PATENT DOCUMENT

Abstract:
A data conversion apparatus included an information input device, a holder for holding information designating a method of the conversion processing from input portion when the kind of the input information is examined and is judged as predetermined data for executing a data conversion processing, a convertor for executing the data in accordance with a predetermined rule, a synthesizer for generating new data by combining the input information with a predetermined data content, and an information output device for outputting the new data so generated. When the kind of the data is screen configuration data describing configuration of the screen output of an information processing unit, the predetermined rule adds a display area of the screen configuration and converts it to a screen configuration data capable of displaying a plurality of screen configurations on the same screen.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 08/633,311 entitled as MULTIMEDIA DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM IN NETWORK filed by T. Shimada et al. on Apr. 15, 1996, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a data converting device for converting the size, etc, of inputted data. More particularly, the present invention relates to a data converting device functioning as a relay for relaying multimedia data transmitted through a plurality of kinds of transmission media, such as image, speech data, sound-attached moving-picture data etc, a data transmission method, and an information storage medium storing a data conversion function. 
     In network systems in general, services are offered among a plurality of information processing units connected to the network. 
     In this case, the information processing unit on the service requesting side is referred to as a “client” and the information processing unit on the service offering side, a “server”. 
     T. Berners-Lee et al., “Communications of ACM”, Vol. 37, No. 8, pp. 76-82(1994) published by ACM Press describes an example of multimedia network systems for describing screen configuration mainly by character strings in a wide area network system. 
     Such a multimedia network system has spread in world-wide networks and access to world-wide information can be acquired by making access to the servers in the world. 
     The capacity of data handled in the multimedia network system, such as static images, moving images, speech, and so forth, is by far greater than that of texts. 
     Therefore, when the multimedia network system is utilized in the environment having a small network transmission capacity, the problem develops in that an extremely long time is necessary for the data transfer. 
     When the amount of data transmitted from the server to the client is reduced, the data access time can be reduced particularly when the transmission rate of the network is low, and the user can gain access to a greater amount of information within a predetermined time. 
     When the data converting device described above is used, the data access time can be reduced as a result of the reduction of the data transmission amount between the server and the client, but layout of the screen display is changed when button display is employed for indicating the reduction of a static image in the screen display, etc. 
     If layout of the screen display itself has information such as a table, such a change of layout means the loss of information and deteriorates appearance of the design. See FIG. 9 ( 902 ,  903  and  904 ). In FIG. 8, screen configuration data  801 , description  802  of the image tag, and descriptions  803  and  804  of the anchor tags are shown. 
     To look up the screen display in accordance with original screen configuration information transmitted by the server, the user of the client must stop utilization of the data converting device. Because the method of stopping the utilization of the data converting device requires the change of setting of the client, this operation is much more complicated than the normal button selection operations, and another problem arises in that operation efficiency drops when the user frequently desires to switch the utilization and to stop the data converting device. 
     When a large number of buttons for looking up the static image are disposed in the screen display, the display area of the screen becomes lack of information, and still another problem occurs in that the screen display becomes redundant for the user who seldom makes access to the additional buttons. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a data converting device which converts data transmitted from a server to data which considers performance of the client, a transmission medium connected to the client, etc, and causes the client to receive this data, a network system equipped with such a data converting device, and a data transmission method. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a data converting device which instructs a user of a client to control a conversion processing of multimedia data and enables the user to carry out the data conversion processing in accordance with this instruction, a network system equipped with such a network, and a data transmission method. 
     To accomplish the objects described above, a data relay apparatus connected between a server device and a client device includes a command analysis portion for analyzing a command inputted from the client device, which analysis portion reads out and stores conversion instruction information when the command contains the conversion instruction information instructing a predetermined data conversion processing; a request portion for deleting the conversion instruction information from the command and sending it to the server device; a detection portion for receiving data sent from the server device, which detection portion converts the data on the basis of the conversion instruction information stored and add the conversion instruction information to the reference address included in the description referring to a text data included in other data; and a transmission portion for transmitting the data and the result of the added information to the client device. 
     The conversion instruction information can contain a screen configuration command for instructing to divide the area of the screen displayed on the client device into a reception data display area for the data received from the server device and an operation area for the screen operation. The data relay apparatus can further contain a first expansion portion for expanding the display data from the server device on the reception data display area on the basis of the screen configuration command and a second expansion portion for expanding the operation buttons corresponding to another screen configuration command indicating contents of transformation on data in the operation area in accordance with the conversion instruction information on the basis of the screen configuration command from the client device. When the image data is contained in the response command, the conversion instruction information can be a deletion instruction command which instructs to delete a part of pixels of the image data in a predetermined pattern. 
     According to the present invention, there is also provided a data relay apparatus connected to a client device through a first network and to a server device through a second network, which includes means for analyzing a command inputted from the client device, means for separating conversion instruction information from the command when the command contains the conversion instruction information instructing a conversion processing; means for transmitting the command after deletion of the conversion instruction information to the server device; means for receiving data responding to the command after deletion of the conversion instruction information from the server device; means for generating a conversion command by converting the data on the basis of the conversion instruction information; and means for transmitting the conversion command with the conversion instruction information to the client device. 
     According to the present invention, there is further provided a data transmission method of a network system including a data relay apparatus connected to a client device connected through a first network and to a server device through a second network, wherein the data relay apparatus analyzes a command inputted from the client device, deletes conversion instruction information from the command when the command contains the conversion instruction information instructing a conversion processing, and transmits the command to the server device, the server device which receives the command after deletion of the conversion instruction information transmits data responding to the command after deletion of the conversion instruction information, and the data relay apparatus which receives the data converts the data to generate a conversion command on the basis of the conversion instruction information, and transmits the conversion command with the conversion instruction information to the client device. 
     According to the present invention, there is further provided an information storage medium storing a data conversion function for data relay for use in a data relay apparatus connected to a client device through a first network and to a server device through a second network, wherein the information storage medium stores a program having a function of analyzing a command inputted from the client device, a function of deleting conversion instruction information from the command when the command contains the conversion instruction information instructing a conversion processing to the command, and transmitting the command to the server device, a function of receiving a data responding to the command after removal of the conversion instruction information from the server device, a function of generating conversion data by converting the data on the basis of the conversion instruction information, and a function of transmitting the conversion command with the conversion instruction information to the client device. 
     According to the present invention, there is further provided a data converting device having information output means for outputting the data after the conversion processing described above is executed and data that is newly generated. 
     When the kind of data is screen configuration data describing configuration of a screen output of an information processing unit, a predetermined rule provides not only mere data conversion but list display, etc. so that efficiency of grasping the content of data can be improved. 
     Existing servers and clients can be as such utilized. When a new function or functions are added to the present invention, these servers and clients need not be changed, and the maintenance cost can be kept low, in consequence. Since a specific server is not necessary, utility by the screen configuration expansion by the present invention can be improved for all the pages of a large number of servers to which access can be made by everyone of the world. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an structural example of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the construction of a screen configuration expanding device; 
     FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the screen configuration expanding device; 
     FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a structural example of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 shows an example of screen configuration data; 
     FIG. 6 shows an example  1  of client screen display; 
     FIG. 7 shows an example  2  of the client screen display; 
     FIG. 8 shows an example of expanded screen configuration data; 
     FIG. 9 shows an example  1  of client screen display utilizing a data converting device; 
     FIG. 10 shows an example  2  of client screen display utilizing the data converting device; 
     FIG. 11 shows an example of a screen configuration template; 
     FIG. 12 shows an example of a setting management table; 
     FIG. 13 shows an example of additional screen configuration data; 
     FIG. 14 shows a display example of the additional screen configuration data; 
     FIG. 15 shows an example of a screen configuration template; 
     FIG. 16 shows an example of expanded screen configuration data; 
     FIG. 17 shows an example of converted screen configuration data; 
     FIG. 18 shows an example of a client screen according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 19 shows another example of the client screen according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 20 shows an example of converted screen configuration data; 
     FIG. 21 shows another example of the client screen according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 22 shows still another example of the client screen according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 23 shows still another example of the client screen according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 24 shows still another example of the client screen according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 25 shows still another example of the client screen according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 26 shows still another example of the client screen according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 27 shows still another example of the client screen according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 28 shows still another example of the client screen according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 29 shows still another example of the client screen according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 30 is a flowchart of the processing of a configuration expanding device; 
     FIG. 31 is a flowchart of a configuration expanding processing; 
     FIG. 32 is a flowchart of a command analysis; 
     FIG. 33 is a flowchart of a response data generation processing; 
     FIG. 34 is a flowchart of configuration expanding frame generation; 
     FIG. 35 is a flowchart of UI frame generation; 
     FIG. 36 is a flowchart of a data conversion processing; 
     FIG. 37 shows an example of setting table; 
     FIG. 38 shows an example of a processing object table; 
     FIG. 39 shows an example of a UI setting table; 
     FIG. 40 shows an example of a conversion rule table; 
     FIG. 41 shows an example of a conversion parameter table; 
     FIG. 42 shows a processing sequence according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 43 shows an example of a button template; 
     FIG. 44 shows a processing sequence according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 45 shows an example of a processing object table; 
     FIG. 46 shows an example of conversion parameters; 
     FIG. 47 shows an example of converted screen configuration data; 
     FIG. 48 is a flowchart of a response data generation processing; 
     FIG. 49 shows an example of a thumb nail template; 
     FIG. 50 shows an example of a thumb nail button screen configuration data; 
     FIG. 51 shows an example of a UI setting table; 
     FIG. 52 shows an example of a processing object table; 
     FIG. 53 shows an example of screen configuration data; 
     FIG. 54 shows an example of a list page template; 
     FIG. 55 shows an example of a thumb nail template; 
     FIG. 56 shows an example of thumb nail button screen configuration data; 
     FIG. 57 shows an example of a processing object table; 
     FIG. 58 shows an example of screen configuration data; and 
     FIG. 59 shows an example of a client screen according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     (First Embodiment) 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a system according to the first embodiment comprises a server  101 , networks  102  and  104 , a screen configuration expanding device  103  and a client  105 . 
     The server  101  is connected to the screen configuration expanding device  103  for effecting data conversion and relaying, through the network  102 , and the client  105  is connected to the screen configuration expanding device  103  through the network  104 . Data communication is made between the server  101  and the client  105  and in this instance, the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes expansion of the screen configuration and reduction of a data amount. 
     The term “expansion of the screen configuration” means the addition of a new screen display area to the screen configuration information which is received from the server  101  and contains data to be displayed and information on the configuration of the screen for displaying this data. 
     More concretely, expansion of the screen configuration in this embodiment means the addition of an interface, which accomplishes interactive communication between a user at the client  105  and the client screen, to the screen configuration information of the server  101 . 
     The server  101  stores screen configuration data  501  for defining the screen configuration of the client screen display  601  as shown in FIG.  5 . 
     Hereinafter, the content of the screen configuration data  501  will be explained with reference to the client  105  and the screen display  601 . 
     Incidentally, the following explanation will be given as if the server  101  and the client  105  directly communicated with each other for simplification by omitting the explanation of the portions which execute communication through the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     In FIG. 5, descriptions at reference numerals  502 ,  503 ,  504 ,  505  and  506  correspond to reference numerals  602 ,  603 ,  604 ,  605  and  605  in FIG. 6, respectively. 
     The text partitioned by [&lt;] and [&gt;] in the screen configuration data is referred to as a “tag”. This tag is used for putting an effect to the text, or for representing burying of the data other than the text such as a static image, or for describing burying of the button which can be operated by the user of the client  105 . 
     The tag  507  [&lt;CENTER&gt;] and the tag  508  [&lt;/CENTER&gt;] in the description  502  in FIG. 5 are the description for disposing the text between these two tags at the center at the time of screen display. The tag  509  [&lt;BR&gt;] is the description instructing line feed. Due to these tag descriptions, the description  502  is displayed on the screen of the client  105  such as the text  602  shown in FIG.  6 . 
     [&lt;IMG SRC=“pictA, gif”&gt;] in the description  503  is a tag referred to as “imaging”. Here, this tag describes that the data designated by [SRC=“ ”] is buried at this portion in the text. [pictA. gif] designated here is the address representing a static image. The client  105  requests the server  101  to transfer this pictA.gif, receives this data from the server  101  and displays it on the screen in succession to the text  602 , so that the static image  603  is finally displayed on the screen of the client  105  as shown in FIG.  6 . 
     [&lt;A HREF=“pictB. gif”&gt;] 0  and [&lt;/A&gt;] in the description  504  are referred to as “anchor tags”, and the portion encompassed by these tags becomes a button on the screen of the client  105 . When the user clicks this button, the client  105  transmits the transfer request of the data designated by [HREF=“ ”] in the anchor tag to the server. [pictB. gif] is the address representing the static image  702 . In the description  504 , a text [running scene  1 ] encompassed by the anchor tags becomes the button  604  in FIG. 6 at the time of screen display. When the user selects this button, the client  105  transmits the transfer request of the static image  702  to the server  101 , and displays finally the static image  702  as shown in FIG.  7 . 
     The descriptions  505  and  506  are similar to the description  504 , and are only different in that the content of the text and the address of the data to be looked up at the time of the display of the button are different. 
     Here, the address of the data which the description  506  looks up is [next. html] and this is the screen configuration data in the same way as  501 . 
     In the multimedia network system described above, when the tail of the data address is [.gif], the data is the static image, and when the tail of the data address is [. html], the data is the screen configuration data. 
