Method of and apparatus for processing data at a remote workstation

A method of remotely processing data arranged into digital data files at a remote workstation over telephone lines, comprising the steps of:

• digitally compressing the data into compressed data files at a central location;
• selecting, according to first predetermined criteria, a group of said compressed data files;
• transferring said group of compressed data files from said central location to the remote workstation;
• receiving the group of compressed data files in digital form at the remote workstation and storing at least some of said compressed data files at the remote workstation;
• decompressing a first of said compressed data files in the group at the remote workstation, based on second predetermined criteria, while receiving and storing other compressed data files;
• decompressing a second of said compressed data files in the group at the remote workstation, based on the second predetermined criteria, while the first uncompressed file is available for a user at the remote workstation to perform work related to it;
• and
• decompressing a third data file at the remote workstation, and storing data created from work related to the first data file, both while the second uncompressed data file is available to the user at the remote workstation to perform work related thereto.

A method of remotely processing data arranged into digital data files at a remote workstation over telephone lines, comprising the steps of:

• digitally compressing the data into compressed data files at a central location;
• selecting, according to first predetermined criteria, a group of said compressed data files;
• transferring said group of compressed data files by means of ISDN telephone lines from said central location to the remote workstation;
• receiving the group of compressed data files in digital form at the remote workstation and storing at least some of said compressed data files at the remote workstation;
• decompressing a first of said compressed data files in the group at the remote workstation, based on second predetermined criteria, while receiving and storing other compressed data files;
• and
• decompressing a second of said compressed data files in the group at the remote workstation, based on the second predetermined criteria, while the first uncompressed file is available for a user at the remote workstation to perform work related to it.

A method of remotely processing data arranged into digital data files at a remote workstation over telephone lines, comprising the steps of:

• digitally compressing the data into compressed data files at a central location;
• selecting, according to first predetermined criteria, a group of said compressed data files, said first predetermined criteria including the type of data file which a user at the remote workstation is expected to process;
• transferring said group of compressed data files from said central location to the remote workstation;
• receiving the group of compressed data files in digital form at the remote workstation and storing at least some of said compressed data files at the remote workstation;
• decompressing a first of said compressed data files in the group at the remote workstation, based on second predetermined criteria, while receiving and storing other compressed data files;
• and
• decompressing a second of said compressed data files in the group at the remote workstation, based on the second predetermined criteria, while the first uncompressed file is available for the user at the remote workstation to perform work related to it.

A method of remotely processing data arranged into digital data files at a remote workstation over telephone lines, comprising the steps of:

• digitally compressing the data into compressed data files at a central location;
• forming compressed data file characteristics for each file based on a first predetermined criteria including the type of file;
• comparing the characteristics of a data file to stored routing rules;
• assigning the compressed data files to various groups based on the comparison;
• selecting at least one of the groups of files based on a request from the remote workstation;
• transferring said group of compressed data files to the remote workstation when the request is received from the remote workstation for files of that group;
• receiving the group of compressed data files in digital form at the remote workstation and storing at least some of said compressed data files at the remote workstation;
• decompressing a first of said compressed data files in the group at the remote workstation, based on second predetermined criteria, while receiving and storing other compressed data files;
• and
• decompressing a second of said compressed data files in the group at the remote workstation, based on the second predetermined criteria, while the first uncompressed file is available for a user at the remote workstation to perform work related to it.

A method of remotely processing data arranged into digital data files at a remote workstation over telephone lines, comprising the steps of:

• digitally compressing the data into compressed data files at a central location;
• selecting, according to first predetermined criteria, a group of said compressed data files;
• transferring said group of compressed data files from said central location to the remote workstation;
• receiving the group of compressed data files in digital form at the remote workstation and storing at least some of said compressed data files at the remote workstation;
• decompressing a first of said compressed data files in the group at the remote workstation, based on second predetermined criteria, while receiving and storing other compressed data files, said second predetermined criteria including the order in which the data file is received;
• and
• decompressing a second of said compressed data files in the group at the remote workstation, based on the second predetermined criteria, while the first uncompressed file is available for a user at the remote workstation to perform work related to it.

A method of remotely processing data arranged into digital data files at a remote workstation over telephone lines, comprising the steps of:

• digitally compressing the data into compressed data files at a central location;
• selecting, according to first predetermined criteria, a group of said compressed data files;
• transferring said group of compressed data files from said central location to the remote workstation;
• receiving the group of compressed data files in digital form at the remote workstation and storing at least some of said compressed data files at the remote workstation;
• decompressing a first of said compressed data files in the group at the remote workstation, based on second predetermined criteria, while receiving and storing other compressed data files, said second predetermined criteria including a priority assigned to each compressed data file;
• and
• decompressing a second of said compressed data files in the group at the remote workstation, based on the second predetermined criteria, while the first uncompressed file is available for a user at the remote workstation to perform work related to it.

