Patent ID: 7411693

Claim:
An image data dissemination system for retrieving and displaying an image, said system comprising: (a) a first storage area for storing an image data file associated with the image; (b) a user workstation coupled to the first storage area at a first transmission distance for generating an image request and for displaying the image data file; (c) a processor coupled to the user workstation and the first storage area, said processor being adapted to receive the image request from the user workstation and to selectively retrieve the image data file from the first storage area, said processor (i) maintaining an image retrieval history for the user workstation; (ii) using the image retrieval history to determine an anticipated image request for the user workstation; (iii) using the image retrieval history to determine an anticipated representation associated with the anticipated image request; (iv) determining whether the first storage area contains an image data file that satisfies the anticipated image request and is of the anticipated representation; and (v) if (iv) is true, then when the user workstation generates the anticipated image request, providing the image data file that satisfies the anticipated image request from said first storage area to the user workstation for display.