Image display system with visual server

• US 7,587,520 B1
• Filed: 01/04/2002
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Pixels Limited
• Original Assignee: 3DLabs Incorporated Limited (Creative Technology Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kent, Osman, Baldwin, David R., Murphy, Nicholas J. N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US10/037,688
• Time in Patent Office: 2,804 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/228, 709/247, 709/201, 370/313, 345/427, 382/305
• US Class Current: 709/247
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/16 involving adaptation to the client's capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/00 Image coding bandwidth or redundancy reduction for static pictures H04N1/41; coding or decoding of static colour picture signals H04N1/64; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00

Abstract

An image display system with one or more client computers in selective communication with a visual server having image processing capabilities. The client computer generates image modifying data corresponding to a generated image, and transmits the data to the visual server. The visual server receives the image-modifying data, generates a modified image based upon the image-modifying data, and transmits the modified image as compressed data to the client. The client decompresses the modified image data and displays the modified image. In the system, the visual server and client can provide a sequential display of modified frames on client to support animation with complex 3-dimensional graphics.

Claims

1. An image display system, comprising:

a visual server having image processing capabilities wherein the visual server selectively receives image-modifying data corresponding to a generated image, generate a modified image based upon the image-modifying data, and transmit the modified image as compressed data; and

at least one client in selective communication with the visual server, the client including an image display, the client selectively generates image-modifying data and transmits the image-modifying data to the visual server, and the client receives as compressed data from the visual server an image modified based upon the transmitted image-modifying data, decompresses the compressed image data, and displays the decompressed image on the client image display, wherein the visual server transmits the modified image to the client after predetermined duration of generating an image based upon the transmitted image, modifying data has occurred; and

wherein the client transmits the image-modifying data to the visual server after a predetermined duration of generating image-modifying data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the visual server and the at least one client are in selective communication across a network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the visual server and the at least one client are in selective communication across the Internet.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the visual server and the at least one client are in selective wireless communication.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the visual server transmits the modified image to the client as a frame.

6. An image display system, comprising:

a visual server having image processing capabilities wherein the visual server is configured to selectively receive image-modifying data corresponding to a generated image, generate a modified image based upon the image-modifying data, and transmit the modified image as compressed data; and

at least one client in selective communication with the visual server, the client including an image display, the client configured to further selectively generate image-modifying data and transmit the image-modifying data to the visual server, and the client receives as compressed data from the visual server an image modified based upon the transmitted image-modifying data, decompresses the compressed image data, and displays the decompressed image on the client image display;

wherein the visual server transmits the modified image to the client as a frame;

wherein the client transmits the image-modifying data to the visual server as data sufficient to generate an image frame, wherein the visual server transmits the modified image to the client after predetermined duration of generating an image based upon the transmitted image, modifying data has occurred; and

wherein the client transmits the image-modifying data to the visual server after a predetermined duration of generating image-modifying data.

7. A method of providing an image from a visual server to a client in selective communication with the visual server, comprising the steps of:

receiving at the visual server image-modifying data from the client selectively generated by the client;

generating at the visual server a modified image based upon the image-modifying data received from the client; and

transmitting the modified image from the visual server to the client as compressed data, wherein the step of transmitting the modified image from the visual server to the client as compressed data further comprising the step of transmitting the modified data image as a frame;

wherein the visual server transmits the modified image to the client after predetermined duration of generating an image based upon the transmitted image, modifying data has occurred; and

wherein the client transmits the image-modifying data to the visual server after a predetermined duration of generating image-modifying data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of transmitting the modified image from the visual server to the client as compressed data is transmitting the modified image across a network.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of transmitting the modified image from the visual server to the client as compressed data is transmitting the modified image to the client via wireless communication.