Pull-configured distribution of imagery

• US 8,521,830 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hornback, Raymond Jr., Johnston, James S., Kressin, Mark S., Ortwein, Andrew M., Quinn, William M., Solie, Kevin, Levy, Matthew A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LI, GUANG W
• Application Number:
  US10/745,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,536 Days
• Field of Search: 709/213, 707/10, 370260-261
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568

Abstract

The present invention is a method, system and apparatus for flexible image sharing. In a system for flexibly distributing imagery in an image sharing session, an image cache can be disposed between an image sharing host and a plurality of image sharing viewers. Additionally, a multipoint communications server can be disposed between the image cache and the image sharing viewers and can be communicatively linked to the image sharing host. Importantly, a pull-based subscription model can be implemented in an image cache server hosting the image cache. In particular, the model can have a configuration for registering respective ones of the image sharing viewers to receive notifications of available updated imagery. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the image sharing host can be an application sharing host hosting a shared application among the image sharing viewers.

Claims

1. A method for flexibly distributing imagery for a shared application in an application sharing session, the method comprising the steps of:

generating an image frame update of a screen for a shared application being commonly viewed by multiple different application sharing viewers;

caching the image frame update for the screen for the shared application;

notifying registered ones of the application sharing viewers of said image frame update for the screen for the shared application;

serving said cached image frame update for the screen for the shared application to requesting ones of said application sharing viewers that had been notified;

detecting a late joining one of said application sharing viewers; and

,

serving a pre-defined layout of the shared application to said late joining one of said application sharing viewers in order to facilitate a sequential retrieval by said late joining one of said application sharing viewers of already distributed image frames for the shared application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

partitioning said cached image frame update into multiple sub-sections; and

,

caching said multiple sub-sections.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said serving step comprises the steps of:

comparing an already served image frame in said requesting ones of said application sharing viewers to said cached image frame update; and

,

serving only changed ones of said multiple sub-sections to said requesting ones of said application sharing viewers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said serving step comprises the steps of:

detecting a slow one of said application sharing viewers; and

,

serving a newer image frame to said slow one of said application sharing viewers responsive to a request by said slow one of said application sharing viewers for an older image frame.