     Next, the explanation will be given on the communication method between the server and the client in the multimedia network system in this embodiment. 
     In this explanation, too, the explanation will be given on the assumption that the server  101  and the client  105  directly communicate with each other without passing through the screen configuration expanding device  103 , for the purpose of simplification. 
     First, the client  105  transmits a command [GET menu. html] to the server  101 . 
     Here, [menu. html] is the address designating the screen configuration data  501 . Receiving this request, the server  101  transfers the screen configuration data  501  to the client  105 . When the client  105  receives the screen configuration data  501 , it analyzes this data. 
     The client  105  first analyzes the portion of the description  501  and displays the text on the screen. Next, the client  105  analyzes the portion of the description  503  and detects that other data are cited by the image tags and transmits a command [GET pictA.gif] requiring the transfer of [pictA. gif] to the server  101 . 
     Receiving this request, the server  101  returns [pictA. gif], that is, the static image  702 . Receiving this static image  702 , the client  105  displays the static image  702  on the screen in succession to the text display  502 . 
     Next, the client  105  analyzes the description  504 , detects the anchor tags and display the button  604 , i.e. [running scene  1 ]. 
     Similarly, the client  105  analyzes the descriptions  505  and  506  and displays the buttons  605  and  606  on the screen. 
     As described above, the client  105  displays various data on the screen as  601  in FIG. 6 by the screen configuration data. 
     Next, the concrete construction of the screen configuration expanding device according to the presents invention will be explained. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  shown in FIG. 2 comprises a CPU  201  for executing a predetermined processing, a memory device  202  for storing necessary information, inclusive of a program for operating this CPU  201 , a communication control portion  203  for controlling data communication between networks  102  and  104  and this expanding device  103 , an auxiliary memory device  205 , an external memory I/O  207  for reading out data from information storage media such as a CD-ROM  208 , a FD  209 , a magnetic tape  210 , a DVD  211 , etc, for storing the program for accomplishing the functions of the present invention, and a communication control portion  206 , connected to the network  104 , for receiving the program for accomplishing the functions of the present invention through the networks. These memory device  202 , communication control portions  203 ,  206 , auxiliary memory device  205  and external memory I/O  207  are controlled by the command and the data that are sent from the CPU  201  through a bus  204 . 
     In FIG. 3, the screen configuration expanding device  103  comprises a request processing portion  301  and a response processing portion  303 . 
     Reference numeral  301  denotes the request processing portion, which transfers the command sent from the client  105  to the server  101 . 
     The request processing portion  301  comprises a command analysis portion  304 . 
     The command analysis portion  304  analyzes the command  311  transferred from the client  105  and stores the result of this analysis as analysis information  308 . The command analysis portion  304  executes conversion of the command, whenever necessary. The command analysis portion  304  transfers the command as the analyzed command  312  to the server  101 . 
     After the command  312  is transferred to the server  101 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  transfer its processing to the response processing portion  303 . 
     When the request processing portion  301  does not transmit the command to the server  101  (this case will be explained later), the response processing portion  303  converts the data received from the server  101 , whenever necessary, and transfers it to the client  105 . 
     The response processing portion  303  comprises a data kind. detection portion  305 , a screen configuration expanding portion  306  and a data conversion portion  307 . 
     The data kind detection portion  305  receives the information which stipulates whether or not data conversion is to be made for the data sent thereto, from the analysis information portion  308 , and decides whether or not to execute conversion for the data sent from the sever on the basis of this information. 
     When the data  313  is the screen configuration data, the data kind detection portion  305  delivers the data  313  as the data  314  the screen configuration expanding portion  306 , and transfers the processing to the screen configuration expanding portion  306 . 
     When the data  313  is the data kind which the conversion object, the data kind which is the conversion object, the data kind detection portion  305  delivers the data  313  as the data  315  to the data conversion portion  307 , and transfer the processing to the data conversion portion  307 . 
     The screen configuration expanding portion  306  executes any one of the following three Processing in accordance with the analysis result of the command analysis portion  304 . 
     The first is a generation processing of the screen configuration data for generating new screen configuration data by using the screen configuration template  309 . 
     The second is a conversation processing of the screen configuration data for changing the tag content in the screen configuration data when the screen configuration expanding portion  306  receives the screen configuration data  314  form the data kind detection portion  305 . 
     These two processings will be described later. The screen configuration expanding portion  306  finally outputs any of the screen configuration data as the data  316 . 
     The data conversion portion  307  is the portion that executes the image data conversion processing similar to that of the screen configuration expanding device  103  explained in this embodiment, and has therein the conversion expander table  1101 . 
     Receiving the data  315  from the data kind detection portion  305 , the data conversion portion  307  outputs the data  315  as the data  316  in accordance with the information of the analysis information  308 . 
     The above explains the basic operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     The operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  will be successively explained with reference to concrete examples. 
     First, the screen configuration template  309  and the content of the set management table  310  will be explained. 
     In this embodiment, the screen configuration template  309  stores two templates shown in FIGS. 11 and 15. 
     In FIG. 11, reference numerals  1202  and  1203  denote incomplete anchor tag descriptions, and they have blank columns  1204 ,  1205  and  1206 ,  1207 , respectively. When these blank columns are filled, the anchor tag descriptions become complete anchor tag descriptions. 
     In FIG. 16, reference numeral  1601  denotes the screen configuration template. 
     In FIG. 16, reference numerals  1602 ,  1603  and  1604  denote description for dividing the screen display of the client  105 . They are described as the frame description in Lauta Lemay, “Teach Yourself More Web Publishing with HTML in a Week”, Appendix D (1995), published by Prentice-Hall, Co. 
     First, the descriptions  1602  and  1605  describes that the client screen is divided into upper and lower two display areas. 
     The description  1603  is a description relating to the content of the upper area of the two display areas described above. Here, it describes that the content of the data address is to be displayed in this area. Further, this area is called “UI”. This is one of the conversion instruction commands. 
     The description  1604 , too, is a description similar to  1603 . It describes that the name of the lower area is “PAGE”. It does not become a complete description unless the blank column  1607  is filled. 
     In this embodiment, the content of the setting management table  310  is shown in FIG.  12 . 
     Reference numeral  1301  denotes the content of the setting management table  310 , reference numeral  1302  denotes the item content of the setting management table  310  and reference numerals  1303  and  1304  denote the table data of the setting management table  310 . 
     The operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this embodiment will be explained below on the basis of the premise condition described above. 
     First, the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. html] to the screen configuration expanding device  103  (response command). 
     Receiving this command, the screen configuration expanding device  103  transfers the processing to the request processing portion  301 . The request processing portion  301  receives this command as a command  311  and transfers the processing to the command analysis portion  304  so as to execute the analysis and conversion of the command. The command analysis portion  304  analyzes the data address designated by the command  311 , separates the expander contained in the setting management table  310  from the data address and stores it in the analysis information  308 . At this time, the command analysis portion  304  analyzes the tail of the data address, judges the data kind and stores it in the analysis information  308 . 
     In this embodiment, the character strings [.gif], [.html], etc, at the end of the data addresses are not called the expander. 
     Further, the command analysis portion  304  collates the analysis information  308  with the information of the setting management table  310  and executes the processing in accordance with the following three rules. 
     (Rule 1) 
     When the data kind in the analysis information is the screen configuration data and the expander is ].ui], the processing is transferred from the request processing portion  301  to the response processing portion  303 , and the processing is transferred to the screen configuration expanding portion  306  in order to generate the additional screen configuration data. 
     This generation of the additional screen configuration data will be described later. 
     (Rule 2) 
     The processing is transferred from the request processing portion  301  to the response processing portion  303 , and to generate the expanded screen configuration data, the processing is transferred to the screen configuration expanding portion  306  of the response processing portion  303 . 
     The expanded screen configuration data will be described later. 
     (Rule 3) 
     In the cases other than those described above, the command  312  requiring the data address of the analysis information  308  is transmitted to the server  101  and the processing is transferred  6  to the data type detection portion  305  of the response processing portion  303 . 
     For example, since the content of the analysis information  308  is (address: menu. html, expander: nil, data kind: screen configuration data), this corresponds to the (Rule 2) described above. 
     Therefore, the request processing portion  301  transfers the processing to the response processing portion  303  and the screen configuration expanding port  306  starts generating the expanded screen configuration data. 
     The term “generation of the expanded screen configuration data” means that the screen configuration expanding portion  306  divides the display area of the screen of the client  105  into two from the information of the screen configuration template  309 , the setting management table  310  and the analysis information  30  and generates the screen configuration data for displaying two screen configuration data. 
     Next, the generation processing of the expanded screen configuration data by the screen configuration expanding portion  306  will be explained. 
     First, the screen configuration expanding portion  306  takes out the expanded screen configuration template  1601  stored in the screen configuration template  309 . 
     Further, the screen configuration expanding portion  306  describes the data address, which is the sum of the data address of the analysis information  308  and the expander [.ui] (which, in this embodiment, plays the role of the conversion instruction command for converting the command from the server by the relay device) in the blank column  1606 , describes also the data address, which is the sum of the data address of the analysis information  308  and the page reference expander of any of the table data of the setting management table  301 , in the blank column  1607 , and outputs them as the data  316 . 
     When the blank column  1607  is filled in this embodiment, the page reference expander of set No.  2  of the setting management table  1301  must be always added. 
     Because the data address of the analysis information  308  is [menu. tml] and the page reference expander of the set No.  2  of the setting management able  1301  is [.p-quick], the content of the data  316  is as shown in FIG.  16 . 
     In FIG. 16, reference numeral  1701  denotes the expanded screen configuration data generated by the screen configuration expanding portion  306 . Reference numerals  1702  and  1703  denote the descriptions generated when the screen configuration expanding portion  306  fills the blank columns of  1606  of  1603  and  1607  of  1604 , respectively. 
     The screen configuration expanding portion  306  transfers the processing to the response processing portion  303 . 
     Next, the response processing portion  303  transfers the data  316  to the client  105 . 
     Receiving the data  316  as the screen configuration data  1701 , the client  105  analyzes its content. 
     In order to completely display the content of the screen configuration data  1701  on the screen, the client  105  must receive at least the data to which reference is made by the descriptions  1702  and  1703 . 
     First, the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. ui. html] for requesting the transfer of [menu. ui. html] looked up by the description  1702  to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     Receiving this command, the screen configuration expanding device  103  analyzes this command by the command analysis portion  304  of the request processing portion  301  and obtains the analysis information  308  (the address: menu. html, the expander: .ui, the data kind; screen configuration data) 
     The request processing portion  301  transfers the processing to the response processing portion  303  in accordance with the (Rule 1) and on the basis of this result, and starts the generation processing of the additional screen configuration data by the screen configuration expanding potion  306 . 
     The screen configuration expanding portion  306  takes out the additional screen configuration template  1202  from the screen configuration template  309 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding portion  306  serially fills the addresses as the sum of the data address of the analysis information and the page reference expander of each set number of the setting management table  1301  into the blank columns  1204  and  1206 . 
     Further, the screen configuration expanding portion  306  fills serially the UI button names of the data address setting management table  1301  of the analysis information into the blank columns  1205  and  1207 . 
     In this way, the screen configuration expanding portion  306  fills the blank columns of the additional screen configuration template  1202  by the processing described above and outputs them as the data  316 . Here, the data  316  has the content shown in FIG.  13 . 
     Referring to FIG. 14, reference numeral  1501  denotes client screen display by the screen configuration data  1401 , and reference numerals  1502  and  1503  denote the button display by the anchor tag descriptions  1402  and  1403 , respectively. 
     Next, the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. p-quick. html] requesting the transfer of [menu. p-quick. html] to which reference is made by the description  1703 , to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     Receiving this command, the screen configuration expanding device  103  transmits the command [menu. html] to the server  101  in accordance with the (Rule 3) as a result of the processing of the request processing portion  301 , and transfers the processing to the response processing portion  303 . 
     At this time, the content of the analysis information is (address: menu. html, expander: p-quick, data kind: screen configuration data). 
     Receiving the command [menu. html], the server  101  transmits the screen configuration data  501  to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     Receiving the screen configuration data  501 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  first delivers the screen configuration data  501  to the screen configuration expanding portion  306  by the data kind detection portion. 
     The screen configuration expanding portion  306  executes the conversion processing of the screen configuration data in accordance with the following rules. 
     (Rule A) 
     The configuration expander whose page reference expander is the same as that of the analysis information  308  in the setting management table  1301  is added to the data address of those anchor tags which refer to the screen configuration data among all the anchor tags contained in the screen configuration data. 
     (Rule B) 
     The image reference expander whose page reference expander is the same as that of the expander of the analysis information in the setting management table  1301  is added to the data address of those anchor tags and image tags which refer to the screen configuration data among all the anchor tags and image tags contained in the screen configuration data  314 . 
     Here, when the conversion data  314 , that is, the screen configuration data  501 , are converted in accordance with the rules described above, the result becomes as shown in FIG.  17 . 
     In FIG. 17, reference numeral  1801  denotes the screen configuration data, and reference numerals  1802 ,  1803  and  1804  denote the anchor tag descriptions, respectively. 
     The screen configuration expanding portion converts the data  314  in accordance with the rules described above and outputs them as the data  316 . 
     The screen configuration expanding portion  306  transfers the processing to the response processing portion  303 . 
     Next, the response processing portion  303  transfers the data  316  to the client  105 . 
