Abstract: When a device list is offered in which device information with regard to a plurality of device is arranged and displayed for every device, the device information used as criteria is displayed in the device list in spite of a type of device information used as criteria in the case where a plurality of devices are arranged in the device list not included in a type of device information specified to be displayed in the device list.

Abstract: A multi-point-to-point conferencing system comprising a plurality of terminals connected by a network including data and control channels is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the network is an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) having data (B) channels and a control (D) channel. The conference is established in a manner that does not waste connection setup attempts or data channel connect time by attempting to establish a conference when a participating terminal does not have the necessary data channels available. The terminal initiating the conference communicates with at least one participating terminal to determine the use status, or availability, of the required number of data channels.

Abstract: An image input system includes: an image pickup device movable at least from side to side; an image pickup direction designating device for designating the direction of movement at least from side to side of the image pickup device; a display form switching device for switching a display form for an image picked up by the image pickup device between two display forms: a real image display form in which the image is displayed as it is and a mirror image display form in which the image is displayed reversed left to right; and a control direction changing device which, when the display form is switched by the display form switching device, changes the correspondence of the designation regarding the direction of movement from side to side, given by the image pickup direction designating device, and the direction of movement from side to side effected in response to the designation.

Abstract: In a communication system having a plurality of communication terminals connected by a communication circuit in the form of a loop or a bus, data circulated through the communication circuit has a multi-frame structure having a multiplicity of frames in which data fields are assigned to the terminals, and the circulated data is relayed and updated. If all data generated by the terminals is circulated through the communication circuit, each terminal may receive data generated from itself, which is essentially meaningless for the terminal. Data which has become essentially meaningless is deleted during communication to prevent such meaningless data from always occupying a part of the communication circuit to reduce the communication speed and the efficiency of utilization of the communication circuit.