Client server system

• US 20060256376A1
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirooka, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,924,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25825 involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

A client server system S includes a plurality of client terminal devices 3 capable to connect with display device 4, whose screen resolution is HD or SD, and a server device which provides image information to the plurality of client terminal devices s through wireless network N. The server device 1 is structured to include a sendable resolution determining program 1134 to make CPU 111 determine whether to convert HD image information into SD image information or not, and an image information sending program 1135 to make the CPU 111 send SD image information attached with SD information to the plurality of client terminal devices 3.

Claims

1. A client server system comprising:

a server device which provides image information to a plurality of client terminal devices through wireless network, further comprising;

a storage section to store a screen resolution of display devices connected to the plurality of client terminal devices in association with identification information to identify the plurality of client terminal devices;

a storage control section to store the screen resolution and the identification information sent from the plurality of client terminal devices in the storage section with association with each other;

a receiving section to receive the identification information of the plurality of client terminal devices along with a request to send the same image information and from at least one of the plurality of client terminal devices;

an obtaining section to obtain first image information of a first resolution corresponding to the request to send image information received at the receiving section;

a determining section to determine whether there is a client terminal device which connects a display device with a second resolution, among the at least one of the plurality of client terminal devices that were received by the receiving section, according to the identification information of the at least one of the plurality of client terminal device received by the receiving section and the identification information stored in the storage section;

a server resolution conversion section to convert the first image information of the first resolution obtained by the obtaining section, into second image information of the second resolution, in case it is determined that there is a client terminal device which connects a display device with the second resolution, among the at least one of the plurality of client terminal devices that were received by the receiving section according to the determining section; and

an image information sending section to attach resolution information, that indicates that the resolution of the second image information is the second resolution, to the second image information of the second resolution that was converted by the server resolution conversion section, and to send it to the at least one of the plurality of client terminal devices, and

the plurality of client terminal devices further comprising;

a setting section to set a screen resolution of the display devices connected to the plurality of client terminal devices;

a screen resolution sending section to send the screen resolution set by the setting section and identification information of the plurality of client terminal devices to the server device;

a client resolution conversion section to convert the second image information attached with the resolution information that was sent from the image information sending section, so as to comply with the screen resolution of the display device connected to the plurality of client terminal devices, according to the resolution information; and

a display control section to display an image information converted by the client resolution conversion section on the display device,

wherein the plurality of client terminal devices are capable to connect with a first display device with screen resolution of the first resolution, or the second display device with screen resolution of the second resolution, which has lower resolution than the first resolution.

2. A client server system comprising:

a server device which provides image information to a plurality of client terminal devices through wireless network, further comprising;

a receiving section to receive the identification information of the plurality of client terminal devices along with a request to send the same image information and from at least one of the plurality of client terminal devices;

an obtaining section to obtain first image information of a first resolution corresponding to the request to send image information received at the receiving section;

a second determining section to determine whether the first image information of the first resolution obtained by the obtaining section should be converted into second image information of the second resolution;

a server resolution conversion section to convert the first image information of the first resolution obtained by the obtaining section, into second image information of the second resolution, in case it is determined that the first image information of the first resolution obtained by the obtaining section should be converted into second image information of the second resolution according to the second determining section; and

an image information sending section to attach resolution information, that indicates that the resolution of the second image information is the second resolution, to the second image information of the second resolution that was converted by the server resolution conversion section, and to send it to the at least one of the plurality of client terminal devices, and

the plurality of client terminal devices further comprising;

a client resolution conversion section to convert the second image information attached with the resolution information that was sent from the image information sending section, so as to comply with the screen resolution of the display device connected to the plurality of client terminal devices, according to the resolution information; and

a display control section to display an image information converted by the client resolution conversion section on the display device,

wherein the plurality of client terminal devices are capable to connect with a first display device with screen resolution of the first resolution, or the second display device with screen resolution of the second resolution, which has lower resolution than the first resolution.

3. The client server system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a storage section to store a screen resolution of display devices connected to the plurality of client terminal devices in association with identification information to identify the plurality of client terminal devices, wherein the second determining section;

determines whether there is a client terminal device which connects a display device with screen resolution of a second resolution, among the at least one of the plurality of client terminal devices that were received by the receiving section, according to the identification information of the at least one of the plurality of client terminal device received by the receiving section and the identification information stored in the storage section; and

determines that the first image information of the first resolution obtained by the obtaining section, should be converted-into second image information of the second resolution, in case it is determined that there is a client terminal device which connects a display device with the second resolution, among the at least one of the plurality of client terminal devices that were received by the receiving section according to the determining section.