Patent ID: 7581028

Claim:
A method for efficient image distribution and management comprising the steps of: collecting images and analyzing web server traces; ranking popular images; determining whether said image is cacheable; IF it is determined that said image is not cacheable, THEN, returning to said step of ranking popular images and selecting next said popular image; OTHERWISE, determining whether said cached image is contained in the database with metadata; IF said cached image is contained in the database with metadata, THEN, prefetching image data information from a server; determining whether data is stale; IF image data is stale, THEN, deleting cached image; updating metadata; OTHERWISE, proceeding to step of determining whether last popular image has been cached; OTHERWISE, finding best cache location; prefetching an image from a server; determining whether said image is a small image; IF said image is a small image, THEN, collecting small images; determining whether last said image is collected; IF last said image is collected, THEN, clustering said images; creating compact images; storing said compact images in proxy cache; storing updated metadata; determining whether last popular image has been cached; IF last popular image has been cached, THEN, distributing said updated metadata; deleting non-popular cached images; OTHERWISE, returning to said step of requesting cachable ranked images; OTHERWISE, returning to said step of prefetch- ing an image from a server; OTHERWISE, determining whether said image is very large; IF said image is very large, THEN; performing image compression on said very large image, storing said compressed image in proxy cache; returning to said step of storing updated metadata; OTHERWISE, storing original image in proxy cache; and returning to said step of storing updated metadata.