Image publishing system using progressive image streaming
First Claim
1. A system for publishing images over a communication network, comprising:
- a study storage device for storing a plurality of studies, each study comprising one or more images;
a publication server coupled to said communications network, said publication server adapted to enter an automatic mode wherein one or more studies are automatically sent to a client computer coupled to said communications network as they become available on said study storage device;
said client computer adapted to receive said one or more studies and store them in a local storage; and
said client computer comprising means for a user to enter an interactive mode wherein a viewing session is initiated for viewing a selected study before transmission of said selected study is complete, wherein data for viewing said selected study is obtained from said publication server using progressive image streaming techniques and from data already received and stored in said local storage.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An image publishing system provides a distribution mechanism whereby images are forwarded automatically to users in accordance with a set of publication rules. The rules determine which images are to be sent to which users. The images are forwarded to users as they become available on an image archive storage device. This overcomes the requirement of users having to manually request the transmission of each individual image they would like to view. Progressive image streaming techniques employing compression are used to transmit images in encoded layers of increasing accuracy and quality. Means is also provided permitting users to view any image that is queued for transmission at a publication server, regardless of how much of the image has been received by a client computer. Thus, even images whose data transmission has not even begun yet may be viewed by a user. A user interrupts the normal background process at any time and requests to view a particular image. If the required data is not found locally, it is requested form the publication server and given high priority. The requested data is received, decoded and immediately displayed to the user.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A system for publishing images over a communication network, comprising:
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a study storage device for storing a plurality of studies, each study comprising one or more images;
a publication server coupled to said communications network, said publication server adapted to enter an automatic mode wherein one or more studies are automatically sent to a client computer coupled to said communications network as they become available on said study storage device;
said client computer adapted to receive said one or more studies and store them in a local storage; and
said client computer comprising means for a user to enter an interactive mode wherein a viewing session is initiated for viewing a selected study before transmission of said selected study is complete, wherein data for viewing said selected study is obtained from said publication server using progressive image streaming techniques and from data already received and stored in said local storage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An image publication system for use on a client computer coupled to a communications network, comprising:
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first means for receiving a first command from a user to enter an automatic mode whereby new studies are sent immediately from said publication server to said client computer over said communications network as they become available;
local storage device for storing said studies upon receipt;
second means for receiving said studies and for storing them in said local storage;
third means for receiving a second command from said user to view a selected study before data is completely received for said selected study and in response thereto, entering an interactive mode whereby an attempt is made to obtain data required for viewing said selected study from said local storage, and if unsuccessful, from said publication server using progressive image streaming techniques via one or more requests transmitted from said client computer to said publication server; and
fourth means for receiving and decoding data received from said publication server in response to said one or more requests. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An image publication system for use on a publication server computer coupled to a communications network, comprising:
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first means for receiving instructions from a client computer coupled to said communications network, said first means for configuring said publication server computer to automatically send new studies to said client computer as said studies become available;
second means for receiving requests for specific layers of accuracy for regions of interest of a study selected by a user for viewing on said client computer before transmission of data for said selected study is complete; and
third means for sending said specific layers of accuracy for regions of interest of said selected study to said client computer in response to said requests. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A computer program product for use in a client computer coupled to a communication network, said computer program product comprising:
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a computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for receiving and displaying studies from a publication server coupled to said communications network, said computer program product comprising;
computer readable program code means for receiving a first command from a user to enter an automatic mode whereby new studies are sent immediately from said publication server to said client computer over said communications network as they become available;
computer readable program code means for receiving said studies and for storing them in a local storage device coupled to said client computer;
computer readable program code means for receiving a second command from said user to view a selected study before its data is completely received and in response thereto, entering an interactive mode whereby data required for viewing said selected study is first obtained from said local storage, and if unsuccessful, from said publication server using progressive image streaming techniques via one or more requests transmitted from said client computer to said publication server; and
computer readable program code means for receiving and decoding data received from said publication server in response to said one or more requests.
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28. A computer program product for use in a publication server computer coupled to a communication network, said computer program product comprising:
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a computer readable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for publishing studies to a client computer coupled to said communications network, said computer program product comprising;
computer readable program code means for receiving instructions from said client computer and for configuring said publication server computer to automatically send new studies to said client computer as said studies become available on a study database coupled to said publication server computer;
computer readable program code means for receiving requests for specific layers of accuracy for regions of interest of a study selected by a user for viewing on said client computer before transmission of data for said selected study is complete; and
computer readable program code means for sending said specific layers of accuracy for regions of interest of said selected study to said client computer in response to said requests.
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Specification