Image information distributing system

• US 20010046066A1
• Filed: 04/06/2001
• Published: 11/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yanagi, Satoru, Ueda, Maroka
• Granted Patent: US 7,161,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/387 Composing, repositioning or otherwise geometrically modifying originals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/42 Systems for two-way working , e.g. conference systems H04N1/32 takes precedence

Abstract

In an image processing system, a server stores first image information in a compressed manner therein and sends second image information that represents the same element as that of the first image information with information content smaller than that of the first image information to client systems. Then, the server acquires the result of operation conducted on the second image information and edits the first image information in accordance with the operating result. After edition, the server transmits the compressed first image information to the client systems. The client systems print the first image information which has been edited to a printer.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a communication unit for communicating with an information processing apparatus having a function of operating image information;

a storage for storing first image information which represents at least one element in a compressed format therein; and

a controller for sending second image information which represents the at least one element to the information processing apparatus, the amount of the second image information being smaller than that of the first image information, acquiring result information representing an operation which is executed for the sent second image information on the information processing apparatus, editing the first image information according to the acquired result information in an intermediate process where the first image information stored in the storage is expanded, and sending the edited first image information in the compressed format to the information processing apparatus.

2. The image processing apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the controller executes at least one of a moving process, an enlargement process, a reduction process and a deletion process on the at least one elements to edit the first image information in the intermediate process.

3. The image processing apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the controller edits the first image information in the intermediate process according to the acquired result information such that one of the at least one element is superimposed on another of that when the first image information represents a plurality of elements.

4. The image processing apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein a network is provided to connect among the image processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus and other information processing apparatuses, and

the controller broadcasts the first image information which is edited and composed to a plurality of desired information processing apparatuses of the information processing apparatus and the other information processing apparatuses.

5. The image processing apparatus according to

claim 4

, wherein the network comprises a satellite communication network.

6. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a communication unit for communicating with an information processing apparatus which processes first image information and second image information in association with each other, both of the first image information and the second image information representing at least one element and the amount of the second image information being smaller than that of the first image information;

an image processor for receiving the second image information from the information processing apparatus via the communication unit, displaying the received second image information on a given display device, receiving an operation instruction for the displayed second image information, processing the displayed second image information according to the operation instruction and sending result information representing the processed and displayed second image information to the information processing apparatus; and

an output controller for receiving the first image information via the communication unit, which is edited according to the result information on the information processing apparatus, and causing a given printing device to print the received first image information.

7. The image processing apparatus according to

claim 6

, wherein when the operation instruction includes adding process for adding additional information to the displayed second image information, the image processor saves the additional information, and

the output controller executes a superimpose process for the received first image information and the saved additional information and causes the given printing device to print a result of the superimpose process.

8. An image processing method applied to an image processing apparatus having a communication unit for communicating with an information processing apparatus and a storage for storing first image information which represents at least one element in a compressed format therein, the information processing apparatus having a function of operating image information, the method comprising the steps of:

sending second image information which represents the at least one element to the information processing apparatus, the amount of the second image information being smaller than that of the first image information;

acquiring result information representing an operation which is executed for the sent second image information on the information processing apparatus;

editing the first image information according to the acquired result information in an intermediate process where the first image information stored in the storage is expanded; and

sending the edited first image information in the compressed format to the information processing apparatus.

9. The image processing method according to

claim 8

, wherein the editing step includes a substep of executing at least one of a moving process, an enlargement process, a reduction process and a deletion process on the at least one elements to edit the first image information in the intermediate process.

10. The image processing method according to

claim 8

, wherein the editing step includes a substep of editing the first image information in the intermediate process according to the acquired result information such that one of the at least one element is superimposed on another of that when the first image information represents a plurality of elements.

11. An image processing method applied to an image processing apparatus having a communication unit for communicating with an information processing apparatus having a function of processing first image information and second image information in association with each other, both of the first image information and the second image information representing at least one element and the amount of the second image information being smaller than that of the first image information;

the method comprising the steps of;

receiving the second image information from the information processing apparatus via the communication unit;

displaying the received second image information on a given display device;

receiving an operation instruction for the displayed second image information;

processing the displayed second image information according to the operation instruction;

sending result information representing the processed and displayed second image information to the information processing apparatus;

receiving the first image information via the communication unit, which is edited according to the result information on the information processing apparatus; and

causing a given printing device to print the received first image information.

12. The image processing method according to

claim 11

, further comprising the steps of:

when the operation instruction includes adding process for adding additional information to the displayed second image information, saving the additional information; and

executing a superimpose process for the received first image information and the saved additional information, and

wherein the causing step includes a substep of causing the given printing device to print a result of the superimpose process.

13. An image information distributing method applied to a network system including a first image processing apparatus and a second image processing apparatus, the first image processing apparatus and the second image processing apparatus being interconnected each other, the first image processing apparatus storing first image information in a compressed format and second image information, both of the first image information and the second image information representing at least one element, the amount of the second image information being smaller than that of the first image information, the method comprising the steps of:

sending the second image information to the second image processing apparatus from the first image processing apparatus;

displaying the second image information on a given display device of the second image processing apparatus;

receiving an operation instruction for the displayed second image information in the second image processing apparatus;

processing the displayed second image information according to the operation instruction in the second image processing apparatus;

sending result information representing the processed and displayed second image information to the first image processing apparatus from the second image processing apparatus;

editing the first image information, in the first image processing apparatus, according to the result information in an intermediate process where the first image information stored in the storage is expanded;

sending the edited first image information in the compressed format to the second image processing apparatus from the first image processing apparatus; and

causing a given printing device of the second image processing apparatus to print the first image information sent from the first image processing apparatus.

