EP0889636A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Image communication system and method
Assignee: Fujifilm Holdings Corp
•
Filing: 1998-06-30
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2018-06-30
Abstract
Abstract A system in which an editing server (10) and a lot of client computers (1) are capable of communicating with one another, and an edited image can be generated by the plurality of client computers. When image data is transmitted from the image server to the client computer, the resolution of image data to be transmitted is reduced in correspondence with the resolution of a monitor display device connected to the client computer. Further, the number of colors of an image represented by the image data is decreased in correspondence with the number of colors which can be displayed on the monitor display device. The data quantity of the image data to be transmitted is reduced, so that time required to transmit the image data is shortened. A user image to be synthesized on a template image is read in the client computer. Image data representing the template image used for the image synthesis and image data representing a mask image are transmitted from the main image server to the client computer. In the client computer, image synthesis processing is performed. Image data representing an area required for image synthesis of the user image used for the image synthesis is extracted. The extracted user image data and synthesis information required for the synthesis are transmitted from the client computer to the main image server, where a composite image is printed. A lot of client computers and an editing server are connected to one another via an internet. One of the client computers generates an edited image, and another client computer reedits the generated edited image. The process of the editing can be also confirmed on a display screen by a client computer which does not relate to the editing.
Inventors
- 👤 Yoshiko Shiimori
- 👤 Yoshinori Ohta
- 👤 Koichi Sakamoto
- 👤 Norihisa Haneda
- 👤 Nobuyoshi C/O Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd. Nakajima
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 03:30
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/14; H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/01; H04L67/06; H04L69/00; H04L69/04; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/32; H04N1/333; H04N1/33307; H04N1/33315; H04N1/387; H04N1/3871; G09; G09G; G09G2340/00; G09G2340/04; G09G2340/0407; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/329; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/32; H04N2201/333; H04N2201/33307; H04N2201/33314; H04N2201/33328; H04N2201/33378
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 48
Claim 1
Independent Claim
147 words
An image communication system in which an image server
and a client computer having a display device are capable of
communicating with each other, said image server storing
image data representing an image, said client computer comprising: a first transmission device transmitting to said image
server a command to transmit the image data stored in said
image server; and a second transmission device transmitting to said image
server display information relating to said display device,
and said image server comprising a data quantity reduction device for reducing the data
quantity of image data, to be transmitted in response to the
image transmission command transmitted from said first
transmission device, on the basis of the display information
transmitted from said second transmission device, and an image data transmission device transmitting to said
client computer the image data whose data quantity is
reduced by said data quantity reduction device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
76 words
The image communication system according to claim 1,
wherein the display information is information relating to the
maximum number of colors which can be displayed on said
display device, and said data quantity reduction device includes color
reduction means for reducing a number of colors of an image
represented by the image data to be transmitted in response
to the image transmission command on the basis of the
information relating to the maximum number of colors.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
68 words
The image communication system according to claim 1 or 2,
wherein the display information is information relating to the
resolution of said display device, and said data quantity reduction device includes thinning
means for thinning out the image data on the basis of the
information relating to the resolution, to be transmitted in
response to the image transmission command, to reduce the
data quantity of the image data.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
58 words
The image communication system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, said image server further comprising: a printer for printing an image, and color conversion processing means for performing color
conversion processing of the image data whose data quantity
is reduced by said data quantity reduction device on the
basis of data representing characteristics of said display
device.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
135 words
An image server used in an image communication system in
which the image server and a client computer having a
display device are capable of communicating with each other,
wherein said image server stores image data representing an
image, comprising: a receiving device for receiving a command to transmit the
image data stored in said image server and display
information relating to said display device which are
transmitted from said client computer; a data quantity reduction device for reducing the data
quantity of image data to be transmitted in response to the
image data transmission command on the basis of the display
information received by said receiving device ; and an image data transmission device for transmitting to said
client computer the image data whose data quantity is
reduced by said data quantity reduction means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
75 words
The image server according to claim 5, wherein the display information is information relating to the
maximum number of colors which can be displayed on said
display device, and said data quantity reduction device includes color
reduction means for reducing a number of colors of an image
represented by the image data to be transmitted in response
to the image transmission command on the basis of the
information relating to the maximum number of colors.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
The image server according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the display information is information relating to the
resolution of said display device, and said data quantity reduction device includes thinning
means for thinning out the image data to be transmitted in
response to the image transmission command on the basis of
the information relating to the resolution.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
The image server according to claim 5, 6 or 7, further
comprising: a printer for printing an image, and color conversion processing means for performing color
