Method for managing a group in a star network and apparatus using the method

A method for managing group information of a central communication terminal in a star network made up of at least one general communication terminal and a central communication terminal controlling the whole network, the method comprising:

• (a) receiving a request from the general communication terminal to establish a communication channel for managing a group;
• (b) establishing the communication channel for managing the group and transmitting the group information stored by the central communication terminal to the general communication terminal;
• (c) receiving information of an application function of the general communication terminal, from the general communication terminal, storing the application function information and transmitting an application function of other general communication terminals other than the general communication terminal, to the general communication terminal;
• and
• (d) receiving a request to group together the central communication terminal and another communication terminal selected by the general communication terminal, grouping the general communication and the other communication terminal and updating the group information,
• wherein if the other communication terminal receives data from the general communication terminal, the other communication terminal executes an application function characterizing the group.

A communication method for a star network made up of at least one general communication terminal and a central communication terminal controlling the whole network, the communication method comprising:

• (a) receiving group information from the central communication terminal and storing the received group information;
• (b) selecting at least one communication terminal of other communication terminals which are included in a same group, from the group information, and transmitting data to the selected communication terminal;
• (c) the communication terminal which receives the data from the general communication terminal, determining if its own terminal is included in a destination of the data;
• and
• (d) if the communication terminal is determined to be included in the destination, the communication terminal, executing a predetermined application function characterizing the group to process the data and providing the executed application function with the data.

A communication terminal comprising:

• a transmitting/receiving portion which transmits or receives necessary information to and from other communication terminals;
• a management portion of an application function information which registers application information which the communication terminal can provide, receives through the transmitting/receiving portion and stores an application function to be provided by the other communication terminals;
• a management portion of group information which creates, receives through the transmitting/receiving portion and stores information on a predetermined group of predetermined communication terminals;
• an application function execution portion which receives data from the same group as the communication terminal and executes an application program which provides an application function characterizing the group;
• and
• an input/output portion which provides the received data by indicating the data and has necessary information inputted.

A computer-readable recording storage medium for recording a computer program code for enabling a computer to provide a service of managing group information of a communication terminal in a star network made up of at least one general communication terminal and a central communication terminal controlling the whole network, the service comprising the steps of:

• (a) requesting the central communication terminal to establish a communication channel for managing a group;
• (b) having the communication channel established for managing the group by the central communication terminal, receiving group information of the group in which a predetermined terminal of the general communication terminal or another central communication terminal is included, and storing the group information;
• (c) registering an application function which can be provided by the communication terminal, providing a registered application information, and registering application information of other communication terminals provided by the central communication terminal;
• and
• (d) selecting another communication terminal providing the same application function as the application function of the communication terminal and requesting the central communication terminal to group the selected other communication terminal and the communication terminal.

A computer-readable recording storage medium for recording a computer program code for enabling a computer to provide a service of managing group information of a central communication terminal in a star network made up of at least one general communication terminal and a central communication terminal controlling the whole network, the service comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving a request from the general communication terminal to establish a communication channel for managing a group;
• (b) establishing the communication channel for managing the group and transmitting the group information stored by the central communication terminal to the general communication terminal;
• (c) receiving information of an application function which can be provided by the central communication terminal, from the general communication terminal, storing the application function information and transmitting an application function of other general communication terminals other than the general communication terminal, to the general communication terminal;
• and
• (d) receiving a request to group together the central communication terminal and another communication terminal selected by the general communication terminal, grouping the general communication and the other communication terminal and updating the group information,
• wherein if the other communication terminal receives data from the general communication terminal, the other communication terminal executes an application function characterizing the group.

A computer-readable recording storage medium for recording a computer program code for enabling a computer to provide a service for a star network made up of at least one general communication terminal and a central communication terminal controlling the whole network, the service comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving group information from the central communication terminal and storing the received group information;
• (b) selecting at least one communication terminal of other communication terminals which are included in a same group, from the group information, and transmitting data to the selected communication terminal;
• (c) the communication terminal which receives the data from the general communication terminal, determining if its own terminal is included in a destination of the data;
• and
• (d) if the communication terminal is determined to be included in the destination, the communication terminal, executing a predetermined application function characterizing the group to process the data and providing the executed application function with the data.

A computer-readable recording storage medium having recorded thereon a program, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to execute a method for transmitting data in a star network, the method comprising:

• (a) receiving group information at a general communication terminal from a central communication terminal and storing the received group information;
• (b) selecting at least one communication terminal of other communication terminals which are included in a same group, from the group information, and transmitting data to the selected communication terminal;
• (c) the communication terminal which receives the data from the general communication terminal, determining if its own terminal is included in a destination of the data;
• and
• (d) if the communication terminal is determined to be included in the destination, the communication terminal, executing a predetermined application function characterizing the group to process the data and providing the executed application function with the data, wherein the data includes a group identity code information for identifying a group of a communication terminal which makes up least one star network, by a member of the group;
• an application function code information for identifying an application function which is commonly provided to a user by the communication terminal making up the group;
• and a data field for application function pointer information on an execution pointer of an application function to execute an application process which provides the application function for each communication terminal.