     When receiving this data  316 , that is, the screen configuration data  1801 , the client  105  displays finally the content shown in FIG. 19 on the screen. 
     In FIG. 18, reference numeral  1901  denotes client screen display of the screen configuration data  1701 , and reference numeral  1902  denotes client screen display of the screen configuration data  1801 . 
     In FIG. 18, reference numerals  1903 ,  1904  and  1905  denote button displays by the anchor descriptions  1802 ,  1803  and  1804 , respectively. 
     In FIG. 18, the process in which a static image  902  as a reduced image of the static image  603  is displayed in place of this static image  603  is the same as the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103 , and it is the result of the data conversion by the data conversion portion  307  in accordance with the information of the analysis information  308 . 
     In this way, the processings when the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. html] are all completed. 
     Next, when the user of the client  105  selects the button  1903  in the screen display  1901 , the client  105  transmits [GET pictA.small. gif] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     As a result, the content of FIG. 20 is finally displayed on the screen of the client  105 . 
     In FIG. 19, reference numeral  2001  denotes the screen display of the client. 
     The screen display  2001  is entirely the same as the screen display of FIG.  10 . It has the same content as when the button  903  in the screen display  901  is selected in the system utilizing the data converting device  401 . 
     When the user of the client selects the button  1502  in the screen display  1901 , the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu.p-normal.html] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     As a result, the screen configuration expanding device  103  transmits the screen configuration data to the client  105  in accordance with the (Rule 3) in the same way as when it receives [GET menu.p-quick.html]. 
     In FIG. 20, reference numeral  2101  denotes the screen configuration data and reference numeral  2102  denotes the anchor tag description. 
     Receiving the screen configuration data  2101 , the client  105  finally displays the content of FIG. 22 on the screen. 
     In FIG. 21, reference numeral  2201  denotes the client screen display, reference numeral  2202  denotes the screen display of the screen configuration data  2101  and reference numeral  2203  denotes the button display by the anchor tag description  2102 . 
     The screen display  2202  in FIG. 21 is entirely the same in appearance as the screen display  601 . 
     When the client user selects the button  604  in the screen display  2202 , the client  105  finally displays the content of FIG. 22 on the screen. 
     In FIG. 22, reference numeral  2301  denotes the client screen display. 
     When the client user selects the button  1503  in the screen display  2202 , the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu.p-quick.html]. 
     Since this case is entirely the same as the case when the client  1501  transmits [GET menu.html], the final screen display of the client  105  is the same as the screen display  1901 . 
     As described above, control can be made so that when the client  105  first gains access to the data or when the user selects the [QUICK] button, all the static images transferred to the client  105  are reduced, and when the user selects the [NORMAL] button, the static image data are not reduced in the same way as when the server  101  and the client  105  directly communicate with each other. 
     In this embodiment, the conversion function of the data conversion portion  307  has been explained only as the size change function of the static image, but the present invention can cope with all data conversion functions. 
     Examples of the data conversion systems that can be applied to the present invention include the conversion of moving image data to digest data, the conversion of speech data to digest data, translation of text data, and so forth. 
     Though this embodiment has the construction such that the additional screen configuration data are displayed at the upper portion of the screen, this position can be easily changed to the right or left or lower portions. 
     Though the number of the additional screen configuration data is only one in this embodiment, it can be easily changed to a plurality of numbers. 
     The content of the additional screen configuration data in this embodiment is the mode setting buttons for the data conversion, but any content can be added to the screen display by the present invention so long as they can be represented by the screen configuration data. 
     Examples include the notice and help to the users and advertisements of companies. 
     This embodiment makes it possible for the user of the client to reduce the data amount while keeping layout of the original screen display  601 . 
     Further, the client user can gain access at any time to the content similar to that of the screen display  601  and the access to the original data becomes easier. 
     Because the present invention keeps the format of the communication system and the screen configuration data according to the prior art, existing servers and clients can be as such utilized. 
     As described above, this embodiment provides the function of reducing the data amount and improving operability of the system by merely selecting the buttons at the upper portion of the screen and changing the mode without changing layout. 
     Change-over of the mode can be explicitly represented as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24 by changing the display method of the selected button at the time of selection of the buttons  1502  and  1503 . 
     In FIG. 23, reference numeral  2401  denotes the client screen display, reference numeral  2402  denotes the screen display of the additional screen configuration data and reference numeral  2403  denotes the reversed button display. 
     In FIG. 24, reference numeral  2501  denotes the client screen display, reference numeral  2502  denotes the screen display of the additional screen configuration data and reference numeral  2503  denotes the reversed button display. 
     According to this embodiment, the user can judge at a look the mode he is utilizing, and can be relieved from the confusion whether or not he is looking up the original. 
     The content shown in FIG. 25 can be displayed on the client  105  in place of the screen display  2001 . 
     In FIG. 25, reference numeral  2601  denotes the client screen display, reference numeral  2602  denotes the screen display of the lower area of  2601 , reference numeral  2603  denotes the screen display of the text and reference numeral  2604  denotes the static image  1002  and also the button. 
     When the user selects the user button  2604  in the screen display  2601 , the screen display of the client  105  finally becomes similar to the screen display  2301 . 
     The first embodiment requires the operation of changing the mode and gaining again access to the same data in order to easily look up the original image from the state where the user refers to the reduced image. However, this embodiment can carry out the same operation by a single operation of selecting the buttons. 
     Furthermore, a [list] button can be added as shown in FIG. 26 by changing the additional screen configuration data. 
     In FIG. 26, reference numeral  2701  denotes the client screen display, reference numeral  2702  denotes the screen display of the additional screen configuration data to which the [list] button is added, and reference numeral  2703  denotes the screen display of the [list] button. 
     The user can look up the list of the reduced images of the static image data referred to by the button on the screen displayed at the lower portion by selecting the [list] button. 
     When the user selects the button  2703  in the screen display  2701 , for example, the screen display of the client  105  becomes such as the one shown in FIG.  27 . 
     In FIG. 27, reference numeral  2801  denotes the client screen display, reference numeral  2802  denotes the list display of the images, reference numeral  2803  denotes the text and reference numerals  2804  and  2805  denote the reduced static images, respectively. 
     The original images of the respective image can be looked up in the screen  2801  by selecting the buttons  2804  and  2805 , respectively. 
     It is possible to grasp the outline of a plurality of data by one operation, and is particularly effective when a large number of buttons for looking up the static image data exists on the same screen. 
     The third and fourth embodiments are effective not only when the object of the data conversion in the present invention is the static image but also when it is the moving image data. 
     For example, the third embodiment can provide the function such that when the button for looking up the moving image data exists, only the first frame of the moving image is displayed in the QUICK mode, and starting the reproduction of the moving image when this image is selected as the button. 
     The next embodiment can provide the function such that when a large number of buttons for looking up the moving image data exist, only the first frame of the moving image data is listed by selecting the [list] button. 
     Furthermore, the additional screen configuration data can be displayed as shown in FIG.  28 . 
     In FIG. 28, reference numeral  2901  denotes a screen display by another window. 
     According to this embodiment, the user can dispose the mode change button at a desired position. 
     It is further possible to distinguish the static image buried in the client display screen from the static image looked up by the button, and to enable the user to select the separate reference modes. 
     The client display screen in this embodiment becomes such as the one shown in FIG.  29 . 
     In FIG. 29, reference numeral  3001  denotes the client screen display and reference numeral  3002  denotes the screen display of the additional screen configuration data. 
     In FIG. 29, reference numeral  3003  denotes the client screen display and reference numerals  3004 ,  3005  and  3006  denote the buttons for designating the reference mode of the static image to be looked up by the buttons. 
     In FIG. 29, further, reference numeral  3007  denotes the button for displaying the operation method. 
     This embodiment distinguishes the static image buried into the client display screen from the static image to be looked up by the buttons and enables the user to select the separate reference modes. Therefore, the operation can be carried out easily and flexibly in such a manner that the image buried in the screen display is reduced and only the static image to be looked up by the buttons always refers to the original. 
     Next, the operation for accomplishing the processing described above will be explained in further detail. 
     Although the present invention does not limit the kind of the data exchanged between the client  105  and the server  105  and the number of such data, the following premise will be assumed so as to simplify the explanation. 
     {Premise 1) 
     The kind of the data as the object of the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  is only the screen configuration data and the static image data. The end of the data address is always [.html] in the case of the screen configuration data and [.gif] in the case of the static image data. 
     Then, the explanation will be given on the operation of the network system of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 with reference to the drawings. 
     In this embodiment, the screen configuration expanding de vice  103  executes the processing in accordance with the flowchart shown in FIG.  30 . 
     In FIG. 30, reference numeral  3101  represents the start of the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     When activated, the screen configuration device  103  transfers the processing to the step  3102  and waits for the connection request from an indefinite client. 
     When the connection request arrives from the client, the screen configuration expanding device  103  transfers the processing to the step  3103  and executes the configuration expanding processing. 
     This configuration expanding processing  3103  will be explained later in further detail. 
     When this configuration expanding processing  3103  is completed, the screen configuration expanding device  103  again transfers the processing to the step  3102  and thereafter repeats the steps  3102  and  3103 . 
     Next, the concrete operations of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this embodiment will be explained. 
     In the explanation which follows, the period during which the client  105  establishes the connection with the screen configuration expanding device  103  to transmit the command and cuts off this connection will be referred to as a “session”. 
     The operation of the screen configuration expanding processing  103  in the session in which the client  105  establishes the connection with the configuration expanding device  103  to transit the command [GET menu. html] and then cuts off this connection will be explained. 
     This session will be hereinafter called the “session  1 ). 
     First, the screen configuration expanding device  103  is activated and then waits for the connection request from an unspecific client at the step  3102 . 
     Next, the client  105  raises the connection request for the screen configuration expanding device  103  and transmits the command {GET menu. html]. 
     Then, the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the connection request from the client  105  and transfers the processing to the step  3103 . 
     After the configuration expanding processing at the step  3103  is completed, the processing is transferred to the step  3102 , and a new connection request from an unspecific client is awaited afresh. 
     Next, the processing content of the configuration expanding processing  3103  will be explained with reference to the flowchart of FIG.  31 . In FIG. 31, reference numeral  3201  denotes the start of the configuration expanding processing  3103 . 
     Similarly, reference numeral  3202  denotes the step of an initialization processing, and the data necessary for the configuration expanding processing  3103  are initialized at this step. 
     In this embodiment, the screen configuration expanding device  103  initializes the setting table shown in FIG. 3 at the step  3202 . 
     In FIG. 37, reference numeral  3801  denotes the setting table and reference numeral  3802  denotes the item name of the setting table  3801 . Reference numeral  3803  denotes the content of the setting table  3801 . 
     At the step  3202 , the screen configuration device  103  sets the content of the setting table  3801  to [address=nil, classification=conversion, processing content=non-conversion, parameter=nil] as represented by  3803 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  transfers the processing to the step  3203  and establishes the connection with the client. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  then transfers the processing to the step  3204  and executes the command analysis processing. 
     In this command analysis processing  3204 , the command from the client with which connection is established is received, and the content of the setting table is set by using the processing object able for confirming whether or not the command is the data as the processing object of the screen configuration expanding device  103 . The detail of the command analysis processing will be described later. 
     When the command analysis processing  3204  is completed, the screen configuration expanding device  103  transfers the processing to the step  3205  and judges whether or not the content of the item [classification] of the setting table  3801  is [generation]. 
     When the judgement result at the step  3205  proves [YES], that is, true, the screen configuration expanding device  103  transfers the processing to the step  3206  and if the result is not [YES], it transfers the processing to the step  3207 . 
     At the step  3206 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  generates new screen configuration data for executing expansion for the page of the original and replies to the client. 
     The detail of this replay data generation processing  3206  will be described later. 
     At the step  3207 , on the other hand, the screen configuration expanding device  103  establishes the connection with the server storing the data of the [address] of the setting table. 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  transfers the processing to the step  3208 , transmits established at the step  3207 , and then transfers the processing to the step  3209 . 
     The command at this time is the one obtained by replacing the address portion of the command received from the client by the content of the item [address] of the setting table  3801 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  transfers the processing to the step  3209  and judges whether or not the item [processing content] of the setting table  3801  is [non-conversion). 
     When the result is [YES], that is, true, the screen configuration device  103  transfers the processing to the step  3211  and if not, transfers the processing to the step  3210 . 
     At the step  3210 , the screen configuration expanding device receives the data from the server, executes data conversion designated y the [processing content] of the setting table, and then transfers the processing to the step  3212 . 
     The detail of the data conversion processing  3210  will be described later. 
     On the other hand, the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the data transmitted from the server at the step  3211 , transmits the data as such to the client, relays the data and then transfers the processing to the step  3212 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  cuts off the connection with the client, and the connection with the server when the processing is executed through the step  3207 , at the step  3212 , and then transfers the processing to the step  3213 . 
     At the step  3213 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  completes the configuration expanding processing  3103 . The above explains the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the configuration expanding processing  3103 . 
     Since the operation of the configuration expanding device  103  is the repetition of the configuration expanding processing  3103 , the explanation will be hereinafter given primarily on the operation of the configuration expanding processing  3103  when the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  is explained. 
     Here, the configuration expanding processing  3103  in (session  1 ) will be explained. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  first initializes the content of the setting table  3801  at the step  3202  and then transfers the processing to the step  3203 . 
     At this time, the content of the setting table is as  3803  in FIG.  37 . 
