Image display system with visual server

• US 8,667,093 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2011
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Pixels Limited
• Original Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Inventors: Baldwin, David R., Murphy, Nicholas J. N., Kent, Osman
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US13/296,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20120142426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 345/419, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/219
• 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. A method of playing interactive games on a client device having an image display, comprising:

sending user input control signals to an application, running on a server, which generates 3-dimensional graphics accordingly;

receiving, from said server, said 3-dimensional graphics in the form of a compressed stream of images;

decompressing said compressed stream of images into at least one decompressed image at said client device, said at least one decompressed image corresponding to said graphics; and

displaying said at least one decompressed image at the display of said client device, wherein said client device does not perform 3-dimensional graphics processing on said at least one decompressed image, and wherein said client device is separate from said server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending and said receiving are performed across at least one of an Internet, a WAN, a LAN, an Ethernet, or wireless communication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said user input control signals are generated by a game input device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said sent user input control signals are sent after a specified elapsed time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said user input control signals are generated by at least one of a mouse and a keyboard.

6. A method of displaying interactive video, comprising:

receiving input control signals, if any, at a client device;

sending said input control signals to an application, running on a server;

generating, at said server, at least one image portion at least partially on dependence on said input control signals;

compressing said at least one image portion into a compressed stream of images; and

receiving, decompressing, and displaying, at said client device, said compressed stream of images, wherein said client device is separate from said server.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said sending said input control signals and said receiving said compressed stream of images are performed across at least one of an Internet, a WAN, a LAN, an Ethernet, or wireless communication.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said input control signals are generated by a user input device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said receiving said compressed stream of images uses higher bandwidth than said sending said input control signals.

10. The method of claim 6,

wherein said input control signals are sent to said application as they are entered.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least one image portion comprises one or more frames.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least one image portion comprises an amount of Image generated during a specified elapsed time.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein said sent input control signals are sent after a specified elapsed time.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein said client device does not have sufficient processing power to both run a client-device-only version of said application and display graphics corresponding to said version of said application at an acceptable frame rate.

15. A method of playing interactive games, comprising:

sending game control signals to a game application, running on a server, said game control signals corresponding to at least one Image contemporaneously displayed on said client device;

generating, at said server, a compressed stream of images at least partially in dependence on said game control signals; and

receiving, decompressing and displaying, at said client device, said compressed stream of images, wherein said client device is separate from said server.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said sending and said receiving are performed across at least one of the Internet, a WAN, a LAN, an Ethernet, or wireless communication.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said game control signals are generated by a user input device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said game control signals are entered using at least one of a mouse and a keyboard.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said sent control signals are sent after a specified elapsed time.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein said receiving said compressed stream of images uses higher bandwidth than said sending image-modifying data.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein said client device does not have sufficient processing power to both run a client-device-only version of said game application and display graphics corresponding to said version of said game application at an acceptable frame rate.