System for transmitting video images over a computer network to a remote receiver

A system for transmitting data representing a stream of video images, comprising:

• a) one or more medical test devices for generating the stream of video images, wherein:
• i) each medical test device generates, using a first processor, each image at a device frame rate determined by the settings and capabilities of said medical test device, said device frame rate being at least 8 frames per second and generally less than 100 frames per second,
• ii) said video images have a device image width and a device image height determined by the settings and capabilities of said medical test device,
• iii) each medical test device displays said video images locally on a display connected to said medical test device at a device display frame rate determined by the settings and capabilities of said medical test device, and
• iv) each medical test device outputs said of video images over a standard video link at a standard video frame rate, such as 30 frames per seconds, at a standard image height, having at least 480 lines of resolution per frame, and at a standard image width, having at least 640 square pixels sample points per line;
• b) a transmitter removably coupled via said standard video link to any medical test device for receiving and selectively distributing data representing the stream of video images, wherein:
• i) said transmitter further comprising video capture device for capturing said stream of video images from said standard video link, said capture device selectively capturing said video images at a capture frame rate, capture width, and capture height, brightness, and contrast, each determined by video capture settings in said transmitter,
• ii) each captured frame having a timestamp indicating the time said captured frame was captured, being substantially the time the corresponding video image was generated,
• iii) said transmitter further comprising a compressor configured for compressing the data representing the stream of video images, thereby forming a compressed stream of data, said compressor having:
• (1) a plurality of clinically lossless compression algorithms implemented as software running on a second processor in said transmitter, and
• (2) a compression image width and a compression image height,
• iv) said transmitter, further comprising a recorded video device having a record frame rate, a record compression algorithm, a record width and a record height, each determined by record settings in said transmitter, and
• v) said transmitter, having:
• (1) a transmission frame rate, a transmission compression algorithm, a transmission width and height, and a transmission area, each determined by transmission settings in said transmitter, and
• (2) a transmission period of time between the transmission of each transmitted frame, said transmission period determined by said transmission frame rate;
• c) one or more remote receivers for communicating with the transmitter and configured to receive the compressed stream of data from the transmitter wherein:
• i) each of said one or more remote receivers further comprise a decompressor configured for returning each frame represented by the compressed stream of data into an uncompressed state, forming decompressed frames, said decompressor running a decompression algorithm as software on another processor in each of said receivers, said compression algorithm corresponding to the current transmission compression algorithm,
• ii) each receiver further comprising a remote display for displaying the decompressed frames to a user at said receiver, said remote display having a receiver display frame rate, a receiver display image width, and a receiver display image height, said receiver display image width and said receiver display height being determined by display setting determined by said user,
• iii) each receiver receives reception settings from said transmitter whenever transmission starts or transmission settings change, said reception settings comprising the transmission frame rate, the transmission compression algorithm, the transmission width, and the transmission height,
• iv) each receiver having a reception frame rate,
• v) each receiver being configured to receive remote control commands from each respective user for remotely controlling said medical test device or said transmitter, and
• vi) said remote control commands including commands specifying changes to the capture settings, record settings or transmission settings;
• and
• d) a packet switched data network coupled between the transmitter and the one or more receivers for transporting the compressed stream of data representing the stream of video images, the reception settings, and the remote control commands, wherein:
• i) the compressed stream of data, the reception settings, and the remote control commands are transported over the same digital transmission channel, and
• ii) at least one of said receivers is connected to said network with standard phone lines, wherein the maximum sustainable bandwidth between the transmitter and at least one of said receivers is less than one thousand five hundred bits per second;
• wherein said transmitter changes capture settings, record settings, or transmission settings when any remote receiver sends predetermined remote control commands,
• wherein said transmitter starts transmitting the compressed stream of data when any remote receiver sends a remote control command to start transmission,
• wherein said transmitter stops transmitting when any remote receiver sends a remote control command to stop transmission,
• wherein any remote receiver dynamically sets the transmission frame rate to match the device frame rate,
• wherein any remote receiver dynamically specifies the transmission compression algorithm to optimally compress the clinical content of the image being generated, and
• wherein any remote receiver is able to control the capture settings, record settings, and transmission settings,
• whereby the user views live diagnostic quality moving video images at a location which is remote from the medical test device, and
• whereby the user dynamically balances the tradeoffs between transmission frame rate and image quality to achieve the optimal image in a given circumstance.