Network image view server using efficent client-server tilting and caching architecture

• US 6,182,127 B1
• Filed: 02/12/1998
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ePlus Capital, Inc. (ePlus Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Digital Paper, LLC
• Inventors: Cronin, John C. III, Hornbacker, Cecil V. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Asta, Frank J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIERCE, IVAN
• Application Number:
  US09/022,665
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/219, 707/10, 707/2, 707/102, 382/232
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A computer network server using HTTP (Web) server software combined with foreground view composer software, background view composer software, a view tile cache, view tile cache garbage collector software, and image files provides image view data to client workstations using graphical Web browsers to display the view of an image from the server. Problems with specialized client workstation image view software are eliminated by using the Internet and industry standards-based graphical Web browsers for the client software. Network and system performance problems that previously existed when accessing large image files from a network file server are eliminated by tiling the image view so that computation and transmission of the view data can be done in an incremental fashion. The view tiles are cached on the client workstation to further reduce network traffic. View tiles are cached on the server to reduce the amount of view tile computation and to increase responsiveness of the image view server.

Claims

1. A method of identifying and delivering a graphical image from a computer network file server comprising:

providing a network file server on which are stored digital document image files, said server adapted to receive requests for views from a Web browser in Uniform Resource Locator (URL) code;

identifying the image file and format selections from the requested views, such formats comprising opcodes for selecting an updated view and view template for determining the presentation of the view;

in response to receiving the view tile request and identifying the image file and format selections, retrieving the digital document image file and composing the requested view into a grid of view tiles corresponding to the requested view of the image;

computing and transmitting HTML code for the grid of view tiles to the requesting Web browser.

2. Method according to claim 1 wherein the URL view requests identify the image file, page number within the image file, formats comprising one or more of position, scale, rotation angle, x mirror, y mirror, inversion, region, opcode to select an updated view, and view template to determine the presentation of the view, and wherein the transmitted HTML code for the view tiles causes the requesting Web browser to display the requested view of the requested graphical image in the requested format.

3. Method according to claim 2 wherein an array of view tiles selected from the grid of view tiles to fulfill the request described by the URL is computed by the network file server and transmitted over the network to the Web browser on the workstation in HTML and GIF format.

4. Method according to claim 3 wherein the file server creates an HTML output file listing the size, position, and hyperlink for each view tile to be displayed, and wherein the view tiles are stored in GIF image file format for each view tile for display by the Web browser.

5. Method according to claim 1 wherein view tiles adjacent to the array of view tiles transmitted to the Web browser to fulfill the request described by the URL are computed by the server during a time period subsequent to the transmission of the array of view tiles, and the adjacent view tiles are stored in cache form on the server in anticipation of possible future requests to be received from the workstation.

7. Method according to claim 2 wherein the Web browser is adapted to cache view tiles in workstation memory which have been received for display and view, and in the event that a view is subsequently requested which includes one or more of the view tiles cached in the workstation memory, to retrieve the one or more cached view tiles from the local workstation memory rather than from the network server.

8. Method according to claim 2 wherein the view tiles are 128 pixel by 128 pixel GIF image files.

9. Method according to claim 2 wherein each view tile is identified by the server with a unique URL which includes storage location and view tile naming data.

10. Method according to claim 2 wherein a separate storage subdirectory is computed by the server in the view tile cache for each image.

11. Method according to claim 9 wherein the URL includes identification data for each scale of view through the file name for each view tile.

14. Method according to claim 1 wherein the Web server is implemented with Web server Common Gateway Interface (CGI).

15. Method according to claim 1 wherein the requesting client workstation is configured to run applets or scripts to improve communications with the network image server to further reduce the amount of redundant data that needs to be transferred to the client workstation.

16. Method according to claim 1 wherein the client workstation and network server are adapted to minimize the amount of redundant data that is sent to the client.

17. Method according to claim 1 wherein higher resolution images are used by the server to sample lower resolution images at the client.

18. Method according to claim 1 wherein grey scale is used to provide shades of grey or color image files are stored on the server and communicated to the client in color or grey scale.

19. Method according to claim 1 wherein non-raster files are rasterized by the server for viewing by the client.

20. Method according to claim 1 wherein image files are stored on a second server and retrieved and temporarily stored by the network server when needed.

6. A method of identifying and delivering a graphical image from a computer network file server comprising providing a network file server on which are stored digital document image files, said server adapted to receive requests from a Web browser in Uniform Resource Locator (URL) code, to identify the image file and format selections being requested, to compose the requested view into a grid of view tiles, and to transmit HTML code for view tiles to the requesting Web browser;

wherein view tiles adjacent to the array of view tiles transmitted to the Web browser to fulfill the request described by the URL are computed by the server during a time period subsequent to the transmission of the array of view tiles, and the adjacent view tiles are stored in cache form on the server in anticipation of impossible future requests to be received from the workstation; and

wherein the view tiles adjacent to the array of view tiles transmitted to the Web browser are computed by the server in a clockwise or counterclockwise spiral sequence outward from the array of view tiles transmitted and the adjacent view tiles are cached in network server memory.

