Patent ID: 8090784

Claim:
A terminal which is configured for connection to a network together with at least one other terminal having a like configuration and for switching between server mode in which said terminal works as a server which transmits shared data to a client and client mode in which said terminal works as a client which receives the shared data from the server, said terminal comprising: a terminal information registration unit for storing information on said other terminal connected to the network as well as information on whether said other terminal is a server terminal working as the server or a client terminal working as a client; a shared data storage unit for storing shared data which is shared by said terminals in the network and for updating said shared data such that when shared data is updated on any other terminal in the network, the same update is automatically made to the stored shared data on the terminal; and a comparison information storage unit for storing comparison information used in a server selection process for selecting the server terminal from among the all terminals connected to the network, where the all terminals connected to the network include at least one server terminal and at least one client terminal; wherein at least one of said terminals compares pieces of the comparison information stored in said comparison information storage units of said individual terminals through terminal-to-terminal communication and, depending on a result of comparison of the pieces of the comparison information, one of said terminals to which first priority is given by the server selection process works as the server terminal and the other terminal works as a client terminal.