초록 ▼

A client/server network system is disclosed for cyclic multicasting of an image file from a central data provider (server) to one or more remote client machines (workstations) over a computer network with minimum network transmission while allowing any number of client machines (workstations) to dow

A client/server network system is disclosed for cyclic multicasting of an image file from a central data provider (server) to one or more remote client machines (workstations) over a computer network with minimum network transmission while allowing any number of client machines (workstations) to download the image file at any moment in time without the need to synchronize with the central server's transmission. The network system includes a computer network; a plurality of remote client machines on the computer network; and a central server for providing a cyclic multicasting of an image file to one or more client machines over the computer network concurrently through the use of different transmission cycles of a single cyclic multicast session. An image file is asynchronously transferred from the central server to one or more remote client machines concurrently over a computer network through the use of different transmission cycles during a single cyclic multicast session so as to keep the network transmission and network bandwidth to a minimum.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A system which provides a cyclic multicasting of an image file to one or more client machines over a data network concurrently through the use of different, consecutive cycles of a single cyclic multicast session, with each cycle including transmission of at least a por

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A system which provides a cyclic multicasting of an image file to one or more client machines over a data network concurrently through the use of different, consecutive cycles of a single cyclic multicast session, with each cycle including transmission of at least a portion of said image file, wherein said cyclic multicasting of said image file to one or more client machines over said data network during said single cyclic multicast session is provided by:determining whether a first client machine needs transmission of the image file over said data network;when the first client machine needs transmission of the image file over said data network, determining whether the image file is in a transmission queue during a first transmission cycle of said single cyclic multicast session;when the image file is in the transmission queue during said first transmission cycle, sending the image file to the first client machine over said data network during said first transmission cycle and determining whether a second client machine needs transmission of the image file during said first transmission cycle over said data network;when the second client machine needs transmission of the image file over said data network, determining whether the sending of the image file to the first client machine over said data network is completed during said first transmission cycle of said single cyclic multicast session; andwhen the sending of the image file to the first client machine over said data network is completed during said first transmission cycle, resending at least a portion of the image file to the second client machine over said data network during a next, second transmission cycle of said single cyclic multicast session.