Image data transmission system, process and program, image data output device and image display device

• US 20070088780A1
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Sato, Minoru, Kubota, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 7,293,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00222 details of image data generation or reproduction, e.g. scan-to-email or network printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00233 details of image data reproduction, e.g. network printing or remote image display using an image reproducing device as a local output from a computer H04N1/00238; digital output from computer to printer unit G06F3/12
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00249 with a photographic apparatus, e.g. a photographic printer or a projector photographic apparatus per se G03B, G03D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32765 Initiating a communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32767 in response to a user operation, e.g. actuating a switch H04N1/32769 and H04N1/32771 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32786 Ending a communication H04N1/32614 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0089 Image display device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 of an address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display

Abstract

There has been a problem of necessitating a complicated work for establishing a connection capable of intercommunication between a computer as server and a projector as client.

When a connection is established between a server 20 and projectors 301 through 30n, a communication command is issued according to UDP-based broadcasting to retrieve connectable projectors 301 through 303. Thereafter, the projector 301 to be connected is selected and is assigned an IP address to establish the connection. In this manner, a user can easily obtain a connection environment capable of intercommunication between the server 20 and the projector 301. A TCP/IP communication command is used to input or output image data, ensuring reliable transmission. Since the authentication can be provided using a keyword projected during the connection establishment, it is possible to prevent an unauthorized access to the projector 301 by an outsider.

Claims

1. An image data transmission system which connects a server with a plurality of clients on an intercommunicable network and allows the server to output and display image data on the clients,

wherein the server comprises:

a client retrieval unit for outputting a retrieval command to request a response including connectability to any of the clients on the network and for retrieving connectable clients based on a response to the retrieval command;

a client connection establishment unit for outputting a connection command to a specific client intended for connection out of the retrieved connectable clients to request a response including information needed for connection and for establishing connection with the specific client based on information needed for connection and included in the response; and

an image data output unit for outputting image data to the connected client, and

wherein each of the clients comprises;

a retrieval response output unit for, when the connection is available, outputting a response including connectability to a retrieval command output from the client retrieval unit;

a server connection establishment unit for, when a connection command output from the client connection establishment unit is input, outputting a response including information needed for connection to the connection command and establishing connection with the server corresponding to the information;

an image data input unit for inputting image data output from the connected server; and

an image display unit for displaying an image based on image data input from the image data input unit.

2. The image data transmission system according to claim 1,

wherein the client connection establishment unit allows the connection command to contain a keyword specified by the client and establishes the connection with the client when it is possible to obtain a response to the connection command containing the keyword, and

wherein the server connection establishment unit has a keyword determination unit for determining a match between the keyword contained in the connection command for transmission and a keyword specified by the client and, when the keyword determination unit determines a match between the keywords, outputs the response to the client connection establishment unit to establish the connection with the server.

3. The image data transmission system according to claim 1, wherein a wireless network is formed to connect the server and the client in an intercommunicable manner.

4. The image data transmission system according to claim 1, wherein a wired network is formed to connect the server and the client in an intercommunicable manner.

5. The image data transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the client retrieval unit has a list screen display unit for displaying a list screen of clients responded to the retrieval command and a client selection unit for selecting a client to be connected out of the list screen displayed by the list screen display unit.

6. The image data transmission system according to claim 2, wherein the client has a keyword specification unit for specifying the keyword by generating it based on a random number.

7. The image data transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the client retrieval unit and the retrieval response output unit use a UDP-based broadcast to output the retrieval command to unspecified clients and a response to the retrieval command.

8. The image data transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the client connection establishment unit and the server connection establishment unit establish the connection between the client and the server based on TCP/IP.

9. The image data transmission system according to claim 8, wherein the server connection establishment unit has an IP address setting unit for, when the TCP/IP is used to establish the connection, retrieving and setting an available IP address.

10. The image data transmission system according to claim 8, wherein the client connection establishment unit has a IP address notification unit for, when the TCP/IP is used to establish the connection, setting an available IP address by notifying it to the server connection establishment unit.

11. The image data transmission system according to claim 10, wherein the server has an IP address setting selection screen display unit for displaying an IP address setting selection screen and a selection result acquisition unit for obtaining the selection result, and wherein the IP address setting selection screen is used to select whether the IP address setting unit or the IP address notification unit should allow the server connection establishment unit to set an IP address.

