PURPOSE: To improve the transfer efficiency by transferring data excluding a part overlapping with data which area already transferred.

CONSTITUTION: A reception device 4 receives character pattern control information from one of transfer devices 1-3, compares it with character pattern control information corresponding to character pattern data which is already registered in a character pattern data display device 45 to remove the overlap part, and informs one of the transfer devices 1-3 of a request to transfer the character pattern data together with the transfer range of the character pattern data judged to be necessary to transfer. Then the transferred character pattern data is newly registered in the character pattern data display device 45. Thus, the character control information corresponding to the character pattern data is provided and the character pattern control information at the transfer source is compared with the character pattern control information at the transfer destination, thereby shortening the time required to transfer the character pattern data from the transfer device 1-3 to the decentralized character pattern data display device 45.