Image communication system

• US 6,750,830 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2000
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Teshima, Atsushi, Haneda, Norihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): DHARIA, PRABODH M
• Application Number:
  US09/616,673
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 345/145, 345/158, 345/1.3, 345/156, 345/183, 345/864, 358/1.15, 358/1.14, 358/434, 358/437, 358/442, 710/17, 710/19, 700/83
• US Class Current: 345/1.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

In a user device which permits access to a server, an image suitable for the user device is displayed. Various user devices such as a portable telephone set, a personal digital assistant, a notebook personal computer, and a personal computer permit access to the server. The server stores data representing an image suitable for each of the devices. The data representing the image suitable for the user device which has accessed the server is read out of the server. Data representing the image read out is transmitted to the user device from the server. In the user device, the data is received, and an image suitable for the user device is displayed.

Claims

1. An image communication system comprising an image transmitting apparatus and an image receiving apparatus which can establish data communication with each other, wherein

said image receiving apparatus comprises

a device information transmission device for transmitting to said image transmitting apparatus information relating to said image receiving apparatus, and

said image transmitting apparatus comprises

a device information receiving device for receiving information relating to said image receiving apparatus which has been transmitted from said device information transmission device in said image receiving apparatus, and

an image data transmission device for transmitting to said image receiving apparatus image data representing an image having a display format suitable for said image receiving apparatus on the basis of the information relating to the image receiving apparatus which has been received by said device information receiving device,

wherein said received information comprises information about a type of browser installed in said image receiving apparatus and at least one of a number of colors displayable on a display of said image receiving apparatus, and a size of a displayable image.

2. The image a communication system according to claim 1, wherein

said device information transmission device in said image receiving apparatus transmits to said image transmitting apparatus at least one of the type of said image receiving apparatus, information relating to display on the display device, and information relating to software for the display of an image which is installed in said image receiving apparatus.

3. The image communication system according to claim 2, wherein said type comprises at least one of a portable telephone, a portable information terminal, a notebook computer, and a personal computer, and

wherein said information relating to display on the display device comprises at least one of a size of a display screen and a number of colors which can be displayed.

4. The image communication system according to claim 1, wherein

said image transmitting apparatus further comprises a storage device for storing image data having a plurality of different display formats, and

said image data transmission device transmits to said image receiving apparatus image data representing the image having the display format suitable for said image receiving apparatus from said storage device on the basis of the information relating to the image receiving apparatus which has been received by said device information receiving device.

5. The image communication system according to claim 1, wherein

said image data transmission device in said image transmitting apparatus transmits to said image receiving apparatus edit image data representing an edit image having a plurality of display items including an image and a sentence.

6. The image communication system according to claim 5, wherein

said image receiving apparatus further comprises

a setting device for setting at least one of the layout and said display items of said edit image, and

a set information transmission device for transmitting to said image transmitting apparatus information set by said setting device, and

said image transmitting apparatus comprises

a set information receiving device for receiving the set information which has been transmitted from said set information transmission device in said image receiving apparatus, and

a determination device for determining at least one of the layout and the display items of the edit image represented by said edit image data on the basis of the set information which has been received by said set information receiving device.

7. The image communication system according to claim 6, wherein

said setting device in said image receiving apparatus is at least one of means for performing the setting so as to collectively edit the whole of said edit image and means for performing the setting so as to edit a part of said edit image.

8. The image communication system according to claim 6, wherein

the image data representing images corresponding to a plurality of frames are transmitted to said image receiving apparatus from said image transmitting apparatus, said image receiving apparatus further comprises an edit image designation device for designating said edit image having the layout and said display items at least one of which should be set by said setting device, and

said setting device sets at least one of said layout and said display items of the edit image designated by said edit image designation device.

9. The image communication system according to claim 5, wherein said image transmitting apparatus further comprises:

plural image data storage devices storing a plurality of image data representing images composing said edit image in different data amounts, and

a production device for producing said edit image using the image represented by any one of the image data stored in said plural image data storage devices.

