System and method for the lossless progressive streaming of images over a communication network

A system for transmitting a digital image over a communication network, comprising:

• (a) an image storage device for storing a digital image;
• (b) a client computer coupled to the communication network, wherein the client computer generates and transmits across the communication network coordinates defining a region of interest within the digital image;
• (c) a server computer, coupled to the communication network and the image storage device, wherein the server computer performs the steps of:
• (i) pre-processing the digital image through a lossless wavelet transformation;
• (ii) generating wavelet coefficients corresponding to the digital image;
• (iii) generating half-bit flags, each half-bit flag corresponding to a wavelet coefficient;
• (iv) receiving the coordinates from the client computer;
• (v) progressively transmitting to the client computer the region of interest within the digital image defined by the coordinates, based on the wavelet coefficients and the corresponding half-bit flags.

A method for transmitting a digital image from a server computer to a client computer, wherein the client computer generates coordinates defining a region of interest within the digital image, and transmits the coordinates to the server computer, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) storing a digital image within an image storage device;
• (b) pre-processing the digital image through a lossless wavelet transformation;
• (c) receiving the coordinates at the server computer from the client computer;
• and
• (d) progressively transmitting from the server computer to the client computer the region of interest within the digital image defined by the coordinates.

A method for transmitting a digital image from a server computer to a client computer, wherein the client computer generates coordinates defining a region of interest within the digital image, and transmits the coordinates to the server computer, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) storing a digital image within an image storage device;
• (b) pre-processing the digital image through a lossless wavelet transformation;
• (c) receiving the coordinates at the server computer from the client computer;
• and
• (d) generating wavelet coefficients corresponding to the digital image;
• (e) generating half-bit flags, each half-bit flag corresponding to a wavelet coefficient;
• (f) receiving the coordinates at the server computer from the client computer;
• and
• (g) progressively transmitting from the server computer to the client computer the region of interest within the digital image defined by the coordinates, based on the wavelet coefficients and the corresponding half-bit flags.

A server computer for transmitting a digital image to a client computer, wherein the client computer generates and transmits to the server computer coordinates defining a region of interest within the digital image, the server computer comprising:

• (a) an image storage device for storing the digital image;
• (b) a processor for performing the steps of:
• (i) pre-processing the digital image through a lossless wavelet transformation;
• (ii) receiving the coordinates from the client computer;
• and
• (iii) progressively transmitting to the client computer the region of interest within the digital image defined by the coordinates.

A server computer for transmitting a digital image to a client computer, wherein the client computer generates and transmits to the server computer coordinates defining a region of interest within the digital image, the server computer comprising:

• (a) an image storage device for storing the digital image;
• (b) a processor for performing the steps of:
• (i) pre-processing the digital image through a lossless wavelet transformation;
• (ii) generating wavelet coefficients corresponding to the digital image;
• (iii) generating half-bit flags, each half-bit flag corresponding to a wavelet coefficient;
• (iv) receiving the coordinates from the client computer;
• (v) progressively transmitting to the client computer the region of interest within the digital image defined by the coordinates, based on the wavelet coefficients and the corresponding half-bit flags.