System for distributing objects to multiple clients

Abstract

A method for updating a set of presentation images through a single-buffered multipoint dispatcher over a network to multiple clients is provided. Each screen of a set of screens included in the presentation is divided into tiles. Packets respectively corresponding to the tiles of a first screen are stored in a single buffered multipoint dispatcher according to a time sorted hierarchy, a top packet having a most recent time value and a bottom packet having a least recent time value. Each tile of the first screen is compared with a corresponding tile of a second screen to identify any non-matching tile pairs. For each non-matching tile of the second screen, a packet corresponding to that non-matching tile is provided to the single buffered multipoint dispatcher. Then, non-matching tiles of the first screen are replaced with the respective non-matching tiles of the second screen, while maintaining the time sorted hierarchy. Such replacement supports clients with different connection speeds at different frame rates.

Description

CONTINUING APPLICATION DATA [0001] This application is a divisional of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §§ 120 and 121 on, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 185,834 filed Jun. 27, 2002, the contents of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] This invention relates generally to data transmission systems and more particularly to a method for dispatching updates to objects in a pre-defined set. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] With the widespread adoption of the Internet, more applications are becoming prevalent to disperse information over distributed networks. Multiple computers each having different capacity constraints are communicating with each other over these distributed networks. For example, as video conferencing becomes more popular the distribution of a presentation or video to multiple clients will naturally involve different computers with varying characteristics. As...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

While a buffer-less multipoint dispatcher requires minimal memory resources and is easy to implement, the buffer-less multipoint dispatcher can only successfully serve a static set of clients that have sufficient bandwidth to keep up with the incoming packets.

As the delivery is synchronous, each client has to be fast or the entire system will stall.

However, the buffered multipoint dispatcher is much more complex.

In some instances, especially where there are a large number of clients, the memory requirements may be prohibitive for support of such a system.

Another shortcoming of the above described multipoint dispatchers is that the addition of a new client is a cumbersome task.

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