Information distribution system, program-for-management-apparatus recording medium, and program-for-information-processor recording medium

• US 20080244674A1
• Filed: 01/04/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Hayashi, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,336,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23116 involving data replication, e.g. over plural servers synchronization of replicated data G06F11/1658; error detection or correction by means of data replication G06F11/2053; replication in distributed file systems G06F16/10; replication in distributed file systems G06F16/27; replication or mirroring of data in data networks H04L67/1095
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64761 directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6583 Acknowledgement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A content distribution system includes a node to which content is distributed via a network and a distribution management server for managing a content distribution status.

The node receives content, detects an information amount of received content, and, on the basis of the detected information amount, outputs a distribution completion notification indicative of a reception status of corresponding content.

On the other hand, the distribution management server receives the distribution completion notification for each node, and stores the received distribution completion information for each node.

Claims

1. An information distribution system including an information processor to which distribution information is distributed via a network, and a management apparatus for managing a distribution status of the distribution information,

wherein the information processor comprises:

processor receiving means for receiving the distribution information;

detecting means for detecting an amount of the distribution information received; and

output means for outputting reception status information indicative of a reception status of the corresponding distribution information on the basis of the detected information amount, and

the management apparatus comprises;

management apparatus receiving means for receiving the reception status information for each of the information processor; and

storing means for storing the reception status information received for each of the information processor.

2. The information distribution system according to claim 1,

wherein the detecting means detects whether or not all of the distribution information to be distributed has been received by the information processor having the detecting means, and

the output means outputs the reception status information indicating that all of the distribution information has been received.

3. The information distribution system according to claim 1,

wherein the detecting means detects an amount of the distribution information received by the information processor having the detecting means, out of the distribution information to be distributed, and

the output means outputs the reception status information indicative of the detected received information amount.

4. The information distribution system according to claim 3,

wherein the detecting means detects the received information amount at every lapse of predetermined time period, and

the output means outputs the reception status information indicative of the received information amount detected at every lapse of the predetermined time period.

5. The information distribution system according to claim 1,

wherein the detecting means detects the received information amount of one or plural pieces of the distribution information at every predetermined time, and

the output means outputs the reception status information indicative of the received information amount detected at every predetermined time.

6. The information distribution system according to claim 1,

further comprising a controller for controlling distribution of the distribution information to each of the information processors,

wherein the controller comprises:

reception status information storing means for temporarily storing the reception status information output from each of the information processors; and

reception status information transmitting means for transmitting the temporarily stored reception status information to the management apparatus.

7. The information distribution system according to claim 1,

further comprising a menu management apparatus having menu storing means for storing menu information corresponding to an outputable distribution information menu indicating that the distribution information can be output in the information processor as a distribution destination of the distribution information so that the outputable distribution information menu can be viewed from the information processor via the network,

wherein the management apparatus comprises:

distribution completion detecting means for detecting whether reception of the whole distribution information has been completed in all of the information processors to which the distribution information is to be distributed on the basis of the reception status information; and

completion information transmitting means for, when the distribution completion detecting means detects completion of reception of the whole distribution information in all of the information processors, transmitting distribution completion information indicative of completion of the distribution, and distribution completion identification information indicative of the distribution information which has been distributed, to the menu management apparatus, and

the menu management apparatus updates the menu information on the basis of the distribution completion identification information received.

8. The information distribution system according to claim 1,

wherein the management apparatus comprises:

delay device detecting means for detecting the information processor in which a delay in distributing the distribution information occurs on the basis of the reception status information obtained; and

distribution promoting means for, when the information processor in which the distribution delay occurs is detected, transmitting distribution promotion information indicating that the distribution is to be promoted for the information processor.

9. The information distribution system according to claim 8,

wherein the management apparatus comprises cause detecting means for detecting a cause of the distribution delay and,

when the distribution delay is caused by limitation of a distribution time zone, the distribution promoting means transmits the distribution promotion information that promotes cancellation of the limitation to the information processor in which the distribution delay occurs.

10. The information distribution system according to claim 8,

wherein the management apparatus comprises cause detecting means for detecting a cause of the distribution delay and,

when the distribution delay is caused by limitation of distribution speed, the distribution promoting means transmits the distribution promotion information that promotes cancellation of the limitation to the information processor in which the distribution delay occurs.

11. A recording medium where a program for a management apparatus, for making a computer function as the management apparatus included in the information distribution system according to claim 1, is computer-readably recorded.

12. A recording medium where a program for an information processor, for making a computer function as the information processor included in the information distribution system according to claim 1, is computer-readably recorded.