14. The image information distributing method according to

claim 13

, wherein the network system includes other image processing apparatuses, and the edited first image information sending step includes a substep of broadcasting the first image information which is edited and composed to a plurality of desired information processing apparatuses of the second image processing apparatus and the other image processing apparatuses.

15. A storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the storage medium being applicable to a computer having a communication unit for communicating with an apparatus and a storage for storing first image information which represents at least one element in a compressed format therein, the apparatus having a function of operating image information, the computer readable program code means comprising:

computer readable program code means for sending second image information which represents the at least one element to the apparatus, the amount of the second image information being smaller than that of the first image information;

computer readable program code means for acquiring result information representing an operation which is executed for the sent second image information on the apparatus;

computer readable program code means for editing the first image information according to the acquired result information in an intermediate process where the first image information stored in the storage is expanded; and

computer readable program code means for sending the edited first image information in the compressed format to the apparatus.

16. A storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the storage medium being applicable to a computer having a communication unit for communicating with an apparatus having a function of processing first image information and second image information in association with each other, both of the first image information and the second image information representing at least one element, the amount of the second image information being smaller than that of the first image information, the computer readable program code means comprising:

computer readable program code means for receiving the second image information from the apparatus via the communication unit;

computer readable program code means for displaying the received second image information on a given display device;

computer readable program code means for receiving an operation instruction for the displayed second image information;

computer readable program code means for processing the displayed second image information according to the operation instruction;

computer readable program code means for sending result information representing the processed and displayed second image information to the apparatus;

computer readable program code means for receiving the first image information via the communication unit, which is edited according to the result information on the apparatus; and

computer readable program code means for causing a given printing device to print the received first image information.

17. A computer program operational on a computer having a communication unit for communicating with an apparatus and a storage for storing first image information which represents at least one element in a compressed format therein, the apparatus having a function of operating image information, the computer program comprising the steps of:

sending second image information which represents the at least one element to the apparatus, the amount of the second image information being smaller than that of the first image information;

acquiring result information representing an operation which is executed for the sent second image information on the apparatus;

editing the first image information according to the acquired result information in an intermediate process where the first image information stored in the storage is expanded; and

sending the edited first image information in the compressed format to the apparatus.

18. The computer program according to

claim 17

, wherein the computer program is stored in a computer readable storage medium.

19. A computer program operational on a computer having a communication unit for communicating with an apparatus having a function of processing first image information and second image information in association with each other, both of the first image information and the second image information representing at least one element, the amount of the second image information being smaller than that of the first image information, the computer program comprising the steps of:

receiving the second image information from the apparatus via the communication unit;

displaying the received second image information on a given display device;

receiving an operation instruction for the displayed second image information;

processing the displayed second image information according to the operation instruction;

sending result information representing the processed and displayed second image information to the apparatus;

receiving the first image information via the communication unit, which is edited according to the result information on the apparatus; and

causing a given printing device to print the received first image information.

20. The computer program according to

claim 19

, wherein the computer program is stored in a computer readable storage medium.

21. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a communication unit for communicating with an information processing apparatus having a function of operating image information;

a storage for storing first image information which represents at least one element; and

a controller for sending second image information which represents the at least one element to the information processing apparatus, the amount of the second image information being smaller than that of the first image information, acquiring result information representing an operation which is executed for the sent second image information on the information processing apparatus, editing the first image information according to the acquired result information, and sending the edited first image information to the information processing apparatus.

22. The image processing apparatus according to

claim 21

, wherein the result information represents identification of the at least one elements and each location thereof.

23. An image processing method applied to an image processing apparatus having a communication unit for communicating with an information processing apparatus and a storage for storing first image information which represents at least one element, the information processing apparatus having a function of operating image information, the method comprising the steps of:

sending second image information which represents the at least one element to the information processing apparatus, the amount of the second image information being smaller than that of the first image information;

acquiring result information representing an operation which is executed for the sent second image information on the information processing apparatus;

editing the first image information according to the acquired result information; and

sending the edited first image information to the information processing apparatus.

24. The image processing method according to

claim 23

, wherein the result information represents identification of the at least one elements and each location thereof.

25. An image information distributing method applied to a network system including a first image processing apparatus and a second image processing apparatus, the first image processing apparatus and the second image processing apparatus being interconnected each other, the first image processing apparatus storing first image information and second image information, both of the first image information and the second image information representing at least one element, the amount of the second image information being smaller than that of the first image information, the method comprising the steps of:

sending the second image information to the second image processing apparatus from the first image processing apparatus;

displaying the second image information on a given display device of the second image processing apparatus;

receiving an operation instruction for the displayed second image information in the second image processing apparatus;

processing the displayed second image information according to the operation instruction in the second image processing apparatus;

sending result information representing the processed and displayed second image information to the first image processing apparatus from the second image processing apparatus;

editing the first image information, in the first image processing apparatus, according to the result information;

sending the edited first image information to the second image processing apparatus from the first image processing apparatus; and

causing a given printing device of the second image processing apparatus to print the first image information sent from the first image processing apparatus.