JP2597933B2 - Multimedia communication system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is applied to a multimedia communication system for communicating multimedia information. In particular, the transfer of multimedia information such as characters, graphics and photos between server systems and client systems,
The present invention relates to a multimedia communication system capable of performing storage and retrieval and realizing various functions according to applications.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a multimedia communication system, there are a videotex system having a relatively limited function, a center-end filing system, and the like. The functions of the server system (center device) and the client system (terminal device) in these systems are usually provided fixedly as application programs. For this reason, for example, it is impossible to change the operation method for each piece of stored information.

On the other hand, in recent years, as in a system known as "hypertext" or "hypermedia", information and operation methods are integrally managed to change specific operation contents for each information. It is possible to realize an optimal operation method for each piece of information. For example, by clicking a specific part of the displayed screen with a mouse, it is possible to display information describing that part.

[0004]

However, since such conventional "hypertext" systems and "hypermedia" systems are based on stand-alone systems, even if they are to be applied to multimedia communication systems, they can be used in server systems. The function of the (center device) is provided only in a fixed or interactive manner by changing the command. The operation method added to the information can be not the operation of the client system but the operation of the server system, but in that case, the operation method of the client system is fixed.

[0005] Therefore, conventionally, there has been a drawback that the operation method of both the server system and the client system cannot be changed depending on the application and information.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks, and provides a multimedia communication system which can change the operation method of both a client system and a server system for each information and can realize various functions according to applications. The purpose is to provide.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a multimedia communication system including a server system and a client system for transferring, storing, and retrieving multimedia information between the server system and a communication line. In, the information format transferred, stored and searched between the server system and the client system,
A client command defining the operation of the client system; a server command defining the operation of the server system; and multimedia information. The server system includes means for interpreting and executing the server command. The system includes means for interpreting and executing the client command.

In the present invention, the server command interpreting means may include means for interpreting the server command so as to act on a set of the client command and the multimedia information.

[0009]

The information format transferred, stored, and retrieved between the server system and the client system includes a client command defining the operation of the client system, a server command defining the operation of the server system, and multimedia information. And The client command interpreting means interprets and executes the client command, and the server command interpreting means interprets and executes so as to act on a set of the client command and the multimedia information.

As described above, the operation method of both the client system and the server system can be changed for each information, and various functions can be realized according to the application.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a multimedia communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the multimedia communication system includes a server system 20 and a client system 10 for transferring, storing and retrieving multimedia information between the server system 20 and a communication line 30.

Here, the feature of the present invention is that the information format transferred, stored, and retrieved between the server system 20 and the client system 10 includes a client command defining the operation of the client system 10 and a server command. The client system 10 includes a server command defining the operation of the system 20 and multimedia information. The client system 10 interprets and executes the client command as a client command interpreter 12, a control unit 13, and an input display control unit. The server system 20 includes a server command interpreter 21, a control unit 24, a business processing unit 22, and a database unit 23 as server command interpreting units for interpreting and executing server commands.

The server command interpreter 21
Includes means for interpreting the set of client commands and multimedia information to operate.

The operation of the multimedia communication system having such a configuration will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a format of script software transferred in the multimedia communication system of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a service menu screen of the multimedia communication system of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a registration condition input screen of the multimedia communication system of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the correspondence between the logical structure of information corresponding to the service menu shown in FIG. 3 and the client commands in the multimedia communication system of the present invention.

In FIG. 2, data exchanged between the server system and the client system comprises a server command, a client command and multimedia information. The server command is one or more commands that define the operation of the server system and their arguments. The contents of the operation include, for example, searching a database, inserting data into the database, and deleting data. A client command is one or more commands that define the operation of the client system and their arguments. The contents of the operation include, for example, display, file operation, data transmission, and data reception. The multimedia information is, for example, an ODA (Office Document) defined by CCITT and ISO.
Architecture), videotex data and CDI (Comp) defined by CCITT.
act disk interactive) or DVI
(Digital video-interactive
e) and the like. These are collectively called script software. Note that the script software does not necessarily include the above three types of data, and may include only server commands, only server commands and multimedia information, or only client commands and multimedia information.

In FIG. 1, a client system 10
Includes a client command interpreter 12 for interpreting and executing client commands, and a server system 20.
A server command interpreter 21 for interpreting and executing a server command is mounted in. Script software is transferred between the client system 10 and the server system 20.

When the client system 10 is started,
The client system 10 calls the script software for initial operation stored in advance and inputs it to the client command interpreter 12. The script software includes, for example, multimedia information for displaying an instruction screen as shown in FIG. 3 and a client command defining an operation method. The client command first displays multimedia information on the screen and waits for a user operation. If the user clicks "Registration" with a mouse, the client command interpreter 12 searches for the corresponding portion in the client command from the position coordinates on the screen where "Registration" is displayed, and executes the portion. The command is, for example, a command for calling the following script software for setting a registration condition as shown in FIG. With this command, the operation of the client system 10 is controlled by the following script software.

