Abstract: In a police box, a police box terminal, a visitor sensor, a found article storage and other suitable components are provided. In a videophone reception center, a reception server, an automatic answering server, an MCU, and a reception terminal are provided. These components are connected to each other via a communication line. The police box terminal is provided with an emergency call button and a usual reception button. In the case of the usual reception, the reception server connects the police box terminal to the automatic answering server, sequentially retrieves question videos from an investigation record file and sends them to the police box terminal, acquires an answer video or character-based information in response to each question video to create an investigation record automatically. In the case of the emergency call, the reception server includes a function for calling a low-priority reception terminal and connecting the emergency call to the same even if all the reception terminals are connected.

Abstract: An address resolution device includes a gate keeper having an address table with which global addresses, private addresses, and grouping IDs can be registered. During address registration, the gate keeper registers the address of a communication packet into the global addresses, the address assigned to the terminal into the private addresses, and if available, a Grouping ID into grouping IDs. During address notification, the gate keeper consults the address table to notify the caller terminal of the callee terminal private address when the callee terminal and the caller terminal have the same Grouping ID or when they have the same global address. Otherwise, the gate keeper notifies the caller terminal of the callee terminal global address.

Abstract: The screen layout of a main screen and a subscreen is optimized, depending on the types of images to be displayed on the main screen and the subscreen. A video terminal, capable of displaying a subscreen within a main screen, is equipped with a signal control unit 15 as means for optimizing the main screen/subscreen layout, depending on the types of images to be displayed on the main screen and the subscreen. When the main screen is in a split composite screen mode, the signal control unit 15 allows a subscreen to be displayed on a screen of a television 11, with the subscreen occupying one section of the split composite screen. When the main screen is in a full screen mode, the signal control unit 15 allows a subscreen to be diminished.