Methods and apparatus for generating graphical and media displays at a client

• US 8,671,213 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Laborczfalvi, Lee George, Semaan, Pierre, Roychoudhry, Anil, Momchilov, Georgy, Robinson, David, Duursma, Martin, Panasyuk, Anatoliy
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET D
• Application Number:
  US13/336,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/230, 709/231, 709/246, 709/247
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42653 for processing graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics

Abstract

The invention generally relates to generating a display having graphical and/or media components at a client. In one aspect, a method for generating a graphical display at a client includes transmitting output from an application program executing on a server to the client, identifying a non-textual element within the application output, retrieving a compressed data format associated with the non-textual element, and transmitting to the client the compressed data format in place of the non-textual element. In another aspect, a method for generating a media presentation at a client includes transmitting output from an application program executing on a server to the client, identifying a media stream within the application output, intercepting an original compressed data set representing at least a portion of the media stream before processing by the application program, and transmitting the original compressed data set to the client.

Claims

1. A method for generating a media presentation at a client, the method comprising:

(a) rendering, by an application program executing on a server, a media stream to be outputted to the client;

(b) identifying, by an output filter module executing on the server, the media stream, wherein the media stream includes an original compressed data set;

(c) prior to decompressing the original compressed data set, intercepting, by the output filter module, the original compressed data set of the media stream rendered by the application program executing on the server; and

(d) transmitting, from the server, the original compressed data set to the client for decompression by the client.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining that the application program utilizes external codecs.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the original compressed data set at the client;

decompressing the original compressed data set at the client to generate a decompressed data set; and

generating the media presentation at the client using the decompressed data set.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

capturing timing information associated with the media stream; and

transmitting the timing information to the client.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving the original compressed data set and the timing information at the client;

decompressing the original compressed data set at the client to generate a decompressed data set; and

generating the media presentation at the client using the decompressed data set and the timing information.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the media stream comprises a video stream and the media presentation comprises a graphical display.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

transmitting to the client information for locating images of the video stream on a display screen;

receiving the information for locating at the client; and

generating the media presentation at the client using the decompressed data set and the information for locating.

8. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

transmitting non-media graphical information from the application output to the client;

receiving the non-media graphical information at the client; and

generating the media presentation at the client using the decompressed data set and the non-media graphical information.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein the media stream comprises an audio stream and the media presentation comprises an audio presentation.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising informing the server of at least one media format supported by a client agent installed on the client.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one media format is determined by enumerating at least one codec installed on the client.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one media format is determined by enumerating at least one codec embedded in the client agent installed on the client.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein a globally unique identifier is used to inform the server of the at least one media format.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein a four character code is used to inform the server of the at least one media format.

15. A method for generating a media presentation at a client, the method comprising:

(a) rendering, by an application program executing on a server, a media stream to be outputted to the client;

(b) identifying, by an output filter module executing on the server, the media stream, wherein the media stream includes a first decompressed data set;

(c) intercepting, by the output filter module, the first decompressed data set of the media stream rendered by the application program executing on the server;

(d) compressing the first decompressed data set; and

(e) transmitting, from the server, the compressed data set to the client in place of the first decompressed data set, for decompression by the client.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising determining that the application program utilizes embedded codecs.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving the compressed data set at the client;

decompressing the compressed data set at the client to generate a second decompressed data set; and

generating the media presentation at the client using the second decompressed data set.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

capturing timing information associated with the media stream; and

transmitting the timing information to the client.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

receiving the compressed data set and the timing information at the client;

decompressing the compressed data set at the client to generate a second decompressed data set; and

generating the media presentation at the client using the second decompressed data set and the timing information.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the media stream comprises a video stream and the media presentation comprises a graphical display.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

transmitting to the client information for locating images of the video stream on a display screen;

receiving the information for locating at the client; and

generating the media presentation at the client using the second decompressed data set and the information for locating.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

transmitting non-media graphical information from the application output to the client;

receiving the non-media graphical information at the client; and

generating the media presentation at the client using the second decompressed data set and the non-media graphical information.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein (d) comprises compressing the intercepted first decompressed data set of the video stream using a lightweight lossy video encoding algorithm.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the lightweight lossy video encoding algorithm comprises MJPEG compression.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein (d) further comprises choosing a compression ratio for the lightweight lossy video encoding algorithm.

26. The method of claim 15 further comprising informing the server of at least one media format supported by a client agent installed on the client.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the at least one media format is determined by enumerating at least one codec installed on the client.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the at least one media format is determined by enumerating at least one codec embedded in the client agent installed on the client.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein a globally unique identifier is used to inform the server of the at least one media format.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein a four character code is used to inform the server of the at least one media format.