US6006231A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
File format for an image including multiple versions of an image, and related system and method
Assignee: Branderacom Inc
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Filing: 1997-09-10
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Granted: 1999-12-21
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Expires: 2017-09-10
Abstract
Abstract A system for retrieving an image from a network comprises: (1) a server application; (2) a plurality of image files, each storing an image in a plurality of different versions, and connected to the server application; (3) a client application which enables a user to select and retrieve a desired version of a desired image; and (4) a communication application providing a communication link between the client and server applications wherein, in use, the user can select a desired image and a desired version of that desired image for retrieval and display. The versions of the image are stored such that when a low resolution version of the image has been obtained, a high resolution version can be obtained simply by downloading the difference between the two versions of the image.
Inventors
- 👤 Sorin Popa
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 20:58
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/957; G06F16/9577; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99936; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99942; Y10S707/99944; Y10S707/99945
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
146 words
A method of downloading a plurality of levels of an image stored in a differential hierarchical format, utilizing a client API and a server API, comprising the steps of: identifying at the client API a required level of an image; determining at the client API the levels of the image required to be downloaded; generating at the client API a request to the server API, the request including an image identifier to identify the image, and a list of stripe to be downloaded, the list of stripe including a number associated with the level of the image, a number associated with the strip, and a number associated with the required colour; transferring from the server API to the client API a plurality of messages specifying the required strips for an intermediate level; and processing at the client API the messages to create the required image levels.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
146 words
A method of downloading a plurality of levels of an image stored in a differential hierarchical format, utilizing a client API and a server API, comprising the steps of: identifying at the client API a required level of an image; determining at the client API the levels of the image required to be downloaded; generating at the client API a request to the server API, the request including an image identifier to identify the image, and a list of stripe to be downloaded, the list of stripe including a number associated with the level of the image, a number associated with the strip, and a number associated with the required colour; transferring from the server API to the client API a plurality of messages specifying the required strips for an intermediate level; and processing at the client API the messages to create the required image levels.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein there is transferred from the server API to the client API one message for every strip in the final image level to enable the processing at the client API of the messages to create the required image levels in a strip by strip fashion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the images, once created at the client API, are stored until the image is no longer required.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
158 words
A method of creating and storing an image on a computer file, to enable a plurality of different versions of the image to be accessible by a user, the method comprising the steps of: (a) reading a file of an image; (b) processing the image to form a hierarchical digital representation of the image including a plurality of different versions of the image; and (c) storing the hierarchical digital representation of the image as a second file on a computer readable storage medium, wherein the second file has a pyramidal structure with minimum information of the image at the top of the pyramidal structure and the full, original image at the bottom of the pyramidal structure and, wherein the different layers of the image provide the following versions of the image: an icon; a thumbnail sketch; a screen quality image at 72 dpi; a printer quality image at 300 dpi; and a professional printer image at 1200 dpi.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
158 words
A method of creating and storing an image on a computer file, to enable a plurality of different versions of the image to be accessible by a user, the method comprising the steps of: (a) reading a file of an image; (b) processing the image to form a hierarchical digital representation of the image including a plurality of different versions of the image; and (c) storing the hierarchical digital representation of the image as a second file on a computer readable storage medium, wherein the second file has a pyramidal structure with minimum information of the image at the top of the pyramidal structure and the full, original image at the bottom of the pyramidal structure and, wherein the different layers of the image provide the following versions of the image: an icon; a thumbnail sketch; a screen quality image at 72 dpi; a printer quality image at 300 dpi; and a professional printer image at 1200 dpi.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
121 words
A system for retrieving an image from a network, the system comprising: (1) a server application; (2) a plurality of image files, each storing an image in a plurality of different versions, and connected to the server application; (3) a client application which enables a user to select a retrieve a desired version of a desired image; and (4) a communication application providing a communication link between the client and server applications, wherein, in use, the user can select a desired image and a desired version of that desired image for retrieval and display, wherein the client application enables a user, for a desired image, to select the size, resolution and number of colors for the desired version of the image.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
121 words
A system for retrieving an image from a network, the system comprising: (1) a server application; (2) a plurality of image files, each storing an image in a plurality of different versions, and connected to the server application; (3) a client application which enables a user to select a retrieve a desired version of a desired image; and (4) a communication application providing a communication link between the client and server applications, wherein, in use, the user can select a desired image and a desired version of that desired image for retrieval and display, wherein the client application enables a user, for a desired image, to select the size, resolution and number of colors for the desired version of the image.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of the images is stored as a hierarchical digital representation of the image which includes minimum information at the top of the pyramidal structure and a complete original image at the bottom of the pyramidal structure.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
49 words
A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein each hierarchical digital representation of an image includes an icon, a thumbnail, a screen version of the image at 72 dpi, a printer version of the image at 300 dpi and a professional printer version of the image at 1200 dpi.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-12-20 | 2003-06-21 | 2003-12-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-12-20 | 2007-06-21 | 2007-12-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-12-20 | 2011-06-21 | 2011-12-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |