Server apparatus and a data communications system
First Claim
1. A server apparatus capable of outputting an image data and a sound data via a network in response to a request made by a client terminal, the server apparatus comprising:
- a sound input section, to which a sound input device which converts a sound to a sound signal is to connectable;
a sound processor, connected to the sound input section, said sound processor converting the sound signal to a sound data;
a sound output section, which transmits the sound data to the client terminal via the network;
a connection detector, which detects whether the sound input device is connected to the sound input section; and
a controller, which controls transmission of sound data in the sound output section based on the detection result of the connection detector.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention aims at providing server apparatus capable of outputting image data and sound data thereby deactivating sound transmission at a low cost and with ease. That is, a sound input device (microphone) for converting sound to a sound signal is made detachable. A connection detector for detecting whether this sound input device (microphone) is connected is provided. In case the sound input device is connected to a sound input section, the sound transmission function is automatically controlled into the operating state. In case the sound input device is not connected, the sound transmission function is automatically controlled into the non-operating state. Thus, only a simple procedure of removing the sound input device from the sound input section is needed to deactivate sound transmission. This allows switching between activation and deactivation of sound transmission at a low cost.
Useless sound data (null data) is not transmitted when the sound input device is not connected. This allows efficient use of communications lines.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A server apparatus capable of outputting an image data and a sound data via a network in response to a request made by a client terminal, the server apparatus comprising:
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a sound input section, to which a sound input device which converts a sound to a sound signal is to connectable;
a sound processor, connected to the sound input section, said sound processor converting the sound signal to a sound data;
a sound output section, which transmits the sound data to the client terminal via the network;
a connection detector, which detects whether the sound input device is connected to the sound input section; and
a controller, which controls transmission of sound data in the sound output section based on the detection result of the connection detector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 15)
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7. A server apparatus capable of outputting an image data and a sound data via a network in response to a request made by a client terminal, the server apparatus comprising:
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a sound input section, to which a sound input device which converts a sound to a sound signal is connectable;
a sound processor, connected to the sound input section, the sound processor converting the sound signal to a sound data;
a sound output section, which transmits the sound data to the client terminal via the network;
a connection detector, which detects whether the sound input device is connected to the sound input section; and
a controller, which controls transmission of sound data in the sound output section based on the detection result of the connection detector and which controls the display of a client terminal to provide the information that sound output is unavailable in case that the connection detector has detected that the sound input device is not connected.
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8. A server apparatus capable of outputting an image data and a sound data via a network in response to a request made by a client terminal, the server apparatus comprising:
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a sound input section to which a sound input device converting a sound to a sound signal is connectable;
a sound processor, connected to the sound input section, the sound processor converting the sound signal to sound data;
a sound output section, which transmits the sound data to the client terminal via said network;
a connection detector, which detects whether the sound input device is connected to the sound input section;
a camera;
an image data generator, which converts an image shot with the camera section to image data;
an HTML generator, which generates a web page described in HTML as data for generating display contents;
an interface, which performs communications control; and
a controller, which transmits the image data to a client terminal via the interface in response to a request from the browser of the external client terminal and controls transmission of sound data in the sound output section based on the detection result of the connection detector. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A program functioning on a computer available as a client terminal, the program causing the computer to serve as:
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transmission means, which transmits a command to request a sound data to server apparatus via a network;
sound output means, which outputs to a sound regenerator the sound data received from said server apparatus; and
display control means, which controls a display to provide the information that sound output is unavailable on a response that sound data cannot be transmitted from said server apparatus after said command was transmitted.
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13. A program functioning on a computer available as a client terminal, the program causing the computer to serve as:
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transmission means, which transmits a command to request sound data to server apparatus via a network;
sound output means, which outputs to a sound regenerator the sound data received from said server apparatus; and
display control means, which controls a display to provide the information that sound output is unavailable in case said sound data is not received for a predetermined time.
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14. A program functioning on a computer available as a client terminal, the program causing the computer to serve as:
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transmission means, which transmits a command to request sound data to server apparatus via a network;
sound data storage means, which stores sound data received from said server apparatus into a sound buffer;
sound output means, which outputs to a sound regenerator the sound data received from said server apparatus; and
sound buffer control means, which changes the capacity of said sound buffer.
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16. A data transmission method whereby server apparatus transmits sound data to a client terminal via a network, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining, by the server apparatus, whether a sound input device is connected to the server apparatus;
transmitting, by the server apparatus, sound data in response to a request from said client terminal on determining that the sound input device is connected; and
transmitting, by the server apparatus, a response that the sound input device is not connected to said client terminal on determining that the sound input device is not connected.
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17. A data processing method which processes sound data a client terminal has received from server apparatus via a network, the method comprising the steps of:
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regenerating the sound data in case said client terminal has received the sound data; and
displaying the information that sound output is unavailable in case the client terminal has not received the sound data for a predetermine time.
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Specification