     The screen configuration device  103  establishes the connection with the client  105  at the step  3203  and then transfers the processing to the step  3204 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the command analysis processing  3204  at the step  3204 , sets the content of the setting table and transfers the processing to the step  3205 . 
     In this embodiment, the content of the setting table is set to [address=menu. html, classification=generation, processing content=generation of configuration expanding frame, parameter=.p-quick], and the process to this setting result will be later described. 
     Next, since the content of [classification] of the setting table  3801  is [generation] at the step  3205 , the result of judgement becomes [UES] and the screen configuration expanding device  103  transfers the processing to the step  3206 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  generates the expanded screen configuration data  1701  shown in FIG. 16 at the step  3206 , and then transfers the processing to the step  3212 . 
     The detail of the processing of the step  3206  will be described later. 
     At the step  3212 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  cuts off the connection with the client  105  and transfers the processing to the step  3212 . 
     At the step  3213 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  completes the configuration expanding processing  3103 . 
     The above explains the operation of the configuration expanding processing of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in (session  1 ). 
     Next, the detail of the command analysis processing  3204  will be explained. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the command analysis processing  3204  in accordance with the flowchart shown in FIG.  32 . 
     In FIG. 32, reference numeral  3301  represents the start of the command analysis processing. 
     At the step  3302 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the command from the client which establishes the connection at the step  3203 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  extracts the data identifier and the expander from the address contained in the command so received at the step  3303 , removes the expander from the address if it exists, and transfers the processing to the step  3304 . 
     Here, the term “data identifier” represents a character string starting with the tail [.] and the term “expander” represents a character string starting with the tail [.] other than the data identifier. 
     For example, when the address of the received command is [menu. html], the data identifier is [.html] and the expander is [nil], and the address conversion is not effected. 
     On the other hand, when the address of the received command is [menu. quick. html], the data identifier is [.html] and the expander is [quick]. 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  writes the address contained in the command received from the client into the item [address] of the setting table  3801  at the step  3304  and transfers the processing to the step  3305 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  judges whether or not the command is the processing object data by using the processing object table shown exemplarily in FIG. 38 at the step  3305 . This processing object table is stored in the memory device  202  shown in FIG.  2 . 
     In FIG. 38, reference numeral  3901  represents the processing object table and reference numeral  3902  does the item name of this processing object table  3901 . Reference numerals  3903 ,  3904 ,  3905 ,  3906 ,  3907  and  3908  represent the entries of the processing object table. 
     It will be hereby assumed that the processing object table does not have the limitation of the number of entries. 
     At the step  3305 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  retrieves the entries where the data identifier and the expander extracted at the step  3303  correspond to the items [object data identifier] and [expander] in the processing object table, respectively, and then transfers the processing to the step  3306 . 
     Next, at the step  3306 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  judges whether or not the entries exist as a result of retrieval at the step  3305 . If the corresponding entries exist, the result proves [YES] and the processing proceeds to the step  3307 . If not, the processing proceeds to the step  3308 . 
     At the step  3307 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  writes the items [classification], [processing content] and [parameter] in the entries retrieved at the step  3305  into the items [classification], [processing content] and [parameter] in the setting table  3801 , and transfers the processing to the step  3308 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  completes the command analysis processing at the step  3308 . 
     Next, the processing process of the command analysis processing  3204  when the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. html] to the screen configuration expanding device  103  will be explained. 
     First, at the step  3301 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  starts the command analysis processing. 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the command [GET menu. html] from the client  105  at the step  3302  and transfers the processing to the step  3303 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  extracts the expander and the data identifier from the address menu. html contained in the command [GET menu. html] and the result of this extraction becomes [data identifier=.html, expander=nil]. 
     Because [expander=nil], the screen configuration expanding device  103  does not execute the address conversion. 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  retrieves the entry having [object data identifier=.html, expander=nil] in the processing object table  3901  at the step  3305 , and picks up the entry  3904  as the result of retrieval. 
     At the next step  3306 , the screen configuration device  103  confirms the existence of the corresponding entry and then transfers the processing to the step  3307 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  then writes the content [classification], [processing content] and [parameter] of the entry  3904  into the items [classification], [processing content] and [parameter] of the setting table  3801  at the step  3308 . 
     As a result, the content of the setting table  3801  becomes [address=menu. html, classification=generation, processing content=generation of configuration expanded name, parameter=.[-quick]. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  completes the command analysis processing at the step  3308   
     The above explains the processing process of the command analysis processing  3204  when the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. html] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     Next, the detail of the response data generation processing  3206  will be explained. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  starts the response data generation processing  3206  at  3401  in FIG.  33 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  judges whether or not the content of the time [processing content] of the setting table  3801  is [generation of configuration expanded frame] at the step  3402 . If the result proves [YES], that is, true, the processing is transferred to the step  3403  and if not, to the step  3404 . 
     At the step  3043 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the configuration expanded frame generation processing, generates the screen configuration data for replaying to the client establishing the connection, and transfers the processing to the step  3405 . 
     This screen configuration data is the screen configuration data for expanding the page of the address required by the client, and is so described as to synthesize a plurality of screen configuration data. 
     The detail of the operation of the configuration expanded frame generation processing  3403  will be described later. 
     On the other hand, the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the UI frame generation processing at the step  3404 , generates the screen configuration data for replying to the client establishing the connection at the step  3203 , and transfers the processing to the step  3405 . 
     This screen configuration data is the one that describes the user interface for enabling the user to utilize a certain specific function when added to the page of the address required by the client. 
     The detail of the UI frame generation processing  3404  will be described later. 
     At the step  3405 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  transmits the screen configuration data generated at the step  3403  or  3404  to the client establishing the connection at the step  3203 , and transfers the processing to the step  3406 . 
     At the step  3406 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  completes the replay data generation processing. 
     The processing process of the replay data generation processing will be hereby explained about the case where the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. html] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     In this case, the content of the setting table  3801  is [address=menu. html, classification=generation, processing content=generation of expanded configuration frame, parameter=.p-quick] in the command analysis processing  3204  as described already. 
     First, the screen configuration expanding device starts the replay data generation processing at the step  3401 . 
     At the next step  3402 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  judges whether or not the item [processing content] of the setting table  3801  is [generation of configuration expanded frame], and because this result proves [YE], it transfers the processing to the step  3403 . 
     At the step  3403 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  generates the screen configuration data  1701  and transfers the processing to the step  3405 . 
     The detail of the process for generating the screen configuration data  1701  by the configuration expanded frame processing  3403  will be described later. 
     At the step  3405 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  transmits the screen configuration data  1701  generated at the step  3403  to the client  105  and then transfer the processing to the step  3406 . 
     The above explains the processing process of the replay data generation processing when the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. html] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     Next, the detail of the configuration expanded frame generation processing  3403  will be explained. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the configuration expanded frame generation processing  3403  in accordance with the flowchart shown in FIG.  34 . 
     In FIG. 34, reference numeral  3501  represents the start of the configuration expanded frame generation processing  3403 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  first reads the screen configuration temperate as the model of the screen configuration data to be finally generated at the step  3502 , and transfers the processing to the step  3503 . 
     FIG. 15 shows an example of the screen configuration template used in this embodiment. 
     Two blank columns  1606  and  1607  are provided to the screen configuration template in this embodiment. 
     At the step  3503 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  inserts the expander [.ui] to the address set to the item [address] of the setting table  3801 , writes the result into the blank column  1601  and then transfers the processing to the step  3504 . 
     At the step  3504 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  inserts the expander set to the item [parameter] of the setting table  3801  to the address set to the item [address] of the setting table  3801 , writes the result into the blank column  1607  and then transfers the processing to the step  3050 . 
     At the step  3505 , the screen configuration device  103  handles the data filling the two blank columns  1606  and  1607  of the screen configuration template  1601  as the resulting screen configuration data, and finishes the configuration expanded frame generation processing. 
     Here, the processing process of the configuration expanding frame generation processing will be explained about the case where the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. html] to the screen configuration expanding device. 
     In this case, the content of the setting table  3801  is [address=menu.html, classification=generation, processing content=generation of configuration expanded frame, parameter=.p-quick] in the command analysis processing  3204  as already described. 
     First, the screen configuration device  103  starts generating the configuration expanded frame at the step  3501 . 
     At the step  3502 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  reads the screen configuration template  1601  and transfers the processing to the step  3503 . 
     At the step  3503 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  inserts the expander [.ui] to the content [menu. html] of the item [address] of the setting table  3801 , writes the result [menu. ui. html] into the blank column  1606  and then transfers the processing to the step  3504 . 
     At the step  3504 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  inserts the expander [.p-quick] (here, the expander is also the conversion instruction command for instructing to convert the command from the server at the screen configuration expanding device) set to the content [menu. html] of the item [address] of the setting table  3801 , writes the result [menu. p-quick.html] into the blank column  1607  and transfers the processing to the step  3505 . 
     At this time, as the two blank columns  1606  and  1607  are filled, the screen configuration template  1601  becomes the screen configuration data  1701  shown in FIG.  16 . 
     At the step  3505 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  handles the screen configuration data  1701  as the resulting screen configuration data and finishes the configuration expanded frame generation processing  3403 . 
     When the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the command [GET menu.html] from the client  105  in the (session  1 ) as described above, it transmits finally the screen configuration data to the client  105 . 
     FIG. 42 shows the mode of communication between the client  105  and the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  1 ). 
     The communication in the (session  1 ) is represented by reference numerals  4301  to  4304 , and the step  3203  and communication  4301 , the step  3302  and communication  4302 , the step  3405  and communication  4303  and the step  3212  and communication  4304  correspond to one another, respectively. 
     Next, the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  will be explained about the processing continuing the (session  1 ) by including the explanation of the UI frame generation processing  3404  and the data conversion processing  3210 . 
     When the client  105  receives the screen configuration data  1701  by the (session  1 ), it analyzes the content and transmits the command requesting the screen configuration data [menu. ui. html] and [menu. p-quick. html] as the two constituent elements of the frame to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     A series of processings from establishment till cutoff of the connection by the two commands transmitted, i.e. [GET menu. ui. html] and [GET menu. p-quick. html], are referred to as (session  2 ) and (session  3 ), respectively. 
     First, the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  2 ) will be explained. 
     After completion of the (session  1 ), the screen configuration expanding device  103  waits for the connection request from an unspecific client  105  at the step  3102 . 
     The client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. ui. html] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     Here, the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  2 ) is the same as the operation in the (session  1 ) up to the command analysis processing  3204 . Therefore, the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  will be explained from the step  3302  of the command analysis processing  3204 . 
     At the step  3302 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the command [GET menu. ui. html] from the client  105 . 
     At the step  3303 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  extracts the data identifier [.html] and the expander [.ui] from the address [menu. ui. html] contained in the command so received, removes the expander [.ui] from the address to obtain [menu. html] and then transfers the processing to the step  3304 . 
     At the step  3304 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  writes the address [menu. html] converted at the step  3303  to the item [address] of the setting table  3801  and transfers the processing to the step  3305 . 
     At the step  3305 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  retrieves the entry having [object data expander=.html, expander=.ui] in the processing object table  3901 , and transfers the processing to the step  3306  by using the entry  3905  as the result of retrieval. 
     At the step  3306 , the configuration expanding device  103  transfers the processing to the step  3307  as the corresponding entry exists as a retrieval result. 
     At the step  3307 , the contents of the items [classification], [processing content] and [parameter] of the entry  3905  are written into the items [classification], [processing content] and [parameter] of the setting table  3801 , respectively, and the processing is transferred to the step  3308 . 
     As a result, the contents of the setting table  3801  become [address=menu. html, classification=generation, processing content=UI frame generation, parameter=nil]. 
     At the step  3308 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  finishes the command analysis processing. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  transfers the processing to the step  3205  after the command analysis processing is completed. 
     Since the result of the step  3205  becomes [YES], the screen configuration expanding device  103  transfers the processing to the reply data generation processing. 
     Since the result of the step  3402  of the reply data generation processing  3206  is [NO], the screen configuration expanding device  103  transfers the processing to the step  3404 . 
     The detail of the UI frame generation processing  3404  will be hereby explained. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  describes the UI frame on the basis of the UI setting table shown in FIG.  39 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the UI frame generation processing  3404  in accordance with the flowchart shown in FIG.  35 . 
     In FIG. 35, reference numeral  3601  represents the start of the UI frame generation processing. 
     First, at the step  3602 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  reads the template of the button description as the model of the user interface portion, and then transfers the processing to the step  3603 . 
     FIG. 43 shows an example of the template used in this embodiment. 
     In FIG. 43, reference numeral  4401  denotes the template and reference numerals  4402  and  4403  denote the blank columns of the template, respectively. 
     At the step  3603 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  generates the screen configuration data of the UI frame on the basis of the UI setting table shown in FIG.  39  and then transfers the processing to the step  3604 . 
     In FIG. 39, reference numeral  4001  denotes the UI setting table, reference numeral  4002  denotes the item name of the UI setting table  4001 , and reference numerals  4003  and  4004  denote entries. 
     At the step  3603 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the following processings for the entries of the UI setting table  4001 . 
     First, it inserts the expander registered to the item [insertion expander] of the entry to the content of the item [address] of the setting table  3801  and writes the result into the blank column  4402  of the template  4401 . 
     Next, it writes the content of the item [button name] of the entry into the blank column  4403  of the template  4401 . 
     The template  4401  the blank columns of which are filled is added to the UI frame generation result. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the processing described above for each entry of the UI setting table  4401  and generates the screen configuration data of the UI frame including the number of buttons equal to the number of entries. 
