Method and system for buffering image updates in a remote application

• US 20040010622A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Slott, Jordan M., OʼNeill, Thomas G.
• Application Number:
  US10/323,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20040010622A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/247
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/001 Model-based coding, e.g. wire frame

Abstract

A method and system for buffering image updates for a remote application. An image update produced by a remote application is accessed for transmission from a host computer system to a display computer system. The image update is buffered to generate an image data set of the image update, wherein the image data set is configured for processing by an image compression routine. The buffering is performed by the host computer system. The image data set is processed using the image compression routine to produce a compressed image data set. The compressed image data set is subsequently transmitted to the display computer system via a network connection.

Claims

1. A method for buffering image updates for a remote application, comprising:

accessing an image update produced by a remote application for transmission from a host computer system to a display computer system;

buffering the image update to generate an image data set, wherein the image data set is configured for processing by an image compression routine, the buffering performed by the host computer system;

processing the image data set using the image compression routine to produce a compressed image data set; and

transmitting the compressed image data set to the display computer system via a network connection.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the image data set comprises a plurality of lines of the image update, wherein the lines are configured for processing by the image compression routine.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the image data set comprises a plurality of image blocks, wherein the blocks are configured for processing by the image compression routine.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein a symmetric pixel grouping comprises each of the plurality of blocks, and wherein a number of pixels within the grouping is configured for processing by the image compression routine.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the image compression routine is an RGB image codec.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting the compressed image data set to the display computer system asynchronously via the network connection.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the host computer system runs an X-server application for processing the image update.

8. A method for buffering image updates for a remote application, comprising:

accessing an image update produced by a remote application for transmission from a host computer system to a display computer system;

buffering the image update to generate a plurality of blocks of the image update, wherein the blocks are configured for processing by an image codec, the buffering performed by the host computer system;

processing the blocks using the image codec to produce compressed image blocks; and

transmitting the compressed image blocks to the display computer system via a network connection.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein a symmetric pixel grouping comprises each of the plurality of blocks, and wherein a number of pixels within the grouping is configured for processing by the image codec.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the image codec is an RGB image codec.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

transmitting the compressed image blocks to the display computer system asynchronously via the network connection.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the host computer system runs an X-server application for processing the image update.

13. A host computer system for buffering image updates for a remote application, comprising:

a computer system having a processor coupled to a memory, the memory having computer readable code which when executed by the processor causes the computer system to implement a method comprising;

accessing an image update produced by a remote application for transmission from the host computer system to a display computer system;

buffering the image update to generate a plurality of blocks of the image update, wherein the blocks are configured for processing by an image codec;

processing the blocks using the image codec to produce compressed image blocks; and

transmitting the compressed image blocks to the display computer system via a network connection.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein a symmetric pixel grouping comprises each of the plurality of blocks, and wherein a number of pixels within the grouping is configured for processing by the image codec.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the image codec is an RGB image codec.

16. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

transmitting the compressed image blocks to the computer system asynchronously via the network connection.

17. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

accessing a tagged multicolor image that comprises the image update, wherein the tagged multicolor image identifies the plurality of blocks.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the host computer system runs an X-server application for processing the image update.

19. A computer readable media having computer readable code which when executed by a computer system cause the computer system to implement a method for buffering image updates for a remote application comprising:

accessing an image update produced by a remote application for transmission from a host computer system to a display computer system;

buffering the image update to generate a plurality of blocks of the image update, wherein the blocks are configured for processing by an image codec, the buffering performed by the host computer system;

processing the blocks using the image codec to produce compressed image blocks; and

transmitting the compressed image blocks to the display computer system via a network connection.

20. The computer readable media of claim 19 wherein a symmetric pixel grouping comprises each of the plurality of blocks, and wherein a number of pixels within the grouping is configured for processing by the image codec.

21. The computer readable media of claim 19 wherein the image codec is an RGB image codec.

22. The computer readable media of claim 19 further comprising:

transmitting the compressed image blocks to the computer system asynchronously via the network connection.

23. The computer readable media of claim 19 wherein the host computer system runs an X-server application for processing the image update.

24. A method for reducing the size of a graphics image in a computer system by using buffering, comprising:

recording a drawing command executed to create a portion of the graphics image; and

compressing said portion of the graphics image using a compression scheme, said compression scheme selected based on said drawing command, said compression scheme comprising;

buffering the portion to generate an image data set, wherein the image data set is configured for processing by an image compression routine, the buffering performed by a host computer system;

processing the image data set using the image compression routine to produce a compressed image data set; and

transmitting the compressed image data set to a display computer system via a network connection.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

using said drawing command to update a data structure associated with said portion with information; and

compressing one or more sub-images of the graphics image using said compression scheme, each of said sub-images having a location, said location and said compression scheme for each of said sub-images chosen based on said information in said data structure.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said data structure is associated with said portion using a private data field attached to said portion.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said private data field is a pixmap devPrivates field.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said data structure associated with said portion identifies the portion of a pixmap image that was created with a specific drawing command.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein said data structure associated with said portion is a list of rectangles specifying which pixels were rendered with a specific drawing command.

30. A method for buffering image updates for a remote application, comprising:

recording a put image command executed to create a portion of the graphics image in a pixmap;

using said put image command to update a data structure associated with said pixmap with information; and

compressing one or more sub-images of the graphics image using a compression scheme, each of said sub-images having a location, said location and said compression scheme for each of said sub-images chosen based on said information in said data structure, and wherein at least one compression scheme comprises;

buffering the pixmap to generate an image data set, wherein the image data set is configured for processing by an image compression routine, the buffering performed by a host computer system;

processing the image data set using the image compression routine to produce a compressed image data set; and

transmitting the compressed image data set to a display computer system via a network connection.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said data structure associated with said pixmap identifies the portion of the pixmap image that was created with a specific drawing command.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said data structure associated with said pixmap is a list of rectangles specifying which pixels were rendered with a specific drawing command.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said compression scheme is an RGB codec.