conversion processing of the image data whose data quantity
is reduced by said data quantity reduction device on the
basis of data representing characteristics of said display
device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
99 words
A client computer having a display device used in an
image communication system in which an image server storing
image data representing an image and the client computer are
capable of communicating with each other, comprising: a transmission device transmitting to said image server
a command to transmit the image data stored in said image
server and display information relating to said display
device; and a receiving device for receiving the image data, whose data
quantity is reduced on the basis of the display information
in said image server, to be transmitted in response to said
image transmission command.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
198 words
An image server used in an image communication system
in which the image server and a client computer having a
display device are capable of communicating with each other,
comprising: an image data reading device for reading image data
representing an image; an input device for inputting display direction data
indicating whether a normal direction of display of the
image represented by the image data read by said image data
reading device is a longitudinal direction or a transverse
direction; a display direction conversion processing device for
performing display direction conversion processing of the
image data read by said image data reading device on the
basis of the display direction data inputted from said input
device such that the direction of display of the image
represented by the image data is a normal direction; an image data storage device for storing the image data
which has been subjected to the conversion processing by
said display direction conversion processing device; and an image data transmission device for reading out from said
image storage device image data representing an image
corresponding to an image transmission command transmitted
from said client computer, and transmitting the image data
to said client computer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
123 words
In an image communication system in which an image
server and a client computer having a display device are
capable of communicating with each other, said image server
storing image data representing an image, an image
communication method comprising the steps of: transmitting a command to transmit the image data
stored in said image server and display information relating
to said display device from said client computer to said
image server; reducing, in said image server, the data quantity of
the image data to be transmitted in response to the image
transmission command on the basis of the display information
transmitted from said client computer; and transmitting the image data whose data quantity is
reduced from said image server to said client computer.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
167 words
A method of transmitting image data in an image server
used in an image communication system in which the image
server and a client computer having a display device are
capable of communicating with each other, comprising the
steps of: reading image data representing an image; accepting input of display direction data indicating
whether a normal direction of display of the image
represented by the read image data is a longitudinal
direction or a transverse direction; performing display direction conversion processing of
the read image data read on the basis of the display
direction data which has been accepted such that the
direction of display of the image represented by the read
image data is a normal direction; storing the image data which has been subjected to the
display direction conversion processing; and transmitting, in response to an image transmission
command transmitted from the client computer, to said client
computer image data representing an image specified by the
image transmission command out of the stored image data.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
137 words
An image communication system in which an image server
and an image data receiver having a display device are
capable of communicating with each other, said image server comprising: an image display data transmission device for transmitting
image display data for displaying a plurality of sample
images having different characteristics to said image data
receiver, and said image data receiver comprising: an image characteristics setting device for receiving the
image display data transmitted from said image display data
transmission device, displaying the plurality of sample
images on said display device on the basis of the received
image display data, and determining characteristics relating
to the image selected from the displayed sample images; and an image characteristics data transmission device for
transmitting data representing the image characteristics
determined by said image characteristics setting device to
said image server.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
The image communication system according to claim 13,
wherein said image display data transmission device transmits
to said image data receiver the image display data
representing the plurality of images having different
tonalities.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
96 words
The image communication system according to claim 13 or 14, said image server comprising an image data transmission
device transmitting to said image data receiver image data
whose characteristics has not been adjusted if said image
data receiver can change the characteristics of the image
displayed on said display device, while transmitting to said
image data receiver image data whose characteristics has
been adjusted in accordance with the image characteristics
data transmitted from said image characteristics data
transmission device if said image data receiver cannot
change the characteristics of the image displayed on said
display device.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
The image communication system according to claim 13,
14 or 15, wherein at least one of said image server and said image data
receiver is provided with a storage device storing said
image characteristic data.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
114 words
An image data receiver having a display device used in
an image communication system in which an image server and
the image data receiver are capable of communicating with
each other, comprising: an image characteristics setting device for receiving the
image display data for displaying a plurality of sample
images having different characteristics transmitted from
said image server, displaying the plurality of sample images
on said display device on the basis of the received image
display data, and determining characteristics relating to
the image selected from the displayed sample images; and an image characteristics data transmission devicefor
transmitting data representing the image characteristics
determined by said image characteristics setting device to
said image server.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
120 words
