Relay apparatus, information processing system and method

A relay apparatus for relaying communication between a plurality of apparatuses and a plurality of communication terminals connectable via different networks, the relay apparatus comprising:

• a request receiver to receive a terminal request including a plurality of apparatus identification information, transmitted from the communication terminals, used for identifying each of the plurality of apparatuses;
• a request processor to accumulate the received terminal request into a request accumulation unit corresponding to one of the plurality of apparatus identification information included in the terminal request;
• a request transmitter, upon receiving an obtaining request for obtaining a terminal request from an apparatus identified by the apparatus identification information, to transmit the terminal request accumulated in the request accumulation unit to the apparatus;
• a result receiver to receive a process result for the terminal request from the apparatus;
• and
• a result transmitter to transmit the received process result to the communication terminals,
• wherein, among the plurality of apparatus identification information included in the terminal request, the request processor transfers the terminal request from a first request accumulation unit corresponding to apparatus identification information of a first apparatus, from which a process result is received to a second request accumulation unit corresponding to apparatus identification information of a second apparatus, from which a process result is not yet received.

A method of relaying communication between a plurality of apparatuses and a plurality of communication terminals connectable via different networks, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a terminal request including a plurality of apparatus identification information, transmitted from the communication terminals, used for identifying each of the plurality of apparatuses (receiving step);
• accumulating the received terminal request into a request accumulation unit corresponding to one of the apparatus identification information included in the terminal request (accumulating step);
• transmitting the terminal request accumulated in the request accumulation unit, upon receiving an obtaining request for obtaining a terminal request from an apparatus identified by the apparatus identification information, to the apparatus (first transmitting step);
• receiving a process result for the terminal request from the apparatus (receiving step);
• transmitting the received process result to at least one of the communication terminals (second transmitting step);
• and
• transferring the terminal request from a first request accumulation unit corresponding to apparatus identification information of a first apparatus, from which a process result is received, to a second request accumulation unit corresponding to apparatus identification information of a second apparatus, from which a process result is not yet received, among the plurality of apparatus identification information included in the terminal request, (transferring step).