Image system using an image server controller for generating display information of a client to access images from plural image servers on network

• US 7,389,524 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Security Video Camera Systems Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujiki, Toshihiro, Muranaka, Yasuaki, Kawashima, Tomoki, Nawata, Akihiro, Maetani, Susumu, Tanaka, Masataka, Arima, Yuji, Yoshikai, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): LUU, LE HIEN
• Application Number:
  US11/311,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20060168141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 725/48, 725/49, 725/109, 725/114, 725/98, 725/119, 705/26, 715/723, 345/635, 348/211, 709/250
• US Class Current: 725/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An image server and an image communication system capable of displaying images of plural image servers differing in IP address on a browser window by using a versatile browser, and a methods for controlling them. Plural image servers communicate with a client computer displaying image information presented from image servers through a network. Of the plural image servers, the controller of a certain image server receives a request from the client computer, and displays the image data of the image server and image data of other plural image servers simultaneously on the browser window of the client computer. Accordingly, the controller of the designated image server creates display information, and supplies the information to the client computer.

Claims

1. An image server, comprising:

a camera configured to capture image data;

an interface configured to be connected to a terminal apparatus and to another image server via a network;

a controller configured to;

transmit to the terminal apparatus predetermined screen data, the predetermined screen data being utilized for setting destination information of the another image server, the destination information of the another image server being utilized for accessing the another image server;

receive from the terminal apparatus the destination information of the another image server, the destination information of the another image server being set into the predetermined screen data at the terminal apparatus and

generate predetermined HTML data utilized for displaying on the terminal apparatus the image data captured by the camera, the predetermined HTML data including a predetermined description, the predetermined description instructing the terminal apparatus to access the another image server based on the destination information of the another image server in order to obtain, from the another image server, another image data captured by the another image server.

2. The image server according to claim 1, wherein the controller further transmits the predetermined HTML data to the terminal apparatus, whereby the

terminal apparatus can access the another image server based on the destination information of the another image server included in the predetermined HTML data to obtain, from the image server, image data captured by the camera of the image server.

3. The image server according to claim 1, wherein the camera is discrete from the image server.

4. The image server according to claim 1, wherein the destination information of the another image server comprises an IP address of the another image server apparatus.

5. The image server according to claim 1, wherein the destination information of the another image server comprises a domain name of the another image server apparatus.

6. The image server according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined HTML data includes another predetermined description, the another predetermined description being utilized for setting a name of the another image server into the predetermined screen data.

7. The image server according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined HTML data includes a predetermined description, the predetermined description being utilized for selecting whether to display on the terminal apparatus the image data captured by the another image server.

8. A method for accessing an image server from a terminal apparatus, the image server capturing image data and being connected to the terminal apparatus via a network, the terminal apparatus being connected to another image server via the network, the method comprising;

transmitting, from the terminal apparatus to the terminal apparatus, predetermined screen data, the predetermined screen data being utilized for setting destination information of the another image server, the destination information of the another image server being utilized for accessing the another image server;

receiving, at the image server from the terminal apparatus, the destination information of the another image server, the destination information of the another image server being set into the predetermined screen data at the terminal apparatus;

generating predetermined HTML data utilized for displaying on the terminal apparatus the image data captured by the camera, the predetermined HTML data including a predetermined description, the predetermined description instructing the terminal apparatus to access the another image server based on the destination information of the another image server to obtain, from the another image server, another image data captured by the another image server; and

transmitting the predetermined HTML data to the terminal apparatus, whereby the terminal apparatus can access the another image server based on the destination information of the another image server included in the HTML data.