Foveal priority in stereoscopic remote viewing system

A computer readable medium encoded with software for providing images in an image transmission system comprising a image source server and an image display client, said image source server having a full-resolution image data set,

• and said image display client having a user display, said software causing said server and client to perform the steps of:
• determining a viewer's current eye position or point of interest in a computer display by said client;
• separating said full-resolution image data set into a full-resolution foveal section data set and a full-resolution peripheral section data set by said server;
• compressing the full-resolution peripheral data set by reducing the resolution of the image it represents;
• transmitting said full-resolution foveal section data set and said reduced resolution peripheral data set to said client;
• and
• displaying an image to a user by said client comprising a full-resolution foveal area at said current eye position surrounded by a reduced resolution peripheral area according to said transmitted data sets.

A system for remote viewing of camera images, said system comprising:

• a local means for determining a viewer's current eye position or point of interest in a computer display;
• a remote full-resolution image data set separator for dividing a remote camera full-resolution image into a full-resolution foveal section data set and a full-resolution peripheral section data set by said server;
• a compressor for reducing the resolution of the image represented by the full-resolution peripheral data set by to create a reduced resolution peripheral data set;
• a transmission network for receiving said full-resolution foveal section data set and said reduced resolution peripheral data set to local client;
• and
• a local client image renderer for displaying an image to a user comprising a full-resolution foveal area at said current eye position surrounded by a reduced resolution peripheral area according to said transmitted data sets.