# US 9,438,532 B2 · Transmission management system, transmission system, and program for transmission management system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,438,532 B2 - Document ID: US9438532B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/398,184 - Filed: 2013-05-20 - Published: 2015-04-02 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-18 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Naoki Umehara - Inventors: Naoki Umehara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438532B2 ## CPC - H04L 49/15: Interconnection of switching modules - H04L 65/1069: Session establishment or de-establishment - H04L 65/403: Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15) - H04M 3/567: {Multimedia conference systems} - H04N 7/152: {Multipoint control units therefor} - H04M 2201/50: Telephonic communication in combination with video communication - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A transmission/reception unit of a management system receives a relay device ID transmitted by a selection device. Also, the transmission/reception unit transmits communication control request information to another management system based on the relay device ID. Consequently, a relay device to be used to relay content data to be transmitted/received among terminals can be selected from relay devices that the another management system can control. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A transmission management system to receive a request of start of communication between transmission terminals, comprising: a receiver to receive an input of relay device identification information identifying a relay device to be used to relay information transmitted/received between the transmission terminals; and a control request information transmitter to transmit control request information indicating a request of control to another transmission management system that is capable of executing control associated with the start of communication using the relay device identified by the relay device identification information, when it is determined, based on the received relay device identification information, that the control cannot be executed by the transmission management system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The transmission management system set forth in claim 1, wherein the relay device identification information comprises communication control information indicating the transmission management system capable of executing the control associated with the start of communication using the relay device identified by the relay device identification information, and the control request information transmitter transmits the control request information to the other transmission management system based on the communication control information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The transmission management system set forth in claim 2, further comprising: processing circuitry configured to determine whether the control associated with the start of communication can be executed or not by the transmission management system based on the communication control information, and execute the control when the processing circuitry determines the control can be executed by the transmission management system, wherein the control request information transmitter transmits the control request information when the circuitry determines the control cannot be executed by the transmission management system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The transmission management system set forth in claim 3, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to execute the control by transmitting the start request information indicating the request of the start of the communication to a transmission terminal that starts the communication. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The transmission management system set forth in claim 4, wherein the receiver further receives an input of terminal connection information indicating the transmission management system to be connected to the transmission terminal that starts the communication, and the processing circuitry executes the control by transmitting the start request information through the transmission management system indicated by the terminal connection information to the transmission terminal that starts the communication. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The transmission management system set forth in claim 5, wherein the receiver receives reception information indicating that the start request information has been received through the transmission management system indicated by the terminal connection information from the transmission terminal that starts the communication. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A transmission system, comprising: the transmission management system set forth in claim 1; and at least two transmission terminals. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program that, when executed by processing circuitry, causes the transmission management system set forth in claim 1 to execute a method comprising: receiving an input of relay device identification information identifying a relay device to be used to relay information transmitted/received between the transmission terminals; and transmitting control request information indicating a request of control to another transmission management system that is capable of executing the control associated with the start of communication using the relay device identified by the relay device identification information, when it is determined, based on the received relay device identification information that the control cannot be executed by the transmission management system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The transmission management system of claim 1, wherein the relay device identification information includes domain information of the relay device, and the control request information transmitter transmits the control request information when it is determined, based on the domain information, that the control cannot be executed by the transmission management system.