Patent ID: 8149800

Claim:
A communication apparatus comprising: a reception unit that receives, from a first communication device, a request for direct communication between the first communication device and a second communication device; a management unit that manages, as history information, to have a function that the first communication device communicates directly with the second communication device without the communication apparatus in accordance with the request of the direct communication received from the first communication device by the reception unit; a determination unit that, when a request for communication with the first communication device is newly received from a third communication device, determines whether or not the communication apparatus accommodates both the first communication device and the third communication device, and determines whether or not the first communication device has the function based on the history information managed by the management unit; and a selection unit that selects, based on a determination result by the determination unit, either the direct communication between the first communication device and the third communication device or the communication with the first communication device via the communication apparatus to instruct the third communication device to perform the selected communication, wherein the reception unit, the management unit, determination unit and selection unit are partially implemented by at least one processor.