Patent ID: 8098214

Claim:
A method for exchanging image data between a data source computer and a data query computer, each of said data source computer and said data query computer comprising a display device for visual presentation of said image data, an input unit allowing entry of control commands, and a data interface for transmission and reception of data via a data transfer network placing said data source computer and said data query computer in communication with each other, said image data being comprised of a plurality of image elements each individually parameterized by display values in a display value set individually associated with that picture element, said display values comprising a color tone value, a saturation value, and a brightness value that collectively define an individual visual appearance of that image element when displayed, in order to make all of said image elements visually discernable against a display background at said display device of said data source computer, said method comprising the steps of: (a) copying said image data on the data source computer and transmitting a modified version of said image data from the data source computer to the data query computer via the network; (b) receiving said image data from the data source computer at the data query computer and, at the data query computer, presenting said modified version of said image data at the display device of the data query computer; (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) at times selected from the group consisting of regular intervals and upon alteration of said image data; and (d) generating said modified version of said image data in order to prevent visual discernment of a portion of said image data in said presentation of said image data at said data query computer, by selectively discriminating among said plurality of image elements dependent on at least one of the display values in the display value set by excluding, in step (a), transmission of display values for any of said plurality of image elements that respectively have display values in a predetermined range around a predetermined display value set, to cause said portion of said image data to be visually non-discernable against a background at said display device of said data query computer.