Patent ID: 8693481

Claim:
A communication device comprising a plurality of communication units, each of which communicates with a plurality of external devices, and a calculation processing unit for transmitting or receiving communication data with the plurality of communication units, the communication device further comprising a communication controller for converting data format of communication data to be exchanged between the calculation processing unit and the communication unit into the corresponding data format to each of the communication units, wherein: the communication controller is arranged to include: 1) a table unit for storing information on a corresponding-table among a communication path, a type of the communication unit and conversion information, 2) decision unit for deciding the communication path and the type of the communication unit, wherein the communication controller has table information that associates the communication path, and 3) conversion unit for converting the data format of data into the corresponding data format in accordance with both result at the decision unit and the conversion information having been stored in the table unit, wherein: the conversion information having been stored in the table unit indicates that the communication data received from the communication units are to be duplicated and transmitted to the other communication unit, and wherein: the conversion unit is arranged to duplicate the received communication data in accordance with the conversion information corresponding to the received communication data; wherein: the conversion information having been stored in the table unit further indicates that the communication data received from the communication units are to be unified and transmitted to the other communication unit, and wherein: the conversion unit is further arranged to unify the received communication data in accordance with the conversion information corresponding to the received communication data.