Patent ID: 9565221
Date: 2017-02-07
CPC Classifications: H04L,H04N

Claim:
1. A system, comprising: a memory configured to store, for each one of a plurality of communication terminals, counterpart terminal information indicating at least one candidate counterpart communication terminal capable of communicating with each of the communication terminals; and processing circuitry configured to, receive, from a request communication terminal of the plurality of communication terminals, a request for obtaining counterpart terminal information of the request communication terminal, obtain, from the memory, counterpart terminal information indicating at least one candidate of counterpart communication terminal capable of communicating with the request communication terminal, determine whether a communications protocol, used for at least one of connecting or disconnecting connections with a counterpart terminal and encoding contents data to an IP packet, compatible to the at least one candidate of counterpart communication terminal is the same as a communications protocol, used for the at least one of connecting or disconnecting connections with a counterpart terminal and encoding contents data to an IP packet, compatible to the request communication terminal, based on first communications protocol information indicating a communications protocol corresponding to the at least one candidate counterpart communication terminal, and second communications protocol information indicating a communications protocol corresponding to the request communication terminal to generate a determination result, and transmit the obtained counterpart terminal information of the request communication terminal and state information of the at least one candidate counterpart communication terminal to the request communication terminal, as information to be reflected on a counterpart selection screen for display at the request communication terminal, wherein, when the determination result indicates that a communications protocol of the at least one candidate of counterpart communication terminal is the same as a communications protocol of the request communication terminal, the processing circuitry transmits first state information indicating whether the at least one of candidate of counterpart communication terminal is able to start communication with the request communication terminal, as the state information of the at least one candidate of counterpart communication terminal, and when the determination result indicates that the communications protocol of the at least one candidate of counterpart communication terminal differs from the communications protocol of the request communication terminal, the processing circuitry transmits second state information that differs than the first state information to the request communication terminal, as the state information of the at least one candidate of counterpart communication terminal, wherein the state information causes the request communication terminal to display on the counterpart selection screen, prior to the request communication terminal requesting to start communication with the at least one counterpart communication terminal, one of at least three different graphical images depending on the determination result, the graphical images including (i) a specific graphical image indicating that the communications protocol of the at least one candidate counterpart communication terminal is the same as the communications protocol of the request communication terminal and that the at least one candidate counterpart communication terminal is online, (ii) a specific graphical image indicating that the communications protocol of the at least one candidate counterpart communication terminal is the same as the communications protocol of the request communication terminal and that the at least one candidate counterpart communication terminal is offline, and (iii) a specific graphical image indicating that the communications protocol of the at least one candidate counterpart communication terminal differs from the communications protocol of the request communication terminal without providing an online or offline status of the at least one candidate counterpart communication terminal.