Network system having plural multimedia servers for different types of data

• US 6,163,796 A
• Filed: 10/23/1997
• Issued: 12/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yokomizo, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US08/957,385
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.33, 395/200.49, 395/200.55, 395/200.53, 395/200.34, 395/200.54, 709/203, 709/219, 709/225, 709/223, 709/224, 709/217, 709/204
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

In order to provide a common access method to a plurality of servers, there is disclosed the following system. That is, when a client requests a service, the client issues a process script to a center server, and the center server executes protocol conversion and data conversion and accesses an existent server to be utilized in a language inherent thereto. The center server returns a final result from the existent server to the client.

Claims

1. A multimedia network system comprising:

a first, center server connected to a network, said first server having a first function for serving a first kind of data; and

a plurality of second servers, each second server having a respective second function, different from the first function of said first server and different from all others of the second functions, for serving respective kinds of data different from the first kind of data,

wherein said first server connects each said second server to a client connected to the network on the basis of a command issued by the client such that, for each said second server identified by the command, said second server executes a job on the basis of a process script to provide a job result, said first server combining the job results as a combined result and transmitting the combined result to the client.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said first server is a center server.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein one of said second servers is an optical character reader server.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein one of said second servers is a dynamic image server.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second servers have different access methods respectively.

6. A multimedia server which is constituted by connecting a plurality of function servers for executing different function processing operations to a plurality of clients via a network, each said function server serving a respective kind of data different from a kind of data served by any other of said function servers, comprising:

reception means for receiving a message including a predetermined process script issued by each of the clients; and

transfer means for interpreting the received message, executing respective communication protocol conversions of the message in correspondence with at least two of the function servers to provide respective converted process scripts, and combining each converted process script for the respective function server to form a combined result and transferring the combined result to a client via the network.

7. A server according to claim 6, wherein said reception means receives data associated with the process script.

8. A server according to claim 7, wherein said transfer means converts said data, and transfers the converted data to each of said function servers.

9. A server according to claim 7, wherein said data is dynamic image data.

10. A server according to claim 6, wherein said function servers include an optical character reader server.

11. A server according to claim 6, wherein said function servers include a dynamic image server.

12. A multimedia server which is constituted by connecting a plurality of function servers for executing different function processing operations to a plurality of clients via a network, each said function server serving a respective kind of data different from a kind of data served by any other of said function servers, said multimedia server comprising:

a communication line interface for connecting the clients;

reception means for receiving a message as a set of a predetermined process script and data issued by each of the clients; and

transfer means for interpreting the received message, executing respective communication protocol conversions of the message in correspondence with respective ones of the function servers to provide respective converted process scripts, and combining each converted process script for the respective function server to form a combined result and transferring the combined result to a client via the network.

13. A server according to claim 12, wherein said data is dynamic image data.

14. A server according to claim 12, wherein said function servers include an optical character reader server.

15. A server according to claim 12, wherein said function servers include a dynamic image server.