A method of remotely processing data arranged into digital data files at a remote workstation over telephone lines, comprising the steps of:

• digitally compressing the data into compressed data files at a central location, the data files at the central location being on a network with a document server;
• selecting, according to first predetermined criteria, a group of said compressed data files;
• transferring said group of compressed data files from said central location to the remote workstation, said transferring step including the steps of:
• initiating a connection over ISDN telephone lines from the remote workstation to an ISDN gateway server on the network depending on an inventory of files at the remote workstation and without user intervention;
• transmitting the group of compressed data files from the document server through the ISDN gateway over the ISDN lines to the remote workstation;
• and
• terminating the ISDN connection from the ISDN gateway server to the remote workstation after the transfer is complete and without user intervention;
• receiving the group of compressed data files in digital form at the remote workstation and storing at least some of said compressed data files at the remote workstation;
• decompressing a first of said compressed data files in the group at the remote workstation, based on second predetermined criteria, while receiving and storing other compressed data files;
• and
• decompressing a second of said compressed data files in the group at the remote workstation, based on the second predetermined criteria, while the first uncompressed file is available for a user at the remote workstation to perform work related to it.

A method of remotely processing data arranged into digital data files at a remote workstation over telephone lines, comprising the steps of:

• digitally compressing the data into compressed data files at a central location;
• selecting, according to first predetermined criteria, a group of said compressed data files;
• storing said group of compressed data files on the network in a network device selected from the group consisting of an image server and a jukebox archive storage unit;
• transferring said group of compressed data files from said central location to the remote workstation;
• receiving the group of compressed data files in digital form at the remote workstation and storing at least some of said compressed data files at the remote workstation;
• decompressing a first of said compressed data files in the group at the remote workstation, based on second predetermined criteria, while receiving and storing other compressed data files;
• and
• decompressing a second of said compressed data files in the group at the remote workstation, based on the second predetermined criteria, while the first uncompressed file is available for a user at the remote workstation to perform work related to it.

A method of processing at a remote workstation, data at a central location arranged into digital data files, comprising the steps of:

• initiating, according to predetermined criteria, a connection over the telephone lines from the remote workstation to the central location without user intervention, said predetermined criteria involves the size of an inventory of unprocessed data files at the remote workstation;
• indicating to the central location a group of data files needed;
• transmitting the group of data files to the remote workstation;
• and
• terminating the telephone connection after the transfer is complete.

A system for processing at a remote workstation, data arranged into digital files at a central location, comprising:

• means at the central location for digitally compressing the data into compressed data files;
• selecting means at the central location for grouping the data files into a plurality of groups according to first predetermined criteria;
• transfer means for transferring at least one of said groups of data files to the remote workstation in response to a request from the remote workstation;
• first storing means for storing the compressed data files at the remote workstation;
• decompression means at the remote workstation for decompressing the compressed data files in the group transferred to the remote workstation in a sequence based on a second predetermined criteria, said decompression means causing a first decompressed file to be available for processing at the remote workstation while at least one other data file is being decompressed and data files are being transferred;
• and
• second storing means for storing data created by processing a file while another file is decompressed and available for processing, and still another file is being decompressed.

A system for processing at a remote workstation, data arranged into digital files at a central location, comprising:

• means at the central location for digitally compressing the data into compressed data files;
• selecting means at the central location for grouping the data files according to first predetermined criteria into a plurality of groups;
• transfer means for transferring at least one of said groups of data files to the remote workstation in response to a request from the remote workstation, said transfer means includes an ISDN telephone system;
• first storing means for storing the compressed data files at the remote workstation;
• and
• decompression means at the remote workstation for decompressing the compressed data files in the group transferred to the remote workstation in a sequence based on a second predetermined criteria, said decompression means causing a first decompressed file to be available for processing at the remote workstation while at least one other data file is being decompressed and data files are being transferred.

A workstation remote from a central location at which compressed data files are located, comprising:

• means for requesting at least one group of compressed data files from the central location;
• means for receiving a group of data files transferred in response to the request;
• means for storing the compressed data files at the remote workstation;
• and
• means for decompressing data files without user intervention in the group of transferred files in a sequence based on predetermined criteria, said decompressing means causing a first decompressed file to be available for processing while at least one other data file is being decompressed and other files are being transferred, said predetermined criteria being the order in which files in the group are received.

A workstation remote from a central location at which compressed data files are located, comprising:

• means for requesting at least one group of compressed data files from the central location;
• means for receiving a group of data files transferred in response to the request;
• means for storing the compressed data files at the remote workstation;
• means for decompressing data files without user intervention in the group of transferred files in a sequence based on predetermined criteria, said decompressing means causing a first decompressed file to be available for processing while at least one other data file is being decompressed and other files are being transferred;
• and
• means for monitoring a volume of unprocessed data files at the workstation, said means for requesting files from the central location operating in response to an indication from said means for monitoring that the volume is below a particular level.

A workstation remote from a central location at which data files are located, comprising:

• means for requesting at least one group of data files from the central location;
• means for receiving a group of data files transferred in response to the request;
• means for causing a received file to be available for processing;
• means for monitoring a volume of unprocessed data files at the workstation, time, and date;
• and
• means for controlling said means for requesting files so that a request is made in response to an indication from said monitoring means of said time and date that the volume is below a particular level.