Patent ID: 7443806
Filing Date: 2008-10-28
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A communication management apparatus, in an audio data communication management system having a plurality of other communication management apparatuses, wherein said communication management apparatus and other communication management apparatuses are connected to a network, said communication management apparatus comprising: a memory that stores a priority data representing a priority level of the communication management apparatus in relation to the other communication management apparatuses; a master confirming device that confirms an existence of a master apparatus managing communication of the network on the network during a first predetermined time, which occurs after the communication management apparatus is connected to the network and is ready for communication; a master acquisition requesting device that transmits, to the network, a first acquisition data for requesting the communication management apparatus to be the master apparatus if the master confirming device cannot confirm the existence of the master apparatus on the network, wherein the first acquisition data includes the priority data for the communication management apparatus; a master setting device that sets the communication management apparatus to be the master apparatus after the first acquisition data is transmitted and after a second predetermined time is elapsed; a comparing device that compares, when the communication management apparatus receives from one of the other communication management apparatuses during the second predetermined time a second acquisition data for requesting the one of the other communication management apparatuses to be the master apparatus, the priority data of the communication management apparatus and the priority data representing the priority level of said one of the other communication management apparatuses included in the received second acquisition data; a first slave setting device that sets the communication management apparatus to be a slave apparatus if the comparing device determines the priority level of the communication management apparatus to be lower than the priority level of said other communication management apparatuses; and a second slave setting device that sets, if the master confirming device confirms the existence of the master apparatus on the network, the communication management apparatus to be the slave apparatus without comparing the priority level of the communication management apparatus and the priority level of the master apparatus; a first transmitter device that transmits an audio data at a first transmission rate to the network; a first memory that stores a first status data representing setting status of the communication management apparatus; a second transmitter that transmits the first status data at a second transmission rate lower than the first transmission rate to the network; a first receiver that receives an order data generated by the master apparatus via the network, wherein the order data represents an order of transmission of the respective ones of the plurality of the communication apparatuses included in the audio data communication management system; a third transmitter that transmits a first modification data indicating modification of the first status data at an order specified by the received order data; a second receiver that receives a second status data representing setting status of at least one of the other communication management apparatuses at the second communication rate from said one of the other communication management apparatuses via the network; a second memory that stores the received second status data; a third receiver that receives a second modification data indicating modification of the second status data from said at least one of the other communication management apparatuses; and a modifying device that modifies the second status data stored in the second memory in accordance with the received second modification data.