Image and sound input-output control

• US 20050160197A1
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Shima, Toshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,451,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324

Abstract

A home gateway 30, input devices, output devices and a client are connected via a network LAN. Installed into the home gateway 30 is a server-side program 100 for performing control of input devices and output devices, edit of image, and provision of an interface window to the client 10. Once the user specifies the devices to be used for input-output of image through the client 10, the server-side program 100, according to this specification, imports the image from the input device, transfers to the output device and causes the image to be output. This enables input-output of image to be achieved without installing a device driver.

Claims

1. An input-output control device for performing input-output of audio-visual data between any of a plurality of devices, which perform input-output of said audio-visual data for reproducing image or sound, said input-output control device comprising:

an input-output unit for sending and receiving said audio-visual data and a command to and from individual functional units which are individually provided in order to operate the respective devices;

an instruction input unit for inputting a selection instruction for selecting individual functional unit respectively, which is to be used for one of a plurality of steps from input to output of said audio-visual data; and

an operation control unit for operating each of said selected individual functional units according to said plurality of steps and transferring said audio-visual data that is output from one individual functional unit to another individual functional unit to be used for a next step.

2. An input-output control device according to claim 1 wherein a part of the individual functional units, which is object of operation of said input-output unit, instruction input unit and operation control unit, performs edit of said audio-visual data.

3. An input-output control device according to claim 1,

wherein said instruction input unit also inputs operation instruction to specify an operation of said respective individual functional unit, and

said input-output unit transfers a command corresponding to said operation instruction to said individual functional unit.

4. An input-output control device according to claim 1,

wherein said instruction input unit specifies said individual functional unit in any order regardless of order of execution of respective steps.

5. An input-output control device according to claim 1,

wherein said instruction input unit performs said input via an interface window in which designations of the individual functional units for all of said respective steps are shown.

6. A Web server for performing input-output of audio-visual data between any of a plurality of devices, which perform input-output of said audio-visual data for reproducing image or sound, said Web server comprising:

an URL management unit for managing URLs of a plurality of applications to input said audio-visual data and a plurality of applications to output said audio-visual data;

an interface-providing unit for invoking said applications for input and for output by use of said URLs, combining HTML data generated by the respective applications, and providing Web page as interface window to instruct operations of the respective applications; and

an operation control unit for invoking the respective applications by use of said URLs according to instructions received via said interface window, acquiring said audio-visual data from one of said applications for input and transferring said audio-visual data to one of said applications for output.

7. A Web server according to claim 6,

wherein said HTML data includes a parameter specified by each application and a return link for linking to said application itself.

8. A Web server according to claim 6,

said interface-providing unit comprising an instruction input unit for inputting said instruction via an URL including information to specify application used for said input-output and information to specify operation of said application as parameters.

9. An application server for inputting, editing or outputting audio-visual data to reproduce image or sound, said application server comprising:

a setting-holding unit for holding contents of settings related to functions provided by said application server; and

an interface-generating unit for generating HTML data corresponding to said contents of settings in response to a request from a Web server which manages said application server.

10. An application server according to claim 9,

wherein said HTML data includes a parameter specified by said application and a return link to said applications itself, and

said setting-holding unit updates said contents of settings according to said parameter.

11. An application server according to claim 10 further comprising

a redirection unit for redirecting to said Web server after updating said contents of settings in response to a request based on said return link.

12. A recording medium recording a computer program to input-output of audio-visual data between any of a plurality of devices, which perform input-output of said audio-visual data for reproducing image or sound, said computer program causing a computer to achieve functions of:

sending and receiving said audio-visual data and a command to and from applications which are individually provided in order to operate the respective devices;

inputting a selection instruction for selecting application respectively, which is to be used for one of a plurality of steps from input to output of said audio-visual data; and

operating each of said selected applications according to said plurality of steps and transferring said audio-visual data that is output from one application to another application to be used for a next step.

13. A recording medium recording a computer program for using a Web server to achieve input-output of audio-visual data between any of a plurality of devices, which perform input-output of said audio-visual data for reproducing image or sound, said computer program causing said Web server to achieve functions of:

managing URLs of a plurality of applications to input said audio-visual data and a plurality of applications to output said audio-visual data;

invoking said applications for input and for output by use of said URLs, combining HTML data generated by the respective applications, and providing Web page as interface window to instruct operations of the respective applications; and

acquiring said audio-visual data from said one of applications for input and transferring said audio-visual data to one of said applications for output according to instructions made via said interface window.

14. A recording medium recording a computer program for using a server to input, edit or output audio-visual data used to reproduce image or sound, said computer program causing said server to achieve functions of:

holding contents of settings related to functions provided by said server; and

generating HTML data corresponding to said contents of settings in response to a request from another Web server.

15. An input-output control method for performing input-output of audio-visual data between any of a plurality of devices, which perform input-output of said audio-visual data for reproducing image or sound, said method comprising steps of:

sending and receiving said audio-visual data and a command to and from applications which are individually provided in order to operate the respective devices;

inputting a selection instruction for selecting application respectively, which is to be used for one of a plurality of steps from input to output of said audio-visual data; and

operating each of said selected applications according to said plurality of steps and transferring said audio-visual data that is output from one application to another application to be used for a next step.