Apparatus for retrieval and processing of selected archived images for display at workstation terminals

An image display system, comprising:

• a source of images having computer means;
• b. a plurality of independent workstations having access to and sharing the source of images, each workstation having:
• i) a multiplicity of display means for displaying user selected images from the source of images;
• and
• ii) processing means for receiving user selected images from the source and for driving a user selected display means within the workstation to display the selected images;
• and
• c. channel means for providing image data to the workstations from the source of images, and for coupling the source and workstations together to enable processing of image data by the processing means and computer means of the source of images in a manner free of transmission of image data from the workstations to the source, such that receiving and processing of images in each workstation appears to be independent and interference free of receiving and processing of images in the other workstations.

An image display system for displaying images selected from a remote source, the system comprising:

• at least one display means;
• processing means for driving the display means with user desired images selected from the remote source and stored in local memory of the processing means;
• an image data base for indicating original attributes including dimensions of each selected image retrieved from the remote source and subsequently stored in the local memory;
• means for partitioning each display means in a user desired manner, the partitioning means separating a display means into separate distinct portions for displaying selected images;
• and
• a display data base having a record for each partition of each display means, each record providing, for a corresponding partition of a display means, an indication of a user selected image to be displayed therein with respective user desired display attributes thereof, the processing means using the display data base to drive the display means such that the user desired images selected from the remote source are displayed in user desired partitions of the display means with the user desired attributes.

An image display system for displaying images stored in a remote source, comprising:

• a processor;
• a plurality of display means simultaneously driven by the processor to display user selected images from the remote source, one display means providing both an indication of images currently being displayed on the other display means and an indication of user selected images to be displayed on the other display means;
• and
• image control means for processing through the processor user selections of images to be displayed and user selections of display means on which each image is to be displayed.

In an image display system, having a plurality of display means for displaying user selected images, a method of displaying images selected from a remote source, comprising the steps of:

• providing processor means for receiving user selected images from the remote source and for driving a corresponding user selected display means to display the selected image;
• transferring image data indicative of the selected images from the remote source to the processing means on an image only carrying channel;
• and
• providing on a host channel command and control signals between a host processor and the processing means to enable the transferring of image data from the remote source on the image only carrying channel to the processor means.

In a network of independent workstations, each workstation having a plurality of display means for displaying user selected images from a remote source shared by the workstations, a method of displaying images comprising the steps of:

• providing a host computer supporting each workstation;
• providing in each workstation processing means for receiving user selected images from the source and for driving user selected display means within the workstation to display the selected images;
• transferring image data indicative of the selected images from the remote source to the processing means on a unidirectional image-only carrying channel;
• for each workstation, transferring on a host channel between the host computer and the processing means of a workstation command and control signals to enable the transferring of image data from the remote source on the image-only carrying channel to the processing means, and processing the image data locally, with respect to the workstation, using the processing means, such that receiving and processing of images in each workstation appears to be independent and interference free of receiving and processing of images on the other workstations.

In an image display system for displaying images stored in a remote source, the method of displaying images comprising:

• providing a processor;
• providing a plurality of display means simultaneously driven by the processor to display user selected images from the remote source, one display means providing both an indication of images currently being displayed on the other display means and an indication of user selected images to be displayed on the other display means;
• and
• processing through the processor, while images are being displayed on the display means, user selected images to be later displayed in user selected partitions of the display means.