Patent ID: 7212500

Claim:
An ATM name system CANS) exclusively used in a network system which carries out a conference between two conference room terminals through an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) network, the conference room terminals comprising a calling conference room terminal for issuing a request for address resolution to the ANS before establishment of a connection between the calling conference room terminal and a destined one of the conference room terminals, the request indicating a room name assigned to the destined conference room terminal that is different from a host name of a hierarchical structure, comprising: a storage section for storing the room name and an ATM end system address (AESA) of the destined conference room terminal; and processing means, operated when the ANS is called from the calling conference room terminal and thereafter receives the request for address resolution sent from the calling conference room terminal, for processing the request to resolve the AESA of the destined conference room terminal by referring to the storage by the use of the room name and to send a resolved AESA to the calling conference room terminal and to thereby make the calling conference room terminal establish a connection between the destined conference room terminal by the use of the resolved AESA, wherein the storage section comprises an address database for storing a priority level corresponding to the room name together with the corresponding AESA, and wherein the processing means is operable in response to the request to also resolve a priority class of the conference between the calling and the destined conference room terminals with reference to the priority level stored in the address database.