     At the step  3603 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  finishes the UI frame generation processing  3404 . 
     The above explains the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the UI frame generation processing  3404 . 
     Next, the operation of the UI frame generation processing  3404  in the (session  2 ) will be explained. 
     At the step  3602 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  read the template  4401 . 
     At the step  3603 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the following processings for the two entries of the UI setting table  4001 . 
     First, this device  103  inserts the insertion expander [.p-quick] of the entry  4002  to the content of the address [menu. html] of the setting table  3801  to generate [menu. p-normal. html] and writes it into the blank column  4402 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  inserts the button name [NORMAL] of the entry  4002  to the blank column  4403 . 
     As a result, the blank columns  4402  and  4403  of the template  4401  are filled by the screen configuration expanding device  103 , and the template  4401  becomes [&lt;HREF=menu. p-normal. html TARGET=PAGE&gt;NORMAL&lt;/A]. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  adds this to the screen configuration data generation result by the entry  4002 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the processing similar to the one made for the entry  4002 , for the entry  4003  and fills the blank columns  4402  and  4403  of the template  4401  to generate [&lt;HREF=menu. p-quick. html TARGET=PAGE&gt;QUICK&lt;/A]. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  adds the above to the screen configuration data generation result by the entry  4403 . 
     As a result of the processing described above, the screen configuration expanding device  103  converts  1041  in FIG. 13 to the screen configuration data generated by the UI frame generation processing. 
     At the next step  3604 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  finishes the UI frame generation processing  3404 . 
     The above explains the operation of the UI frame generation processing  3404  in the (session  2 ). 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  transfers the processing to the step  3405 . 
     At this step  3405 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  transmits the screen configuration data  1401  to the client  105  and transfers the processing to the step  3406 . 
     At the step  3406 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  finishes the reply data generation processing and transfers the processing to the step  3212 . 
     At the step  3212 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  cuts off the connection with the client  105  and transfers the processing to the step  3213 . 
     At the step  3213 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  finishes the configuration expanding processing  3103  in the (session  2 ). 
     Here, FIG. 42 shows the communication sequence between the screen configuration expanding device  103  and the client  105  in the same way as in the (session  1 ). 
     In FIG. 42, communication  4305 ,  4306 ,  4307  and  4308  are the communications in the (session  2 ), and the communication  4305  and the step  3203 , the communication  4306  and the step  3302 , the communication  4307  and the step  3405 , and the communication  4308  and the step  3212  correspond to one another, respectively. 
     Next, the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  3 ) will be explained. 
     After the (session  2 ) is completed, the screen configuration expanding device  103  waits for the connection request from an unspecific client at the step  3102 . 
     The client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. p-quick. html] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     Here, the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  3 ) till the command analysis processing  3204  is substantially the same as the operation in the (session  1 ) and its command analysis processing  3204  is substantially the same as that of the (session  1 ) and the (session  2 ). Therefore, the detailed explanation will be omitted. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  set the content of the setting table  3801  to [address menu. html, classification=conversion, processing content=configuration description conversion, parameter=.p-quick] by the command analysis processing  3204  on the basis of the address in the command received from the client  105  and the processing object table  3901 . 
     When the command analysis processing  3204  is finished, the screen configuration expanding device  103  transfers the processing to the step  3205 . 
     Since the result of the step  3205  becomes [NO], the screen configuration expanding device  103  transfers the processing to the step  3207 . 
     At the step  3207 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  establishes the connection with the server  101  storing [menu. html] designated by the address of the setting table  3801 , and transfers the processing to the step  3208 . 
     At the step  3208 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  transmits the command [GET menu. html] obtained by replacing the address portion of the command received from the client  105  by the address of the setting table  3801 , and then transfers the processing to the step  3209 . 
     At the step  3209 , since the processing content of the setting table is [conversion], the screen configuration expanding device  103  sets the evaluation result [processing content=non-conversion] to [NO] and transfers the processing to the step  3210 . 
     The detail of the data conversion processing  3210  will be hereby explained. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the data conversion processing in accordance with the flowchart shown in FIG.  36 . 
     In FIG. 36, reference numeral  3701  represents the start of the data conversion processing  3210 . 
     At the step  3702 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  evaluates whether or not the processing content of the setting table  1  is the [image reduction] and if the result is [YES], that is, true, transfers the processing to the step  37076  and if not, to the step  3703 . 
     At the step  3703 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the data from the server  101  and transfers the processing to the step  3704 . 
     The data which the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives from the server  101  at this time is the screen configuration data. 
     For, the processing content of the setting table  3801  at this step  3703  is [configuration description conversion] from the judgement result at the step  3702  and from the content of the setting table  3901  and in this case, the data identifier of the address in the command transmitted to the server  101  should be [.html]. 
     Therefore, the data the server  101  transmits to the screen configuration expanding device  103  becomes the screen configuration data. 
     At the step  3704 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the configuration description conversion processing for the data received from the server  101  and then transfers the processing to the step  3705 . 
     Here, the configuration description conversion processing  3704  will be explained. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  converts the screen configuration data received from the server  101  on the basis of the two tables. 
     One of them is the conversion rule table shown in FIG.  40  and represents the tag as the conversion object is the screen configuration data and its attribute. 
     In FIG. 40, reference numeral  4101  denotes the conversion rule table, reference numeral  4202  denotes the item name of this conversion rule table  4101  and reference numerals  4103 ,  4104  and  4105  denote the entries of the conversion rule table  4101 . 
     The other table is the conversion parameter table shown in FIG.  41 . This is used for fitting a concrete expander to the insertion expander as one of the items of the conversion rule table  4101 . 
     In FIG. 41, reference numeral  4201  denotes the conversion parameter table, reference numeral  4202  denotes the item name of the conversion parameter table  4201  and reference numerals  4203  and  4204  denote the entries. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  first searches the entry whose mode content is the same as the parameter of the setting table  3801  in the conversion parameter table  4201 , and fits the contents of [P 1 ], [P 2 ] and [P 2 ] of the entry to [P 1 ], [P 2 ] and [P 3 ] of the conversion rule table  4101 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the conversion for the description in which the entry, whose tag, attribute name and data identifier of the address of the attribute value coincide with those of the conversion rule tale  4101  in the screen configuration data received from the server  101 , exists, in such a manner as to insert the insertion expander of the corresponding entry into the address. 
     As described above, the screen configuration expanding device  103  inserts the expander designated by the parameters of the conversion parameter table  4204  and the parameters of the setting table  3801  to all the attribute values of the tags registered to the entry of the conversion rule table  4101  in the screen configuration data received from the server  101  by the configuration description conversion processing  3704 . 
     Next, at the step  3705 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  transmits the screen configuration data converted by the configuration description conversion processing to the client with which connection is established at the step  3203 , and then transfers the processing to the step  3709 . 
     On the other hand, the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the data from the server  101  at the step  3706  and transfers the processing to the step  3707 . 
     At the step  3707 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  carries out the image reduction processing for the image data it receives from the server  101  in accordance with the parameters of the setting table  3801 , and then transfers the processing to the step  3708 . 
     The data the screen configuration device  103  receives is the static image. 
     At the step  3808 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  transmits the image data reduced at the step  3707  to the client which establishes the connection at the step  3203 , and then transfers the processing to the step  3709 . 
     At the step  3709 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  finishes the data conversion processing. 
     The above explains the detail of the data conversion processing  3210 . 
     Next, the data conversion processing  3210  of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  3 ) will be explained. 
     Here, the content of the setting table  3801  is [address=menu. html, classification=conversion, processing content=configuration description conversion, parameter=.p-quick]. 
     At the step  3702 , since the processing content of the processing table  3801  is [configuration description conversion], the screen configuration expanding device  103  evaluates [processing content=image reduction] for the setting table  3801 , sets the result to [NO] and transfers the processing to the step  3703 . 
     At the step  3703 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the screen configuration data from the server  101  and transfers the processing to the step  3704 . 
     This data is the data received as the result of transmission of the command [GET menu. html] from the configuration expanding device  103  to the server  101  at the step  3208 . Therefore, it becomes the screen configuration data  501 . 
     At the next step  3704 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the configuration description conversion processing for the screen configuration data  501  and transfers the processing to the step  3705 . 
     Here, the configuration description conversion processing  3704  of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  3 ) will be hereby explained. 
     First, the screen configuration expanding device  103  selects the entry  4203  of the conversion parameter table  4201  in which the mode of the conversion parameter table  4201  coincides with the content of the parameter of the setting table  3801 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  fits the content of [P 1 =.quick], [P 2 =.small], [P 3 =.small] of the entry  4203  to [P 1 ], [P 2 ] and [P 3 ] of the conversion rule table  4101 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  then converts the screen configuration data  501  in accordance with the conversion rule table  4110 . 
     First, the screen configuration expanding device  103  confirms that the tag name of the description is [IMG], the attribute is [SRC] and the expander of the attribute value is [.gif] and that the description  503  corresponds to the entry  4105  of the conversion rule table in the screen configuration date  501 , and converts the attribute value [pictA. gif] of the description  503  to [pictA. small. gif]. 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  confirms that the tag name of the description  504  is [A], the attribute is [HREF] and the expander of the attribute value is [.gif] and that the description corresponds to the entry  4104  of the conversion table, and then converts the attribute value [pictB. gif] of the description  504  to [pictB. small. gif]. 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  confirms that the tag name of the description  505  is [A], the attribute is [HREF] and the expander of the attribute value is [.gif] and that the description corresponds to the entry  4104  of the conversion rule table, and then converts the attribute value [pictC. gif] of the description  504  to [pictc. small. gif]. 
     Finally, the screen configuration expanding device  103  confirms that the tag name of the description  506  is [A], the attribute is [HREF] and the expander of the attribute value is [.html] and that the description corresponds to the entry  4103  of the conversion table, and converts the attribute value [next. html] of the description  504  to [next. quick. html]. 
     In this way, the screen configurations expanding device  103  converts the screen configuration data  501  to the screen configuration data  1801 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  transmits the screen configuration data  1801  to the client  105  at the step  3705  and transfers the processing to the step  3709 . 
     At the step  3709 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  finishes the data conversion processing  3210 . 
     The above explains the detail of the data conversion processing of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  3 ). 
     Next, at the step  3212 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  cuts of the connection between the server  101  and the client  105  and transfers the processing to the step  3213 . 
     At the step  3213 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  finishes the configuration expanding device  103  finishes the configuration expanding processing  3103 . 
     The above explains the detail of the configuration expanding processing  103  of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  3 ). 
     Here, FIG. 42 shows the communication sequence between the screen configuration expanding device  103  and the client  105  in the same way as in the (session  1 ) and the (session  2 ). 
     In FIG. 42, the communications  4309 ,  4310 ,  4311 ,  4312 ,  4313 ,  4314 ,  4315  and  4316  are the communications in the (session  3 ). 
     The communication  4309  and the step  3203 , the communication  4310  and the step  3302 , the communication  4311  and the step  3207 , the communication  4312  and the step  3208 , the communication  4313  and the step  3703  and the communication  4314  and the step  3705  correspond to one another, respectively. 
     Similarly, the communication  4515  and  4516  correspond to the step  3212 . 
     When the (session  3 ) is completed, the client  105  receives the screen configuration data  1801 . 
     Then, the client  105  recognizes that the description  802  in the screen configuration data  1801  is the description of the image tag, and transmits the command [GET pictA. small. gif] for acquiring the image data of the address designated by [SRC=] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     The period in which the client  105  transmits this command, receives finally the data and then cuts off the connection will be referred to as the (session  4 ). 
     Hereinafter, the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this (session  4 ) will be explained. 
     The operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  4 ) is substantially the same as its operation in the (session  3 ), and the data conversion processing at the step  3210  is a greatly different portion. 
     The processing up to the step  3210  will be briefly explained by using the communication sequence shown in FIG.  42 . 
     In FIG. 42, the communication  4317 ,  4318 ,  4319 ,  4320 ,  4321 ,  4322 ,  4323  and  4324  are the communications in the (session  4 ). 
     First, in the communication  4317 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  establishes the connection with the client  105  (step  3203 ). 
     Next, in the communication  4318 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the command [GET pictA. small. gif] from the client  105  (step  3302 ). 
     Further, the screen configuration expanding device  103  sets the content of the setting table  3801  to [address=pictA. gif, classification=conversion, processing content=image reduction, parameter=1/2] by the processing from the step  3303  to the step  3308 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  then establishes the connection with the server  101  by the communication  4319  (step  3207 ). 
     Next, the screen configuration device  103  transmits the command [GET pictA. gif], which is generated by changing the command address received from the client  105  to the address of the setting table  3801 , to the server  101  by the communication  4320  (step  3208 ). 
     Here, the data conversion processing  3210  of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  4 ) will be explained. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  confirms that the processing content of the setting table  3801  is [image reduction] at the step  3702 , sets the evaluation result to [YES] and transfers the processing to the step  3706 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the image data  603  from the server  101  at the step  3706  (communication  4320 ) and transfers the processing to the step  3707 . 
     At the step  3707 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the image reduction processing of the image data  603  in accordance with the parameter [1/2] of the setting table, converts the image data  603  to the image data  902  and transfers the processing to the step  3708 . 
     The reduction processing can be accomplished by, for example, dividing the pixels of the image data into groups of four adjacent pixels of two pixels by two, selecting one typical pixel of each group and disposing it in accordance with the disposition of each group. 
