Reducing the amount of graphical line data transmitted via a low bandwidth transport protocol mechanism

A method of efficiently reducing the amount of graphical data transmitted from a server to a client via a communications network, the method comprising the steps of:

• separating a path defined by at least one drawing command of an application into a plurality of strips, each of the plurality of strips represented as a plurality of consecutive pixels and having a beginning coordinate and an endpoint coordinate defined within a coordinate system, the coordinate system corresponding to a region of a display unit associated with the client;
• quantizing the coordinate system into a plurality of quantized angles;
• determining the endpoint coordinate of a first one of the plurality of strips;
• normalizing the endpoint coordinate of the first strip to correspond to the origin of the coordinate system;
• associating the endpoint coordinate of the first strip to a beginning coordinate of a second one of the plurality of strips;
• selecting one of the plurality of quantized angles of the coordinate system, the selected quantized angle corresponding to an approximate angle of the second strip;
• and
• transmitting a difference between the endpoint coordinates of the first and second strips and an indication of the quantized angle to the client.

A system for efficiently reducing the amount of graphical data transmitted from a server to a client via a communications network, the system comprising:

• a server agent operating on the server and coupled to the client via the communications network, wherein the server agent
• a) separates a path defined by at least one drawing command of an application into a first strip and a second strips, the first and second strips represented as a plurality of consecutive pixels, and each having a beginning coordinate and an endpoint coordinate defined within a coordinate system, a strip length and an absolute angle associated therewith, the coordinate system corresponding to a region of a display unit associated with the client;
• b) determines for the second strip a quantized angle associated with the absolute angle of the second plurality of strips, the quantized angle measured with respect to the coordinate system at the endpoint of the first strip;
• c) forms a protocol stream at the server, the protocol stream including a beginning coordinate of the path and the strip length and an indicia of the quantized angle of each of the plurality of strips;
• and
• d) transmits the protocol stream from the server to the client via the communications network.

A system for efficiently reducing the amount of graphical data transmitted from a server to a client via a communications network, the system comprising:

• a server agent operating on the server and coupled to the client via the communications network wherein the server agent
• a) separates a path defined by at least one drawing command of an application into a plurality of strips, each of the plurality of strips represented as a plurality of consecutive pixels and having a beginning coordinate and an endpoint coordinate defined within a coordinate system, the coordinate system corresponding to a region of a display unit associated with the client;
• b) quantizes the coordinate system into a plurality of quantized angles;
• c) determines the endpoint coordinate of a first one of the plurality of strips;
• d) normalizes the endpoint coordinate of the first strip to correspond to the origin of the coordinate system;
• e) associates the endpoint coordinate of the first strip to a beginning coordinate of a second one of the plurality of strips;
• f) selects one of the plurality of quantized angles of the coordinate system, the selected quantized angle corresponding to an approximate angle of the second strip;
• and
• g) transmits a difference between the endpoint coordinates of the first and second strips and an indication of the quantized angle to the client.