System and method for the lossless progressive streaming of images over a communication network

A system for lossless progressive streaming of images over a communication network, comprising:

• an image storage device for storing a digital image;
• a client computer coupled to the communication network, wherein said client computer generates and transmits across said communication network a request list containing the coordinates of data blocks required for rendering a region of interest (ROI) within said digital image, wherein said request list is ordered in accordance with a selected progressive mode;
• a server computer coupled to said communication network and said image storage device, said server computer adapted to perform the steps of:
• preprocessing said digital image through a low pass filter and a lossless wavelet transform to yield low pass scaling function data, high pass wavelet coefficient data and halfbit data;
• receiving said request list from said client computer;
• progressively transmitting to said client computer subband coefficient data blocks corresponding to said region of interest in the order they were requested, said subband coefficient data blocks defined by said coordinates and determined in accordance with said wavelet coefficients and said half-bit matrix;
• wherein said lossless wavelet transform comprises the steps of:
• first applying an X-direction wavelet transform to the output of said low pass filter to yield a temporal matrix therefrom;
• second applying a low Y-direction wavelet transform to a low portion of said temporal matrix to yield LL and LH subband coefficients;
• and
• third applying a high Y-direction wavelet transform to a high portion of said temporal matrix to yield HL and HH subband coefficients including a half-bit matrix containing half-bits, each half-bit corresponding to an HH subband coefficient.

A method for use on a client computer for lossless progressive streaming of images from a server computer to said client computer over a communication network, said method comprising the steps of:

• determining one or more data blocks required for rendering of a region of interest (ROI) within said digital image;
• generating a request list of coordinates corresponding to said data blocks, wherein said request list is ordered in accordance with a selected progressive mode;
• transmitting said request list to said server computer;
• receiving said data blocks from said server computer;
• rendering said region of interest utilizing said data blocks;
• wherein said data blocks are generated on said server utilizing a lossless wavelet transform comprising the steps of:
• first applying an X-direction wavelet transform to the output of a low pass filter to yield a temporal matrix therefrom;
• second applying a low Y-direction wavelet transform to a low portion of said temporal matrix to yield LL and LH subband coefficients;
• and
• third applying a high Y-direction wavelet transform to a high portion of said temporal matrix to yield HL and HH subband coefficients including a half-bit matrix containing half-bits, each half-bit corresponding to an HH subband coefficient.

A method for use on a client computer for lossless progressive streaming of images from a server computer to said client computer over a communication network, said method comprising the steps of:

• determining one or more data blocks required for rendering of a region of interest (ROI) within said digital image;
• generating a request list of coordinates corresponding to said data blocks, wherein said request list is ordered in accordance with the absolute value of requested subband coefficients whereby subband coefficients with larger absolute values are requested before subband coefficients with smaller absolute values;
• transmitting said request list to said server computer;
• receiving said data blocks from said server computer;
• rendering said region of interest utilizing said data blocks;
• wherein said data blocks are generated on said server utilizing a lossless wavelet transform comprising the steps of:
• first applying an X-direction wavelet transform to the output of a low pass filter to yield a temporal matrix therefrom;
• second applying a low Y-direction wavelet transform to a low portion of said temporal matrix to yield LL and LH subband coefficients;
• and
• third applying a high Y-direction wavelet transform to a high portion of said temporal matrix to yield HL and HH subband coefficients including a half-bit matrix containing half-bits, each half-bit corresponding to an HH subband coefficient.

A server for lossless progressive streaming of images to a client over a communication network, comprising:

• an image storage device for storing said digital image;
• a processor adapted to perform the steps of:
• preprocessing said digital image through a low pass filter lossless wavelet transformation;
• receiving said request list from said client, wherein said request list is ordered in accordance with a selected progressive mode;
• progressively transmitting to said client data blocks corresponding to said region of interest in the order they were requested;
• wherein said lossless wavelet transform comprises the steps of:
• first applying an X-direction wavelet transform to the output of said low pass filter to yield a temporal matrix therefrom;
• second applying a low Y-direction wavelet transform to a low portion of said temporal matrix to yield LL and LH subband coefficients;
• and
• third applying a high Y-direction wavelet transform to a high portion of said temporal matrix to yield HL and HH subband coefficients including a half-bit matrix containing half-bits, each half-bit corresponding to an HH subband coefficient.