12. The image data transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the server has a server image display unit for displaying specified images, and wherein the image data output unit outputs image data to the client in which case the image data forms an image displayed by the server image display unit.

13. The image data transmission system according to claim 12, wherein the image data output unit has an image state determination unit for periodically determining a degree of state changes in an image displayed on the server image display unit and, when the image state determination unit determines a change in an image state, outputs the image data to the client.

14. The image data transmission system according to claim 13, wherein the image data output unit obtains image data corresponding to a changed part in the image and outputs the obtained image data to the client.

15. The image data transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the image data output unit has an image data encryption unit for encrypting the image data to be output;

and wherein the image data input unit has an image data decryption unit for decrypting image data encrypted by the image data encryption unit.

16. The image data transmission system according to claim 15, wherein the image data encryption unit has an encryption selection screen display unit for displaying an encryption selection screen capable of selecting whether or not to encrypt the image data to be output and, when the encryption selection screen display unit selects execution of the encryption, encrypts the image data.

17. The image data transmission system according to claim 6, wherein the image display unit uses a visually identifiable image to display a keyword specified by the keyword specification unit.

18. The image data transmission system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the clients is formed by a projector;

and wherein the image display unit comprises an image projection unit for projecting the image.

19. An image data transmission method of connecting a server and a plurality of clients via a network capable of intercommunication and outputting image data from the server to the clients for display,

wherein the server executes:

a client retrieval step of outputting a retrieval command to request a response including connectability to any of the clients on the network and for retrieving connectable clients based on a response to the retrieval command;

a client connection establishment step of outputting a connection command to a specific client intended for connection out of the retrieved connectable clients to request a response including information needed for connection and of establishing connection with the specific client based on information needed for connection and included in the response; and

an image data output step of outputting image data to the connected client, and

wherein each of the clients executes;

a retrieval response output step of, when the connection is available, outputting a response including connectability to a retrieval command output at the client retrieval step;

a server connection establishment step of, when a connection command output at the client connection establishment step is input, outputting a response including information needed for connection to the connection command and establishing connection with the server corresponding to the information;

an image data input step of inputting image data output from the connected server; and

an image display step of displaying an image based on image data input at the image data input step.

20. An image data transmission program to enable a computer to implement a function of connecting a server and a plurality of clients via a network capable of intercommunication and outputting image data from the server to the clients for display,

wherein the server implements:

a client retrieval function of outputting a retrieval command to request a response including connectability to any of the clients on the network and for retrieving connectable clients based on a response to the retrieval command;

a client connection establishment function of outputting a connection command to a specific client intended for connection out of the retrieved connectable clients to request a response including information needed for connection and of establishing connection with the specific client based on information needed for connection and included in the response; and

an image data output function of outputting image data to the connected client, and

wherein each of the clients implements;

a retrieval response output function of, when the connection is available, outputting a response including connectability to a retrieval command output by the client retrieval function;

a server connection establishment function of, when a connection command output by the client connection establishment function is input, outputting a response including information needed for connection to the connection command and establishing connection with the server corresponding to the information;

an image data input function of inputting image data output from the connected server; and

an image display function of displaying an image based on image data input by the image data input function.

21. An image data output device to be able to connect with a plurality of clients via a network capable of intercommunication and to output displayable image data to the clients, the device comprising:

a client retrieval unit for outputting a retrieval command to request a response including connectability to any of the clients on the network and for retrieving connectable clients based on a response to the retrieval command;

a client connection establishment unit for outputting a connection command to a specific client intended for connection out of the retrieved connectable clients to request a response including information needed for connection and for establishing connection with the specific client based on information needed for connection and included in the response; and

an image data output unit for outputting image data to the connected client.

22. An image display device to be able to connect with a server via a network capable of intercommunication and provides display based on image data output from the server, the device comprising:

a retrieval response output unit for, when the connection is available, outputting a response including connectability to a retrieval command which is output from the server to unspecified clients and requests a response including connectability;

a server connection establishment unit for, when a connection command output from the server is input, outputting a response including information needed for connection to the connection command and establishing connection with the server corresponding to the information;

an image data input unit for inputting image data output from the connected server; and

an image display unit for displaying an image based on image data input from the image data input unit.