Method, apparatus and recording medium for data transfer

• US 6,675,210 B1
• Filed: 08/17/1999
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Eiji, Takeo, Hideya
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US09/375,559
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

When image data comprising data at a plurality of levels, each having a different resolution, density resolution, and reproduced image quality, are transferred to a terminal, image data at a level appropriate for the terminal are easily transferred. At the time transfer of image data is requested by a terminal, if the name of the user of the terminal is input, transfer request information and name information is transferred to an image server via a network. In the image server, data at a level appropriate for the user are specified based on the name information and the data are transferred to the terminal which has requested the transfer. For example, when an image reading terminal requests image transfer, highest level data are transferred, while data at a level lower than the highest are transferred when a reference terminal requests the transfer.

Claims

1. A method of transferring image data from an image server storing image data comprising a plurality of levels to a plurality of terminals, at least two of the terminals comprising at least one of a CRT display, an LCD display, a projection display, and a plasma display connected to the image server, the method comprising:

obtaining information regarding a first terminal of the plurality of terminals;

transferring to the first terminal the image data at a level of resolution appropriate for the first terminal, based on the information regarding the first terminal;

obtaining information regarding a second terminal of the plurality of terminals; and

transferring to the second terminal the image data at a higher level of resolution than for the first terminal, based on the information regarding the second terminal.

3. A data transfer method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the information regarding the first terminal is information specific to the first terminal.

4. A data transfer method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the information regarding the first terminal is information regarding usage of the image data and input from the first terminal.

2. A method of transferring image data to a plurality of terminals, at least two of the terminals comprising at least one of a CRT display, an LCD, a projection display, and a plasma display, connected to an image server which comprises means for storing image data and converting a level of an image to be output, the method comprising:

obtaining information regarding a first terminal of the plurality of tenminals;

transferring to the first terminal the image data at a level of resolution appropriate for the terminal, based on the information regarding the terminal;

obtaining information regarding a second terminal of the plurality of terminals; and

transferring to the second terminal the image data at a higher level of resolution than for the first terminal, based on the information regarding the second terminal.

5. A method of transferring image data from an image server storing image data comprising a plurality of levels to a plurality of terminals, at least two of the terminals comprising at least one of a CRT display, an LCD, a projection display, and a plasma display connected to the image server, the method comprising:

obtaining information regarding a first terminal of the plurality of terminals;

transferring to the first terminal the image data at a level of resolution appropriate for the first terminal, based on the information obtained regarding the first terminal;

obtaining information regarding a second terminal of the plurality of terminals; and

transferring to the second terminal the image data at a higher level of resolution than for the first terminal, based on the information obtained regarding the second terminal,

wherein the information regarding the first terminal is information regarding a user of the first terminal input from the terminal.

6. An apparatus for transferring image data from an image server storing image data comprising a plurality of levels to a plurality of terminals, at least two of the terminals comprising at least one of a CRT display, an LCD, a projection display, and a plasma display, connected to the image server, the apparatus comprising:

terminal information obtaining means for obtaining information regarding a terminal of the plurality of terminals;

transfer means for transferring to a first terminal the image data at a level of resolution appropriate for the first terminal, based on the information obtained regarding the first terminal, and for transferring to a second terminal of the plurality of terminals the image data at a higher level of resolution than for the first terminal, based on the information obtained regarding the second terminal.

7. An apparatus for transferring image data to a plurality of terminals, at least two of the terminals comprising at least one of a CRT display, an LCD, a projection display, and a plasma display, connected to an image server which comprises means for storing image data and converting a level of an image to be output, the apparatus comprising:

terminal information obtaining means for obtaining information regarding a terminal of the plurality of terminals;

transfer means for transferring to the first terminal of the plurality of terminals the image data at a level of resolution appropriate for the first terminal, based on the information regarding the first terminal, and for transferring to a second terminal of the plurality of terminals the image data at a higher level of resolution than for the first terminal, based on the information obtained regarding the second terminal.

8. A computer readable recording medium storing a program to cause a computer to execute a method of transferring image data from an image server storing image data comprising a plurality of levels to a plurality of terminals, at least two of the terminals comprising at least one of a CRT, an LCD, a projection, and a plasma display, connected to the image server, the program comprising:

obtaining information regarding a first terminal of the plurality of terminals;

transferring to the first terminal the image data at a level of resolution appropriate for the terminal, based on the information regarding the terminal;

obtaining information regarding a second terminal of the plurality of terminals; and

transferring to the second terminal the image data at a higher level of resolution than for the first terminal, based on the information obtained regarding the second terminal.

9. A computer readable recording medium storing a program to cause a computer to execute a method of transferring image data to a terminal of a plurality of terminals, at least two of the terminals comprising at least one of a CRT display, an LCD, a projection display, and a plasma display, connected to an image server which comprises means for storing image data and converting a level of an image to be output, the program comprising:

obtaining information regarding a first terminal of the plurality of terminals; and

transferring to the first terminal the image data at a level of resolution appropriate for the first terminal, based on the information regarding the terminal;

obtaining information regarding a second terminal of the plurality of terminals; and

transferring to the second terminal the image data at a higher level of resolution than for the first terminal, based on the information obtained regarding the second terminal.

10. An image data transmission system comprising:

an image server storing image data at a plurality of levels of resolution;

a plurality of terminals, at least two of the terminals comprising at least one of a CRT display, an LCD, a projection display, and a plasma display, coupled by a network to the image server;

means for automatically obtaining information regarding each of said plurality of terminals via said network;

means for converting said image data to image data of a level of resolution appropriate for each terminal of said plurality of terminals based on the information obtained regarding each terminal of said plurality of terminals; and

means for transmitting to a first terminal of said plurality of terminals said image data at a level of resolution appropriate for the first terminal based on the information obtained regarding the first terminal, and for transmitting to a second terminal of said plurality of terminals the image data at a higher level of resolution than for the first terminal, based on the information obtained regarding the second terminal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the information obtained regarding the second terminal comprises information regarding a user of said terminal.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the information obtained regarding the second terminal comprises information regarding the configuration of said terminal.

13. An image data transmission system comprising:

an image server storing image data;

a plurality of terminals, at least two of the terminals comprising at least one of a CRT display, an LCD, a projection display, and a plasma display, coupled to the image server;

an information obtaining module, configured to obtain automatically terminal information regarding a terminal of said plurality of terminals;

a terminal information database configured to store information about each terminal, from which terminal information database the obtained terminal information is used to determine the appropriate level of resolution and density appropriate for said terminal;

a data conversion module configured to convert, prior to transfer, said image data to a level of resolution and density appropriate for said terminal; and

a data transfer module configured to transfer to a first terminal of said plurality of terminals said image data at a level of resolution and density appropriate for said first terminal, based on the information obtained regarding said terminal, and to transfer to a second terminal of said plurality of terminals the image data at a higher level of resolution than for the first terminal, based on the information obtained regarding the second terminal,

wherein image data at a high level of resolution and density are reversibly compressed and image data at a low level of resolution and density are irreversibly compressed.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the information obtained regarding the first terminal comprises information regarding a user of said first terminal.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the information obtained regarding the first terminal comprises information regarding the configuration of said first terminal.