation of the communication terminal apparatus, the communication control apparatus performing the predetermined operation and an operation number assigned to each predetermined operation are associated with each other, and the communication terminal apparatus includes predetermined information notification means for notifying the control means of a predetermined information related to the operation number, wherein when receiving the predetermined information notified from the predetermined information notification means, the control means refers to the operation table and instructs the communication terminal apparatus corresponding to the operation number to perform the predetermined operation.

Claim 14

A communication control apparatus constituting a communication system including the communication control apparatus connected to a plurality of types of communication lines with different communication methods and a plurality of communication terminal apparatuses that are connected to the communication control apparatus and perform communications with external communication terminal apparatuses via the plurality of types of communication lines, the communication control apparatus comprising: identification information storage means for storing identification information for identifying a communication terminal apparatus of another party that is communicating with the communication terminal apparatus; control means for performing control such that when the communication terminal apparatus is about to start particular communications using a communication line of a particular type and another communication terminal apparatus is already performing communications using the communication line of the particular type, then the communications that are currently being performed are disconnected and the particular communications are started; and reconnection means for, when the communications are disconnected by the control means, reconnecting the disconnected communications using another communication line that is not being used for communication, based on the identification information stored in the storage means.

Claim 15

A communication control apparatus constituting a communication system including the communication control apparatus connected to a plurality of types of communication lines with different communication methods and a plurality of communication terminal apparatuses that are connected to the communication control apparatus and perform communications with external communication terminal apparatuses via the plurality of types of communication lines, the communication control apparatus comprising: identification information storage means for storing identification information for identifying a communication terminal apparatus of another party that is communicating with the communication terminal apparatus; control means for performing control such that when the communication terminal apparatus is about to start particular communications using a communication line of a particular type and another communication terminal apparatus is already performing communications using the communication line of the particular type, then the communications that are currently being performed are disconnected and the particular communications are started; and reconnection means for, when the communications are disconnected by the control means, reconnecting the disconnected communications using another communication line that is not being used for communication, based on the identification information stored in the storage means.

Claim 16

The communication control apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising: disconnection notification means for, when the communications that are currently being performed are disconnected by the control means, transmitting disconnection notification information indicating that the communications will be disconnected to the communication terminal apparatus that is performing the communications to be disconnected.

Claim 17

The communication control apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the disconnection notification means transmits the disconnection notification information in the form of speech signals using the communication line.

Claim 18

The communication control apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising: particular notification means for, when the communications that are currently being performed are disconnected by the control means, transmitting particular notification information indicating that the particular communications will be performed to the other communication terminal apparatuses connected thereto.

Claim 19

The communication control apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising: particular notification means for, when the communications that are currently being performed are disconnected by the control means, transmitting particular notification information indicating that the particular communications will be performed to the other communication terminal apparatuses connected thereto.

Claim 20

The communication control apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising: particular notification means for, when the communications that are currently being performed are disconnected by the control means, transmitting particular notification information indicating that the particular communications will be performed to the other communication terminal apparatuses connected thereto.

Claim 21

A communication system comprising: a communication control apparatus connected to a communication line that can perform communications simultaneously using a plurality of types of communication methods; and a plurality of communication terminal apparatuses that are connected to the communication control apparatus and perform communications with external communication terminal apparatuses via the communication line, wherein the communication control apparatus includes: identification information storage means for storing identification information for identifying a communication terminal apparatus of the other party that is communicating with the communication terminal apparatus; control means for performing control such that when the communication terminal apparatus is about to start particular communications using a particular communication method and another communication terminal apparatus is already performing communications using the particular communication method, then the communications that are currently being performed are disconnected and the particular communications are started; and reconnection means for, when the communications are disconnected by the control means, reconnecting the disconnected communications using a communication method other than the particular communication method, based on the identification information stored in the storage means.

Claim 22

A communication system comprising: a communication control apparatus connected to a communication line that can perform communications simultaneously using a plurality of types of communication methods; and a plurality of communication terminal apparatuses that are connected to the communication control apparatus and perform communications with external communication terminal apparatuses via the communication line, wherein the communication control apparatus includes: identification information storage means for storing identification information for identifying a communication terminal apparatus of the other party that is communicating with the communication terminal apparatus; control means for performing control such that when the communication terminal apparatus is about to start particular communications using a particular communication method and another communication terminal apparatus is already performing communications using the particular communication method, then the communications that are currently being performed are disconnected and the particular communications are started; and reconnection means for, when the communications are disconnected by the control means, reconnecting the disconnected communications using a communication method other than the particular communication method, based on the identification information stored in the storage means.

Claim 23

A communication system comprising: a gateway apparatus connected to an analog communication line and a digital communication line; and a plurality of telephone apparatuses that are connected to the gateway apparatus and perform communications with external telephone apparatuses via the analog and digital communication lines, wherein the gateway apparatus includes: identification information storage means for storing identification information for identifying a telephone apparatus of the other party that is communicating with the telephone apparatus; communication control means for controlling such that when the telephone apparatus is about to start particular communications using the analog communication line and another telephone apparatus is already performing communications using the analog communication line, then the communications that are currently being performed are disconnected and the particular communications are started; and reconnection means for, when the communications are disconnected by the communication control means, reconnecting the disconnected communications using the digital communication line, based on the identification information stored in the storage means.

Claim 24

A communication system comprising: a gateway apparatus connected to an analog communication line and a digital communication line; and a plurality of telephone apparatuses that are connected to the gateway apparatus and perform communications with external telephone apparatuses via the analog and digital communication lines, wherein the gateway apparatus includes: identification information storage means for storing identification information for identifying a telephone apparatus of the other party that is communicating with the telephone apparatus; communication control means for controlling such that when the telephone apparatus is about to start particular communications using the analog communication line and another telephone apparatus is already performing communications using the analog communication line, then the communications that are currently being performed are disconnected and the particular communications are started; and reconnection means for, when the communications are disconnected by the communication control means, reconnecting the disconnected communications using the digital communication line, based on the identification information stored in the storage means.

Claim 25

The communication system of claim 20 , wherein the gateway apparatus and one of the telephone apparatuses are integrated to form one unit.