Image output system, image output apparatus, information processing apparatus and program

• US 20070150832A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimotashiro, Masafumi, Sato, Toru, Ohnishi, Rumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,703,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/800
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

An image output system configured of information terminals, each of which includes an identification information storage unit which stores identification information for identifying each of the information terminals and a transmission unit which transmits the identification information, and an image output apparatus which includes: an identification information receiving unit which receives the identification information transmitted by each of the information terminals; an output unit which obtains image information which is information for outputting images, and outputs images based on the obtained image information; a judgment unit which judges whether or not plural pieces of identification received by the identification information receiving unit satisfy a predetermined condition; and an output control unit which controls the output unit based on the judgment made by the judgment unit.

Claims

1. An image output system comprising information terminals and an image output apparatus,

each of said information terminals including:

an identification information storage unit operable to store identification information for identifying each of said information terminals; and

a transmission unit operable to transmit the identification information to said image output apparatus, and

said image output apparatus includes;

an identification information receiving unit operable to receive the identification information transmitted from each of said information terminals;

an output unit operable to obtain image information which is information related to an image, and to output the obtained image information;

a condition information obtainment unit operable to obtain condition information which is related to a predetermined condition associated with the image information outputted by said output unit;

a judgment unit operable to judge whether or not each piece of identification information received by said identification information receiving unit satisfies the predetermined condition which is set in the condition information obtained by said condition information obtainment unit; and

an output control unit operable to control said output unit based on the judgment made by said judgment unit.

2. The image output system according to claim 1,

wherein said output control unit is operable to control said output unit to switch image information to other image information or to stop the output of the image information, based on the judgment made by said judgment unit, the image information being currently outputted by said output unit.

3. The image output system according to claim 1,

wherein said image output apparatus further includes an output instruction receiving unit operable to receive information for instructing on the output of the image information, and

said output control unit is operable to control said output unit to output the image information based on the judgment made by said judgment unit.

4. The image output system according to claim 1,

wherein said output unit is operable to output the image information to one or more windows, and

said output control unit is operable to control the windows to which said output unit outputs the image information, based on the judgment made by said judgment unit.

5. The image output system according to claim 1,

wherein said output unit is operable to output a list made up of one or more listed items, each of which is associated with the image information that can be outputted by said output unit,

said judgment unit is operable to judge, for each piece of image information that can be outputted by said output unit, whether or not each piece of identification information satisfies the predetermined condition which is a condition for outputting each piece of image information, and

said output control unit is operable to control said output unit to output a listed item in a manner different from a manner in which a listed item is outputted, the former listed item being associated with the image information to be outputted based on each piece of identification information which is judged as satisfying the predetermined condition, and the latter listed item being associated with other image information.

6. The image output system according to claim 1,

wherein said output unit is operable to output a list of listed items associated with one or more image information which can be outputted by said output unit,

said image output apparatus further includes an item instruction receiving unit operable to receive an instruction to select at least one of the listed items,

said judgment unit is operable to judge, for each piece of image information that can be outputted by said output unit, whether or not the respective identification information satisfies the predetermined condition which is a condition for outputting each piece of image information, and

only in the case where said item instruction receiving unit has received the instruction to select at least one of the listed items which is associated with the image information to be outputted based on each piece of identification information which is judged as satisfying the predetermined condition as a result of the judgment, said output control unit is operable to control said output unit so that said output unit outputs the image information associated with the selected listed item.

7. The image output system according to claim 1,

wherein said judgment unit is operable to judge whether or not plural pieces of pre-set identification information match the plural pieces of identification information received by said identification information receiving unit.

8. The image output system according to claim 1,

wherein said judgment unit is operable to judge whether or not all the pieces of identification information received by said identification information receiving unit satisfy the predetermined condition.

9. An image output apparatus comprising:

an identification information receiving unit operable to receive identification information respectively transmitted from information terminals, said identification information identifying each of the information terminals;

an output unit operable to obtain image information which is information related to an image, and to output the obtained image information;

a condition information obtainment unit operable to obtain condition information which is information related to a predetermined condition associated with the image information outputted by said output unit;

a judgment unit operable to judge whether or not each piece of identification information received by said identification information receiving unit satisfies a predetermined condition which is set in the condition information obtained by said condition information obtainment unit; and

an output control unit operable to control said output unit based on the judgment made by said judgment unit.

10. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an identification information receiving unit operable to receive identification information respectively transmitted from information terminals, the identification information identifying each of said information terminals;

a condition information receiving unit operable to receive condition information which is information related to a predetermined condition associated with image information;

a judgment unit operable to judge whether or not each piece of identification information received by said identification information receiving unit satisfies the predetermined condition set in the condition information received by said condition information receiving unit; and

a judgment information transmission unit operable to transmit, to an image output apparatus, judgment information indicating the judgment made by said judgment unit.

11. A program for use in an image output apparatus, said program causing a computer to execute:

receiving identification information respectively transmitted from information terminals, the identification information identifying each of the information terminals;

obtaining image information which is information related to an image, and outputting the obtained image information;

obtaining condition information related to a predetermined condition associated with the image information outputted in said outputting;

judging whether or not each piece of identification information received in said receiving satisfies a predetermined condition which is set in the condition information obtained in said obtaining; and

controlling said outputting based on the judgment resulting from said judging.