Method and System for Transmitting a Data File Over a Data Network

Abstract

In one form the invention provides a method of modifying a data file for transmission over a data network. The method comprises the steps of receiving the original data file and creating a header file, the header file including the length in bytes of the original data file. At least one repetition byte sequence is identified within the original data file, the repetition byte sequence comprising a byte value that is repeated consecutively within the repetition byte sequence. A modified data file is created by replacing the repetition byte sequence with a repetition marker, the repeated byte value, and a repeat frequency value representing the number of times the repeated byte value occurs within the repetition byte sequence. The repetition marker is added to the header file. The invention further provides a method of transmitting a data file to a remote device over a data network.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method of streaming a data file to a remote device over a data network, the data file comprising a plurality of ordered data segments having associated respective ordinal values and a header file, the header file including a segment frequency value representing the number of segments in the data file, and/or other values required for decompression, the method comprising:
 transmitting the header file to the remote device over the data network;   
       transmitting the first data segment of the plurality of ordered data segments over the data network to the remote device at the request of a first execution thread, operating on the remote device, concurrently with the second or subsequent data segments;
 transmitting the second data segment of the plurality of ordered data segments over the data network to the remote device at the request of a second execution thread, operating on the remote device, concurrently with the first or additional data segments; 
 transmitting subsequent alternate data segments over the data network to the remote device at the request of the first and second execution threads concurrently; 
 increasing the value of a counter value on the remote device to the ordinal value associated with the data segment most recently transmitted over the data network following complete transmission of each data segment; and 
 sorting each transmitted data segment into order at the remote device based on the counter value following complete transmission of each data segment. 
 
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the header file includes a buffer number, the buffer number representing a threshold number of segments. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the data file represents a video data file. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3  further comprising the step of playing one or more segments of the video data file to the user on the remote device while transmitting further data segments of the video data file over the data network. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of applying one or more data transformations to the data file or part thereof. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 5  wherein the one or more data transformations includes a data transformation that increases the number of unique byte values in at least part of one or more of the segments. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 5  wherein the one or more data transformations includes a data compression technique. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 5  wherein the one or more data transformations includes an encryption technique. 
     
     
         9 . A data file streaming system operable to stream a data file to a remote device over a data network, the data file comprising a plurality of ordered data segments having associated respective ordinal values and a header file, the header file including a segment frequency value representing the number of segments in the data file, and/or other values required for decompression, the system being configured to:
 transmit the header file to the remote device over the data network;   transmit the first data segment of the plurality of ordered data segments over the data network to the remote device at the request of a first execution thread, operating on the remote device, concurrently with the second or subsequent data segments;   transmit the second data segment of the plurality of ordered data segments over the data network to the remote device at the request of a second execution thread, operating on the remote device, concurrently with the first or additional data segments;   transmit subsequent alternate data segments over the data network to the remote device at the request of the first and second execution threads concurrently;   increase the value of a counter value on the remote device to the ordinal value associated with the data segment most recently transmitted over the data network following complete transmission of each data segment; and   
       sort each transmitted data segment into order at the remote device based on the counter value following complete transmission of each data segment. 
     
     
         10 . A data file streaming system according to  claim 9  wherein the header file includes a buffer number, the buffer number representing a threshold number of segments. 
     
     
         11 . A data file streaming system according to  claim 9  wherein the data file represents a video data file. 
     
     
         12 . A data file streaming system according to  claim 11  being further configured to play one or more segments of the video data file to the user on the remote device while transmitting further data segments of the video data file over the data network. 
     
     
         13 . A data file streaming system according to  claim 9  being further configured to apply one or more data transformations to the data file or part thereof. 
     
     
         14 . A data file streaming system according to  claim 13  wherein the one or more data transformations includes a data transformation that increases the number of unique byte values in at least part of one or more of the segments. 
     
     
         15 . A data file streaming system according to  claim 13  wherein the one or more data transformations includes a data compression technique. 
     
     
         16 . A data file streaming system according to  claim 13  wherein the one or more data transformations includes an encryption technique. 
     
     
         17 . A method of streaming a data file to a remote device over a data network, the data file comprising a plurality of ordered data segments, the method comprising:
 transmitting a first data segment of the plurality of ordered data segments over the data network to the remote device at the request of an execution thread of a plurality of execution threads, operating on the remote device;   transmitting a second data segment of the plurality of ordered data segments over the data network to the remote device at the request of a another execution thread of the plurality of execution threads, operating on the remote device;   transmitting subsequent data segments over the data network to the remote device at the request of an available one of the plurality of execution threads; and   sorting each transmitted data segment into order at the remote device based on its original position or order in the data file.