Multi-media data communication system having a plurality of types of graphical user interfaces

Claim 1

A multi-media data communication system comprising: a server having a plurality of graphic user interface (GUI) structures which are different in metaphor image from each other but function to provide the same service, for transmitting a specific one of said plurality of GUI structures in response to an inputted service request including an identifier data for designating one GUI structure, and for providing a specific service designated based on said transmitted GUI structure; and a plurality of terminal equipments that are connected to said server via a bidirectional communication line and each of which is capable of issuing the service request, wherein a request issuing terminal equipment of said plurality of terminal equipments issues the service request including the identifier data to said server via said bidirectional communication line, receives said GUI structure transmitted from said server to establish a GUI, designates said specific service using the established GUI, and receives said specific service from said server, wherein one of the plurality of graphic user interface structures which are different in metaphor image from each other but function to provide the same service is selectable by a user of one of said plurality of terminal equipments by the user making a selection on a display screen provided on said one of said plurality of terminal equipments in response to a metaphor change request outputted from said one of said plurality of terminal equipments.

Claim 11

A method of providing a service using a user friendly type of graphic user interface (GUI) in a multimedia data communication system, comprising the steps of: providing in a server a plurality of GUI hierarchical structures which are different in metaphor image from each other but function to provide the same service, wherein each of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures is composed of GUI structures of a plurality of layers and each of said GUI structures is composed of an image data and control program; issuing a service request including a metaphor designating data for designing a specific one of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures and a terminal identifier of a request issuing terminal equipment of a plurality of terminal equipments from said request issuing terminal equipment to said server, the service request being made based on a selection by a user of the specific one of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures from a display of a list of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures on a display screen of said request issuing terminal equipment; determining in said server whether said request issuing terminal equipment is allowed to receive a service and whether the service request includes the metaphor designating data when it is determined that said request issuing terminal equipment is allowed to receive said service; transmitting the GUI structures of the specific one of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures designated by the metaphor designating data from said server to said request issuing terminal equipment in response to the service request when the service request includes the metaphor designating data; designating a specific service through the transmission of the GUI structures from said server and selections in said request issuing terminal equipment; providing to said request issuing terminal equipment the specific service designated by said request issuing terminal equipment based on said transmitted GUI structures; and receiving said specific service from said server in said request issuing terminal equipment.

Claim 12

A method of providing a service using a user friendly type of graphic user interface (GUI) in a multimedia data communication system, comprising the steps of: providing in a server a plurality of GUI hierarchical structures which are different in metaphor image from each other but function to provide the same service, wherein each of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures is composed of GUI structures of a plurality of layers and each of said GUI structures is composed of an image data and control program; issuing a service request including a metaphor designating data for designing a specific one of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures and a terminal identifier of a request issuing terminal equipment of a plurality of terminal equipments from said request issuing terminal equipment to said server, the service request being made based on a selection by a user of the specific one of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures from a display of a list of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures on a display screen of said request issuing terminal equipment; determining in said server whether said request issuing terminal equipment is allowed to receive a service and whether the service request includes the metaphor designating data when it is determined that said request issuing terminal equipment is allowed to receive said service; transmitting the GUI structures of the specific one of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures designated by the metaphor designating data from said server to said request issuing terminal equipment in response to the service request when the service request includes the metaphor designating data; designating a specific service through the transmission of the GUI structures from said server and selections in said request issuing terminal equipment; providing to said request issuing terminal equipment the specific service designated by said request issuing terminal equipment based on said transmitted GUI structures; and receiving said specific service from said server in said request issuing terminal equipment.