Image server, image communication system, and control methods thereof

Abstract

An image server and an image communication system capable of displaying images of plural image servers differing in IP address on a browser window by using a versatile browser, and a methods for controlling them. Plural image servers communicate with a client computer displaying image information presented from image servers through a network. Of the plural image servers, the controller of a certain image server receives a request from the client computer, and displays the image data of the image server and image data of other plural image servers simultaneously on the browser window of the client computer. Accordingly, the controller of the designated image server creates display information, and supplies the information to the client computer.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An image server for communicating with a computer for displaying image information through a network, comprising: 
 a) an image data creator for creating image data,    b) a web server communicating with a device on the network,    c) a connection information storage storing display information including information of connection destination of other plural image servers,    d) a setting information storage storing setting information, and    e) an image server controller for controlling the image data creator, the connection information storage, and the setting information storage, and for creating the display information,    wherein said image server controller creates, responsive to a request from the computer, the display information so that the image data of the image server created in the image data creator, and the image data of said other plural image servers may be simultaneously displayed in the computer, and supplies the display information to the web server.    
     
     
         2 . The image server of  claim 1 , 
 wherein said image server controller creates the display information so that the information necessary for displaying the image of said other plural image servers can be set by the computer.    
     
     
         3 . The image server of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the display information is created by the image server controller so as to include a proper name such as a position for installation of plural image servers, and so as to display the proper name in relation to the image of corresponding said image servers.    
     
     
         4 . The image server of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the display information is created by the image server controller so as to validate another image server based on validation information including a password of said another image server.    
     
     
         5 . The image server of  claim 1 , 
 wherein when one of images of the plural image servers displayed on the screen of the computer based on the display information is selected by the computer, the image server controller transmits the display information described to increase display size of the selected image and decrease display size of other images to the computer.    
     
     
         6 . An image communication system comprising: 
 a) an image server, said image server including 
 i) an image data creator for creating image data,  
 ii) a web server communicating with a device on the network,  
 iii) a connection information storage storing display information including information of connection destination of other plural image servers,  
 iv) a setting information storage storing setting information, and  
 v) an image server controller for controlling the image data creator, the connection information storage, and the setting information storage, and for creating display information, and  
   b) a computer for receiving the display information, and for transmitting an image data request signal for requesting image data from another image server based on the connection information included into the display information,    wherein said image server controller creates, responsive to a request from the computer, the display information so that the image data of the image server created in the image data creator, and image data of other plural image servers may be simultaneously displayed in the computer, and supplies the display information to the web server.    
     
     
         7 . A control method of image server for communicating with a computer for displaying image information through a network, comprising the steps of: 
 a) transmitting display information excluding image data to the computer when a predetermined request is sent from the computer,    b) receiving image data from another image server,    c) transmitting the image data to the computer, when request for image data transmission is made from the computer to the image server,    d) transmitting the image data of said another image server to the computer when image data transmission of said another image server is requested from the computer.    
     
     
         8 . The control method of image server of  claim 7 , 
 wherein the display information is created so that the image data transmission may be requested based on the display information.    
     
     
         9 . A control method of image server for communicating with a computer for displaying image information through a network, comprising the steps of: 
 a) transmitting image information including image data of the image server and image data of other image servers when image data transmission is requested from the computer, and    b) transmitting image data increasing image size of certain image data to the computer when an instruction designating the certain image data among the image information is transmitted from the computer.    
     
     
         10 . The control method of image server of  claim 9 , further comprising a step of: 
 c) transmitting image data decreasing image size of other image data than the certain image data to the computer.    
     
     
         11 . A control method of image server for communicating with a computer for displaying image information through a network, comprising the steps of: 
 a) transmitting image information including image data of the image server and image data of another image server when image data transmission is requested from the computer, and    b) creating display information so that a predetermined request may be transmitted to the image server being a source of transmission of a designated image, when a certain image is designated out of plural images displayed on the computer.    
     
     
         12 . The control method of image server of  claim 11 , 
 wherein the display information includes validation information of the image server being the source of transmission of the designated image.    
     
     
         13 . The control method of image server of any one of claims  7  or  9 , 
 wherein the display information is created so that the computer may display a link destination of the image server and said another image server.  
 
     
     
         14 . A control method of image communication system for communicating between a computer for displaying image information and image servers through a network, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) transmitting display information excluding image data from the image server to the computer when a predetermined request is sent from the computer to the image server,    b) transmitting an image data request signal for requesting image data from the computer by designating a desired image server based on the connection information included in the display information, and    c) transmitting at least one of the image data of the image server and image data of another image server from the image server to the computer, responsive to the image data request signal.    
     
     
         15 . A control method of image server for communicating with a computer for displaying image information through a network, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) storing display information including connection information of another image server, and    b) transmitting display information for displaying images of plural image servers responsive to a request from the computer.    
     
     
         16 . The control method of image server of  claim 15 , 
 wherein the display information is created so as to include proper names including a position for installation of each of said plural image servers, and display the proper names in relation to images of corresponding said image servers.    
     
     
         17 . The control method of image server of  claim 15 , 
 wherein the display information is created so as to validate said another image server based on the validation information including a password of said another image server.    
     
     
         18 . The control method of image server of  claim 17 , further comprising a step of: 
 c) encrypting the password when transmitting the password to said another image server.    
     
     
         19 . The control method of image server of  claim 15 , 
 wherein the display information data is HTML data described in conformity with a specification of HTML data format.    
     
     
         20 . The control method of image server of  claim 15 , 
 wherein the connection information is an IP address or a domain name.    
     
     
         21 . The control method of image server of  claim 15 , 
 wherein when one of the images of the plural servers displayed on the screen of the computer based on the display information is selected by the computer, display information is requested from the image server.    
     
     
         22 . The control method of image server of  claim 15 , 
 wherein the connection information include information determining whether or not to display image of the image server.