Image Communication System

• US 20070201108A1
• Filed: 05/04/2007
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hiroshi Tanaka
• Original Assignee: Hiroshi Tanaka
• Inventors: TANAKA, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US11/744,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20070201108A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/473
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00281 with a telecommunication apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, a selective call terminal details of transmission H04N1/00095; establishing a communication with one of a facsimile machine or another apparatus sharing a single line H04N1/32704; interfacing cordless telephone terminals with an accessory to increase the functionality of user interface H04M1/72409
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3288 Storage of two or more complete document pages or image frames

Abstract

Transmission and receiving of image data recorded on a digital still camera to and from a server are controlled by a portable telephone set. At the time of transmission, communication between the portable telephone set and the digital still camera and communication between the portable telephone set and the server are established. A reading command is issued from the portable telephone set to the camera. Image data are transmitted in packet units to the portable telephone set from the camera in response to the reading command. The image data is transmitted to the server from the portable telephone set. At the time of receiving, when the communication is established, all image data are transmitted to the portable telephone set from the server. All the image data are transmitted to the camera from the portable telephone set and are recorded in the camera. It is possible to control the transmission and receiving of the image data by the portable telephone set.

Claims

1. A method of controlling operations in a server and an image communication system comprising an image processor, a portable telephone set arranged separately from and capable of establishing data communication with said image processor, said server and said portable telephone set being capable of establishing data communication with each other, image data representing an image being stored in said server, and image list data representing an image list of the stored image or thumb-nail image list data representing a thumb-nail image of the stored image being kept in said server, comprising the steps of:

transmitting the kept image list data or thumb-nail image list data from said server to said portable telephone set after communication between them has been established, and receiving the transmitted image list data or thumb-nail image list data in said portable telephone set;

displaying an image list represented by the received image list data or a thumb-nail image list represented by the received thumb-nail image list data and accepting an image identification selected in the displayed image list or the thumb-nail image list in said portable telephone set;

transmitting the accepted image identification to said server from said portable telephone set and receiving the image identification in said server;

transmitting image data of the image identified by the received image identification to said portable telephone set from said server, and receiving the transmitted image data in the portable telephone set; and

further transmitting the received image data to said image processor from said portable telephone set after communication between them has been established.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

confirming that remaining capacity of said image processor is larger than the amount of the image data transmitted or to be transmitted from said server in said portable telephone set; and

upon confirmation, transmitting the received image data to said image processor from said portable telephone set.

3. A portable telephone set capable of establishing data communication with a server which stores image data representing an image and holds image list data representing an image list of the stored image data or thumb-nail image list data representing the thumb-nail image of the stored image, comprising:

list request means for transmitting a list request to said server;

list receiving means for receiving image list data or thumb-nail image list data transmitting from said server in response to the list request transmitted by said list request means;

a display device for displaying an image list represented by the image list data or a thumb-nail image list represented by the thumb-nail image list data which has been received by said list receiving means;

selection means for selecting an image identification in the image list or the thumb-nail image list displayed in said display device;

image request means for transmitting an image request including the selected image identification to said server; and

image receiving means for receiving image data identified by the image identification and transmitted from said server.

4. The portable telephone set according to claim 3, further comprising image transmitting means for transmitting image data received by said image receiving means to sand image processor.

5. The portable telephone set according to claim 4, further comprising determination means for determining whether a remaining capacity of said image processor is larger than the amount of the image data to be transmitted from said server, wherein said image receiving means receives image data from said server when it is determined that the remaining capacity of said image processor is larger than the amount of the image data to be transmitted from said server.