System and method for communicating graphics image data over a communication network

• US 7,589,737 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2001
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hochmuth, Roland M., Martin, Robert P., Marks, Johnny
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang; Ryan R
• Application Number:
  US10/001,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20030080971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,876 Days
• Field of Search: 345/619, 345/544, 345/545, 370/419, 370/465, 370/466, 382/232
• US Class Current: 345/545
• 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 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/103 Detection of image changes, e.g. determination of an index representative of the image change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/06 using colour palettes, e.g. look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/395 Arrangements specially adapted for transferring the contents of the bit-mapped memory to the screen G09G5/399 takes precedence

Abstract

A graphics adapter comprises a frame buffer operable to store graphics image data. The graphics adapter also comprises a network interface operable to receive at least a portion of the graphics image data, the network interface further operable to format the received graphics image data into a plurality of packets for transmission over a communication network.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting graphics image data over a communication network, comprising:

comparing graphics image data of a new image for a destination device with graphics image data of a previous image for said destination device stored in a frame buffer of a graphics adapter remote from said destination device, said graphics adapter rendering said graphics image data for said new image and said previous image;

selecting blocks of graphics image data of said new image that are different from corresponding blocks of graphics image data of said previous image in a region of interest of said previous image specified by said destination device, wherein said region of interest is a portion of said previous image, and

formatting, by said graphics adapter, said selected blocks of graphics image data of said new image into a plurality of packets for transmission by a network interface of said graphics adapter over said communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting said plurality of packets to said destination device over said communication network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing said selected blocks of graphics image data prior to formatting said selected blocks of graphics image data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding identification information identifying said selected blocks to said plurality of packets.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said identification information comprises block numbers for said selected blocks.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said identification information comprises coordinate information for a plurality of corners of said selected blocks.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising waiting for a request for graphics image data from said destination device.

8. A graphics processing system, comprising:

a graphics adapter configured to compare graphics image data of a new image for a destination device with graphics image data of a previous image for said destination device stored in a frame buffer of said graphics adapter, said graphics adapter located remote from said destination device, said graphics adapter configured to render said graphics image data for said new image and said previous image, the graphics adapter configured to select blocks of graphics image data of said new image that are different from corresponding blocks of graphics image data of said previous image in a region of interest of said previous image specified by the destination device, wherein said region of interest is a portion of said previous image, and format said selected blocks of graphics image data of said new image into a plurality of packets for transmission by a network interface of said graphics adapter over a communication network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the graphics adapter is configured to transmit said plurality of packets to said destination device over said communication network.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the graphics adapter is configured to compress said selected blocks of graphics image data prior to formatting said selected blocks of graphics image data.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the graphics adapter is configured to add identification information identifying said selected blocks to said plurality of packets.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said identification information comprises coordinate information for a plurality of corners of said selected blocks.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the graphics adapter is configured to compare the graphics image data in response to receiving a request for graphics image data from said destination device.