Image processing apparatus having common and personal memory and capable of viewing and editing an image commonly with a remote image processing apparatus over a network

• US 5,892,509 A
• Filed: 04/04/1994
• Issued: 04/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Semico Company Limited (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Inventors: Jung, Wayne D., Dunk, Michael F., Tam, Raphael K., Karlin, Richard A., Tutt, Timothy T., Reiffel, Leonard, Jakobs, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bell, Paul A.
• Application Number:
  US08/222,155
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1-3, 345/173, 345/10, 345/179, 345/175, 345/168, 345/112, 345/160, 345/329-332, 345/507, 345/512, 395/153, 395/121, 395/421.06, 395/200.01, 395/250, 395/300, 395/311, 395/200.39, 395/857, 348/15, 348/96, 364/189
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/189 Power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations

Abstract

An image processing apparatus coupling at least two image processing systems connected to a network. The network couples image information to each system, and each system displays at least one image. Each system includes a communication unit and a control unit. The communication unit couples information to and receives information from the network. The control unit includes a central processing unit (CPU) and a partitioned memory space, including, both common and personal memory. The personal memory of each system contains one or more personal images that can be viewed only by the respective system, wherein each system is controlled to access only its respective personal memory. Under control of the CPUs in the respective systems, a common image is coupled to each system over the network and commonly displayed on each system. While the common image is commonly displayed on each system, it is edited by the first image processing system.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

at least first and second image processing systems, wherein the first and second image processing systems each display at least one image, wherein the first and second information to each of the first and second image processing systems;

wherein the first and second image processing systems each comprise;

a communication unit coupling image information to and receiving information from the network,

a control unit for controlling the communication unit, wherein the control unit comprises a CPU and a partitioned memory system, wherein the memory system comprises common memory and personal memory for storing a plurality of common and personal images, respectively, wherein each image processing system is controlled to access the common memory of all of the image processing systems, and wherein each of the image processing systems is controlled to access only its respective personal memory and not the personal memory of the other image processing system, wherein the personal memory of each of the image processing systems contains one or more personal images that can be viewed only by the respective image processing system;

wherein, under control of the CPUs in the respective image processing systems, a common image is coupled to each of the image processing systems over the network and commonly displayed on each of the image processing systems, wherein the common image is edited by the first image processing system while being commonly displayed on each of the image processing systems.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the image processing systems further comprises an audio unit coupling audio information to the network, wherein the CPU controls the audio unit, wherein audio communications occur among one or more of the image processing systems while the common image being edited by the first image processing system is being commonly displayed on each of the image processing systems.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an image pick-up device coupled to at least one of the image processing systems, wherein the common image is captured by the image pick-up device, stored in the common memory of each of the image processing systems and commonly displayed on each of the image processing systems.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each image processing system further comprises at least first and second displays coupled to the CPU of the image processing system, wherein the first display displays a graphic image, and wherein the second display displays textual information.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the common image comprises a graphic image, wherein the graphic image is edited by the first image processing system while being commonly displayed on each of the image processing systems.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each image processing system further comprises a third display coupled to the CPU of the image processing system and a pointing device, wherein the third display displays control information, wherein the CPU controls the first and second displays in response to pointing of the pointing device at the control information displayed on the third display.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein each image processing system further comprises a coordinate sensing means having a transparent surface with a front surface and a back surface, wherein the pointing device comprises a stylus, wherein the coordinate sensing means further comprises a coordinate calculation means, wherein the stylus is connected to the calculation means and wherein the calculation means calculates the coordinate position of the stylus with respect to the transparent surface, and wherein the first, second and third displays are positioned in proximity to the back surface of the transparent surface wherein the transparent surface substantially overlays each of the displays.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each image processing system further comprises function symbols mechanically affixed to the transparent surface adjacent to one or more of the displays, wherein each of the function symbols is associated with a particular image processing function of the image processing system.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein, for each image processing system, the CPU is responsive to the position of the stylus with respect to the transparent surface and wherein the CPU is further responsive to the coordinate calculation means of the coordinate sensing means when the stylus is positioned near any of the function symbols, wherein the, images displayed on the displays are controlled by the position of the stylus with respect to one or more of the displays and/or function symbols.

10. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the common image comprises textual information, wherein the textual information image is edited by the first image processing system while being commonly displayed on each of the image processing systems.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each image processing system further comprises a third display coupled to the CPU of the image processing system and a pointing device, wherein the third display displays control information, wherein the CPU controls the first and second displays in response to pointing of the pointing device at the control information displayed on the third display.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each image processing system further comprises a coordinate sensing means having a transparent surface with a front surface and a back surface, wherein the pointing device comprises a stylus, wherein the coordinate sensing means further comprises calculation means, wherein the stylus is connected to the calculation means and wherein the calculation means calculates the coordinate position of the stylus with respect to the transparent surface, and wherein the first, second and third displays are positioned in proximity to the back surface of the transparent surface wherein the transparent surface substantially overlays each of the displays.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each image processing system further comprises function symbols mechanically affixed to the transparent surface adjacent to one or more of the displays, wherein each of the function symbols is associated with a particular image processing function of the image processing system.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein, for each image processing system, the CPU is responsive to the position of the stylus with respect to the transparent surface and wherein the CPU is further responsive to the coordinate calculation means of the coordinate sensing means when the stylus is positioned near any of the function symbols, wherein the images displayed on the displays are controlled by the position of the stylus with respect to one or more of the displays and/or function symbols.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a power supply coupled to at least one of the image processing systems, wherein the communication unit of the at least one image processing system monitors communications on the network, wherein the power supply coupled to the at least one image processing system has a low power mode, wherein the at least one image processing system monitors communications on the network while the power supply coupled to the at least one image processing system is in the low power mode.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the common memory and the personal memory of each of the image processing systems comprise physically partitioned memory.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the common memory and the personal memory of each of the image processing systems comprise virtually partitioned memory.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the image processing systems further comprises a display capable of displaying ligature images.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the image processing systems is controlled by a stylus, wherein the at least one image processing system is controlled by directing the stylus towards images displayed on the at least one image processing system.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one image processing system is further controlled by directing the stylus towards an icon affixed to the at least one image processing system.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the image processing systems further comprises a facsimile unit coupled to the communication unit of the at least one image processing system, wherein the at least one image processing system transmits facsimile transmissions over the network.

22. In an image processing apparatus having at least first and second image processing systems coupled to a network, each of the first and second image processing systems having a partitioned memory system, a method comprising:

storing information in a personal memory space of the first image processing system, wherein information stored in the personal memory space of the first image processing system is accessible only by the first image processing system, wherein the information stored in the personal memory space of the first image processing system includes a plurality of personal images accessible only by the first image processing system,

storing information in a personal memory space of the second image processing system, wherein information stored in the personal memory space of the second image processing system is accessible only by the second image processing system, wherein the information stored in the personal memory space of the second image processing system includes a plurality of personal images accessible only by the second image processing system;

storing information in a common memory space of each of the first and second image processing systems, wherein information stored in the common memory space of each of the first and second image processing systems includes a plurality of common images and is accessible by both of the first and second image processing systems;

displaying a common image on each of the first and second image processing systems;

editing the common image with the first image processing system, wherein the edited common image is displayed on each of the first and second image processing systems, wherein the common image is edited as a group activity on each of the first and second image processing systems.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the common image is stored in the common memory space of each of the first and second image processing systems, and wherein the edited common image is stored in the common memory space of each of the first and second image processing systems.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of transmitting audio information between the first and second image processing systems over the network, wherein audio communications occur between the first and second image processing systems while the common image is being edited with the first image processing system.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the audio information comprises the voice of an operator of the first image processing system, wherein the voice of the operator of the first image processing system is received at the second image processing system while the operator the first image processing system edits the common image.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein a visual representation of the operator of the first image processing system is displayed on the second image processing system while the voice of the operator is being received at the second image processing system.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein each of the first and second image processing systems comprise a plurality of displays and a coordinate sensing device having a transparent surface with a front surface and a back surface, a stylus, and a coordinate calculator, wherein the stylus is connected to the coordinate calculator and wherein the coordinate calculator calculates the coordinate position of the stylus with respect to the transparent surface, and wherein the plurality displays are positioned in proximity to the back surface, and wherein the transparent surface wherein the transparent surface substantially overlays each of the displays, wherein each image processing system further comprises function symbols mechanically affixed to the transparent surface adjacent to one or more of the displays, wherein each of the function symbols is associated with a particular image processing function of the image processing system, the method further comprising:

positioning the stylus near one of the displays and/or function symbols of the first image processing system, wherein the common image displayed on the first and second image processing system is controlled by the position of the stylus with respect to the one display and/or function symbols of the first image processing system.

