Still picture transmitting system

• US 5,363,203 A
• Filed: 06/26/1992
• Issued: 11/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Baba, Yasuyuki, Yamamoto, Tetsuya, Tahara, Tomonori, Koyanagi, Hideki, Uchida, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US07/904,578
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 358/10, 358/500, 358/501, 358/524, 358/335, 358/400, 358/401, 358/403, 358/404, 358/442, 358/468, 358/479, 395/100, 395/101, 395/106, 395/114, 395/115, 395/116, 395/117, 395/200, 395/325, 395/425, 379/90, 379/100
• US Class Current: 358/403
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/217 Interfaces allowing access to a single user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32782 using a tone- or pulse-coded request
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A system for transmitting still picture data between a first still picture transmitter with a display device and a keyboard disposed on one panel, and a second still picture transmitter with a display device and a keyboard disposed separately. The second still picture transmitter comprises memory means for storing a plurality of still picture files with individual file names, and transfer means for transmitting or receiving the still pictures and the file names. The first still picture transmitter further comprises control means for reading out the data of the file names from the memory means via the transfer means of the second still picture transmitter.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting still picture data between a first still picture transmitter with a display device and a keyboard disposed on one panel, and a second still picture transmitter with a display device and a keyboard disposed separately comprising:

memory means for storing a plurality of still picture files with individual file names;

transfer means for transmitting or receiving the still picture files and the file names therethrough, said memory means and said transfer means adapted to form part of said second still picture transmitter; and

control means adapted to form part of said first still picture transmitter for reading out data of said still picture files from said memory means via the transfer means of said second still picture transmitter.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard of said first still picture transmitter further comprises:

ten keys to each of which one numeral and a predetermined number of alphabetic letters are allocated; and

character code output means for outputting, in response to a depression of one of said ten keys, a code signal representative of the numeral or the alphabetic letter allocated thereto.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard of said first still picture transmitter further comprise:

a key to which a plurality of symbols are allocated; and

character code output means for sequentially outputting the allocated symbols in response to depressions of said key.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first still picture transmitter further comprises file name memory means for storing a predetermined number of said file names read out sequentially from said memory means forming part of said second still picture transmitter.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said memory means further comprises a still picture file unit.

6. A system for transmitting still picture data between a first still picture transmitter with a display device and a keyboard disposed on one panel, and a second still picture transmitter with a display device and a keyboard disposed separately comprising:

memory means for storing a plurality of still picture files with individual file names;

transfer means for transmitting or receiving the still picture files and the file names therethrough, said memory means and said transfer means adapted to form part of said second still picture transmitter;

set means for setting a retrieval condition of the file name, said set means adapted to be part of said first still picture transmitter; and

control means adapted to form part of said first still picture transmitter for reading out data representing a file satisfying said retrieval condition set by said set means, from said memory means via the transfer means forming part of said second still picture transmitter.

7. A system for transmitting still picture data between a first still picture transmitter with a display device and a keyboard disposed on one panel, and a second still picture transmitter with a display device and a keyboard disposed separately comprising:

memory means for storing a plurality of still picture files with individual file names;

transfer means for transmitting or receiving the still picture files and the file names therethrough, said memory means and said transfer means adapted to form part of said second still picture transmitter;

input means for inputting the file names, said input means adapted to form part of said fist still picture transmitter; and

control means adapted to form part of said first still picture transmitter for reading out data representing a still picture corresponding to the input file name, from said memory means via the transfer means forming part of said second still picture transmitter.

8. A system for transmitting still picture data between a first still picture transmitter with a display device and a keyboard disposed on one panel, and a second still picture transmitter with a display device and a keyboard disposed separately comprising:

memory means for storing a plurality of still picture files with a respective plurality of individual file names;

transfer means for transmitting or receiving the still picture files and the file names therethrough, said memory means and said transfer means adapted to form part of said second still picture transmitter;

file name memory means for storing a plurality of file names, said file name memory means adapted to form part of said first still picture transmitter; and

control means adapted to form part of said first still picture transmitter for reading out data representing still pictures corresponding respectively to said plurality of file names stored in said file name memory means, from said memory means via the transfer means of said second still picture transmitter.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said first still picture transmitter further comprises:

designating means for designating a desired one of said plurality of file names stored in said file name memory means; and

said control means being further adapted to read out the data representing the still picture corresponding to the file name designated by said designating means, from said memory means via the transfer means forming part of said second still picture transmitter.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein said first and second still picture transmitters are mutually connected via a telephone line.