     At the step  3708 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  transmits the image data  902  to the client  105  (communication  4322 ) and transfers the processing to the step  3709 . 
     At the step  3709 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  finishes the data conversion processing  3210 . The above explains the data conversion processing  3210  of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  4 ). 
     Subsequent processings are substantially the same as those of the (session  3 ). 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  cuts off the connection with the server  101  and the client  105  by the communications  4323  and  4324  (step  3212 ) and finishes the configuration expanding processing  3103 . 
     The above explains the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  4 ). 
     The client  105  displays the display  1901  on the screen through the processings from the (session  1 ) to the (session  4 ). 
     Here, the operation of the present invention will be explained about the case where the user of the client  105  selects the button  1903 . 
     When the user selects the button  1903 , the client  105  transmits the command [GET pictB. small. gif] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     The operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  at this time is the same as that in the (session  4 ). 
     The screen configuration device  103  receives the image data  702  from the server  101 , converts it to the image data  1002  by the data conversion processing, and transmits it to the client  105 . 
     Finally, the screen of the client  105  becomes such as the one represented by  2001 . 
     When the client  105  gains access to the page of the server  101  through the screen configuration expanding device  103 , the image data is automatically reduced, transferred and displayed, and when the button for looking up the image is selected, too, the image is automatically reduced, transferred and displayed. 
     The state where the image data bonded inside the page and the image data looked up by the button are referred to as a [QUICK mode]. 
     The operation of the present invention will be explained about the case where the client user selects the button  1502  from the end state of the (session  4 ). 
     When the user selects the button  1502 , the client transmits the command [GET menu. p-normal. html] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     The time from the transmission of the command to cutoff of the connection will be referred to as a (session  5 ). 
     The operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this (session  5 ) is substantially the same as that in the (session  3 ). 
     The operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  5 ) will be briefly explained with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG.  44 . 
     In FIG. 44, reference numerals  4501  to  4516  represent the communications among the server  101 , the configuration expanding device  103  and the client  105 . 
     In FIG. 44, the communications  4501 ,  4502 ,  4503 ,  4504 ,  4505 ,  4506 ,  4501  and  4508  denote the communications in the (session  65 ). 
     First, the screen configuration expanding device  103  establishes the connection with the client  105  by the communication  4501   
     Next, the device  103  receives the command [GET menu. p-normal. html] from the client  105  by the communication  4502 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  then sets the content of the setting table  3801  to [address=menu. html, classification=conversion, processing content=configuration description conversion, parameter=.p-normal] by the command analysis processing  3204 . 
     This content is different from the content of the setting table  3801  after completion of the command analysis processing  3204  in the (session  3 ) only in the point [parameter=.p-quick]. 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  transmits the command [GET menu. html] to the server  101  by the communication  4503 . 
     The device  103  then receives the screen configuration data  501  from the server  101  by the communication  4505 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  converts the screen configuration data  501  by the configuration description conversion processing  3704 . 
     Since the parameter of the setting table  3801  is [.p-normal] in this instance, the screen configuration expanding device  103  writes the contents of [[P 1 ]=normal, [P 2 ]=nil and [P 3 ]=nil]] of the table  4201  of the conversion parameter table  4201  into the content of [P 1 ], [P 2 ] and [P 3 ] of the conversion rule table  4101 . 
     Here, “insertion expander=nil” in the conversion rule table  4101  means that conversion is not made. 
     Therefore, the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes conversion of the screen configuration data  501  in accordance with only the rule of the entry  4103 . 
     In other words, the screen configuration expanding device  103  inserts the expander [.normal] to the address of the description having [tag name=A, attribute=HREF, data identifier of address=.html]. 
     In the screen configuration data  501 , it is only the description  506  that becomes the object of conversion described above. Therefore, the screen configuration expanding device  103  finally converts the screen configuration data  501  to the screen configuration data  2101 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  then transmits the screen configuration data  2101  to the client  105  by the communication  4506 . 
     Next, in the communications  4507  and  4508 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  cuts off the connection with the server  101  and the client  105 , and finishes the processing. 
     The above explains the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  5 ). 
     In the (session  5 ), the client  105  receives the screen configuration data  2101 , analyzes its content, recognizes the image tag description  503  and transmits the command {GET pictA. gif] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     The period from transmission of this command to cutoff of the connection will be referred to as a (session  6 ). 
     Hereinafter, the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this (session  6 ) will be explained briefly with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG. 44 in the same way as in the (session  5 ). 
     In FIG. 44, communications  4509 ,  4510 ,  4511 ,  4512 ,  4513 ,  4514 ,  4515  and  4516  are the communications in this (session  6 ). 
     The operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  6 ) is substantially the same as its operation in the (session  4 ) up to the step  3208 . 
     First, the screen configuration expanding device  103  establishes the connection with the client  105  by the communication  4509 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the command [GET pictA. gif] from the client  105  by the communication  4510 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  sets the content of the setting table  3801  to [address=pictA. gif, classification=conversion, processing content=non-conversion, parameter=nil]. 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  establishes the connection with the server  101  (step  3207 ). 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  transmits the command [GET pictA.gif] to the server  101  (step  3208 ). 
     Because the processing content of the setting table  3801  is “non-conversion”, the screen configuration expanding device  103  sets the evaluation result to [YES] at the step  3209  and transfers the processing to the step  3211 . 
     At the step  3211 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the image data  603  from the server  10  (communication  4513 ), transmits it to the client  105  without conversion (communication  4514 ) and transfers the processing to the step  3212 . 
     At the step  3212 , the configuration expanding device  103  cuts off the connection with the server  101  and the client  105  (communications  4515  and  4516 ) and transfers the processing to the step  3213 . 
     At the step  3213 , the expanding device  103  finishes the configuration expanding processing  3103 . 
     The above explains the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  6 ). 
     The client  105  receives the screen configuration data  2101  and the image data  603  in the (session  5 ) and (session  6 ) and executes the screen display  2201 . 
     As described above, when the user of the client  105  selects the [NORMAL] button of the frame  1501  on the screen  1901 , the image in the page is transferred and displayed in the size of the original, and when the user selects the image lookup button, the image of the original is displayed. 
     The mode in which the image data in the page or the image data looked up by the button is displayed in the original size will be referred to as the [NORMAL mode]. 
     Here, the operation of the present invention will be explained about the case where the user of the client  105  selects the button  604  of the screen  2201  after completion of the (session  6 ). 
     When the user selects the button  604 , the client  105  transmits the command [GET pictB. gif] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     The operation of this expanding device  103  at this time is the same as its operation in the (session  6 ). 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the image data  702  from the server  101  and transmits it to the client  105  without executing data conversion. 
     Finally, the screen of the client  105  becomes such as the one shown in FIG.  22 . 
     As described above, the client  105  can receive the image data in the size of the original by selecting the button  1502  on the screen  1901 . 
     When the user of the client  105  selects the button  1503  of the screen  2201 , the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. p-quick html] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     In this case, since the expander of the entry  3904  of the processing object table  3901  is [nil/quick], the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  is exactly the same as when the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. html], that is, its operation in the (session  3 ). 
     In this case, therefore, the screen configuration expanding device  105  executes the same processing as in the (session  3 ) and (session  4 ), and the screen display of the client  103  becomes such as the one represented by  1901 . 
     As described above, the user of the client  105  can select the size of the image for a certain page by selecting the buttons [QUICK] and [NORMAL] at the upper portion of the screen. 
     Next, the operation when the user of the client  105  selects the button [to next page] for each of the screen  1901  after completion of the (session  4 ) and the screen  2201  after completion of the (session  6 ) will be explained. 
     First, the operation of the configuration expanding device  103  when the user of the client  105  selects the button  1905  on the screen  1901  after completion of the (session  4 ) will be explained. 
     At this time, the client  105  transmits the command [GET next. quick. html] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     The operation of the configuration expanding device  103  in this case is substantially the same as its operation in the (session  1 ) to (session  3 ), and the difference exists in only that the screen configuration data changes from [menu. html] to [next. html]. 
     Therefore, the UI frame inclusive of the button for changing over the mode is displayed finally at the upper portion of the screen of the client  105  in the same way as the screen  1901 , and the page of the [QUICK mode] which is obtained by converting the screen configuration data of the address [next. html] of the server  101  by the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the same way as in the (session  3 ) by the configuration description conversion processing is displayed at the lower portion of the screen. 
     The operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  when the user of the client  105  selects the button  2203  on the screen  2201  after completion of the (session  6 ) will be explained. 
     At this time, the client  105  transmits the command [GET next. normal. html] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     The operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  at this time is substantially the same as its operation in the (session  1 ), (session  2 ) and (session  5 ). In the (session  1 ), the parameter of the configuration expanded frame generation changes from [.p-quick] to [.p-normal], and the screen configuration data as the object changes from [menu. html] to [next. html] in each of these sessions. 
     Therefore, the UI frame inclusive of the button for changing over the mode is finally displayed at the upper portion of the screen of the client  105  in the same way as the screen  2201 , and the page of [NORMAL mode] obtained by converting the screen configuration data of the address [next. html] of the server  101  by the screen configuration expanding device  103  by the configuration description conversion processing is displayed at the lower portion of the screen. 
     When the client  105  gains access to the page of the server  101  through the configuration expanding device  103  or to a certain page in the [QUICK] mode or to other pages by selecting the button through the screen configuration expanding device  103 , the page, too, is displayed in the [QUICK mode]. When the first mode is the [NORMAL mode], the next page, too, becomes the [NORMAL] mode. 
     In other words, all of the server  101 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  and the client  105  can keep the mode for a series of the operations by the user without having specific information for retaining the mode. 
     This mode can be changed over at any time by the button of the UI frame displayed always at the upper portion of the screen. 
     The above explains the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this embodiment. 
     According to this embodiment, the user of the client  105  can change over either of the [QUICK mode] for displaying the image size by reducing its display size and the [NORMAL mode] capable of looking up the image of the original, though a longer time is necessary till display, whenever necessary, by the configuration expanding device  103  when the user gains access to an arbitrary page. 
     Particularly because the screen configuration expanding device  103  need not insert a specific button into the page of the original for the data converting device  401 , disturbance of layout due to the insertion of the button into the page does not occur. 
     This effect of the present invention becomes greater when the number of buttons increases such as when the kind of the reduction of the size increases. 
     For example, the kind of image size reduction includes the reduction at 1/4 in length and width and 1/8 in length and width besides 1/2, and the explanation will be given on the case where the user can select the reduction ratio. 
     The data converting device  401  must prepare the buttons for selecting the reduction ratios so increased. 
     In other words, the data converting device  401  must insert the extra buttons such as [tiny] for the 1/8 reduction in length and width and [bit] for the 1/8 reduction in length and width in addition to the button [small] for the screen configuration data of the page. 
     When these three kinds of buttons are inserted for each button for gaining access to the image data, layout is markedly disturbed, the occupying ratio of the buttons for selecting the reduction ratios becomes greater on the screen, and the information amount per display area of the screen drops, too. 
     In contrast, even when the number of alternatives for selecting the image reduction ratios is increased in the screen configuration expanding device  103  as described above, the button to be increased is only the button for changing over the mode in the UI frame, and the buttons need not be inserted into the page to which the user gains access. Therefore, display of the page is not affected even when the number of kinds of image reduction is increased. 
     When the data converting device  401  is utilized in place of the screen configuration expanding device  103  and when the client makes access to a new page, the image data buried into the page is always reduced in size. 
     When the data converting device  401  is utilized, the user must select whether or not the data to be accessed next is the data of the reduced mode, but when the screen configuration expanding device  103  is utilized, the user can gain access to the image having a desired size by only the normal button selecting operation once the mode is set. In other words, the user need not confirm whether the data is the original data or the reduced image whenever he gains access to new data. 
     Further, it is possible to incorporate Japanese-to-English translation processing, data amount reduction processing of moving image data and data amount reduction processing of speech data into the screen configuration expanding device  103  of this embodiment, and in such a case, it is necessary to assemble the conversion processing and to change the contents of various tables and templates. 
     The following modifications can be made for the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     (Modification  81 ): A thumb nail button generation processing is added afresh to the reply data generation processing of the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     The thumb nail button generation processing will be explained later. 
     (Modification  82 ): The processing object table  3901  used by the configuration expanding device  103  is changed to the processing object table  4601  shown in FIG.  45 . 
     In FIG. 45, reference numeral  4601  denotes the processing object table and reference numerals  4601  and  4602  denote the entries. 
     As can be appreciated by comparing FIG. 45 with FIG. 38, the processing object table  4601  corresponds to the case where the entry  4602  is added to the processing object table  3901 . 
     As a result of the change of the processing object table, a new expander [. thumb] and [thumb nail button generation] as its processing content are registered. 
     (Modification  83 ): The conversion table which the screen configuration expanding table  103  uses in the configuration description conversion processing  3704  is changed from  4201  to  4701  as shown in FIG.  46 . 
     In FIG. 46, reference numeral  4701  denotes a conversion parameter table and  4702  denotes an entry. 
     The conversion parameter table  4701  is the one obtained by changing the entry  4203  of the conversion parameter table  4201  to the entry  4702 . 
     The particular difference between the entry  4203  and the entry  4702  is that the item [P 2 ] is changed from [.small] to [.thumb]. 
     Due to this change, the screen configuration expanding device  103  displays the thumb nail button but not the reduced image when the user of the client  105  selects the button for looking up the image data in the [QUICK mode]. 
