Method system and apparatus for providing image data in client/server systems

A client for accessing image data through a server, comprising:

• an application process for receiving user requests for views on an image;
• an image drawing process for determining image data necessary to generate a first current view on the image;
• and,
• a communications process for generating and transmitting a request to the server to cancel the provision of image data that was requested to set a previous view on the image, that is not necessary for the first current view, and that has not been received by the client, and for generating and transmitting a request to the server to provide image data that is necessary to set the first current view on the image but that is not at the client.

A method for serving image data from a server, comprising:

• receiving a request from a client to open an image;
• opening the image;
• receiving from the client a request to provide image data that is necessary to set a first current view on the image;
• receiving from the client a request to cancel the provision of image data that was requested to set the first current view;
• and
• transmitting to the client image data that was requested for the first current view and not cancelled.

A server for serving image data to a client, comprising:

• a communications process for receiving a request from a client to open an image;
• the communications process further for receiving from the client a request to provide image data for a first view on the image, and for receiving a request to cancel the provision of image data that was requested for the first current view and not cancelled;
• and
• storage access means for providing to the communications process image data from storage.