Communication device, communication method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for content cache function

• US 10,425,495 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2017
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Oyama, Yuichiro, Yamaura, Takahiro, Ishihara, Takeshi, Yamaguchi, Kensaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao, Ranodhi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fiorillo, James N
• Application Number:
  US15/445,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20180063272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 709203, 709204, 709213, 709214, 709218, 709240
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A communication device includes: processing circuitry and communication circuitry. The processing circuitry acquires first information related to one or more pieces of content cached in each of relay devices being capable of communicating with a server and are capable of exchanging any of the pieces of content cached therein with one another. The processing circuitry acquires a first content list including an identifier of each of a plurality of pieces of content stored in the server. The processing circuitry specifies, on a basis of the first information, an identifier of a piece of content cached in at least one of the relay devices among the first content list and generates a second content list including the specified identifier and second information indicating that the piece of content identified by the specified identifier is cached in at least one of the relay devices. The communication circuitry transmits the second content list.

Claims

1. A communication device corresponding to one of a plurality of relay devices, the communication device comprising:

communication circuitry configured to communicate with other relay devices than the one relay device and communicate with a server, the server storing a plurality of pieces of content therein;

hardware storage configured to cache one or more pieces of content; and

processing circuitry configured to;

transmit a first acquisition request to the other relay devices to acquire first information indicative of one or more pieces of content cached in the other relay devices;

transmit a second acquisition request to the server to acquire a first content list including identifiers of the plurality of pieces of content stored in the server;

check whether each of the pieces of content identified by the first content list is cached in which of the relay devices based on the first information; and

generate a second content list which comprises;

a set of;

an identifier of the piece of content cached in at least one of the relay devices; and

second information, the second information including an identifier of the at least one of the relay devices caching the piece of content; and

a set of;

an identifier of the piece of content cached in none of the relay devices and third information, the third information indicating that the piece of content is cached in none of the relay devices, wherein;

the communication circuitry is configured to transmit the second content list to a user terminal,

the communication circuitry receives an acquisition request to specify one of the pieces of content identified by the second content list from the user terminal,

the processing circuitry reads out a piece of content identified by the acquisition request from the hardware storage and sends the piece of content to the user terminal when the piece of content identified by the acquisition request is cached in the hardware storage,

the processing circuitry communicates with one of the other relay devices to acquire the piece of content identified by the acquisition request and sends the piece of content to the user terminal when the piece of content identified by the acquisition request is not cached in the hardware storage and is cached in the one of the other relay devices,

the processing circuitry caches the piece of content acquired from the one of the other relay devices in the hardware storage when the piece of content identified by the acquisition request is not cached in the hardware storage and is cached in the one of the other relay devices,

the processing circuitry communicates with the server to acquire the piece of content identified by the acquisition request from the server and sends the piece of content to the user terminal when the piece of content identified by the acquisition request is cached in none of the hardware storage and the other relay devices and

the processing circuitry caches the piece of content acquired from the server in the hardware storage when the piece of content identified by the acquisition request is cached in none of the hardware storage and the other relay devices.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the second information includes information indicative of a length of an estimated time period required to send the piece of content identified by the second information to the user terminal.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the second information includes information indicative of price of the piece of content identified by the second information.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein

the second information includes information indicative of points to be awarded when the piece of content identified by the second information is provided for the user.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the second information includes information indicative of whether the piece of content identified by the second information is able to be downloaded to the user terminal for playback in the user terminal.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first information includes Bloom filters for the relay devices, each of the Bloom filters including a bit vector representing identifiers of one or more pieces of content that are cached in each of the relay devices, and

the processing circuitry determines whether the piece of content has been cached in which of the relay devices by testing an identifier of the piece of content against each of the Bloom filters.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication circuitry transmits the second content list to the plurality of relay devices.

8. A communication method performed by an electronic apparatus corresponding to one of a plurality of relay devices, the method comprising:

communicating with other relay devices than the one relay device and with a server, the server storing a plurality of pieces of content therein;

caching one or more pieces of content in a hardware storage;

transmitting a first acquisition request to the other relay devices to acquire first information indicative of one or more pieces of content cached in the other relay devices;

transmitting a second acquisition request to the server to acquire a first content list including identifiers of the pieces of content stored in the server;

checking whether each of the pieces of content identified by the first content list is cached in which of the plurality of relay devices based on the first information;

generating a second content list which comprises;

a set of;

an identifier of the piece of content cached in at least one of the relay devices; and

second information, the second information including an identifier of the at least one of the relay devices caching the piece of content; and

a set of;

an identifier of the piece of content cached in none of the relay devices and third information, the third information indicating that the piece of content is cached in none of the relay devices;

transmitting the second content list to a user terminal;

receiving an acquisition request to specify one of the pieces of content identified by the second content list from the user terminal;

reading out a piece of content identified by the acquisition request from hardware storage and sending the piece of content to the user terminal when the piece of content identified by the acquisition request is cached in the hardware storage;

communicating with one of the other relay devices to acquire the piece of content identified by the acquisition request and sending the piece of content to the user terminal when the piece of content identified by the acquisition request is not cached in the hardware storage and is cached in the one of the other relay devices;

caching the piece of content acquired from the one of the other relay devices in the hardware storage when the piece of content identified by the acquisition request is not cached in the hardware storage and is cached in the one of the other relay devices,

communicating with the server to acquire the piece of content identified by the acquisition request from the server and sending the piece of content to the user terminal when the piece of content identified by the acquisition request is cached in none of the hardware storage and the other relay devices, and

the processing circuitry caches the piece of content acquired from the server in the hardware storage when the piece of content identified by the acquisition request is cached in none of the hardware storage and the other relay devices.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium, having a computer program stored therein which, when executed by a computer corresponding to one of a plurality of relay devices being able to communicate with each other, causes the computer to perform processing comprising:

communicating with other relay devices than the one relay device and with a server, the server storing a plurality of pieces of content therein;

caching one or more pieces of content in a hardware storage;

transmitting a first acquisition request to the other relay devices to acquire first information indicative of one or more pieces of content cached in the other relay devices;

transmitting a second acquisition request to the server to acquire a first content list including identifiers of the pieces of content stored in the server;

checking whether each of the pieces of content identified by the first content list is cached in which of the plurality of relay devices based on the first information;

generating a second content list which comprises;

a set of;

an identifier of the piece of content cached in at least one of the relay devices; and

second information, the second information including an identifier of the at least one of the relay devices caching the piece of content; and

a set of;

an identifier of the piece of content cached in none of the relay devices and third information, the third information indicating that the piece of content is cached in none of the relay devices;

transmitting the second content list to a user terminal;

receiving an acquisition request to specify one of the pieces of content identified by the second content list from the user terminal;

reading out a piece of content identified by the acquisition request from hardware storage and sending the piece of content to the user terminal when the piece of content identified by the acquisition request is cached in the hardware storage;

communicating with one of the other relay devices to acquire the piece of content identified by the acquisition request and sending the piece of content to the user terminal when the piece of content identified by the acquisition request is not cached in the hardware storage and is cached in the one of the other relay devices;

caching the piece of content acquired from the one of the other relay devices in the hardware storage when the piece of content identified by the acquisition request is not cached in the hardware storage and is cached in the one of the other relay devices,

communicating with the server to acquire the piece of content identified by the acquisition request from the server and sending the piece of content to the user terminal when the piece of content identified by the acquisition request is cached in none of the hardware storage and the other relay devices, and

the processing circuitry caches the piece of content acquired from the server in the hardware storage when the piece of content identified by the acquisition request is cached in none of the hardware storage and the other relay devices.