10. The image communication system according to claim 1, wherein

said image receiving apparatus further comprises

a selection device for selecting the image first displayed when said image receiving apparatus and said image transmitting apparatus are formally connected to each other, and

a selected image transmission device for transmitting to said image transmitting apparatus selected image data representing the image selected by said selection device,

said image transmitting apparatus further comprises

a selected image receiving device for receiving the selected image data which has been transmitted from said selected image transmission device in said image receiving apparatus, and

said image data transmission device transmits image data representing the image represented by the selected image data which has been received by said selected image receiving device to said image receiving apparatus when the image receiving apparatus and the image transmitting apparatus are formally connected to each other.

11. The image communication system according to claim 10, wherein

said image receiving apparatus further comprises

a link image setting device for setting said image to be linked, and

a link information transmission device for transmitting link information set by said link image settings device to said image transmitting apparatus,

said image transmitting apparatus further comprises

a link information receiving device for receiving the link information which has been transmitted from said link information transmission device in said image receiving apparatus, and

said image data transmission device transmits to said receiving apparatus image data representing the subsequent image to be linked on the basis of the link information which has been received by said link information receiving device.

12. The image communication system according to claim 1, wherein

said image receiving apparatus further comprises an update command transmission device for transmitting an image update command to said image transmitting apparatus,

said image transmitting apparatus further comprises an update command receiving device for receiving said image update command which has been transmitted form said update command transmission device, and

said image data transmission device transmits to said image receiving apparatus image data representing the subsequent image which is linked to an image represented by image data which corresponds to the update command received by said update command receiving device and information relating to said image receiving apparatus and has been transmitted to said image receiving apparatus by said image data transmission device.

13. The image communication system according to claim 1, wherein said image received by said image receiving apparatus is edited by a user.

14. The image communication system according to claim 1, wherein said image receiving apparatus displays one of said image and an image customized by a user.

15. The image communication system according to claim 1, wherein said image transmitting apparatus stores user preferences for a display format suitable for said image receiving apparatus.

16. The image communication system according to claim 1, wherein said image transmitting apparatus stores user information, said user information including at least one of a user name and password, a script for a start image, retrieval conditions, a script for a menu image, a script for a category retrieval image, a script for a work list image, a script for an artist image, and a script for a work image.

17. The image communication system according to claim 1, wherein an initial image to be displayed is selected by a user of said image receiving device and information related to the user selection is stored by said image transmitting device.

18. An image transmitting apparatus which can establish data communication with an image receiving apparatus, comprising:

a device information receiving device for receiving information relating to the image receiving apparatus which has been transmitted from said image receiving apparatus; and

an image data transmission device for transmitting to said image receiving apparatus image data representing an image having a display format suitable for said image receiving apparatus on the basis of the information relating to the image receiving apparatus which has been received by said device information receiving device,

wherein said received information comprises information about a type of browser installed in said image receiving apparatus and at least one of a number of colors displayable on a display of said image receiving apparatus, and a size of a displayable image.

19. In an image transmitting apparatus which can establish data communication with an image receiving apparatus, an image data transmitting method comprising:

receiving information relating to the image receiving apparatus which has been transmitted from said image receiving apparatus; and

transmitting to said image receiving apparatus image data representing an image having a display format suitable for said image receiving apparatus on the basis of said received information relating to the image receiving apparatus,

wherein said received information comprises information about a type of browser installed in said image receiving apparatus and at least one of a number of colors displayable on a display of said image receiving apparatus, and a size of a displayable image.

20. A computer readable recording medium storing a program for controlling a computer in an image transmitting apparatus which can establish data communication with an image receiving apparatus so as to:

receive information relating to the image receiving apparatus which has been transmitted from said image receiving apparatus, and

transmit to said image receiving apparatus image data representing an image having a display format suitable for said image receiving apparatus on the basis of the received information relating to the image receiving apparatus,

wherein said received information comprises information about a type of browser installed in said image receiving apparatus and at least one of a number of colors displayable on a display of said image receiving apparatus, and a size of a displayable image.

