Information communication system for point-to-point communication and point-to-multipoint communication using same lines

An information communication system comprising:

• central processing means including a plurality of CPUs and a plurality of main storage units which are multiplexed;
• interface means connected to said central processing means and including a plurality of interface units which are multiplexed, one of said plurality of interface units being in a master state, the other interface units being in a slave state;
• communication control means connected to said interface means and including a plurality of communication control units each of which includes a plurality of control modules each of which controls communication lines;
• a plurality of terminals connected via said communication lines to said communication control means,
• wherein one of said plurality of CPUs stores transmission data in at least a specific one of said main storage units, and issues one of a request of point-to-point (PTP) communication and a request of point-to-multipoint (PTMP) communication,
• wherein said master interface unit reads the transmission data from said specific main storage unit in response to said PTP communication request, and selects and controls one of said plurality of control modules associated with said PTP communication request;
• wherein said selected control module transmits the transmission data stored in said specific main storage unit to one of said plurality of terminals associated with said PTP communication request under the control by said master interface unit,
• wherein said specific master interface unit reads the transmission data from said specific main storage unit in response to said PTMP communication request, and selects and controls ones of said plurality of control modules associated with said PTMP communication request, and
• wherein said selected Ones Of said plurality of control modules transmit said transmission data stored in said master interface unit to ones of said plurality of terminals associated with said PTMP communication request under the control by said master interface unit.