Communication system and communication method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9832600-B2
Application number	US-201615082364-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2015
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A communication system includes a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal. The first communication terminal provides first terminal identification information read out from a memory to a first mobile terminal. The second communication terminal obtains the first terminal identification information from a second mobile terminal, the second mobile terminal being a mobile terminal that has received the first terminal identification information from the first mobile terminal through a first communication session. The second communication terminal further transmits a request for starting communication with the first communication terminal to establish a second communication session with the first communication terminal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A communication system, comprising:
a first communication terminal including:
a memory to store first terminal identification information identifying the first communication terminal; and
first circuitry to provide the first terminal identification information read out from the memory to a first mobile terminal; and
a second communication terminal installed with a plurality of communication applications having communication protocols different from each other, the second communication terminal including:
second circuitry to obtain the first terminal identification information from a second mobile terminal, the second mobile terminal being a mobile terminal that has received the first terminal identification information from the first mobile terminal through a first communication session, select one of the plurality of communication applications according to a description format of terminal identification information received from the second mobile terminal, and activate the selected communication application; and
a transmitter to transmit a request for starting communication with the first communication terminal to establish a second communication session with the first communication terminal using the activated communication application.

2. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first communication session is established through a first communication network, and the second communication session is established through a second communication network.

3. The communication system of claim 2 , wherein the first communication network includes a mobile communication network, and the second communication network includes the Internet.

4. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein
the first communication terminal provides the first terminal identification information to the first mobile terminal by near-distance wireless communication, and
the second communication terminal obtains the first terminal identification information from the second mobile terminal by near-distance wireless communication.

5. The communication system of claim 4 , wherein the near-distance wireless communication includes one of near-field communication (NFC) and Bluetooth.

6. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein
the first communication terminal provides the first terminal identification information to the first mobile terminal by wired network, and
the second communication terminal obtains the first terminal identification information from the second mobile terminal by wired network.

7. The communication system of claim 6 , wherein the wired network includes a USB cable.

8. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal is one of a videoconference terminal and an electronic whiteboard.

9. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first mobile terminal and the second mobile terminal includes at least one of a smart phone, a smart watch, a mobile phone, and a portable game machine.

10. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first terminal identification information is one of a terminal identifier identifying the first communication terminal; an IP address to be used for accessing the first communication terminal, and an email address assigned to the first communication terminal.

11. The communication system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a relay device to relay content data between the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal through the second communication session.

12. A method of communicating between at least two communication terminals, the method comprising:
storing, in a memory of a first communication terminal, first terminal identification information identifying the first communication terminal;
providing the first terminal identification information read out from the memory, from the first communication terminal to a first mobile terminal;
obtaining, at a second communication terminal installed with a plurality of communication applications having communication protocols different from each other, the first terminal identification information from a second mobile terminal, the second mobile terminal being a mobile terminal that has received the first terminal identification information from the first mobile terminal through a first communication session;
selecting one of the plurality of communication applications according to a description format of terminal identification information received from the second mobile terminal;
activating the selected communication application; and
transmitting, from the second communication terminal, a request for starting communication with the first communication terminal to establish a second communication session with the first communication terminal using the activated communication application.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first communication session is established through a first communication network, and the second communication session is established through a second communication network.

14. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first circuitry is further configured to display instructions for a user of a first mobile terminal to bring the first mobile terminal closer to the first communication terminal.

15. The method of claim 12 , the method further comprising:
displaying instructions for a user of a first mobile terminal to bring the first mobile terminal closer to the first communication terminal.

Assignees

• Kato Yoshinaga
• Higashi Haruomi
• Itoh Atsushi
• Ide Kazunori
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kato Yoshinaga
• Higashi Haruomi
• Itoh Atsushi
• Ide Kazunori

Classifications

• H04L12/1818

  Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties · CPC title

• H04W4/008 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L65/403

  Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15) · CPC title

• H04L65/1069

  Session establishment or de-establishment · CPC title

• H04W76/023

  Electricity · mapped topic