21. An image communication system comprising an image transmitting device and an image receiving device which can establish data communication with each other, wherein

said image receiving device comprises

device information transmission means for transmitting to said image transmitting device information relating to said image receiving device, and

said image transmitting device comprises

device information receiving means for receiving information related to said image receiving device which has been transmitted from said device information transmission means in said image receiving device, and

image data transmission means for transmitting to said image receiving device image data representing an image having a display format suitable for said image receiving device on the basis of the information relating to the image receiving device which has been received by said device information receiving means,

wherein said received information comprises information about a type of browser installed in said image receiving means and at least one of a number of colors displayable on a display of said image receiving means, and a size of a displayable image.

22. An image transmitting device which can establish data communication with an image receiving device, comprising:

device information receiving means for receiving information relating to the image receiving device which has been transmitting from said image receiving device; and

image data transmission means for transmitting to said image receiving device image data representing an image having a display format suitable for said image receiving device on the basis of the information relating to the image receiving device which has been received by said device information receiving means,

wherein said received information comprises information about a type of browser installed in said image receiving means and at least one of a number of colors displayable on a display of said image receiving means, and a size of a displayable image.

23. An image communication system comprising:

an image transmitting apparatus; and

an image receiving apparatus which can establish data communication with each other,

wherein said image receiving apparatus comprises;

a device information transmission device for transmitting to said image transmitting apparatus information relating to said image receiving apparatus, and

wherein said image transmitting apparatus comprises;

a device information receiving device for receiving information relating to said image receiving apparatus which has been transmitted from said device information transmission device in said image receiving apparatus; and

an image data transmission device for transmitting to said image receiving apparatus image data representing an image having a display format suitable for said image receiving apparatus on the basis of the information relating to the image receiving apparatus which has been received by said device information receiving device,

wherein said image transmitting device stores a plurality of initial images to be displayed, said plurality of initial images being selected by a plurality of users.

24. The image communication system according to claim 23, wherein each one of said plurality of initial images selected by said plurality of users comprises a unique image.

25. The image communication system according to claim 23, wherein said image transmitting apparatus comprises a server, and

wherein said image receiving apparatus comprises at least one of a portable telephone, a portable information terminal, a notebook computer, and a personal computer.

26. The image communication system according to claim 25, wherein the image received by said at least one of a portable telephone, a portable information terminal, a notebook computer, and a personal computer is editable by a user.

27. The image communication system according to claim 23, wherein said image transmitting device stores a link destination of an image edited by a user.

28. The image communication system according to claim 27, wherein the link destination of an image selected by a user is transmitted from the image receiving device to the image transmitting device.

29. The image communication system according to claim 27, wherein the link destination of an image selected by each user of a plurality of users is unique.

30. An image communication system comprising:

an image transmitting apparatus; and

an image receiving apparatus which can establish data communication with each other,

wherein said image receiving apparatus comprises;

a device information transmission device for transmitting to said image transmitting apparatus information relating to said image receiving apparatus, and

wherein said image transmitting apparatus comprises;

a device information receiving device for receiving information relating to said image receiving apparatus which has been transmitted from said device information transmission device in said image receiving apparatus; and

an image data transmission device for transmitting to said image receiving apparatus image data representing an image having a display format suitable for said image receiving apparatus on the basis of the information relating to the image receiving apparatus which has been received by said device information receiving device,

wherein said image transmitting apparatus comprises a server, and

wherein said image receiving apparatus comprises at least one of a portable telephone, a portable information terminal, a notebook computer, and a personal computer.

31. An image communication system comprising:

an image transmitting apparatus; and

an image receiving apparatus which can establish data communication with each other,

wherein said image receiving apparatus comprises;

a device information transmission device for transmitting to said image transmitting apparatus information relating to said image receiving apparatus, and

wherein said image transmitting apparatus comprises;

a device information receiving device for receiving information relating to said image receiving apparatus which has been transmitted from said device information transmission device in said image receiving apparatus, and

an image data transmission device for transmitting to said image receiving apparatus image data representing an image having a display format suitable for said image receiving apparatus on the basis of the information relating to the image receiving apparatus which has been received by said device information receiving device,

wherein said image transmitting device stores a plurality of initial images to be displayed, said plurality of initial images selected by a plurality of users,

wherein a link destination for each of said plurality of initial images is transmitted from the image receiving device to the image transmitting device, and

wherein said image transmitting device stores said link destination for each of said plurality of initial images to be displayed.