In an image communication system in which an image
server and an image data receiver having a display device
are capable of communicating with each other, an image
communication method comprising the steps of: transmitting image display data for displaying a
plurality of sample images having different characteristics
from said image server to said image data receiver; receiving, in said image data receiver, the image
display data transmitted from said image server; displaying the plurality of sample images on said
display device on the basis of the received image display
data; determining characteristics relating to the image
selected from the displayed sample images; and transmitting data representing the determined image
characteristics from said image data receiver to said image
server.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
119 words
A client computer used in an image communication system
in which an image server having an image output device for
outputting an image and the client computer are capable of
communicating with each other, comprising: an image data quantity reduction device for reducing
the data quantity of image data to be transmitted to said
image server such that the data quantity of the image data
to be transmitted is equal to or less than the data quantity
of the image data representing the image to be outputted
from said image output device; and an image data transmission device for transmitting to
said image server the image data whose data quantity is
reduced by said image data quantity reduction device.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
89 words
The client computer according to claim 19, wherein said image data quantity reduction device includes at
least one of resolution conversion means for converting the
image data to be transmitted into image data having a
resolution which is not more than the resolution of the
image which can be outputted from said output device, to
reduce the quantity of the image data, and thinning means
for thinning the image data such that the size thereof is
equal to the size of the output image outputted from said
output device.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
71 words
The client computer according to claim 19 or 20, wherein said image data quantity reduction device comprises print image area designation means for designating an
image area to be printed of an image represented by image
data of one frame, and partial image data extraction means for extracting from
said image data of one frame partial image area data
representing the image area designated by said print image
area designation means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
79 words
The client computer according to claim 19, 20 or 21, wherein said image data quantity reduction device comprises compression rate determination means for determining
the compression rate of the image data to be transmitted to
said image server on the basis of the speed of transmission
of the image data between the image server and said client
computer, and image data compression means for compressing the image
data at the compression rate determined by said compression
rate determination means.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
96 words
A client computer used in an image communication system
in which an image server and the client computer are capable
of communicating with each other, comprising: a compression rate setting device for setting the
compression rate of image data; a calculation device for calculating information
relating to time required for transmission in a case where
the image data compressed at the compression rate set by
said compression rate setting device is transmitted to said
image server; and a display device for displaying the information
relating to the time required for transmission calculated by
said calculation device.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
44 words
The client computer according to claim 23, further
comprising a display control device for carrying out such control
that an image represented by the image data compressed at
the compression rate set by said compression rate setting
device is displayed on said display device.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
127 words
An image communication system in which an image server
and a client computer are capable of communicating with each
other, wherein image data and information relating to the
image data are transmitted from said client computer to said
image server, said image server comprising: an image output device for outputting an image
represented by the image data transmitted from said client
computer on the basis of the information relating to the
image data transmitted from said client computer; and an image information transmission device for
transmitting to said client computer the information
relating to the image data transmitted from said client
computer, and said client computer comprising: retrieval means for retrieving image data specified by
the information relating to the image data transmitted from
said image server.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
86 words
A client computer used in an image communication system
in which an image server having a printer and the client
computer are capable of communicating with each other,
comprising: a receiving device for receiving a part of printing
template image data, which is transmitted from said image
server, used for printing processing in said printer; and a synthesis device for synthesizing the part of the
printing template image data received by said receiving
device and a part of user image data stored in the client
computer.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
121 words
A method of transmitting image data from a client
computer to an image server, said client computer and said
image server being used in an image communication system in
which said image server having an image output device for
outputting an image and said client computer are capable of
communicating with each other, comprising the steps of: reducing the data quantity of image data to be
transmitted to said image server such that the data quantity
of the image data to be transmitted is equal to or less than
the data quantity of the image data representing the image
to be outputted from said image output device; and transmitting to said image server the image data whose
data quantity is reduced.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
82 words
A method of displaying information in a client computer
which is used in an image communication system in which an
image server and the client computer are capable of
communicating with each other, comprising the steps of: setting the compression rate of image data; calculating information relating to time required for
transmission in a case where the image data compressed at
the compression rate is transmitted to said image server;
and displaying the calculated information relating to the
time required for transmission.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
123 words
In an image communication system in which an image
server and a client computer are capable of communicating
with each other, an image communication method comprising
