Patent ID: 7542066

Claim:
A communication terminal for performing interactive audiovisual communication or audio communication using Internet Protocol (IP) telephony over an IP network, the communication terminal comprising: a base; a wireless handset; a transferring unit adapted to transfer an audio communication channel or an interactive audiovisual communication channel between the base and the wireless handset; a detecting unit; and a controlling unit, wherein the base includes, an image inputting and outputting unit adapted to input and output images for the interactive audiovisual communication; and an audio inputting and outputting unit adapted to input and output audio for the interactive audiovisual communication or the audio communication, wherein the wireless handset includes, a connecting unit adapted to connect to the base via a wireless connection; and an audio inputting and outputting unit adapted to input and output audio for at least the audio communication, wherein the transferring unit transfers the audio communication channel or the interactive audiovisual communication channel in accordance with a status of the wireless handset, wherein the detecting unit detects a distance between the wireless handset and the base as the status of the wireless handset while an interactive audiovisual communication is performed in which images are input and output by the image inputting and outputting unit of the base and audio is input and output by the audio inputting and outputting unit of the wireless handset, and wherein, according to the detected distance, the controlling unit discontinues said interactive audiovisual communication and moves communication to an audio communication in which audio is input and output by the audio inputting and outputting unit of the wireless handset when the wireless handset is at a predetermined distance or greater from the base.