Client/server multimedia presentation system

Abstract

A method of presenting, at a client terminal, a video program stored in a server linked with the client terminal via transmission path of a limited transmission band width. Each frame of the video program comprises a basic data portion and at least one level of quality supplement data portions. In the method, in response to one of play control commands from a user, the client terminal determines a start position in the video program according to the issued play control command. The play control commands includes a play, a stop, a head search, a jump forward and a jump backward command. In response to the issued play command, the terminal obtains and uses the basic data portions for playing the video program. In response to the stop command, the terminal obtains the quality supplement data portions for the last displayed frame and uses them for displaying a quality-enhanced version of the last displayed frame.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The invention relates to a client / server system in which a client terminal connected with a server through a transmission path of a limited bandwidth plays a multimedia program which is stored in the server and is comprised of multimedia objects such as moving pictures, still pictures, sounds and texts while reading the objects in real time from the server. [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0004] In such a system, a user of a client terminal is permitted to select one of a plurality of programs and to enter commands such as a play, a stop, a head search, a jump forward and a jump backward for the selected program. During a play operation, the server reads data of a specified program stored in a storage device and transmits the read data to the client terminal. Then, the client terminal displays the received data. However, once one of the stop, the head search, a jump forward and a jump backward command is exec...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] According to an aspect of the invention, a method of presenting, at a client terminal, a video program stored in a server linked with the client terminal via transmission path of a limited band width is provided. Each frame of the video program comprises a basic data portion and at least one level of quality supplement data portions. In the method, in response to one of play control commands from a user, the client terminal determines a start (or play) position in the video program according to the issued play control command. The play control commands includes a play, a stop, a head search, a jump forward and a jump backward command. In response to the issued play command, the terminal obtains and uses the basic data portions for playing the video program. In response to the stop command, the terminal obtains and uses the at least one level of quality supplement data portions of a last displayed frame for displaying a quality-enhanced version of the last displayed frame.

[0009] According to another aspect of the invention, a method of presenting, at a client terminal, a multimedia program stored in a server is provided. The multimedia program includes a video object. Each frame of the video object comprises a basic data portion and at least one level of detailed data portions. In this method, in response to one of play control commands from a user, the terminal determines a time count in the multimedia program according to the issued play control command. The play control commands include a play, a stop, a head search, a jump forward and a jump backward command. In response to one of the head search, the jump forward and the jump backward commands issued during a stop period, the terminal determines whether there is a video object to be displayed at the time count in the multimedia program. In the event there is the video object to be displayed at the time count in the multimedia program, the terminal obtains at least

Problems solved by technology

The transmission rate of the transmission path between the server and each terminal is limited, i.e., the quantity of data transmitted for a certain period of time is limited.

If the transmission paths between the server and the client terminals are considerably low as in case of ordinary telephone lines, it is necessary to reduce the frame rate, the resolution and / or the frame size, which degrades the picture quality of video objects.

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