Node device, shared information update processing program, shared information update method, and information sharing system

• US 20080172478A1
• Filed: 02/05/2008
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xing, Inc. (Brother Industries Limited), Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Xing, Inc. (Brother Industries Limited), Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Iijima, Koichi, Kiyohara, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a node device, a shared information update processing program, a shared information update means, and an information sharing system, which can quickly and assuredly update the shared information in each of the node devices without applying an excessive load to a specific apparatus such as a server.

According to the present invention, there is provided a plurality of node devices mutually connectable through a network, each of the node devices saving shared information, used in common with the nodes, and in a case where each of the node devices transmits predetermined data to the node device, being a connection counterpart, the node device describing version information indicative of a version of the shared information, saved by the own node device, including: a data receiving means; a version judgment means; and a shared information update means.

Claims

1. A node device in an information sharing system including a plurality of node devices mutually connectable through a network, each of the node devices saving shared information which is used in common with the nodes, and in a case where each of the node devices transmits predetermined data to the node device, being a connection counterpart, the node device describing version information indicative of a version of the shared information, saved in the own node device, comprising:

a data receiving means for receiving data having the version information described in it;

a version judgment means for at least judging whether or not the version of the shared information, saved by the own node device, is older than the version of shared information saved by other node device by comparing the version information described in the data thus received with the version information of shared information saved by the own node device; and

a shared information update means for obtaining the shared information from the other node saving shared information of a version newer than the version of the shared information saved by the own node device and updating the shared information saved by the own node device in a case where it is judged that the version of the shared information saved by the own node device is older.

2. The node device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an own node version information saving means for saving the version information of shared information, saved by the own node device;

a date transmission means for describing the version information saved in the own node version information saving means into the data and transmitting the data; and

an other node version information saving means for saving the version information, described in the data thus received,

wherein the version judgment means compares the version information saved in the other node version information saving means with the version information saved by the own node version information saving means.

3. The node device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a data transmission means for describing the version information, saved in the own node version information saving means, and transmitting the data to the other node.

4. The node device according to claim 2,

wherein the version judgment means compares the version information saved in the own node version information saving means with the version information saved in the other node version information saving means and judges whether the version of shared information saved by the own node device is older than the version of shared information saved by a plurality of the other node devices;

and

the shared information update means acquires the shared information from the other node device, saving shared information of a version newer than the version of shared information saved by the own node device, and updates the shared information saved by the own node device in a case where the version of shared information, saved by the own node device, is older than the version of shared information saved by a predetermined number or more of node devices of the plurality of other node devices.

5. The node device according to claim 1,

wherein the data are relayed through at least one of the node devices, and the version information respectively of the shared information saved by the node device of sending the data and a node device relaying the data is described in the data,

the version judgment means compares the plurality of the version information, described in the one data thus received, with the version information saved by the own node device and judges whether or not the version of shared information saved by the own node device is older than the version of shared information saved by a plurality of the other node devices;

and

the shared information update means acquires the shared information from the other node device saving the shared information of the newer version than the version, saved by the own node device, and updates the shared information saved by the own node device in a case where it is judged that the version of shared information saved by the own node device is older than the version of shared information, saved by the predetermined number or more of node devices of the plurality of the other node devices.

6. The node device according too claim 1, further comprising:

a reference means for referring to a latest version of the shared information to a specific node device, specially selected from the plurality of node devices in a case where it is judged by the version judgment means that version of the shared information, saved by the own node device, is older,

wherein the shared information update means acquires the shared information from the other node device, saving the shared information of the latest version, and updates the shared information, saved by the own node device, in a case where the version of shared information saved by the own node device is older than the latest version.

7. The node device according to claim 1,

wherein an own node version information saving means for saving the version information of shared information saved by the own node device;

a data transmission means for transmitting the version information saved in the own node version information saving means and identification information of the own node device by describing them in data;

a specific node saving means for saving specific identification information of a specific node device; and

a specific identification information judgment means for judging whether or not the identification information, described in the data thus received, matches the specific identification information saved in the specific node saving means,

wherein the shared information update means acquires shared information from the other node device, saving shared information of a version newer than the version of shared information saved by the own node device, and updates the shared information saved by the own node device when it is judged that the identification information described in the data thus received matches the specific identification information by the specific identification information judgment means, and in a case where it is judged that the version of the shared information saved by the own node device is older than version information saved by the specific node device, indicated by the specific identification information.

8. The node device according to claim 2,

wherein the data transmission means or the data transfer means describes network environment information indicative of network connection environment of the own node device;

and

the shared information update means determines the node device, from which the shared information is to be acquired, on the basis of the network environment information of the plurality of other node devices, acquires the shared information from the node device thus determined, and updates the shared information saved by the own node device.

12. The node device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a reference means for referring to a latest version of the shared information to a specific node device, specially selected from the plurality of node devices in a case where it is judged by the version judgment means that version of the shared information, saved by the own node device, is older,

wherein the shared information update means acquires the shared information from the other node device, saving the shared information of the latest version, and updates the shared information, saved by the own node device, in a case where the version of shared information saved by the own node device is older than the latest version.

13. The node device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a reference means for referring to a latest version of the shared information to a specific node device, specially selected from the plurality of node devices in a case where it is judged by the version judgment means that version of the shared information, saved by the own node device, is older,

wherein the shared information update means acquires the shared information from the other node device, saving the shared information of the latest version, and updates the shared information, saved by the own node device, in a case where the version of shared information saved by the own node device is older than the latest version.

14. The node device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a reference means for referring to a latest version of the shared information to a specific node device, specially selected from the plurality of node devices in a case where it is judged by the version judgment means that version of the shared information, saved by the own node device, is older,

wherein the shared information update means acquires the shared information from the other node device, saving the shared information of the latest version, and updates the shared information, saved by the own node device, in a case where the version of shared information saved by the own node device is older than the latest version.

15. The node device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a reference means for referring to a latest version of the shared information to a specific node device, specially selected from the plurality of node devices in a case where it is judged by the version judgment means that version of the shared information, saved by the own node device, is older,

wherein the shared information update means acquires the shared information from the other node device, saving the shared information of the latest version, and updates the shared information, saved by the own node device, in a case where the version of shared information saved by the own node device is older than the latest version.

16. The node device according to claim 3,

wherein the data transmission means or the data transfer means describes network environment information indicative of network connection environment of the own node device;

and

the shared information update means determines the node device, from which the shared information is to be acquired, on the basis of the network environment information of the plurality of other node devices, acquires the shared information from the node device thus determined, and updates the shared information saved by the own node device.

17. The node device according to claim 4,

wherein the data transmission means or the data transfer means describes network environment information indicative of network connection environment of the own node device;

and

the shared information update means determines the node device, from which the shared information is to be acquired, on the basis of the network environment information of the plurality of other node devices, acquires the shared information from the node device thus determined, and updates the shared information saved by the own node device.

9. A computer program embodied in a computer-readable medium and representing a sequence of instructions, which when executed by a computer included in a node device in an information sharing system, including a plurality of node devices mutually connectable through a network, each of the node devices saving the shared information in common with the nodes, and in a case where each of the node device transmits predetermined data to a node device, being a connection counterpart, the node device describing in the data version information indicative of a version of the shared information saved by the own node device, to function as:

a data receiving means for receiving the data thus transmitted from the connection counterpart in which the version information is described,

a version judgment means for at least judging whether or not the version of the shared information saved by the own node device is older than the version of shared information saved by other node device by comparing the version information described in the data thus received with the version information of shared information saved by the own node device, and

a shared information update means for obtaining the shared information from the other node saving shared information of a version newer than the version of the shared information saved by the own node device and updating the shared information saved by the own node device in a case where it is judged that the version of the shared information saved by the own node device is older.

10. A shared information update method in an information sharing system including a plurality of node devices, mutually connectable through a network, each of the node devices saving shared information in common with the nodes, and in a case where each of the node devices transmits predetermined data to the node devices, being a connection counterpart, the node device describing in data version information indicative of a version of shared information saved by the own node device, comprising steps of:

receiving data in which the version information is described;

at least judging whether or not the version of the shared information saved by the own node device is older than the version of shared information saved by other node device by comparing the version information, described in the data thus received, with the version information of the shared information, saved by the own node device; and

acquiring the shared information from the other node, saving shared information of a version newer than the version of the shared information, saved by the own node device and updating the shared information saved by the own node device in a case where it is judged that the version of the shared information saved by the own node device is older.

11. An information sharing system including a plurality of node device, mutually connectable through a network, each of the node devices saving shared information which is used in common with the nodes, and in a case where each of the node devices transmits predetermined data to the node device, being a connection counterpart, the node device describing in the data version information indicative of a version of the shared information, saved by the own node device, wherein the node device comprising:

a data receiving means for receiving data thus transmitted from the connection counterpart, in which the version information is described;

a version judgment means for at least judging whether or not the version of the shared information saved by the own node device is older than the version of shared information, saved by other node device, by comparing the version information described in the data thus received and the version information of shared information saved by the own node device; and

a shared information update means for acquiring shared information from the other node, saving shared information of a version newer than the version of the shared information saved by the own node device and updating the shared information saved by the own node device in a case where it is judged that the version of the shared information saved by the own node device is older.