To enable communication equipment to prevent useless charging on the partner originating an incoming call by making no response to the call even when the call is made through another channel while one channel occupies the only one function, for example, the automatic answering function of the equipment.
When a new incoming call arrives at communication equipment which is connected to a plurality of communication channels and can respond to a plurality of incoming calls and provided with a function, for example, an automatic answering function, which is occupied by an incoming call from one communication channel while one of the communication channels uses the function ('No' in S502), the equipment is controlled not to respond to the call ('Yes' in S506). In other words, the equipment does not respond to the new incoming call, but inform the partner who sends the incoming call that the equipment is busy by sending a release complete signal (RELCOMP signal) to a network.
INOUE YUTAKA
IZUMI MICHIHIRO
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