the steps of: transmitting image data and information relating to the
image data from said client computer to said image server; outputting, in said image server, an image represented
by the image data transmitted from said client computer on
the basis of the information relating to the image data
transmitted from said client computer; transmitting the information relating to the image data
transmitted from said client computer, from said image
server to said client computer; and retrieving, in said client computer, image data
specified by the information relating to the image data
transmitted from said image server.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
85 words
A method of synthesizing images in a client computer
which is used in an image communication system in which an
image server having a printer and the client computer are
capable of communicating with each other, comprising the
steps of: receiving a part of printing template image data, which
is transmitted from said image server, used for printing
processing in said printer; and synthesizing the received part of the printing template
image data and a part of user image data stored in the
client computer.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
119 words
A computer-readable recording medium storing a program
for transmitting image data from a client computer which is
used in an image communication system in which an image
server having an image output device for outputting an image
and the client computer are capable of communicating with
each other, said program controlling the computer so as to: reduce, the data quantity of image to be transmitted to
said image server such that the data quantity of the image
data to be transmitted is equal to or less than the data
quantity of the image data representing the image to be
outputted from said image output device; and transmit the image data whose data quantity is reduced
to said image server.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
92 words
A computer-readable recording medium storing a program
for displaying information in a client computer which is
used in an image communication system in which an image
server and the client computer are capable of communicating
with each other, said program controlling the computer so as
to: set the compression rate of image data; calculate information relating to time required for
transmission in a case where the image data compressed at
the set compression rate is transmitted to said image
server; and display the calculated information relating to the time
required for transmission.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
131 words
A computer-readable recording medium storing a program
used in an image communication system in which an image
server and a client computer are capable of communicating
with each other, said program controlling the computer so as
to: transmit image data and information relating to the
image data from said client computer to said image server; output, in said image server, an image represented by
the image data transmitted from said client computer on the
basis of the information relating to the image data
transmitted from said client computer; transmit the information relating to the image data
transmitted from said client computer, from said image
server to said client computer; and retrieve, in said client computer, image data specified
by the information relating to the image data transmitted
from said image server.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
94 words
A computer-readable recording medium storing a program
for synthesizing images in a client computer which is used
in an image communication system in which an image server
having a printer and the client computer are capable of
communicating with each other, said program controlling the
computer so as to: receive a part of printing template image data, which
is transmitted from said image server, used in printing
processing in said printer; and synthesize the received part of the printing template
image data and a part of user image data stored in the
client computer.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
161 words
An image editing system in which an image server and a
plurality of client computers are capable of communicating
with one another, an image represented by image data is
edited in one of said client computers, and editing
information relating to the edited image is transmitted from
said one client computer to said image server, wherein said image server comprises an editing information transmission device for
transmitting the editing information relating to the edited
image which has been transmitted from said one client
computer to said one client computer or other client
computer, and said one or other client computer comprises an image reediting device for reediting the edited
image generated in said one client computer on the basis of
the editing information relating to the edited image which
has been transmitted from said image server, and a reediting information transmission device for
transmitting to said image server reediting information
relating to the reedited image generated in said image
reediting device.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
26 words
The image editing system according to claim 35, wherein said reediting information transmission device
transmits information relating to a portion reedited by said
image reediting device.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
161 words
The image editing system according to claim 35 or 36, wherein execution data indicating that an image is edited or
reedited is transmitted from said one or other client
computer to said image server prior to editing or reediting
the image, said image server further comprises a judgment device for judging whether or not the
editing or reediting of the image is allowed on the basis of
said execution data transmitted from said one or other
client computer, and an allowance data transmission device for transmitting,
when said judgment device judges that the editing or
reediting of the image is allowed, data representing
allowance to said one or other client computer which has
been allowed to edit or reedit the image, and said one or other client computer further comprises a control device for performing the editing or
reediting the image in response to the receiving of the data
representing allowance which has been transmitted from said
allowance data transmission device.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
73 words
The image editing system according to claim 37, wherein said plurality of client computers are classified into
a plurality of groups each comprising one or two or more of
said client computers, said image server further comprises transmission device
for transmitting said reediting information transmitted from
said reediting information transmission device to said
client computer in the group to which the one or other
client computer which has transmitted the reediting
information belongs.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
60 words
The image editing system according to claim 38, wherein said one or other client computer further comprises a comment entry device for entering a comment
concerning said editing information or said reediting
