Communication of compressed digital images with restricted access and server/client hand-offs

• US 20040205199A1
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Gormish, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,209,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and apparatus for handling restricted access and server/client hand-offs in a communication environment is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a first request for a first set of image data corresponding to an image, responding to the first request with the first set of image data, receiving a second request for a second set of image data corresponding to the image, determining that the second set of image data includes restricted data, sending a prompt for authentication, receiving the second request along with authentication information; determining again that the second request is for restricted data, checking the authentication information, and providing the second set of image data if the authentication information is correct.

In an alternative embodiment, the method comprises a first server operating within a JPIP session with a client, including receiving a first request from the client for a sub-image of an image, generating a response containing data needed to create the sub-image, receiving a second request from the client for a different portion of the image, and the first server redirecting the client to a second server to obtain the different portion of the image.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first request for a first set of image data corresponding to an image;

responding to the first request with the first set of image data;

receiving a second request for a second set of image data corresponding to the image;

determining that the second set of image data includes restricted data;

sending a prompt for authentication;

receiving the second request along with authentication information; and

determining again that the second request is for restricted data;

checking the authentication information; and

providing the second set of image data if the authentication information is correct.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein responding to the request is performed using JPP-STREAM.

3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the authentication information comprises a name and a password.

4. The method defined in claim 1 wherein checking the authentication information comprises checking an authorization header line for the authentication information.

5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the first set of image data comprises image data at a first resolution and the second set of image data is at a second resolution higher than the first resolution.

6. An article of manufacture comprising one or more recordable media having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a system, cause the system to:

receive a first request for a first set of image data corresponding to an image;

respond to the first request with the first set of image data;

receive a second request for a second set of image data corresponding to the image;

determine that the second set of image data includes restricted data;

send a prompt for authentication;

receive the second request along with authentication information; and

determine again that the second request is for restricted data;

check the authentication information; and

provide the second set of image data if the authentication information is correct.

7. The article of manufacture defined in claim 6 wherein the instructions to respond to the request uses a JPP-STREAM.

8. The article of manufacture defined in claim 6 wherein the authentication information comprises a name and a password.

9. The article of manufacture defined in claim 6 wherein the instructions to check the authentication information comprise instructions which, when executed by the system, cause the system to check an authorization header line for the authentication information.

10. The article of manufacture defined in claim 6 wherein the first set of image data comprises image data at a first resolution and the second set of image data is at a second resolution higher than the first resolution.

11. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a first request for a first set of image data corresponding to an image;

means for responding to the first request with the first set of image data;

means for receiving a second request for a second set of image data corresponding to the image;

means for determining that the second set of image data includes restricted data;

means for sending a prompt for authentication;

means for receiving the second request along with authentication information; and

means for determining again that the second request is for restricted data;

means for checking the authentication information; and

means for providing the second set of image data if the authentication information is correct.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein responding to the request is performed using JPP-STREAM.

13. The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein the first set of image data comprises image data at a first resolution and the second set of image data is at a second resolution higher than the first resolution.

14. A method comprising:

a first server operating within a JPIP session with a client, including receiving a first request from the client for a sub-image of an image;

generating a response containing data needed to create the sub-image;

receiving a second request from the client for a different portion of the image; and

the first server redirecting the client to a second server to obtain the different portion of the image.

15. The method defined in claim 14 further comprising the first server indicating to a second server that the client has a portion of the requested data.

16. The method defined in claim 15 wherein the first server indicating to a second server that the client has a portion of the requested data comprises sending cache model information about the client to the second server.

17. The method defined in claim 14 wherein the first server redirecting the client to a second server comprises informing the client that the different version of the sub-image has moved.

18. The method defined in claim 14 further comprising the client repeating the second request to the second server.

19. The method defined in claim 18 further comprising indicating to the second server data already stored by the client that does not need to be resent.

20. The method defined in claim 14 further comprising the first server sending the second server information maintained by the first server indicating data related to the sub-image that the client already has.

21. An article of manufacture comprising one or more recordable media having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a system, cause the system to:

receive a first request from the client during a JPIP session for a sub-image of an image;

generate a response containing data needed to create the sub-image;

receive a second request from the client for a different portion of the image; and

redirect the client to a second server to obtain the different portion of the image.

22. The article of manufacture defined in claim 21 further comprising the first server indicating to a second server that the client has a portion of the requested data.

23. The article of manufacture defined in claim 22 wherein the first server indicating to a second server that the client has a portion of the requested data comprises sending cache model information about the client to the second server.

24. The article of manufacture defined in claim 21 wherein the first server redirecting the client to a second server comprises informing the client that the different version of the sub-image has moved.

25. The article of manufacture defined in claim 21 further comprising the client repeating the second request to the second server.

26. The article of manufacture defined in claim 25 further comprising indicating to the second server data already stored by the client that does not need to be resent.

27. The article of manufacture defined in claim 21 further comprising the first server sending the second server information maintained by the first server indicating data related to the sub-image that the client already has.

28. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a first request from the client during a JPIP session for a sub-image of an image;

means for generating a response containing data needed to create the sub-image;

means for receiving a second request from the client for a different portion of the image; and

means for redirecting the client to a second server to obtain the different portion of the image.

29. A method comprising:

a first client generating a JPIP request to a server;

the first client receiving data in response to the JPIP request; and

the first client directing a second client to use data received by the first client and and make one or more additional requests to the server.

30. An article of manufacture comprising one or more recordable media having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a system,. cause the system to:

generate a JPIP request to a server;

receive data in response to the JPIP request; and

direct a second client to use data received by the first client and and make one or more additional requests to the server.

31. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a client;

determining that the request is for a directory; and

generating at least one response with information regarding the directory.