Apparatus, system, and method of managing communication, and recording medium storing communication management program

A method of managing communication to be established between a request communication terminal and a counterpart communication terminal, the method comprising:

• receiving identification information of the request communication terminal;
• obtaining identification information of a candidate counterpart communication terminal that is associated with the request communication terminal using the identification information of the request communication terminal, the candidate counterpart communication terminal being one or more of a plurality of communication terminals;
• determining whether a communications protocol of the candidate counterpart communication terminal is the same as a communications protocol of the request communication terminal to generate a determination result;
• transmitting state information associated with the obtained identification information of the candidate counterpart communication terminal to the request communication terminal such that the terminal state information of the candidate counterpart communication terminal is reflected on an operation state of the candidate counterpart communication terminal to be displayed on a screen at the request communication terminal for selecting a counterpart terminal to start communication,
• wherein when the determination result indicates that the communications protocol of the candidate counterpart communication terminal is the same as the communications protocol of the request communication terminal, information indicating that the state of the candidate counterpart terminal is online or offline is transmitted to the request communication terminal as the state information of the candidate counterpart communication terminal, and
• wherein when the determination result indicates that the communications protocol of the candidate counterpart communication terminal is different and incompatible from the communications protocol of the request communication terminal such that communication is prevented between the request communication terminal and the candidate counterpart communication terminal, information indicating that the communications protocol of the candidate counterpart communication terminal is different and incompatible from the communications protocol of the request communication terminal is transmitted to the request communication terminal as the state information of the candidate counterpart communication terminal without indicating that the state of the candidate counterpart terminal is one of online or offline,
• wherein the state information is displayed on a screen of the request communication terminal prior to a user of the request communication terminal selecting any one of the plurality of communication terminals to communicate with,
• wherein the state information causes the request communication terminal to display a graphical image indicating the communications protocol of the candidate counterpart communication terminal is different and incompatible from the communications protocol of the request communication terminal,
• wherein the graphical image indicating the communications protocol of the candidate counterpart communication terminal is different and incompatible from the communications protocol of the request communication terminal indicates that the communications protocol of the candidate counterpart communication terminal is unknown.

A method of generating candidate list data for a communication terminal, the method comprising:

• sending identification information of the communication terminal, as a request communication terminal, to a communication management system;
• receiving state information regarding a candidate counterpart communication terminal that is associated with the communication terminal from the communication management system;
• and
• generating the candidate list data based on the received state information,
• wherein the received terminal state information of the candidate counterpart communication terminal is reflected on an operation state of the candidate counterpart communication terminal to be displayed on a screen at the request communication terminal for selecting a counterpart terminal to start communication,
• wherein when the communications protocol of the candidate counterpart communication terminal is the same as the communications protocol of the request communication terminal, the state of the candidate counterpart terminal is indicated as being online or offline to the request communication terminal as the state information of the candidate counterpart communication terminal, and
• wherein when the communications protocol of the candidate counterpart communication terminal is different and incompatible from the communications protocol of the request communication terminal such that communication is prevented between the request communication terminal and the candidate counterpart communication terminal, information indicating that the communications protocol of the candidate counterpart communication terminal is different and incompatible from the communications protocol of the request communication terminal is transmitted to the request communication terminal as the state information of the candidate counterpart communication terminal without indicating that the state of the candidate counterpart terminal is one of online or offline,
• wherein the state information is displayed on a screen of the request communication terminal prior to a user of the request communication terminal selecting any one of the plurality of communication terminals to communicate with,
• wherein the state information causes the request communication terminal to display a graphical image indicating the communications protocol of the candidate counterpart communication terminal is different and incompatible from the communications protocol of the request communication terminal,
• wherein the graphical image indicating the communications protocol of the candidate counterpart communication terminal is different and incompatible from the communications protocol of the request communication terminal indicates that the communications protocol of the candidate counterpart communication terminal is unknown.