Patent ID: 7293071

Claim:
An image data transmission system which connects a server with a plurality of clients on an intercommunicable network and allows the server to output and display image data on the clients, wherein the server comprises: a client retrieval unit that outputs a retrieval command to request a response including connectability to any of the clients on the network and for retrieving connectable clients based on a response to the retrieval command; a client connection establishment unit that outputs a connection command request to at least one intended connectable client to respond with a connection command and that establishes a connection with the connectable client based on the response, wherein the client connection establishment unit uses a client-definable connection command keyword to be displayed to the client and establishes the connection with the client when the client returns the connection command keyword; and an image data output unit for outputting image data to the connected client, and wherein each of the clients comprises: a retrieval response output unit for when the connection is available, outputting a response from the client retrieval unit; a server connection establishment unit for, when a connection command output from the client connection establishment unit is an input, outputting a response to the client including and establishing connection with the server, wherein the server connection establishment unit has a keyword determination unit for determining a match between the connection command keyword and a keyword specified by the client and, when the keyword determination unit determines a match between the keywords, outputs a response to the client connection establishment unit to establish the connection with the server; an image data input unit for inputting image data that is output from the connected server; and an image display unit for displaying an image based on image data input from the image data input unit.