Here, one implementation method for identifying the “registration” portion is to format the multimedia information into a format having a logical structure as shown in FIG.
This is a method of determining where each element is displayed at the time of display by using “search” and the like as different logical structure elements. Also, client commands can be easily associated with each other by, for example, attaching a label to each element.

When the user has entered the required data,
The next command generates a server command for causing the server system 20 to perform necessary registration, adds it to the beginning of the script software to be registered, and transmits the script software to the server system 20.

Here, the script software to be registered is a set of multimedia information and a client command that defines the operation of the client system 10 when the multimedia information is called. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the script software transmitted to the server system 20 has a configuration including a server command, a client command, and multimedia information.

The server system 20 extracts only the server command at the head of the script software and adds it to the server command interpreter 21. In this example,
Since the server command is a registration command, the server system 20 registers the received script software client command and multimedia information as a set in the database.

Next, in the case of information retrieval, a server command for instructing retrieval is generated in the same manner as described above. In this case, only the server command is transferred to the server system 20. The script software including the retrieved client command and multimedia information is transferred to the client system 10, and the client system 10 displays the multimedia information, prints the multimedia information according to the client command in the script software, and stores the multimedia information in the external storage device. Or accumulate.

In the conventional "hypertext" or the like, only one operation of the server system 20 or the client system 10 can be combined with information because the operation information has only one layer. According to the present invention, since both can be combined, more advanced services can be realized.

A more specific first example is the case of a circular electronic mail. First, the sender adds the client command and the multimedia information to the server system by adding a server command for transferring them to the first recipient. The server system forwards to the first recipient according to the server command. The first client command operates such that the client system adds the user-entered note to the last portion of the multimedia information. When the first recipient finishes inputting, the remaining client commands work to generate a server command to transfer the mail to the next recipient in the attached circulation list, and add this to the server system. Forward. The server system forwards the mail to the second recipient according to the server command. This operation is continued until there is no circulation destination list. According to this method, a circular electronic mail can be realized only by the server system having a normal mail system function. An electronic approval system can be realized by a similar mechanism.

As a second example, an application in which a questionnaire is posted on an electronic bulletin board system and the answers are totaled will be described. The script software stored in the bulletin board includes multimedia information for displaying a questionnaire sentence and a client command for creating answer data.
The client command operates to prompt the user to input each answer, and adds a server command to accumulate them in a predetermined storage area of the server system, and transfers the answer to the server system. On the other hand, the server command refers to the predetermined area at a predetermined time, creates a total of the answers, and returns it to the poster.

Various applications other than the above examples are possible.

As described above, in this embodiment, (1) In the conventional "hypertext" or the like, since the operation information has only one layer, only the operation of either the server system or the client system is combined with the information. However, according to the present invention, since both can be paired, operations of the server system such as registration, update, and transfer can be designated for the pair of the client command and the multimedia information.

(2) circular mail, electronic approval system,
A service requiring a predetermined function in both the server system and the client system, such as an electronic bulletin board system with a tallying function, could not be realized without adding special software in the conventional system. According to the present invention, since a server command and a client command can be added to multimedia information as a set, if the server system and the client system each have a predetermined interpreter, the system does not depend on a specific application. You can do so.

[0030]

As described above, the present invention has an excellent effect that the operation method of both the client system and the server system can be changed for each information, and various functions can be realized according to the application. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a multimedia communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a format of script software transferred in the multimedia communication system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a service menu screen of the multimedia communication system of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a registration condition input screen of the multimedia communication system of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a correspondence relationship between a logical structure of information corresponding to the service menu shown in FIG. 3 and a client command in the multimedia communication system of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Client system 11 Input display control means 12 Client command interpreter 13, 24 Control means 20 Server system 21 Server command interpreter 22 Business processing means 23 Database means 30 Communication line 31 Server command 32 Client command 33 Multimedia information

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Akio Mitamura 1-1-6 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Yoichi Kato 1-1-6 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Japan Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. transfer of multimedia information between a server system and the server system via a communication line;
In a multimedia communication system including a client system that performs storage and retrieval, an information format transferred, stored, and retrieved between the server system and the client system includes a client command in which operation of the client system is defined. The client system includes client command interpreting means for interpreting and executing the client command, wherein the server system interprets the server command. A multimedia communication system comprising a server command interpreting means for executing. 2. The multimedia communication system according to claim 1, wherein said server command interpreting means includes means for interpreting said server command so as to act on a set of said client command and said multimedia information.