Information processing apparatus and method for displaying same shared data in different formats among different terminals

• US 6,466,955 B1
• Filed: 11/25/1996
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rakuten, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Abe, Toyoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Application Number:
  US08/755,353
• Time in Patent Office: 2,150 Days
• Field of Search: 395/788, 395/790, 395/791, 395/806, 395/329, 395/330, 395/331, 395/332, 395/340, 395/335, 345/329, 345/330, 345/331, 345/332, 345/340, 345/335, 345/302, 707/526, 707/528, 707/529
• US Class Current: 715/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191

Abstract

An information processing apparatus comprises a first terminal device and a plurality of second terminal devices. The first terminal device includes a data processing device for processing input information and outputting a data processing result, and a broadcast communication device for broadcasting the data processing result. Each second terminal device includes an input processing device for processing input a data and converting to input processing information that can be processed by the data processing device and a visualization processing device means for converting the data processing result transmitted by the broadcast communication device to a visualization information specified by a user. Additionally, the data processing device in the first terminal device processes the input processing information from the input processing device of the second terminal device. The broadcast communication device transmits the same processing result to visualization information conversion device in the other second terminal devices.

The respective visualization processing devices convert the processing result to visualization information formats set by the users for displaying the same data processing differently. the data processing result.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a broadcast communication means for broadcasting input processing information; and

a plurality of terminal devices each including;

an input processing means for processing data input to convert said data to said input processing information and outputting to said broadcast communication means;

a data processing device for receiving and processing said broadcasted input processing information;

a visualization processing means for converting said input processing information processed by the respective data processing device to a visualization information format, which includes a display in a form of table, bar graph, polygonal line graph, graph, and different language, specified by the respective terminal device,

wherein said input processing information from any of said input processing means of said terminal devices is broadcastable to each of said data processing devices via said broadcast communication means so that all targeted terminal devices process the same input processing information.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said visualization processing means converts said input processing information processed by said data processing device for displaying in different formats in the respective terminal devices.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said input processing means generates an additional information for addressing terminal devices to be broadcasted said input processing information and transmitting said additional information and said input processing information simultaneously to said broadcast communication means; and

said broadcast communication means transmits said input processing information to said data processing means in addressed terminal devices based on said additional information.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said terminal devices comprises:

an input means for inputting said data; and

a display means for displaying a visualized information based on said visualization information.

5. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a broadcast communication means for broadcasting input processing information; and

a plurality of terminal devices, each including;

an input means for inputting data;

an input processing means for processing said input data to convert said input data to said input processing information and for simultaneously generating additional information to address each terminal device targeted for receiving said input processing information, and outputting to said broadcast communication means;

a data processing device for receiving and processing said broadcasted input processing information;

a visualization processing means for converting said input processing information processed by the respective data processing device to a visualization information format, which includes a display in a form of table, bar graph, polygonal line graph, graph, and different language, specified by a user of the respective terminal device; and

a display means for displaying visualized information based on said visualization information format,

wherein said input processing information from any of said input processing means of said terminal devices is broadcastable to each of said data processing devices via said broadcast communication means so that all targeted terminal devices process the same input processing information.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein said visualization processing means converts said input processing information processed by said data processing device for displaying in different formats in the respective terminal devices.

7. A method for processing information comprising the steps of:

converting, in an input processing means of one of a plurality of terminal devices, data input thereto to input processing information that can be processed by each data processing device of said terminal devices and outputting said input processing information to a broadcast communication means;

generating in said one of said terminal devices additional information addressing each terminal device targeted for receiving said input processing information from said one of said terminal devices and outputting to said broadcast communication means;

broadcasting said input processing information and the additional information to the data processing device of each targeted terminal device so that all targeted terminal devices process the same input processing information;

converting in each targeted terminal device said broadcasted input processing information processed by said data processing device to a visualization information format, which includes a display in a form of table, bar graph, polygonal line graph, graph, and different languages, specified by a user of each targeted terminal device.

8. The method for processing information of claim 7, further comprising a step of generating an additional information for addressing terminal devices to be broadcasted said input processing information in said (a) step.

9. The method for processing information of claim 7, further comprising a step of inputting data in said (a) step.

10. The method for processing information of claim 7, wherein said (e) step and said (f) step are steps of converting said data processing result to information for displaying it in different expressive forms in respective terminal devices.

11. The method for processing information of claim 7, further comprising:

(g) a step of displaying a visualized information based on said visualization information in said first terminal device; and

(h) a step of displaying a visualized information based on said visualization information in each of said plurality of second terminal devices.

13. The method for processing information of claim 11, wherein said (i) step and said (j) step are steps of converting said data processing result to information for displaying it in different expressive forms in respective terminal devices.

12. A method for processing information comprising the steps of:

inputting data in one of a plurality of terminal devices;

converting, in an input processing means of the respective terminal device, said input data to predetermined input processing information that can be processed by each data processing device of said terminal devices and outputting said input processing information to a broadcast communication means;

generating in said one of said terminal devices additional information addressing at least two of said terminal devices targeted for receiving said predetermined input processing information from said one of said terminal devices and outputting to said broadcast communication means;

broadcasting via said broadcast communication means said input processing information and the additional information to the data processing device of each of the targeted terminal devices so that all of the targeted terminal devices process the same input processing information;

converting in each of said targeted terminal devices said input processing information processed by said data processing device to a visualization information format, which includes a display in a form of table, bar graph, polygonal line graph, graph, and different language, specified by each of said targeted terminal devices; and

displaying in each of said targeted terminal devices visualized information based on said visualization information format of each of said targeted terminal devices.