A server for lossless progressive streaming of images to a client over a communication network, comprising:

• an image storage device for storing said digital image;
• a processor adapted to perform the steps of:
• preprocessing said digital image through a lossless wavelet transformation;
• generating wavelet coefficients corresponding to said digital image;
• receiving said request list from said client computer, wherein said request list is ordered in accordance with the absolute value of requested subband coefficients whereby subband coefficients with larger absolute values are requested before subband coefficients with smaller absolute values;
• progressively transmitting to said client computer subband coefficient data blocks corresponding to said region of interest in the order they were requested, said subband coefficient data blocks defined by said coordinates and determined in accordance with said wavelet coefficients;
• wherein said lossless wavelet transform comprises the steps of:
• first applying an X-direction wavelet transform to the output of said low pass filter to yield a temporal matrix therefrom;
• second applying a low Y-direction wavelet transform to a low portion of said temporal matrix to yield LL and LH subband coefficients;
• and
• third applying a high Y-direction wavelet transform to a high portion of said temporal matrix to yield HL and HH subband coefficients including a half-bit matrix containing half-bits, each half-bit corresponding to an HH subband coefficient.

A system for lossless progressive streaming of images over a communication network, comprising:

• an image storage device for storing a digital image;
• a client computer coupled to the communication network, wherein said client computer generates and transmits across said communication network a request list containing the coordinates of data blocks required for rendering a region of interest (ROI) within said digital image, wherein said request list is ordered in accordance with the absolute value of requested subband coefficients whereby subband coefficients with larger absolute values are requested before subband coefficients with smaller absolute values;
• a server computer, coupled to said communication network and said image storage device, adapted to perform the steps of:
• preprocessing the digital image through a low pass filter lossless wavelet transformation;
• receiving said request list from said client computer;
• progressively transmitting to said client computer data blocks corresponding to said region of interest in the order they were requested;
• wherein said lossless wavelet transform comprises the steps of:
• first applying an X-direction wavelet transform to the output of said low pass filter to yield a temporal matrix therefrom;
• second applying a low Y-direction wavelet transform to a low portion of said temporal matrix to yield LL and LH subband coefficients;
• and
• third applying a high Y-direction wavelet transform to a high portion of said temporal matrix to yield HL and HH subband coefficients including a half-bit matrix containing half-bits, each half-bit corresponding to an HH subband coefficient.

A server for lossless progressive streaming of images to a client over a communication network, comprising:

• an image storage device for storing a digital image;
• a processor in communication with said image storage device and adapted to perform the steps of:
• preprocessing said digital image through a low pass filter and a lossless wavelet transform a predetermined number of times to yield low pass scaling function data, high pass wavelet coefficient data and halfbit data;
• storing said low pass scaling function data, said high pass wavelet coefficient data and said halfbit data in a memory cache;
• receiving a request for one or more data blocks from said client, each data block corresponding to a region of interest;
• if a requested data block is not present in said memory cache, performing said step of preprocessing on a minimum portion of the region of interest requiring processing;
• transmitting to said client computer subband coefficient data blocks corresponding to said region of interest;
• wherein said lossless wavelet transform comprises the steps of:
• first applying an X-direction wavelet transform to the output of said low pass filter to yield a temporal matrix therefrom;
• second applying a low Y-direction wavelet transform to a low portion of said temporal matrix to yield LL and LH subband coefficients;
• and
• third applying a high Y-direction wavelet transform to a high portion of said temporal matrix to yield HL and HH subband coefficients including a half-bit matrix containing half-bits, each half-bit corresponding to an HH subband coefficient.