Patent ID: 6141053
Filing Date: 2000-10-31
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
In a data transmission system including a server that acts as a data source and a receiver that uses data to generate output, a method of transmitting data in a compressed data block file from the server to the receiver, wherein compressed data blocks in the compressed data block file collectively represent an uncompressed data stream, wherein each block is compressed in relation to a segment of the data stream it represents at a selected compression ratio, and wherein the receiver has a buffer space to store data before using the data to generate output, the method comprising:(a) determining the size of the receiver buffer space;(b) identifying the amount of data contained in the largest data block in the file;(c) delivering an initial amount of data for storage in the receiver buffer space before the receiver starts using the data to generate output, where the initial amount of data equals the amount of data contained in the largest data block in the file; and(d) transmitting data from the server to the receiver at a minimum rate selected to prevent the receiver buffer from becoming empty, including:(i) reading header information for each compressed data block and using this information to calculate the smallest number of consecutive blocks that will fit in the receiver buffer space; and(ii) dividing said size of the receiver buffer space by said smallest number of consecutive blocks that will fit in said receiver buffer space, and multiplying the result by eight times a display period for each compressed data block at the receiver.