     The term “thumb nail button” represents the button for looking up a certain image and a button as a reduced image of the former. 
     The above explains the modification of the seventh embodiment of the present invention. 
     Next, the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this embodiment will be explained. 
     The explanation will be given from the state where the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. html] in the same way as in the seventh embodiment. 
     When the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. html] in this embodiment, the screen of the client  105  becomes the one represented by  2601 , and the operation of the configuration expanding device  103  up to this stage is substantially the same as its operation in the (session  1 ) to the (session  4 ). The difference lies only in a part of the processing of the portion corresponding to the (session  3 ). 
     Therefore, the third session among the four sessions generated by the transmission of the command [GET menu. html] by the client  105  in this embodiment will be referred to as the (session  7 ), and the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this (session  7 ) will be explained. 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this (session  7 ) will be explained. 
     The concrete operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this embodiment is substantially the same as its operation in the (session  3 ). 
     In the (session  3 ) of the former embodiment, the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the screen configuration data  501  of the address [menu. html] from the server  101  for the command [menu. p-quick. html] transmitted by the client  105 , converts this data  501  to the screen configuration data  1801  and transfers it to the client  105 . 
     In the (session  7 ), the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the configuration data  501  from the server  101  for the command [menu. p-quick. html] transmitted from the client  105 , converts the data  501  to the screen configuration data  4801  shown in FIG.  47  and transfers it to the client  105 . 
     In FIG. 47, reference numeral  4801  denotes the screen configuration data and  4802  and  4803  denote the anchor tag descriptions for causing the client to display the buttons. 
     The screen configuration data  4801  is different from the screen configuration data  1801  in that the anchor tag descriptions  1802  and  1803  are changed to the anchor tag descriptions  4802  and  4803 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the conversion of the configuration data by the configuration description conversion processing  3704 , and the difference of the conversion result results from the change of the conversion parameter table by (Modification  82 ). 
     In the (session  7 ), the content of the setting table is [address=menu. html, classification=conversion, processing content−configuration description conversion, parameter=.p-quick] in the same way as in the (session  3 ). Therefore, the selected entry in the conversion parameter table  4701  used in this embodiment is the entry  4702 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  writes the content of [P 1 ], [P 2 ] and [P 3 ] of the entry  4702  into the parameters p{ 1 ], [P 2 ] and [P 3 ] of the conversion rule table  4101  and uses them as the conversion rule of the screen configuration data. 
     In the (session  7 ), the value of [P 2 ] is different from that of the (session  3 ), and [P 2 ]=[.thumb]. 
     The item [P 2 ] of the conversion parameter table represents the expander to be inserted into the address of the HREF attribute of the anchor tag. Therefore, the screen configuration expanding device  103  inserts [.thumb] into the address of the corresponding anchor tag. 
     In consequence, the screen configuration expanding device  103  converts the anchor descriptions  504  and  505  of the screen configuration data  501  to the anchor descriptions  4803  and  4803 , respectively, by the configuration description conversion processing  3704 . 
     As described above, in the (session  7 ), the screen configuration expanding device  103  converts the screen configuration data  501  o the screen configuration data  4801  and transmits this data to the client  105 . 
     The above explains the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  7 ). 
     Thereafter, the client  105  receives the screen configuration data  4801 , analyzes its content, detects the image tag description  802  and transmits the command [pictA. small. gif] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . The operation of this device  103  at this time is the same as its operation in (session  7 ) in the seventh embodiment. 
     After the processing described above is completed, the client  105  finally displays the screen  2201 . 
     Here, the appearance on the screen is entirely the same as that in the seventh embodiment but in this embodiment, the result when the user of the client  105  selects the buttons  1903  and  1904  is different from that of the seventh embodiment. 
     Here, the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  when the user of the client  105  selects the button  1903  will be explained. 
     When the user of the client  105  selects the button  1903 , the client  105  establishes the connection with the screen configuration expanding device  103  so as to transmit the command [GET pictB. thumb. gif]. 
     The time from the establishment of the connection till its cutoff will be referred to as a (session  8 ). 
     The basic flow of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this (session  8 ) is substantially the same as that of the (session  1 ) and the (session  2 ). 
     In the (session  8 ), the screen configuration expanding device  103  is not connected t the server but generates the data and replies it to the client  105  in the same way as in the (session  1 ) and the (session  2 ). 
     Hereinafter, the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  8 ) will be explained by picking up some steps as the essential points. 
     At the step  3203 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  establishes the connection with the client  105 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the command [GET pictB. thumb. gif] from the client  105  in the command analysis processing at the step  3204 . 
     Because the object identifier of the address of the command described above is [.gif] and its expander is [.thumb], the screen configuration expanding device  103  detects the entry  4602  of the processing object table  4601  in the command analysis processing  3204  and sets the content of the setting table  3801  to [address=pictB. gif, classification=generation, processing content=thumb nail button generation, parameter=nil]. 
     At the step  3205 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  confirms that the processing content of the setting table  3801  is [generation] and transfers the processing to the replay data generation processing of the step  3206 . 
     Here, the operation of the replay data generation processing  3206  in this embodiment will be explained. 
     Due to the (Modification  81 ), the [thumb nail button generation processing] is added to the replay data generation processing in this embodiment, and the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the processing in accordance with the flowchart shown in FIG.  48 . 
     In the flowchart of FIG. 48, the step  4902  is added before the step  3402  of the flowchart of FIG.  33  and the step  4903  is added further to one of the branches of the step  4902 . 
     In FIG. 48, the step  4901  represents the start of the replay data generation processing of the configuration expanding device  103  in this embodiment, and the expanding device  103  transfers the processing to the step  4902 . 
     At the step  4902 , the configuration expanding device  103  checks whether or not the processing content of the setting table  3801  is the [thumb nail button processing] and if this result is [YES], that is, true, the processing is transferred to the step  4903  and if not, to the step  3402 . 
     At the step  4903 , the configuration expanding device  103  executes the thumb nail button generation processing, and transfers the processing to the step  3405 . 
     The detail of the thumb nail generation processing will be described later. 
     Other steps in FIG. 48 are the same as those explained in the former embodiment. 
     The above explains the replay data generation processing  3206  of the configuration expanding device  103 . 
     Next, the detail of the thumb nail button generation processing  5903  will be explained. 
     In this thumb nail button generation processing, the screen configuration expanding device  103  generates the screen configuration data for display in the thumb nail button of the image data represented by the address of the setting table  3801  on the client  105 . 
     In the thumb nail button generation processing, the screen configuration expanding device  103  generates the screen configuration data of the thumb nail button by using the thumb nail template shown in FIG.  49 . 
     In FIG. 49, reference numeral  5001  denote the thumb nail template and  5002  and  5003  denote the blank columns. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  first writes the content of the address of the setting table  3801  into the blank column  5002 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  inserts the expander [.small] into the address of the setting table  3801  and writes it into the blank column  5003  of the setting table. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  writes the address into the two blank columns  5002  and  5003  of the thumb nail template  5001  as described above, and generates the screen configuration data of the thumb nail button. 
     The above explains the detail of the thumb nail button generation processing. 
     Here, the processing of the replay data generation processing  3206  in the (session  8 ) inclusive of the processing in the thumb nail generation processing  4903  will be explained. 
     First, the screen configuration expanding device  103  starts the relay data generation processing  3206  at the step  4901  and transfers the processing to the step  4902 . 
     At the step  4902 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  confirms that the processing content of the setting table  3801  is the thumb nail button generation, sets the evaluation result to [YES] and transfers the processing to the step  4903 . 
     In the thumb nail button generation process of the step  4903 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  first reads the thumb nail template  5001 . 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  writes the address [pictB. gif] of the setting table  3801  into the blank column  5002  and further writes the address generated by inserting the expander [.small] into this address into the blank column  5003 . 
     As described above, the screen configuration expanding device  103  generates the screen configuration data of the thumb nail button shown in FIG. 50 on the basis of the template  5001  in the thumb nail generation processing  4903 . 
     In FIG. 50, reference numeral  5101  denotes the screen configuration data of the thumb nail button and reference numeral  5102  denotes the anchor tag description inclusive of the image tag. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  finishes the thumb nail button generation processing and transfers the processing to the step  3405 . 
     At the step  3405 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  transmits the screen configuration data  5101  to the client  105 . 
     At the step  3406 , the screen configuration. expanding device  103  finishes the replay data generation processing  4901 . 
     The above explains the conversion data generation processing  4901  of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  8 ). 
     The subsequent operations of the screen configuration expanding device  103  are the same as those of the (session  1 ) and the (session  2 ). 
     At the step  3212 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  cuts off the connection with the client  105  and at the step  3213 , it finishes the configuration expanding processing  3103 . 
     The above explains the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  8 ). 
     By the (session  8 ), the client  105  receives the screen configuration data  5101  from the screen configuration expanding device  103 , analyzes its content and transmits the command [GET pictB. small. gif] to the screen configuration expanding device  103  from the description of the image tag in the description  5102 . The operation at this time is entirely the same as when the user pushes the button  1903  immediately after the (session  4 ) in the seventh embodiment, and the client  105  finally receives the image data  1002 . 
     The client  105  receives the image data  1003  and finally displays  2601  of FIG. 25 on the screen. 
     Reference numeral  2604  denotes the image data  1002 . It is also the button that transmits the command [GET pict. gif]. 
     Here, when the user of the client  105  selects the button  2604 , the client  105  transmits the command [GET pict. gif] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     The operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this case is the same as its operation when the user of the client  105  selects the button  604  of the screen  2201  after completion of the (session  6 ) in the former embodiment, and the client  105  finally displays the screen  2301 . 
     The above explains the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this embodiment. 
     Next, the effect of the present invention in this embodiment will be explained. 
     First, the effect of the present invention will be explained about the case where the user gains access to the page of the screen  1901  and selects the button  1903 , by way of example. 
     When the button  1903  is selected in the seventh embodiment as described above, the client  105  displays the screen  2001 . 
     In this case, when the user of the client  105  desires to gain access to the original image of the image  1002  in order to examine it in further detail, the user first returns to the screen  1901 , selects the button  1502 , changes the mode to the [NORMAL mode], then shifts to the screen  2201 , selects further the button  604  and then shifts to the screen  2301 . In this way, the user can view the image data  702  as the original of the image data  1002 . 
     In contrast, if the user of the client  105  desires to view the image data  702  as the original of the image data  1002  after looking up this image data  1002 , it is necessary for the user in this embodiment to first select the button  1903 , then to shift to the screen  2601  to view the image data  1002 , to further select the button  2604  to switch the screen to  2301 , and to watch the image data  2702 . 
     This difference will be compared in the number of operations of the button selection by the user from watching the image  1002  to watching the image  702 . The number of operations is three in the former case whereas it is one in the embodiment of the present invention. It can be thus appreciated that this embodiment can reduce the operation amount to 1/3. 
     This embodiment accomplishes a natural interface such that in the practical operation, the original image can be viewed by selecting the reduced image. 
     Though the effect of the present invention is explained above about the reduction of the static image in this embodiment by way of example, this embodiment can provide preview buttons for enabling the user of the client  105  to look up the original data for various data. 
     For instance, when the moving image data is placed on the server  101  and the screen configuration expanding device  103  has the “function of covering the first one frame of the moving image data to the static image data”, the present invention can offer a [first one frame image of moving image data] button to the user of the client  105 . Accordingly, the user can easily gain access to the moving image data, whenever necessary, while watching the static image data as the aid of the content confirmation without effecting the transfer and display of large amounts of moving image data, which call for a long time. 
     As described above, the present invention can improve retrieval efficiency when large amounts of data, which need a long time for transfer and display, are retrieved. 
     In the embodiment described above, it is possible to display a [button for listing a plurality of image data capable of starting reference from a certain page] on the client  105 . 
     (Modification  91 ): The UI setting table  4001  is changed as shown in FIG.  51 . In FIG. 51, reference numeral  5201  denotes the UI setting table and reference numeral  5202  denotes the entry. The UI setting table  4001  corresponds to the table obtained by adding the entry  5202  to the UI setting table  4001 . 
     Owing to this modification, the screen configuration expanding device  103  adds the button having the name [list] when the UI name is generated in the UI frame generation processing  3404 . 
     (Modification  92 ): [List page conversion processing] is added to the data conversion processing  3210 . 
     The term [list page conversion processing] means the processing which generates the list of the thumb nail buttons of all the image data that are looked up by the button for the screen configuration data of an arbitrary page from that page. The detail of this processing will be described later. 
     When the processing content of the setting table  3801  is the [list page conversion] in the data conversion processing  3210 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the list page conversion processing, and when the processing content is [image reduction], it executes the image reduction processing  3707 , and executes the configuration description conversion processing  3704  at other times. 
     In the data conversion processing  3210 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the data from the server  101  before each conversion processing and transmits the data to the client  105  after the conversion processing, in the same way as in the seventh embodiment. 
     (Modification  93 ): The processing object table  3901  is changed as shown in FIG.  52 . 
     In FIG. 52, reference numeral  5301  denotes the processing object table and reference numerals  5302  and  5303  denote the entry. The processing object table  5301  corresponds to the table that is generated by adding the. entries  5302  and  5303  to the processing object table  3901 . 
     Owing to the addition of the entry  5302 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  provides the image reduction function of 1/4 in length and width to the client. 