12. A method of identifying and delivering a graphical image from a computer network file server comprising providing a network file server on which are stored digital document image files, said server adapted to receive requests from a Web browser in Uniform Resource Locator (URL) code, to identify the image file and format selections being requested, to compose the requested view into a grid of view tiles, and to transmit HEML code for view tiles to the requesting Web browser;

wherein the URL view requests identify the image file, page number within the image file, formats comprising one or more of position, scale, rotation angle, x mirror, y mirror, inversion, region, opcode to select an updated view, and view template to determine the presentation of the view, and wherein the transmitted HTML code for the view tiles causes the requesting Web browser to display the requested view of the requested graphical image in the requested format;

wherein each view tile is identified by the server with a unique URL which includes storage location and view tile naming data;

wherein the URL includes identification data for each scale of view through the file name for each view tile; and

wherein view tiles are named in the format V<

SCALE>

<

TILE_NUMBER>

.GIF wherein <

SCALE>

value is a 2 character string formed from the base 36 encoding of the view scale number as expressed parts per 256;

<

TILE_NUMBER>

value is a 5 character string formed from the base 36 encoding of the tile number as determined by the formula;

13. A method of identifying and delivering a graphical image from a computer network file server comprising providing a network file server on which are stored digital document image files, said server adapted to receive requests from a Web browser in Uniform Resource Locator (URL) code, to identify the image file and format selections being requested, to compose the requested view into a grid of view tiles, and to transmit HTML code for view tiles to the requesting Web browser;

wherein the URL view requests identify the image file, page number within the image file, formats comprising one or more of position, scale, rotation angle, x mirror, y mirror, inversion, region, opcode to select an updated view, and view template to determine the presentation of the view, and wherein the transmitted HTML code for the view tiles causes the requesting Web browser to display the requested view of the requested graphical image in the requested format;

wherein each view tile is identified by the server with a unique URL which includes storage location and view tile naming data;

wherein the URL includes identification data for each scale of view through the file name for each view tile; and

wherein view rotation angle, view x-mirror, view y-mirror and invert view information is encoded in the URL naming format in the form V<

SCALE>

<

TILE_NUMBER>

<

VIEW_ANGLE>

<

X_MIRROR>

<

Y_MIRROR>

<

INVERT>

.GIF wherein VIEW_ANGLE is of the form A<

ANGLE>

; and

X_MIRROR, Y_MIRROR, and INVERT are encoded by the single characters X, Y, and I, respectively.

21. Apparatus comprising:

a computer network server adapted to store digital document image files, programming to receive requests from a Web browser in Uniform Resource Locator (URL) code, the URL specifying a view which identifies an image file and format, such formats comprising opcodes for selecting an updated view and view template for determining the presentation of the view;

in response to receiving the view tile request and identifying the image file and format selections, retrieving the digital document image file and composing the requested view into a grid of view tiles corresponding to the requested view of the image;

computing and transmitting HTML code for the resultant grid of view tiles to the client Web browser to display.

22. Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein the server is programmed with Web server software and a foreground view composer which is adapted to interpret the view request, compute a grid of view tiles of the image, compute an array of view tiles which are needed for the requested view, compose the array of view tiles needed for the requested view, and create an HTML output file to describe the view composition to the Web browser.

23. Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein the server is programmed with a background view composer adapted to compute and cache, during periods between view requests, view tiles which surround the most recent view request in the same scale as the most recent view so that when a new, shifted view is subsequently requested, the server program computes which of the resultant cached surrounding view tiles can be used in response to the request for shifted view, and composes a view which comprises one or more of the cached view tiles.

25. Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein the client web browser is programmed to cache view tiles which are received in response to requests to the server and to access the cached view tiles when included within an array included in a subsequently requested view.

26. Apparatus according to claim 21 wherein the server is programmed with a view tile cache garbage collector adapted to remove the least recently accessed view tiles when maximum storage allocation or minimum storage free space limits are reached.

24. Apparatus comprising a computer network server adapted to store digital document image files, programmed to receive requests from a client Web browser in URL code, the URL specifying a view which identifies and image file and format, to compose the requested view, and to transmit HTML code for the resultant view to the client Web browser to display;

wherein the surrounding view tiles are computed by the background view composer in a clock-wise or counter-clockwise spiral out from the most recent view.

27. Article comprising a computer program recorded on magnetic or optical media for use on a network server comprising:

code which interprets HTTP requests from a workstation for a particular view of a digital document image file and format, such formats comprising opcodes for selecting an updated view and view template for determining the presentation of the view, being stored in memory;

in response to receiving the view tile request and identifying the image file and format selections, retrieving the digital document image file and composing the requested view into a grid of view tiles corresponding to the requested view of the image; and

,

computing HTML code for the grid of view tiles in a form which can be transmitted from the server to the workstation.