Method and system for distributing images to client systems

• US 20050071867A1
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Brownlow, Paul, Lipsky, Scott E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,214,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]

Abstract

A method and system for distributing images for display by client systems. A distribution system includes an image server system that is connected to image client systems via a communications link, such as the Internet. The image server system is responsible for providing image packages to the image client systems and for collecting information from the image client systems. Each image client system periodically sends a heartbeat communication to the image server system. Upon receiving a heartbeat communication, the image server system determines the state of the image client system that sent the heartbeat communication and responds appropriately. The response may include instructions for the image client system to retrieve new images, to retrieve software updates, to send usage data, and so on.

Claims

1. A distribution system for distributing images for display by client systems, the distribution system comprising:

a server component with

an image store containing images;

a customer store containing information relating to each customer of the distribution system, the information including an identification of a client system of the customer and criteria of the customer;

an image packaging component that periodically creates a package of images for each client system of a customer based on criteria associated with the customer; and

a distribution component that sends packages of images to client systems via a communications link on a periodic basis in response to receiving a heartbeat communication; and

a client component with

a heartbeat component that sends heartbeat communications to the server component via the communications link;

a receive package component that receives packages sent by the server component; and

a display component that displays the images of the received packages.

2. The distribution system of claim 1 including:

a customer interface component that allows a customer to provide information relating to its client system.

3. The distribution system of claim 2 wherein the customer interface component is a web-based interface.

4. The distribution system of claim 2 wherein the customer interface component updates the customer store.

5. The distribution system of claim 2 wherein the information includes preferences of the customer on images to be sent to the client system of the customer.

6. The distribution system of claim 1 wherein the communications link is the Internet.

7. The distribution system of claim 1 wherein each client system has a unique identifier.

8. The distribution system of claim 7 wherein each heartbeat communication by a client system includes the unique identifier of the client system.

9. The distribution system of claim 1 wherein the server component includes a tracking component that receives usage information from client system.

10. The distribution system of claim 1 wherein the server component includes a software update component that sends software updates to client systems.

11. A method in a display system for displaying images distributed via a communications link, the method comprising:

providing a data store of images to be displayed serially on a display device;

periodically sending a heartbeat communication to a server system via the communications link;

in response to sending a heartbeat communication, receiving from the server system a package of images;

updating the provided data store with the images of the received package; and

displaying images of the updated data store on the display device.

12. The method of claim 11 including, in response to sending a heartbeat communication, receiving from the server system a command to be executed by the display system.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the command indicates to send usage information to the server system.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the command indicates when to send the heartbeat communications.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the received package of images is encrypted using a key that is unique to the display system.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the key is a public key of a public and private key pair for the display system

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the received package of images is provided with a digital signature of the server system.

18. The method of claim 11 including, in response to sending a heartbeat communication, receiving from the server system instructions for controlling the display of the images.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the communications link is the Internet.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein each display system has a unique identifier that is send with each heartbeat to the server system.

21. A method in a distribution system for providing packages of images to client systems, the method comprising:

providing a customer store indicating preferences relating to images to be distributed to each client system;

receiving from a customer via a web-based interface a request to modify the preferences of a client system;

in response to receiving the request, updating the customer store with the modified preferences for the client system of the customer;

generating a package of images for the client system of the customer based on the modified preferences of the customer store; and

in response to receiving a heartbeat communication from the client system of the customer, sending the generated package of images to the client system of the customer.

22. The method of claim 21 including encrypting the generated package of images using an encryption key associated with the client system of the customer.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the client system of the customer has a decryption key associated with the encryption key.

24. The method of claim 21 including in response to receiving a heartbeat communication from the client system of the customer, sending to the client system a request to provide usage information.

25. The method of claim 21 including in response to receiving a heartbeat communication from the client system of the customer, sending to the client system an indication of when the client system is to send heartbeat communications.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the distribution system throttles the sending of generated packages of images to client systems.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein the web-based interface allows a customer to subscribe to various channels of images.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein the customer can upload images via the web-based interface that are included in the generated package of images.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein the generated package of images includes credit information for the images for display at the client system.

30. The method of claim 21 wherein the customer can specify via the web-based interface a schedule for the display of images at the client system.

31. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to provide packages of images to client systems, by a method comprising:

maintaining a customer store indicating preferences relating to images to be distributed to each client system;

receiving from customers via a web-based interface a request to modify the preferences of client systems;

in response to receiving the request, updating the customer store with the modified preferences for the client system of the customer;

periodically generating packages of images for the client systems based on the modified preferences of the customer store; and

sending the generated packages of images to the client systems.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 including encrypting the generated packages of images using an encryption key associated with the client system to which the package is to be sent.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32 wherein the client system has a decryption key associated with the encryption key.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 including sending to the client systems requests to provide usage information.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the computer system throttles the sending of the generated packages of images to client systems.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the web-based interface allows a customer to subscribe to various channels of images for a client system.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein a customer can upload images via the web-based interface to be included in a generated package of images to be sent to a client system of the customer.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein the generated packages of images includes credit information for the images for display at the client systems.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 31 wherein a customer can specify via the web-based interface a schedule for the display of images at the client system of the customer.

40. A method of distributing images to client systems for display on a display device, the method comprising:

providing a collection of images;

periodically generating packages of images to be sent to client systems, each package containing images selected in accordance with preferences associated with the client systems to which the package is to be sent; and

sending each package of images to one or more client system for display of the images at the client systems that receive a package.