Patent ID: 6421429
Filing Date: 2002-07-16
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
A network-based method for communicating an image signal from a calling device to a called device via a network having a network image processing system, wherein said calling device and called device are each an arbitrary one of a plurality of device types, said method comprising the network image processing system executed steps of:receiving at the network image processing system via the network a signal indicative of the image signal from said calling device which is coupled to the network via an arbitrary network connection type, said signal characterized by an arbitrary format and protocol from among multiple formats and protocols for representing and communicating the image signal, said multiple formats including at least a plurality of formats for a given image medium; said network image processing system comparing characteristics of said image signal with image characteristic information of said called device, said called device coupled to the network via an arbitrary network connection type and using at least one arbitrary format and protocol from among said multiple formats and protocols for representing and communicating image signals, said multiple formats including at least a plurality of formats for a given image medium; said network image processing system converting said image signal directly into a converted image signal compatible with said called device when said comparing step indicates that the characteristics of said image signal are different from said image characteristic information of said called device; and said network image processing system communicating information via the network to said called device according to a communication protocol compatible with said called device, said information including said converted image signal when said converted image signal is generated in said converting step, said information including said image signal when said converted image is not generated in said converting step; said network image processing system thereby selectively converting between arbitrary image formats from among the multiple image formats, and receiving and communicating the image signal between arbitrary device types via arbitrary respective network connection types according to respective arbitrary protocols from among the multiple protocols, and having the capability of converting to or from one of a plurality of formats for a given image medium.