System and method for efficiently providing content over a thin client network

1. A system for handling digital dictation in a thin client environment, comprising:

at least one server running at least one client software;

at least one terminal server; and

at least one terminal running at least one driver which communicates with the client software to create a virtual channel over which at least one digital dictation file is transmitted in packetized format between the terminal and the server, such that the client software controls operations performed at the terminal pertaining to the digital dictation file,

wherein packetizing the digital dictation file for transmission includes capturing, from a recording device or a file manager, portions of the digital dictation file, compressing the individual portions, splitting the compressed portions into packets of a size suitable for transmission over the virtual channel, transmitting the packets via the virtual channel to the at least one terminal server or the at least one terminal, and

wherein, on arrival at the terminal server or the at least one terminal, the packets are reassembled into the original compressed portions to be written to a hard drive in the terminal server or to be played through an audio device in the terminal.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

the client software further operating to store and retrieve the digital dictation file to and from a file store associated with the server.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

the client software controls the operations performed at the terminal using pushing operations to stream the packetized digital dictation file between the server and the terminal.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

the client software includes at least one of a file manager, a filter, a sound device and an ActiveX control, and the client software transfers the packetized data between selected ones of the file manager, filter, sound device and ActiveX control using pushing operations.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

the operations include at least one of the following: recording the digital dictation file and controlling playback of the digital dictation file.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one additional server, running at least one application service, which communicates with the client software to store and retrieve the digital dictation file to and from a file store.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of the terminals, each running a respective said at least one driver which communicates with the client software to create a respective said virtual channel over which a respective said at least one digital dictation file is transmitted in packetized format between the respective terminal and the server, such that the client software controls operations performed at the respective terminal pertaining to the respective digital dictation file.

8. A method for handling digital dictation in a thin client environment, the method comprising:

running at least one client software on at least one server;

running at least one driver on at least one terminal to communicate with the client software to create a virtual channel over which at least one digital dictation file is transmitted in packetized format between the terminal and the server; and

operating the client software to control operations performed at the terminal pertaining to the digital dictation file,

wherein packetizing the digital dictation file for transmission includes capturing, from a recording device or a file manager, portions of the digital dictation file, compressing the individual portions, splitting the compressed portions into packets of a size suitable for transmission over the virtual channel, transmitting the packets via the virtual channel to the at least one terminal server or the at least one terminal, and

wherein, on arrival at the terminal server or the at least one terminal, the packets are reassembled into the original compressed portions to be written to a hard drive in the terminal server or to be played through an audio device in the terminal.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:

operating the client software to store and retrieve the digital dictation file to and from a file store associated with the server.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein:

operating the client software to control the operations performed at the terminal using pushing operations to stream the packetized digital dictation file between the server and the terminal.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein:

the client software includes at least one of a file manager, a filter, a sound device and an ActiveX control; and

the operating step includes transferring the packetized data between selected ones of the file manager, filter, sound device and ActiveX control using pushing operations.

12. A method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein:

the operations include at least one of the following: recording the digital dictation file and controlling playback of the digital dictation file.

13. A method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:

running at least one application service on at least one additional server to communicate with the client software to store and retrieve the digital dictation file to and from a file store.

14. A method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein:

the step of running at least one driver on at least one terminal comprises:

running a respective said at least one driver on each of a plurality of said terminals to communicate with the client software to create a respective said virtual channel between each of the respective terminals and the server; and

transmitting said respective digital dictation file in packetized format over the respective virtual channels between the respective terminal and the server; and

the operating step comprises operating the client software to control respective operations performed at the respective terminals pertaining to the respective digital dictation files.

15. A computer-readable medium encoded with instructions for controlling at least one server to communicate with at least one terminal to handle digital dictation in a thin client environment, the computer readable medium of instructions comprising:

client software for controlling said at least one server to communicate with at least one driver running on at least one terminal to create a virtual channel, to control transmission of at least one digital dictation file in packetized format over the virtual channel between the terminal and the server, and to control operations performed at the terminal pertaining to the digital dictation file,

wherein packetizing the digital dictation file for transmission includes capturing, from a recording device or a file manager, portions of the digital dictation file, compressing the individual portions, splitting the compressed portions into packets of a size suitable for transmission over the virtual channel, transmitting the packets via the virtual channel to the at least one terminal server or the at least one terminal, and

wherein, on arrival at the terminal server or the at least one terminal, the packets are reassembled into the original compressed portions to be written to a hard drive in the terminal server or to be played through an audio device in the terminal.

16. A computer-readable medium of instructions as claimed in claim 15 , wherein:

the client software further controls the server to store and retrieve the digital dictation file to and from a file store associated with the server.

17. A computer-readable medium of instructions as claimed in claim 15 , wherein:

the client software controls the operations performed at the terminal using pushing operations to control streaming of the packetized digital dictation file between the server and the terminal.

18. A computer-readable medium of instructions as claimed in claim 15 , wherein:

the client software includes at least one of a file manager, a filter, a sound device and an ActiveX control; and

the client software controls the server to transfer the packetized data between selected ones of the file manager, filter, sound device and ActiveX control using pushing operations.

19. A computer-readable medium of instructions as claimed in claim 15 , wherein:

the operations include at least one of the following: recording the digital dictation file and controlling playback of the digital dictation file.

20. A computer-readable medium of instructions as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising:

at least one application service for controlling at least one additional server to communicate with the client software to store and retrieve the digital dictation file to and from a file store.