System and method for allowing remote users to specify graphics application parameters for generation of interactive images

• US 7,401,116 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Silicon Graphics Incorporated (Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chalfin, Alex, Smith, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US10/112,430
• Time in Patent Office: 2,300 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1462 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the remote displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A visual server system (10) includes a server (12) having a graphics application (20). The graphics application (20) generates image content and position information. The server (12) streams the image content and the position information for transport over a network link. A plurality of remote clients (14) can receive the image content and position information from the server (12) over the network link. Each of the plurality of remote clients (14) may provide input parameters to the graphics application (20). The input parameters can provide adjustments to the image content and position information provided to each of the plurality of remote clients (14). The graphics application (20) selects from among the input parameters provided by the plurality of remote clients (14) for adjusting the image content and the position information provided to the remote clients (14).

Claims

1. A system for providing interactive images, comprising:

a server having a graphics application operable to generate image content, the server operable to stream the image content for transport over a network link;

a plurality of remote clients operable to receive the image content from the server over the network link, each of the plurality of remote clients operable to provide input parameters to the graphics application, the input parameters operable to specify a number of graphics pipelines of the graphics application to adjust generation of the image content and specify compression types and interfaces to adjust transport of the image content provided to each of the plurality of remote clients, the graphics application operable to select from among the input parameters provided by the plurality of remote clients.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of remote clients each have an identical view of the image content.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the identical view is updated at each of the plurality of remote clients in response to the input parameters selected by the graphics application.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is operable to compress the image content for transfer over the network link.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of remote clients is operable to decompress the image content received over the network link.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is operable to designate certain ones of the plurality of remote clients as having input control, the graphics application operable to select input parameters from designated remote clients.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the server is operable to dynamically re-designate which ones of the plurality of remote clients have input control.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is operable to stream position information associated with the image content to each of the plurality of remote clients.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of remote clients have access to the graphics application through the network link.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is operable to compress the image content prior to streaming over the network link.

11. A method for providing interactive images, comprising:

executing a graphics application on a server;

generating image content and position information from the graphics application;

streaming the image content and position information for transfer from the server over a network link to a plurality of remote clients;

receiving input parameters from each of the plurality of remote clients, the input parameters operable to specify a number of graphics pipelines of the graphics application to adjust generation of the image content and specify compression types and interfaces to adjust transport of the image content provided to each of the plurality of remote clients;

selecting from among the plurality of received input parameters;

adjusting the image content and position information in response to selected input parameters.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

resizing the image content in response to an input parameter from a remote client.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of remote clients are at separate geographic locations.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

designating certain ones of the plurality of remote clients as having input control;

selecting input parameters from designated remote clients.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

dynamically re-designating which ones of the plurality of remote clients have input control.

16. A computer readable storage medium including code for providing interactive images, the code operable to:

execute graphics application on a server;

generate image content from the graphics application;

stream the image content for transfer from the server over a network link to a plurality of remote clients;

receive input parameters from each of the plurality of remote clients, the input parameters operable to specify a number of graphics pipelines of the graphics application to adjust generation of the image content and specify compression types and interfaces to adjust transport of the image content provided to each of the plurality of remote clients;

select from among the plurality of received input parameters;

adjust the image content in response to selected input parameters.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the code is operable to designate certain ones of the plurality of remote clients as having input control to the graphics application, the code operable to select input parameters from designated remote clients.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the code is operable to dynamically re-designate which of the plurality of remote clients has input control to the graphics application.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the code is operable to stream position information associated with the image content over the network link.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the code is operable to resize the image content in response to selection of a resize command from a remote client having input control.