28. The method of claim 22 further comprising the steps of placing at least one of the image processing systems in a low power mode, wherein the at least one image processing system monitors communications on the network while the at least one image processing system is in the low power mode.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the common memory space and the personal memory space of each of the image processing systems comprise physically partitioned memory.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the common memory space and the personal memory space of each of the image processing systems comprise virtually partitioned memory.

31. The method of claim 22, wherein each of the image processing systems includes a display capable of displaying ligature images.

32. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one to the image processing systems is controlled by a stylus, wherein the at least one image processing system is controlled by directing the stylus towards images displayed on the at least one image processing system.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the at least one image processing system is further controlled by directing the stylus towards an icon affixed to the at least one image processing system.

34. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one of the image processing systems includes a facsimile unit, wherein the at least one image processing system transmits facsimile transmissions over the network.

35. An image processing system, comprising:

a communication unit coupling image information to and receiving information from a network, wherein the communication unit is capable of receiving image information from a second image processing system coupled to the network;

a display for displaying at least one image, wherein the display is capable of displaying image information received from the network;

a control unit for controlling the communication unit, wherein the control unit comprises a CPU and a partitioned memory system, wherein the memory system comprises common memory and personal memory for storing a plurality of common and personal images, respectively, wherein the image processing system is controlled so that the second image processing system coupled to the network may access the common memory of the image processing system, and wherein the image processing system is controlled so that the second image processing system is not capable of accessing the personal memory of the image processing system, wherein the personal memory of the image processing system contains one or more personal images that cannot be viewed by the second image processing system but can be viewed by the image processing system;

wherein, under control of the CPU in the image processing system, the image processing system is controlled to display a common image that is coupled to the network for common display on the image processing system and the second image processing system, wherein the common image is edited by the image processing system, wherein the edited common image is coupled to the network for common display on the image processing system and the second image processing system.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the image processing system further comprises an audio unit coupling audio information to the network, wherein the CPU controls the audio unit, wherein audio communications occur among the image processing systems while the common image being edited by the first image processing system is being commonly displayed on each of the image processing systems.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising an image pick-up device coupled to the image processing system, wherein the common image is captured by the image pick-up device for being stored in the common memory of each of the image processing systems and commonly displayed on each of the image processing systems.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the image processing system further comprises at least first and second displays coupled to the CPU of the image processing system, wherein the first display displays a graphic image, and wherein the second display displays textual information.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the common image comprises a graphic image, wherein the graphic image is edited by the image processing system while being commonly displayed on each of the image processing systems.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the common image comprises textual information, wherein the textual information image is edited by the image processing system while being commonly displayed on each of the image processing systems.

41. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the image processing system further comprises a pointing device, wherein the CPU controls the display of the image processing system in response to pointing of the pointing device at information displayed on the display.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the image processing system further comprises a coordinate sensing system having a transparent surface with a front surface and a back surface, wherein the pointing device comprises a stylus, wherein the coordinate sensing system further comprises a coordinate calculation circuit, wherein the stylus is connected to the calculation circuit and wherein the calculation circuit calculates the coordinate position of the stylus with respect to the transparent surface, and wherein the display is positioned in proximity to the back surface of the transparent surface wherein the transparent surface substantially overlays the display.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the image processing system further comprises one or more function symbols mechanically affixed to the transparent surface adjacent to the display, wherein each of the function symbols is associated with a particular image processing function of the image processing system.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the CPU is responsive to the position of the stylus with respect to the transparent surface and wherein the CPU is further responsive to the coordinate calculation circuit of the coordinate sensing system when the stylus is positioned near any of the function symbols, wherein the image displayed on the display is controlled by the position of the stylus with respect to one or more of the display and/or function symbols.

45. The apparatus of claim 35 further comprising a power supply coupled to the image processing system, wherein the communication unit of the image processing system monitors communications on the network, wherein the power supply coupled to the image processing system has a low power mode, wherein the image processing system monitors communications on the network while the power supply coupled to the image processing system is in the low power mode.

46. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the common memory and the personal memory of the image processing system comprises physically partitioned memory.

47. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the common memory and the personal memory of the image processing system comprises virtually partitioned memory.

48. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the image processing system includes a display capable of displaying ligature images.

49. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the image processing system is controlled by a stylus, wherein the image processing system is controlled by directing the stylus towards images displayed on the image processing system.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the image processing system is further controlled by directing the stylus towards an icon affixed to the image processing system.

51. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the image processing system further comprises a facsimile unit coupled to the communication unit of the image processing system, wherein the image processing system transmits facsimile transmissions over the network.

52. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the image processing system couples a color image to the network for transmission from the image processing system to the second image processing system, wherein the image processing system transmits the color image to the second image processing system in low and high resolution phases, wherein the second image processing system displays the color image first in low resolution and later in high resolution.

53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the color image is transmitted by the image processing system in a low resolution phase in the form of reference cell values, wherein the second image processing system receives and expands the reference cell values to display the color image in low resolution.

54. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the color image is displayed in low resolution a plurality of times.

55. The apparatus of claim 53, wherein the reference cell values comprise pixel data of the color image.

56. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the image processing system receives a color image from the network, wherein the image processing system receives the color image in low and high resolution phases, wherein the image processing system displays the color image first in low resolution and later in high resolution,.

57. The apparatus of claim 56, wherein the color image is received by the image processing system in a low resolution phase in the form of reference cell values, wherein the image processing system receives and expands the reference cell values to display the color image in low resolution.

58. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the color image is displayed in low resolution a plurality of times.

59. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the reference cell values comprise pixel data of the color image.

60. In an image processing system for coupling to a second image processing system coupled to a network, the image processing system having a partitioned memory system, a method comprising:

storing information in a personal memory space of the image processing system, wherein information stored in the personal memory space of the image processing system is accessible only by the image processing system, wherein the information stored in the personal memory space of the image processing system includes one or more personal images accessible only by the image processing system;

storing information in a common memory space of each of the image processing systems, wherein information stored in the common memory space of each of the image processing systems includes one or more common images and is accessible by both of the image processing systems;

displaying a common image on each of the image processing systems;

editing the common image with tie image processing system, wherein the edited common image is coupled to the network for common display on each of the image processing systems, wherein the common image is edited as a group activity on each of the image processing systems.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein the common image is stored in the common memory space of each of the image processing systems, and wherein the edited common image is stored in the common memory space of each of the image processing systems.

62. The method of claim 60, further comprising the step of transmitting audio information between the image processing systems over the network, wherein audio communications occur between the image processing systems while the common image is being edited with the image processing system.

63. The method of claim 62, wherein the audio information comprises the voice of an operator of the image processing system, wherein the voice of the operator of the image processing system is coupled to the network for receiving at the second image processing system while the operator of the image processing system edits the common image.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein a visual representation of the operator of the image processing system is displayed on the second image processing system while the voice of the operator is being received at the second image processing system.

65. The method of claim 60, further comprising the steps of placing the image processing system in a low power mode, wherein the image processing system monitors communications on the network while the image processing system is in the low power mode.

66. The method of claim 60, wherein the common memory space and the personal memory space of the image processing system comprises physically partitioned memory.

67. The method of claim 60, wherein the common memory space and the personal memory space of the image processing system comprises virtually partitioned memory.

68. The method of claim 60, wherein the image processing system includes a display capable of displaying ligature images.

69. The method of claim 60, wherein the image processing system is controlled by a stylus, wherein:

the image processing system is controlled by directing the stylus towards images displayed on the image processing system.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein the image processing system is further controlled by directing the stylus towards an icon affixed to the image processing system.

71. The method of claim 60, wherein the image processing systems includes a facsimile it, wherein the image processing system transmits facsimile transmissions over the network.

72. The method of claim 60, wherein the image processing system couples a color image to the network for transmission from the image processing system to the second image processing system, wherein the image processing system transmits the color image to the second image processing system in low and high resolution phases, wherein the second image processing system displays the color image first in low resolution and later in high resolution.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein the color image is transmitted by the image processing system in a low resolution phase in the form of reference cell values, wherein the second image processing system receives and expands the reference cell values to display the color image in low resolution.

74. The method of claim 73, wherein the color image is displayed in low resolution a plurality of times.

75. The method of claim 73, wherein the reference cell values comprise pixel data of the color image.

76. The method of claim 60, wherein the image processing system receives a color image from the network, wherein the image processing system receives the color image in low and high resolution phases, wherein the image processing system displays the color image first in low resolution and later in high resolution.

77. The method of claim 76, wherein the color image is received by the image processing system in a low resolution phase in the form of reference cell values, wherein the image processing system receives and expands the reference cell values to display the color image in low resolution.

78. The method of claim 77, wherein the color image is displayed in low resolution a plurality of times.

79. The method of claim 77, wherein the reference cell values comprise pixel data of the color image.