Network-based system enabling image communications

• US 6,421,429 B1
• Filed: 03/18/1998
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Merritt, Andrew C., Rosen, Kenneth H.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US09/040,719
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.15, 379/100.13, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/100.08, 379/100.09, 379/93.08, 707/523, 707/526
• US Class Current: 379/93.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres

Abstract

A system is disclosed which enables a multitude of dissimilar end-system devices, appliances, and platforms to interchange image information. The inventive method utilizes a directory database of end-user profiles, a session manager, a conversion manager, individual conversation processors, a queuing database, and a store-and-forward file-folder database. The system accommodates pre-subscribed end-users as well as non-subscription users. The system handles both real-time and store-and-forward communications modes. The present invention may be practiced as either a one-node or a multi-node distributed architecture, scalable as required, and may be either network-based or premises-based, or a hybrid combination of these. Communications transport both into and out of the node(s) can range from voiceband telephone on analog circuits to high speed channel or fact-packet protocol communications modes.

Claims

1. A network-based method for communicating an image signal from a calling device to a called device via a network having a network image processing system, wherein said calling device and called device are each an arbitrary one of a plurality of device types, said method comprising the network image processing system executed steps of:

receiving at the network image processing system via the network a signal indicative of the image signal from said calling device which is coupled to the network via an arbitrary network connection type, said signal characterized by an arbitrary format and protocol from among multiple formats and protocols for representing and communicating the image signal, said multiple formats including at least a plurality of formats for a given image medium;

said network image processing system comparing characteristics of said image signal with image characteristic information of said called device, said called device coupled to the network via an arbitrary network connection type and using at least one arbitrary format and protocol from among said multiple formats and protocols for representing and communicating image signals, said multiple formats including at least a plurality of formats for a given image medium;

said network image processing system converting said image signal directly into a converted image signal compatible with said called device when said comparing step indicates that the characteristics of said image signal are different from said image characteristic information of said called device; and

said network image processing system communicating information via the network to said called device according to a communication protocol compatible with said called device, said information including said converted image signal when said converted image signal is generated in said converting step, said information including said image signal when said converted image is not generated in said converting step;

said network image processing system thereby selectively converting between arbitrary image formats from among the multiple image formats, and receiving and communicating the image signal between arbitrary device types via arbitrary respective network connection types according to respective arbitrary protocols from among the multiple protocols, and having the capability of converting to or from one of a plurality of formats for a given image medium.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said signal includes said image characteristic information of the called device, wherein said image characteristic information of the called device differs from the characteristics of said image signal, thereby providing for image format conversion of the image signal.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of communicating said converted image to said calling device according to a communication protocol information compatible with said calling device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said comparing step includes retrieving said characteristic information of said called device from a storage means included in said network image processing system.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said comparing step includes obtaining said characteristic information of said called device according to a communication initiated by said network image processing system with said called device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said comparing step includes obtaining said characteristic information of said called device from said signal.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein information indicating said communication protocol is contained on a storage means included in said network image processing system.

8. A network-based method for communicating an image from a source device to at least one destination device via a network having a network image processing system, wherein said source device and destination device are each an arbitrary one of a plurality of device types, said source device operative in selecting said at least one destination device, the method comprising the network image processing system executed steps of:

receiving at the network image processing system via the network a signal including information representing said image from said source device which is coupled to the network via an arbitrary network connection type, said signal characterized by an arbitrary format and protocol from among multiple formats and protocols for representing and communicating the image, said multiple formats including at least a plurality of formats for a given image medium;

said network image processing system processing said image directly into a processed image according to said signal, said processed image compatible with said at least one destination device and having an arbitrary format and protocol from among said multiple formats and protocols for representing and communicating image signals, said multiple formats including at least a plurality of formats for a given image medium; and

communicating said processed image via said network to said at least one destination device, each said at least one destination device coupled to the network via an arbitrary network connection type and using at least one arbitrary format and protocol from among said multiple formats and protocols for representing and communicating image signals;

said network image processing system thereby selectively converting between arbitrary image formats from among the multiple image formats, receiving and communicating the image signal between arbitrary device types via arbitrary respective network connection types according to respective arbitrary protocols from among the multiple protocols, and having the capability of converting to or from one of a plurality of formats for a given image medium.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said at least one destination device includes said source device.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of

signaling an information request to said source device; and

receiving a reply signal in response to said information request, said reply signal operative for selecting the type of said processing.

