Patent ID: 7961653

Claim:
A relay apparatus transmitting information received from a first appliance having a communication function to a plurality of second appliances each having a communication function, the relay apparatus comprising: a first communication circuit receiving the information from said first appliance; a second communication circuit communicating with said plurality of second appliances; a storage device storing standard information indicating a standard for an image that can be displayed on each of said plurality of second appliances, for each of said plurality of second appliances; a conversion circuit converting image information received from said first appliance according to the standard for the image; and a control device controlling said second communication circuit and said conversion circuit, wherein said control device includes a first controller configured to control said conversion circuit such that, when said first communication circuit receives the information from said first appliance, said conversion circuit converts the image information received from said first appliance into information that can be displayed in common on said plurality of second appliances, using said standard information, a second controller configured to control said second communication circuit such that, when said conversion circuit converts the image information received from said first appliance into the information that can be displayed in common on said plurality of second appliances, said second communication circuit transmits the image information converted by said conversion circuit to said plurality of second appliances, a third controller configured to control said conversion circuit, when a response to the image information transmitted from the second communication circuit is transmitted from at least one of said plurality of second appliances, to determine an image format optimum for reproduction capability of the at least one second appliance that has transmitted the response, and to convert the image information received from said first appliance into the determined image format using said standard information, and a fourth controller configured to control said second communication circuit such that, when said conversion circuit converts the image information received from said first appliance after the response is transmitted from the at least one of said plurality of second appliances, said second communication circuit transmits the image information converted by said conversion circuit to the at least one second appliance that has transmitted said response.