Method for allowing appliance-to-appliance communication transactions

摘要

A method for allowing appliance-to-appliance communication transactions wherein an appliance communications manager that stands apart from source and destination appliances receives a connection request from a source appliance. A phonebook having a plurality of phonebook entries, and stored in the appliance communications manager, is then accessed. Each of the phonebook entries includes a destination appliance identifier and associated destination appliance communication information. A user of the source appliance is presented with a list having a plurality of the phonebook entries. The appliance communications manager receives the identity of a destination appliance selected from said list and, via the appliance communications manager, a communication link is established with the selected destination appliance. When a communication message is received from the source appliance, the communication message is sent to the selected destination appliance.