     When the client  105  insets [.tiny] into the address of the image data and transmits the command to the screen configuration expanding device  103 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the image reduction processing  3707  in the same way as in the (session  7 ) of the former embodiment but because the parameter at this time is [1/4], it reduces the data received from the server  101  to 1/4 in length and width and transmits it to the client  105 . 
     When [.list] is inserted into the address of the screen configuration data of the command received from the client  105  due to the addition of the entry  5305 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the list page conversion processing for the screen configuration data received from the server  101  and then transmits it to the client  105 . 
     The above explains the change point of this embodiment with respect to the former embodiment. 
     The operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  when the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. html] in this embodiment is substantially the same as its operation in the seventh embodiment. 
     The difference of this embodiment from the former embodiment resides in that in the (session  2 ) of the seventh embodiment, the screen configuration data  1401  is generated for the command [GET menu. ui. html] of the client  105  and is transmitted to the client  105  in the (session  2 ) of the seventh embodiment whereas in this embodiment, the screen configuration data shown in FIG. 53 is generated. 
     In FIG. 53, reference numeral  5401  denotes the screen configuration data and reference numeral  5402  denotes the another tag description. 
     In the UI frame generation processing  3404 , the screen configuration expanding device  103  generates the descriptions of the anchor tags, that is, the buttons, in the same number as the number of entries of the UI setting table  5201 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  generates the screen configuration data  5201  of the UI frame by generating the content of the entry  5202  as the anchor tag description  5402  in addition to the case of the former embodiment. 
     In this session, the client  105  finally receives the screen configuration data  5201 . 
     The subsequent operations are exactly the same as the operations from the (session  3 ) to the (session  4 )in the former embodiment, and the client  105  finally displays the screen  2701 . 
     Here, the operation when the user of the client  105  pushes buttons other than the button  2703  is  5 he same way as the state of the screen  1901  in the seventh embodiment. 
     When the user of the client  105  selects the button  2703  in the screen  1903 , the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. list. html] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     The time from the transmission of this command till cutoff of the connection between the client  105  and the screen configuration expanding device  103  will be hereinafter called he (session  9 ). 
     The operation of the screen configuration expanding device in the (session  9 ) is substantially the same as the (session  3 ) in the former embodiment but is different in that it executes the list page conversion processing but not the configuration description conversion processing  3704  for the screen configuration data  501  received from the server  101 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  looks up the entries  5303  of the processing object table and sets the content of the setting table  3801  to [address=menu. html, classification=conversion, processing content=list page conversion, parameter=nil]. 
     Due to this setting, the screen configuration expanding device  103  converts the image configuration data  501  received from the server  101  by the list page conversion processing and sends it to the client  105 . 
     Here, the detail of the list page conversion processing by the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this embodiment will be explained. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  first reads the template as the original of the screen configuration data of the list page shown in FIG.  54 . 
     In FIG. 54, reference numeral  5501  denotes the template of the image configuration data and reference numeral  5502  denotes the blank column. 
     Next, the screen configuration expanding device  103  reads the template as the original of the screen configuration data of the thumb nail button shown in FIG.  55 . 
     In FIG. 55, reference numeral  5601  denotes the template of the screen configuration data and reference numerals  5602  and  5603  denote the blank columns. 
     When the two blank columns  5602  and  5603  are filled, the template  5601  turns to the anchor tag description of the thumb nail button in the same way as the template  5001  in the former embodiment. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  analyzes the screen configuration data received from the server  101 , detects the anchor tag having the data identifier [.gif] for the address designated by [HREF] and executes the following processing for all such anchor tags. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  writes the address of the anchor tag so detected into the blank column  5602 , writes the address generated by inserting the expander [.tiny] to the same address into the blank column  5603  and further writes the template  5601  having the buried blanks  5602  and  5603  into the blank column  5502 . 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  repeats the operation described above and generates the list of the thumb nail buttons of the data to be looked up in the anchor tag for looking up the image of the screen configuration data received from the server  101 , that is, the screen configuration data of the list page. 
     In the (session  9 ), the screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the screen configuration data  501  received from the server  101 . 
     Since the screen configuration data  501  contains the anchor tag descriptions  504  and  505  for looking up the image, the screen configuration expanding device  103  converts the screen configuration data  501  to the screen configuration data shown in FIG. 56 by the list page conversion processing described above. 
     In FIG. 56, reference numeral  5701  denotes the screen configuration data and reference numerals  5702  and  5703  denote the anchor tag descriptions of the thumb nail button. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  transmits the screen configuration data  5701  to the client  105 , cuts off the connection with the server  101  and the server  101  and the client  105 , and finishes the configuration expanding processing. 
     The above explains the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in the (session  9 ). 
     The client  105  receives the screen configuration data  5701  by the (session  9 ), analyzes its content, transmits the two commands [GET pictB. tiny. gif] and [GET pictC. tiny. gif], and receives pictB. gif, that is, the image obtained by reducing the image data  702  to 1/4 in length and width, and the image obtained by reducing pictC. gif to 1/4 in length and width as the respective results. 
     The client  105  displays the screen  2801  on the basis of these received data. 
     In FIG. 27, reference numeral  2802  denotes the display result of the screen configuration data  5701  and reference numeral  2804  denotes the image generated by reducing the image data  702  to 1/4 in length and width and it is also a button for looking up the image data  702 . 
     Similarly, reference numeral  2805  denotes the image generated by reducing the image data of the address pictC. gif to 1/4 in length and width, and its also a button for looking up pict.C.gif. 
     The user of the client  105  can look up the respective original images by selecting the buttons  2804  and  2805 . 
     As described above, this embodiment provides the [list] button for watching the list page aligning the reduced images of the image data which can be looked up directly from the page displayed at present. 
     According to this embodiment, the user of the client  105  can confirm the content of the image directly looked up from an arbitrary page by pushing once the [list] button. 
     To represent its concrete example, the case where the present invention is not employed, the former embodiment and this embodiment will be compared with one another about the case where the user compares the images that can be looked up by the button from the page to which he first makes access and looks up the original of the image data that meets with his taste. 
     Here, the total access size of the image data will be calculated by assuming the size of the image data as image  603 =4, image  902 =1, the original of image looked up by button=16, its 1/2 reduced image in length and width=4 and its reduced image in length and width=1. 
     First, the operation of the client  105  when the present invention is not employed will be explained. 
     The client  105  displays the screen  601 . 
     The numerical value in the brackets [ ] represents the access size of the image data by the operation. 
     (Operation  11 ): First, [running scene  1 ] is selected and the image data  702  is looked up [ 16 ]. 
     (Operation  12 ): Return to the screen  601  [ 4 ]. 
     (Operation  13 ): [running scene  2 ] is selected and the image data is looked up [ 16 ]. 
     (Operation  14 ): Return to the screen [ 4 ]. 
     (Operation  15 ): [running scene  1 ] is again selected [ 16 ]. 
     The total access size of the image data is 16+4+16+4+16=56. 
     The above is the operation of the client  105  when the present invention is not employed. 
     Next, the user&#39;s operation of the client  105  in the example described above in the former embodiment of the invention will be explained. 
     The client  105  displays the screen  1901 . 
     (Operation  21 ): First, [running scene  1 ] is selected and the image data  1002  is looked up [ 4 ]. 
     (Operation  22 ): Return to the screen  601  [ 1 ]. 
     (Operation  23 ): [running scene  2 ] is selected and the image data (1/2 reduction in length and width) is looked up [ 4 ]. 
     (Operation  24 ): Return to the screen  601  [ 1 ]. 
     (Operation  25 ): The [NORMAL] button is selected and the screen is switched to  2201  [ 4 ]. 
     (Operation  26 ): [running scene  1 ] is selected and the image data  702  is looked up [ 16 ]. 
     The total access size of the image data is 4+1+4+1+4+16=30. 
     The above explains the operation of the client  105  in the former embodiment of the present invention. 
     Finally, the operation of the user of the client  105  in the example of the embodiment described above will be explained. 
     The client  105  displays the screen  2701 . 
     (Operation  31 ): First, [list] is selected and the screen is switched to  2801  [ 8 ]. 
     (Operation  32 ): The button  2804  is selected and the image data  702  is looked up [ 16 ]. 
     The total access size of the image data is 8+16=30. 
     The above explains the operation of the client  105  in this embodiment. 
     The examples given above represent that the number of times of the operations is small in this embodiment and the access size of the image data is also small. 
     This difference of the result becomes greater when the images that can be looked up from a certain page by the button is greater. 
     Therefore, this embodiment is extremely effective when the user of the client  105  looks up and selects a plurality of image data. 
     The functions equivalent to the above can be accomplished by adding the following three modifications without using the frame description. 
     (Modification  101 ): The processing object table  3901  is changed as shown in FIG.  57 . 
     In FIG. 57, reference numeral  5801  denotes the processing object table and reference numeral  5802  denotes the entry. 
     The processing object table  5801  is the one that is generated by removing the entries  3903 ,  3904  and  3905  and changing the expander of the entry  3907  from [.p-quick] to [nil/.p-quick] to get the entry  5802  for the processing object table  3901 . 
     (Modification  102 ): The UI frame generation processing  3404  is added to the data conversion processing  3210 . More concretely, the screen configuration expanding device  103  executes the UI frame generation processing  3404  between the step  3702  and the step  3707  and couples the screen configuration data generated by the UI frame generation processing  3404  and the screen configuration data converted by the configuration description conversion processing  3704  by inserting the &lt;BR&gt; tag at the step  3705 . 
     (Modification  103 ): The screen configuration expanding device  103  removes [TARGET=PAGE] from the template  4401  used for the UI frame generation processing. 
     Since the attribute [TARGET] is not necessary when the frame description is not used, it is removed in this embodiment. 
     The above explains the modifications in this embodiment for the former embodiment. 
     Next, the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this embodiment will be explained. 
     First, the client  105  transmits the command [GET menu. html] to the screen configuration expanding device  103 . 
     The operations of the screen configuration expanding device  103  at this time are the same as a series of its operations from the (session  3 ) to the (session  4 ) in the former embodiment. 
     The screen configuration expanding device  103  receives the command [GET menu. html] from the client  105  by the command analysis processing  3204 , looks up the entry  5802  of the processing object table  5801  and sets the setting table to [address=menu. html, classification=conversion, processing content=configuration description conversion, parameter=.p-quick]. 
     The content of the setting table is similar to that of the (session  3 ) and the flow of the subsequent processings is fundamentally the same as that of the (session  3 ), too. 
     Here, the difference of the processing of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this embodiment from that of the expanding device  103  in the seventh embodiment lies in the result of the data conversion processing  3210 . 
     Here, the screen configuration expanding device  103  first generates the UI frame in the same way as in the former embodiment, receives the screen configuration data  501  from the server  101 , generates the screen configuration data  1801 , couples the UI frame, that has been generated already, and the screen configuration data by inserting the &lt;BR&gt; tag, generates the screen configuration data shown in FIG.  58  and transmits it to the client  105 . 
     In FIG. 58, reference numeral  5901  denotes the screen configuration data and reference numerals  5902  and  5903  denote the anchor tag descriptions generated by the screen configuration expanding device  103  by the UI frame generation processing in this embodiment. Reference numeral  5904  denotes the &lt;BR&gt; tag inserted for coupling the screen configuration data of the UI frame and the screen configuration data  1801 . 
     Receiving the screen configuration data, the client  105  further receives the image data  902  and displays the screen shown in FIG.  59 . 
     In FIG. 59, reference numeral  6001  denotes the screen display. 
     In the screen  6001 , the operation when the client  105  selects each button is functionally the same as that of the seventh embodiment, and this embodiment is different in that it does not use the frame description. 
     The above explains the operation of the screen configuration expanding device  103  in this embodiment. 
     Since this embodiment does not utilize the frame description, there is the problem that when the content of the page data to be accessed is great and when the page data must be partially viewed by scrolling it on the screen, the button for the mode selection disappears from the screen when scrolled. 
     On the other hand, the four sessions, in all, are necessary to display all the contents of the new page but in this embodiment, the processing can be completed by the two sessions. Therefore, this embodiment is effective when the cost for establishing and cutting off the connection on the network system is high. 
     The number of kinds of clients the present invention can utilize becomes greater in that this embodiment does not use the frame description, and versatility can be improved. 
     The relationship among these embodiments will be explained. 
     It is possible to change the content of the table for setting the concrete operations of the present invention and add the new data conversion function and the new data generation function  5 to the former embodiment, respectively. 
     As described above, the present invention can easily add new functions by changing the table to be looked up at the time of the operation of the present invention and adding afresh the data conversion processing and the data generation processing. 
     The functions of the respective embodiments can be easily combined. 
     For example, the user of the client can look up one thumb nail button or a plurality of thumb nail buttons, and this can be accomplished without using the frame description. 
     More concretely, the above can be easily accomplished by changing the UI frame processing method so that the display method of the buttons changes between the [QUICK mode] and the [NORMAL mode]. 
     Similarly, when the client  105  has the function of displaying the UI frame on another window, the UI frame generation processing is changed to generate the screen configuration data so that the UI frame is displayed on another window. 
     Further, the above can be accomplished by changing the content of each table used by the screen configuration expanding device  103  for the processing. 
     In the information provision systems dispersed on the network, the resent invention can add and display new buttons and new information on the client screen without collapsing original page layout. Particularly when the data conversion is executed, ease-of-use of the users can be improved by concentrated gathering an providing the user interfaces at one lace. 
     The present invention makes it also possible to easily make access to the original data without changing setting of the client by accomplishing the mode switching function which the user of the client can select.