information which has been transmitted from said image
server, and a comment transmission device for transmitting to said
image server the comment entered from said comment entry
device.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
193 words
The image editing system according to any of claims 35 to 39, wherein said edited image is constituted by a plurality of
object images, object image editing request data indicating
that said object images are subjected to object image
editing which is at least one of addition, alteration, and
deletion being transmitted from the one or other client
computer to said image server, said image server further comprises an object image editing judgment device for judging
whether or not said object image editing is allowed on the
basis of said object image editing request data transmitted
from said one or other client computer, and an object image editing allowance data transmission
device for transmitting, when said object image editing
judgment device judges that said object image editing is
allowed, object image editing allowance data for allowing
said object image editing to the one or other client
computer which has been allowed to edit the object image,
and said one or other client computer further comprises an object image editing device for performing said
object image editing in response to the receiving of said
object image editing allowance data transmitted from said
image server.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
127 words
A client computer constituting a system in which an
image server and a plurality of client computers are capable
of communicating with one another, comprising: an image editing device for editing an image using an
image represented by image data; an editing information transmission device for
transmitting to said image server editing information
relating to the edited image generated in said image editing
device; an editing information receiving device for receiving
the editing information transmitted from said image server; an image reediting device for reediting the edited
image on the basis of the editing information received by
said editing information receiving device; and a reediting information transmission device for
transmitting to said image server reediting information
relating to the reedited image generated in said image
reediting device.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
134 words
An image editing method, wherein an image server and a
plurality of client computers are capable of communicating
with one another, comprising the steps of: editing an image using an image represented by image
data in one of said client computers; transmitting editing information relating to the edited
image from said one client computer to said image server, receiving the editing information transmitted from said
one client computer in said image server; transmitting the received editing information from said
image server to said one client computer or other client
computer; reediting the edited image generated on the basis of
the editing information transmitted from said image server
in said one or other client computer; and transmitting reediting information relating to the
reedited image from said one or other client computer to
said image server.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
28 words
The image editing method according to claim 42, further
comprising transmitting information relating to a reedited portion
from said one or other client computer to said image server.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
146 words
The image editing method according to claim 42 or 43, wherein execution data indicating that an image is edited or
reedited is transmitted from said one or other client
computer to said image server prior to editing or reediting
the image, comprising the following steps in said image server: judging whether or not the editing or reediting of the
image is allowed on the basis of said execution data
transmitted from said one or other client computer, and transmitting, when it is judged that the editing or
reediting of the image is allowed, data representing
allowance from-said image server to the one or other client
computer which has been allowed to edit or reedit the image,
and the following step in said one or other client
computer: editing or reediting the image in response to the
receiving of the allowance data transmitted from said image
server.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
65 words
The image editing method according to claim 44,
comprising the following step in said image server: said plurality of client computers are classified into
a plurality of groups each comprising one or two or more of
said client computers, transmitting said reediting information to said client
computer in the group to which said one or other client
computer which has transmitted said reediting information
belongs.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
47 words
The image editing method according to claim 45,
comprising the following steps in said one or other client
computer: entering a comment concerning said editing information
or said reediting information which has been transmitted
from said image server, and transmitting the entered comment to said image server.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
172 words
The image editing method according to any of claims 42 to 46, wherein said edited image is constituted by a plurality of
object images, object image editing request data indicating
that said object images are subjected to object image
editing which is at least one of addition, alteration and
deletion being transmitted from said one or other client
computer to said image server, comprising the following steps in said image server: judging whether or not said object image editing is
allowed on the basis of said object image editing request
data transmitted from said one or other client computer, and transmitting, when it is judged that said object image
editing is allowed, object image editing allowance data for
allowing said object image editing to said one or other
client computer which has been allowed to edit the object
image, and the following step in said one or other client
computer: performing said object image editing in response to the
receiving of said object image editing allowance data
transmitted from said image server.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
110 words
A computer-readable recording medium storing a program
for causing a client computer constituting a system in which
an image server and a plurality of client computers are
capable of communicating with one another to edit an image,
and controlling said client computer so as to: edit an image using an image represented by image data
in said client computer; transmit editing information relating to the edited
image from said client computer to said image server; receive the editing information transmitted from said
image server; reedit the edited image generated on the basis of the
received editing information; and transmit to said image server reediting information
relating to the reedited image.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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