11. A network-based image processing system for communicating an image from a calling device to a called device via a network connected to said calling device and said called device and having a network image processing system, wherein said calling device and called device are each an arbitrary one of a plurality of device types, the network image processing system comprising:

means for storing called device information, called device information including image characteristic information of said called device;

means for receiving via the network a communication of said image from said calling device which is coupled to the network via an arbitrary network connection type, said communication characterized by an arbitrary format and protocol from among multiple formats and protocols for representing and communicating the image, said multiple formats including at least a plurality of formats for a given image medium;

means for comparing characteristics of said image with said called device information, said called device coupled to the network via an arbitrary network connection type and using at least one arbitrary format and protocol from among said multiple formats and protocols for representing and communicating images, said multiple formats including at least a plurality of formats for a given image medium;

means for processing said image directly into a processed image compatible with said called device in response to said comparing means;

means for communicating said processed image or said image via the network to said called device;

said network image processing system thereby selectively converting between arbitrary image formats from among the multiple image formats, and receiving and communicating the image between arbitrary device types via arbitrary respective network connection types according to respective arbitrary protocols from among the multiple protocols, and having the capability of converting to or from one of a plurality of formats for a given image medium.

12. The network-based image processing system of claim 11, wherein said called device is said calling device, and wherein said signal includes said characteristic information of the called device, said characteristic information including image format information which differs from image format information associated with the image received at the network image processing system from the calling device, thereby providing for image format conversion of the image and for return of the converted image to the calling device.

13. The network-based image processing system of claim 11, wherein said means for processing includes the function of format conversion.

14. The network-based image processing system of claim 11, wherein said means for processing includes the function of image compression.

15. The network-based image processing system of claim 11, wherein said means for processing includes the function of optical character recognition.

16. The network-based image processing system of claim 11, further comprising a means for storing said processed image.

17. The network-based image processing system of claim 16, further comprising a means for retrieval of said processed image by said called device.

18. A network-based method for communicating an image from a source device to a destination device via a network having a network image processing system, said method comprising the network image processing system executed steps of:

receiving at the network image processing system via the network a signal representative of the image from said source device, said signal characterized by an arbitrary format for representing the image;

said network image processing system determining a preferred format for communicating the image to said destination device, based on characteristics of said signal and image characteristic information of said destination device, said destination device capable of supporting and using a plurality of arbitrary formats for representing image information, said preferred format being one of said plurality of arbitrary formats supported by the destination device;

said network image processing system converting said signal into a converted signal representing said image and having said preferred format, said converting being executed when said preferred format is different from arbitrary format of said signal; and

said network image processing system communicating the image using said preferred format to said destination device, said image represented by said converted signal when the converted signal is generated in said converting step.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the format of said signal and the plurality of formats supported by the destination device are each an arbitrary format of an arbitrary one of a plurality of media, and said converting step is capable of converting between formats of different media and between different formats of the same medium.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein either said source device or said destination device is capable of initiating communication of said image from said source device to said destination device.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein said network is a public or private data network.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein said network is a public switched telephone network.

23. A network-based method for communicating an image from a source device to a destination device via a network having a network image processing system, said destination device supporting said method comprising the network image processing system executed steps of:

receiving at the network image processing system via the network a signal from said source or said destination device indicative of transferring the image from said source device to said destination device;

said network image processing system determining a first preferred format for said source device to send said image, based on information of one or more formats supported by said source device and on information of one or more formats supported by said destination device; and

said network image processing system communicating said first preferred format to said source device or to said destination device.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said network image processing system communicates said first preferred format to said source device, said first preferred format is supported by both said source and said destination device, and further comprising the step of said source device communicating directly to said destination device the image using said first preferred format.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein said network image processing system communicates said first preferred format to said source device, said first preferred format not being supported by said destination device, and further comprising the steps of:

said source device communicating to said network image processing system the image using said preferred format;

said network image processing system converting said image into a converted signal representing said image and having a second preferred format, said second preferred format being supported by said destination device and determined during said determining step; and

said network image processing system communicating the image using said second preferred format to said destination device.