Patent ID: 7318085

Claim:
A communication apparatus that communicates with a remote center to receive data from the remote center, the communication apparatus comprising: a master unit that receives the data from the remote center; a plurality of slave units that receive the data from the remote center, via the master unit; and a control circuit that controls the master unit and the plurality of slave units, wherein when one of the plurality of slave units makes a request to the remote center for transmitting the data, only the one of the plurality of slave units of the communication apparatus that makes the request is allowed to receive and store therein the entire contents of the data transmitted from the remote center, while the control circuit prohibits the master unit from storing the entire contents of the data transmitted from the remote center and further prohibits other ones of the plurality of slave units from receiving and storing therein the data transmitted from the remote center, wherein the master unit includes a facsimile machine, and one of the plurality of slave units includes a handset.