Adaptive selection of image streaming mode
First Claim
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1. An imaging system, comprising:
- a server that stores medical image information and transmits the medical image information in a plurality of transmission modes, wherein one transmission mode is a native file format, and each of a remaining transmission modes of the plurality of transmission modes comprise a different compression technique;
a network adapted to transmit the medical image information from the server;
a viewing workstation operatively coupled with the network, the viewing workstation comprising a bandwidth measurement system that initiates a transfer of medical image information from the server to the viewing workstation by estimating an available bandwidth for the transfer of medical image information from the server to the viewing workstation;
wherein the viewing workstation receives the estimate of the available bandwidth from the bandwidth measurement system and selects a transmission mode from the plurality of transmission modes, the plurality of transmission modes organized in a hierarchy of transmission modes, each of the transmission modes of the plurality being associated with a threshold bandwidth value, and the viewing workstation selects the transmission mode from the plurality of transmission modes by comparing the estimate of the available bandwidth to a plurality of threshold bandwidth values;
wherein the viewing workstation requests transmission of the medical image information from the server and the viewing workstation requests the selected transmission mode for a transmission of the medical image information from the server;
wherein if the selected transmission mode is one of the remaining transmission modes, the server compresses the medical image information in accordance with the compression technique of the requested transmission mode, and transmits the medical image information to the viewing workstation.
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Abstract
A Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) transmits medical image information from a server to a viewing workstation. The mode of transmission that the system uses depends on a performance metric of the network. If the network is fast and stable, the entire DICOM image file is transmitted. If the network is not fast and stable, one of several other modes is used to transmit the image information.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An imaging system, comprising:
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a server that stores medical image information and transmits the medical image information in a plurality of transmission modes, wherein one transmission mode is a native file format, and each of a remaining transmission modes of the plurality of transmission modes comprise a different compression technique; a network adapted to transmit the medical image information from the server; a viewing workstation operatively coupled with the network, the viewing workstation comprising a bandwidth measurement system that initiates a transfer of medical image information from the server to the viewing workstation by estimating an available bandwidth for the transfer of medical image information from the server to the viewing workstation; wherein the viewing workstation receives the estimate of the available bandwidth from the bandwidth measurement system and selects a transmission mode from the plurality of transmission modes, the plurality of transmission modes organized in a hierarchy of transmission modes, each of the transmission modes of the plurality being associated with a threshold bandwidth value, and the viewing workstation selects the transmission mode from the plurality of transmission modes by comparing the estimate of the available bandwidth to a plurality of threshold bandwidth values; wherein the viewing workstation requests transmission of the medical image information from the server and the viewing workstation requests the selected transmission mode for a transmission of the medical image information from the server; wherein if the selected transmission mode is one of the remaining transmission modes, the server compresses the medical image information in accordance with the compression technique of the requested transmission mode, and transmits the medical image information to the viewing workstation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 15, 16)
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5. A method of transmitting medical image information within a picture archiving and communications system (PACS) including a server communicatively coupled to a viewing workstation via a communications network, the method comprising:
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storing medical image information at the server; initiating a transfer of medical image information from the server to the viewing workstation with the viewing workstation; determining, an available bandwidth of the communications network, with a bandwidth measurement system, between the server and the viewing workstation; establishing, with the viewing workstation, a hierarchy of transmission modes wherein each of the transmission modes in the hierarchy is associated with a threshold bandwidth value; selecting, with the viewing workstation, a transmission mode from a plurality of transmission modes wherein one transmission mode of the plurality is a native file format and each of a remaining transmission modes of the plurality comprise a different compression technique, the selection of the transmission mode includes comparing the determined bandwidth of the communications network to a plurality of threshold bandwidth values; requesting, from the viewing workstation to the server, the transfer of specified medical image information from the server to the viewing workstation; requesting, from the viewing workstation to the server, the selected transmission mode for the transfer of the specified medical image information from the server to the viewing workstation; and processing the medical image information with the server into the selected transmission mode; transmitting the medical image information in the selected transmission mode from the server to the viewing workstation via the communications network. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17)
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Specification