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US006539420B1
(12) United States Patent ao) Patent No.: us 6,539,420 Bi
Fields et al. (45) Date of Patent: Mar. 25,2003
6,052,711 A * 4/2000 Gish 709/203
6,064,397 A 5/2000 Herregods et al 345/435
6,275,301 Bl * 8/2001 Bobrow et al 358/1.2
6,326,983 Bl 12/2001 Venable et al 345/763
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
JP 8166956 6/1996
* cited by examiner
Primary Examiner—Ayaz Sheikh
Assistant Examiner—Khanh Quang Dinh
(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—-Jeffrey S. LaBaw; Joseph
R. Burwell; David H. Judson
(57) ABSTRACT
A method for reuse of image data in a distributed computer network is operative at a web server in response to a request from a client browser for a web page. At the web server, a determination is made regarding whether the web page includes a given object reference. If so, a template defining a composite image is retrieved. The template identifies at least one image object to be retrieved from another location, typically from a host remote to the web server. Once the image object is retrieved, a given transform is applied to the image object to generate a transformed image object. The given transform, for example, is selected from a group of transforms such as: scaling, mirroring, cutting, cropping, inverting, flipping, reversing, rotating, color shifting, and combinations of the above. Thereafter, the transformed image object is mapped into the composite image according to the template. After the composite image is created, it is served within the web page originally requested by the client.
24 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets
