Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Plural display systems
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-25
2003-12-30
Mengistu, Amare (Department: 2673)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Plural display systems
C340S870030, C340S870030, C340S870030, C380S029000, C380S029000, C709S204000, C709S207000, C709S227000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06670933
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display apparatus and a camera that are provided with functions of communicating with a server through a network and transmitting and receiving image data to and from the server, and an image communication system that distributes the image data by means of the image display apparatus, the camera and the server.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, an information apparatus such as a digital camera and a personal digital assistant (PDA) that has an image display has been in common use. This apparatus is provided with a communication function of connecting to a computer network so that a variety of information can be exchanged. Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 8-315106 discloses a system that adds an identification signal of a cameraman to image data recorded with a digital camera for the purpose of distributing the recorded image with a charge. Specifically, the system adds the cameraman's identification signal to the recorded image data to thereby specify who is the cameraman of the recorded image (i.e., an original owner of the image data) distributed on the network. Then, the cameraman can charge a user of the distributed image for the use.
The conventional information apparatus such as the digital camera cannot store a number of images since the capacity of an internal memory is limited. The recorded image may be transmitted to the server to reduce the burden of the memory with the use of a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 8-315106. In this case, the use of the network and a database charges therefor, and it is therefore necessary to carefully designate a server to connect and identify the user. Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 8-315106, however, merely teaches adding the identification signal to the recorded image data to ensure the payment for the secondary use of the image data. It fails to teach designating the server to connect or to which the image data is transmitted.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 5-165932 discloses another system that makes it possible for a plurality of users to connect to a server at the same time so that they can edit the image data while they look at the same image.
A liquid crystal display (LCD) is used as the image display in many of apparatus that are provided with the above-mentioned image display function. If several persons look at the same screen, the image is sometimes difficult to see because of the direction of the liquid crystals. In this case, it is possible to distribute the image data to a plurality of apparatuses with the use of a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 5-165932 so that several persons can look at the same image on the plurality of displays at the same time. Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 5-165932, however, merely proposes a processing method in the case where several persons edit the same image. The mere application of this method has a problem described below. Since each person can freely enter a command from each apparatus, one person enters a command of “switch to the next image”, whereas another person enters a command of an “enlargement”, for example. If a rule were adopted in such a way that another command is not accepted during the processing of one command, an arbitrary operation of one person would influence all the other persons. It is therefore impossible to supervise the images that are distributed to all the persons.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed in view of the above-described circumstances, and has as its object the provision of an image display apparatus and a camera that recognize who is using the apparatus (a user), communicate automatically with a server that is under contract with the user, and display the same image on a plurality of apparatuses while one of the apparatuses supervises the distribution of the images. Another object of the present invention is to provide an image communication system that makes possible the distribution of the image data by means of the above-mentioned apparatuses provided with the communication function.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is directed to an image display apparatus comprising: an information reader for reading identification information from an external storage medium; a communicating device for communicating with a server through a network, the server being designated in accordance with the read identification information; and an image display for displaying an image represented by image data distributed from the server.
According to the present invention, the information reader reads the information contained in the external storage medium, and the identification information of a certain person contained in the external storage medium is entered into the image display apparatus. Then, a server is designated in accordance with the entered identification information, and the communicating device connects the image display apparatus automatically to the designated server. The image display apparatus receives the image data from the connected server, and displays the image represented by the image data on the image display.
The use of the external storage medium makes it easy to enter the identification information of the user into the image display apparatus and connect the image display apparatus to the server designated in accordance with the user.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, an image display apparatus comprises: an information reader for reading identification information from an external storage medium; a nonvolatile storage device for storing identification information of an owner of the image display apparatus; a user's identification information setting device for setting the owner's identification information as user's identification information if the information reader reads no identification information, and setting the identification information read by the information reader as the user's identification information if the information reader reads the identification information; a communicating device for communicating with a server through a network, the server being designated in accordance with the user's identification information; and an image display for displaying an image represented by image data distributed from the server. Accordingly, once the owner of the image display apparatus records his or her own identification information in the own apparatus, it is possible to omit the entering of the identification information to use the own apparatus.
To erase previously-set user's identification information, a user's identification information erasing device may be adopted so that the user's identification information is erased when the image display apparatus is turned off. Further, a user's identification information updating device may be adopted so that when the information reader reads a new identification information, the set user's identification information is erased and the new identification information is set as the user's identification information.
Moreover, the image display apparatus further comprises a user's identification information confirmation device for, if the set user's identification information is other than the owner's identification information, requiring resetting of the user's identification information when a first preset time has elapsed after the setting of the set user's identification information, and erasing the set user's identification information when a second preset time has elapsed without the resetting after the requirement. The provision of this device prevents the user's identification information other than the owner's identification information from being fraudfully used. This provides security when a pay network, etc. is used.
It is also possible to use a plurality of image display apparat
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Kovalick Vincent E.
Mengistu Amare
LandOfFree
Image display apparatus and camera and image communication... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Image display apparatus and camera and image communication..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Image display apparatus and camera and image communication... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3151434