System and method for providing interactive images

• US 7,853,648 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Chalfin, Alex, Smith, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, WEN TAI
• Application Number:
  US12/172,754
• Time in Patent Office: 883 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 graphics application module operable to generate image content;

a server module having a processor operable to;

determine and manage available graphics resources used by the graphics application module to generate the image content;

establish a graphics session with one or more remote clients;

receive input parameters from the one or more remote clients, wherein the input parameters include specifying a number of graphics pipelines to be used by the graphics application module;

determine which input parameters to provide to the graphics application module for generation of the image content;

provide the image content to the one or more remote clients.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server module establishes a graphics session with one or remote clients by providing a first network connection for the transfer of the image content and a second network connection for the transfer of user interface data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first network connection is unidirectional from the server module to the one or more remote clients and the second network connection is bidirectional between the server module and the one or more remote clients.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a session module operable to control a graphics session between the server module and a remote client.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the input parameters include specifying compression of the image content.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the server module is operable to intercept function calls from the graphics application module, the server module operable to resolve the function calls.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the server module is operable to reformat a visual of the image content for compatibility with the one or more remote clients.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the server module is operable to provide identical image content to each remote client participating in a graphics session.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the server module is operable to adjust transport of the image content in response to the input parameters.

10. A computer-implemented method for providing interactive images, comprising the steps of:

generating image content;

determining and managing available graphics resources used to generate the image content;

establishing a graphics session with one or more remote clients;

receiving input parameters from the one or more remote clients, wherein the input parameters include specifying a number of graphics pipelines to be used by the graphics application module;

determining which input parameters to provide for generation of the image content;

providing the image content to the one or more remote clients.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing a first network connection for the transfer of the image content; and

providing a second network connection for the transfer of user interface data.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the first network connection is unidirectional for transport of the image content to the one or more remote clients and the second network connection is bidirectional to receive the input parameters from the one or more remote clients and provide control information to the one or more remote clients.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

establishing a session control for each graphic session with the one or more clients.

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

generate image content;

determine and managing available graphics resources used to generate the image content;

establish a graphics session with one or more remote clients;

receive input parameters from the one or more remote clients, wherein the input parameters include specifying a number of graphics pipelines to be used by the graphics application module;

determine which input parameters to provide for generation of the image content;

provide the image content to the one or more remote clients.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the code is further operable to:

establish a first network connection for the transfer of the image content; and

establish a second network connection for the transfer of user interface data.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first network connection is unidirectionally established for transport of the image content to the one or more remote clients and the second network connection is bidirectionally established to receive the input parameters from the one or more remote clients and provide control information to the one or more remote clients.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising:

establishing a session control for each graphic session with the one or more clients.