Conference system, conference terminal, and mobile terminal

A conference terminal apparatus located distributedly through a network for holding a conference by exchanging predetermined communication data including audio information, the conference terminal apparatus comprising:

• wireless communication means for controlling wireless communication with a mobile terminal apparatus mutually exchanging audio information for telephone conversation through the network,
• network communication means for controlling mutual communication of the audio information generated by the conference terminal apparatus with another conference terminal apparatus connected through the network,
• authentication means for authenticating the mobile terminal apparatus connected by the wireless communication means, and
• relay processing means for relaying the audio information to the mobile terminal apparatus when selected as a communication destination of the mobile terminal apparatus in accordance with the user's setting obtained from the mobile terminal apparatus authenticated by the authentication means.

A mobile terminal apparatus for carrying out telephone communication by mutually exchanging audio information for telephone conversation through the same network as a conference terminal apparatus for holding a conference by exchanging predetermined communication data including audio information among conference terminal apparatuses located distributedly through a network, the mobile terminal apparatus comprising:

• wireless communication means for controlling wireless communication with another apparatus;
• audio input means for generating audio information from input audio signal;
• audio reproducing means for reproducing sound based on the audio information obtained from another apparatus through the wireless communication means or the audio information for telephone communication, and connection-destination control means for selecting either the conference terminal apparatus or another mobile terminal apparatus as a communication destination in accordance with a user's setting and controlling to exchange the audio information or the audio information for telephone communication with the selected communication destination,
• wherein when the conference terminal apparatus is selected as the communication destination, the audio information held by the conference terminal apparatus and relayed from the conference terminal is reproduced by the audio reproducing means.

A conference system for holding a conference by exchanging predetermined communication data including audio information among conference terminal apparatuses located distributedly through a network, the conference system comprising:

• a mobile terminal apparatus including a wireless communication mechanism for controlling wireless communication with another apparatus, an audio input mechanism for generating audio information from an input audio signal, an audio reproducing mechanism for reproducing sound based on the audio information obtained from another apparatus through the wireless communication mechanism, and a connection-destination controller for selecting either the conference terminal apparatus or another mobile terminal apparatus as a communication destination in accordance with a user's setting and controlling to exchange the audio information between the selected communication destination;
• and
• a conference terminal apparatus including a wireless communication mechanism for controlling wireless communication with the mobile terminal apparatus, a network communication mechanism for controlling mutual communication of the audio information with the other conference terminal apparatus connected through the network, an authentication mechanism for authenticating the mobile terminal apparatus connected by the wireless communication mechanism, and a relay processing mechanism for relaying the audio information to the mobile terminal apparatus when selected as the communication destination of the mobile terminal apparatus in accordance with the user's setting obtained from the mobile terminal apparatus authenticated by the authentication mechanism.