Methods and apparatus for an image transfer object

• US 6,938,211 B1
• Filed: 11/24/1999
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.), University of Pittsburgh of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education
• Original Assignee: Stentor, Inc. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.), University of Pittsburgh of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education
• Inventors: Reis, Jonathan, Hebert, Bradford V., McCurtain, Benjamin J., Huffman, John C., Chang, Paul Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US09/449,015
• Time in Patent Office: 2,106 Days
• Field of Search: 345/424, 345/804, 345/744, 345/748, 345/751, 345/752, 345/760, 345/733, 709/203, 709/219
• US Class Current: 715/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32776 using an interactive, user-operated device, e.g. a computer terminal, mobile telephone H04N1/32782, H04N1/32784 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/42 Systems for two-way working , e.g. conference systems H04N1/32 takes precedence

Abstract

An image transfer object is disclosed that provides the necessary mechanism to conduct a dynamic transfer operation. The image transfer object includes a static reference to dynamic data. The image data is “dynamic”, in that the user may request additional views of the image. An image recipient computer receives the static reference to identify a source image on a server, and generates a first request, based on the static reference, for a view of the source image to the server. In response, the server transmits data to the image recipient computer. The image recipient computer displays the first view of the source image for viewing by the user. The user may then select a different portion of the source image, and/or a different resolution to designate a second view of the source image. The image recipient computer generates a second request to the image server for the second view, and the image server transmits additional data to generate the second view of the source image. Thereafter, the second view of the source image is displayed at the image recipient computer. A sender of the image may transmit a context for the image via e-mail or the recipient computer may download the image from a Web site. Techniques to configure the dynamic transfer object are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for communicating a plurality of views for a source image, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting, from an image sender computer to a recipient computer, a static reference to identify a source image on a server;

generating, at said image recipient computer, a first request for a view of said source image to said server based on said static reference;

transmitting data from said image server to said image recipient computer in response to said request;

displaying said first view of said source image at said image recipient computer;

receiving input from a user at said image recipient computer to select a second view of said source image;

generating a second request to said image server for said second view;

transmitting from said image server additional data to generate said second view of said source image; and

displaying said second view of said source image at said image recipient computer.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting a static reference comprises the step of transmitting said static reference object via e-mail.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting a static reference comprises the steps of:

coupling said image recipient computer to a web site; and

receiving said static reference by downloading said static reference from said web site.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, at said recipient computer from said image sender computer, an image transfer object comprising methods and data, said data comprising said static reference;

determining, from utilizing said image transfer object, if any additional software components are necessary to conduct dynamic image transfer;

requesting, if additional software components are necessary, from a server said additional software components to conduct dynamic image transfer; and

receiving at said image recipient computer said additional software components from said server.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving, at a recipient computer from said image sender computer, an image transfer object comprising methods and data, said data comprising said static reference and said methods comprising functionality to conduct said dynamic image transfer.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said source image comprises a medical image.

7. A method for communicating a plurality of views of a source image to recipient, said method comprising the steps of:

storing, at an image server, transform data for at least one source image so as to permit construction of at least portions of said source image at different resolutions;

transmitting, from an image sender to an image recipient, an identification of at least one view of said source image;

generating, at said image recipient computer, a first request from said identification to said image server for transform data to reconstruct said view of said source image;

transmitting said transform data requested from said image server to said image recipient computer;

reconstructing said view of said source image at said recipient computer from said transform data; and

displaying said view of said source image at said recipient computer.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said source image comprises a medical image.

9. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the step of transmitting, from an image sender to an image recipient, an identification of at least a first view of said source image comprises the step of transmitting said identification via e-mail.

10. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the step of transmitting, from an image sender to an image recipient, an identification of at least a first view of said source image comprises the steps of:

coupling said image recipient computer to a Web Site; and

receiving said identification by downloading said image transfer object from said web site.

11. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

receiving input from a user at said recipient computer to select a second view of said source image;

generating a request to said image server for said second view;

transmitting, from said image server additional data to generate said second view of said source image; and

displaying said second view of said source image at said recipient computer based on said data.

12. A computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of:

transmitting, from an image sender computer to a recipient computer, a static reference to identify a source image on a server;

generating, at said image recipient computer, a first request for a view of said source image to said server based on said static reference;

transmitting data from said image server to said image recipient computer in response to said request;

displaying said first view of said source image at said image recipient computer;

receiving input from a user at said image recipient computer to select a second view of said source image;

generating a second request to said image server for said second view;

transmitting from said image server additional data to generate said second view of said source image; and

displaying said second view of said source image at said image recipient computer.

13. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 12, wherein the step of transmitting a static reference comprises the step of transmitting said static reference object via e-mail.

14. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 12, wherein the step of transmitting a static reference comprises the steps of:

coupling said image recipient computer to a web site; and

receiving said static reference by downloading said static reference from said web site.

15. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, at said recipient computer from said image sender computer, an image transfer object comprising methods and data, said data comprising said static reference;

determining, from utilizing said image transfer object, if any additional software components are necessary to conduct dynamic image transfer;

requesting, if additional software components are necessary, from a server said additional software components to conduct dynamic image transfer; and

receiving at said image recipient computer said additional software components from said server.

16. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 12, further comprising the step of receiving, at a recipient computer from said image sender computer, an image transfer object comprising methods and data, said data comprising said static reference and said methods comprising functionality to conduct said dynamic image transfer.

17. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 12, wherein said source image comprises a medical image.

18. A system comprising:

at least one recipient computer for receiving a static reference from an image sender computer to identify a source image and for generating a first request for a view of said source image based on said static reference;

an image server, coupled to said recipient computer, for storing said source image, for receiving said first request, and for transmitting said data to said image recipient computer in response to said request;

wherein, said recipient computer for displaying said first view of said source image, for receiving input from a user to select a second view of said source image, for generating a second request to said image server for said second view;

wherein, said image server for transmitting additional data to said recipient computer to generate said second view of said source image; and

wherein, said recipient computer for displaying said second view of said source image.

19. The system as set forth in claim 18, wherein said source image comprises a medical image.