INFORMATION COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, INFORMATION COMMUNICATION METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM HAVING INFORMATION COMMUNICATION PROGRAM STORED THEREON

• US 20110072088A1
• Filed: 03/22/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: KIYOHARA, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,219,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1059 Inter-group management mechanisms, e.g. splitting, merging or interconnection of groups
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1078 Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems

Abstract

An information communication system for exchanging a plurality of contents between a plurality of node devices, includes a plurality of internal networks connected to an external network. The internal networks include: node devices that connects the same internal network; and a support device, which connects the internal network, and which supports acquisition of contents by the node devices. An internal overlay network is constructed for each of the internal networks. An external overlay network is constructed on the external network. Each of the node devices includes a first acquisition unit that acquires contents from a first internal overlay network, which is an access destination of the first acquisition unit. If it is unable to acquire the contents from the first internal overlay network, the first acquisition unit acquires contents from one of the support devices through a first support device, which is a support device connecting the first internal network.

Claims

1. An information communication system for exchanging a plurality of contents between a plurality of node devices, the information communication system comprising:

a plurality of internal networks that is connected to an external network,

wherein each of the internal networks comprises;

the plurality of node devices that connects the same internal network; and

a support device, which connects the internal network, and which supports acquisition of contents by the node devices,

wherein an internal overlay network, which is an overlay network that allows for exchanging of contents between the node devices connecting the same internal network, is constructed for each of the internal networks,

wherein an external overlay network, which is an overlay network that allows for exchanging of contents between the support devices, is constructed on the external network,

wherein each of the node devices comprises a first acquisition unit that acquires contents from a first internal overlay network, which is an access destination of the first acquisition unit on the internal network, and

wherein if it is unable to acquire the contents from the first internal overlay network, the first acquisition unit acquires contents from one of the support devices through a first support device, which is a support device connecting the first internal network.

2. The information communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the first acquisition unit of each of the node devices comprises:

a contents request transmission unit that transmits contents request information indicating a contents request to the first support device if it is unable to acquire the contents from the first internal overlay network; and

a contents receipt unit that receives contents transmitted from the first support device, and

wherein each of the support devices comprises;

a contents request receipt unit that receives the contents request information transmitted from each of the node devices;

a second acquisition unit that acquires contents from the external overlay network if the contents request information is received by the contents request receipt unit; and

a contents transmission unit that transmits the contents acquired by the second acquisition unit to a request source node device that requests the contents.

3. The information communication system according to claim 2,

wherein the internal overlay network is an overlay network in which the support devices do not participate,

wherein each of the support devices further comprises a storage unit that stores the contents acquired by the second acquisition unit, and

wherein the contents transmission unit of each of the support devices transmits the contents stored in the storage unit to the request source node device if the requested contents are stored in the storage unit when the contents request information is received by the contents request receipt unit.

4. The information communication system according to claim 2,

wherein the internal overlay network is an overlay network which allows for exchanging of contents between the support devices and the node devices connecting the same internal network as the support devices.

5. The information communication system according to claim 2,

wherein each of the node devices comprises a mode acquisition unit that acquires mode information indicating either an overlay network mode or a client-server mode, and

wherein the first acquisition unit of each of the node devices acquires contents from the first support device if the mode information acquired by the mode acquisition unit indicates the client-server mode.

6. The information communication system according to claim 2,

wherein each of the support devices comprises a mode acquisition unit that acquires mode information indicating either an overlay network mode or a client-server mode, and

wherein the second acquisition unit of each of the support devices acquires contents from a predetermined server device via the external network if the mode information acquired by the mode acquisition unit indicates the client-server mode.

7. The information communication system according to claim 5,

wherein the mode information is a kind of contents, and

wherein the mode acquisition unit of each of the node devices acquires the mode information from the first acquisition unit.

8. The information communication system according to claim 6,

wherein the mode information is a kind of contents, and

wherein the mode acquisition unit of each of the support devices acquires the mode information from the external overlay network.

9. The information communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the first acquisition unit of each of the node devices acquires contents from the first internal overlay network based on address information indicating an address of at least one of different node devices connecting the first internal network, and

wherein each of the node devices further comprises a participation unit that acquires the address information transmitted from the first support device by transmitting participation request information indicating a request for participation in the first internal overlay network to the first support device.

10. The information communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the first acquisition unit of each of the node devices acquires contents from the first internal overlay network based on address information indicating an address of at least one of different node devices connecting the first internal network, and

wherein each of the node devices further comprises a participation unit that acquires the address information transmitted from the different node devices connecting the first internal network by transmitting participation request information indicating a request for participation in the first internal overlay network to the different node devices.

11. An information communication method in an information communication system exchanging a plurality of contents between a plurality of node devices,

wherein the information communication system comprises a plurality of internal networks that is connected to an external network,

wherein each of the internal networks comprises:

the plurality of node devices that connects the same internal network; and

a support device, which connects the internal networks, and which supports acquisition of contents by the node devices,

wherein an internal overlay network, which is an overlay network that allows for exchanging of contents between the node devices accessing the same internal network, is constructed for each of the internal networks,

wherein an external overlay network, which is an overlay network which allows for exchanging of contents between the support devices, is constructed on the external network, and

wherein the information communication method comprises a first acquiring, which is performed by each of the node devices, and which comprises;

acquiring contents from a first internal overlay network, which is the internal overlay network on the internal network at an access destination; and

if it is unable to acquire the contents from the first internal overlay network, acquiring contents from one of the support devices through a first support device, which is a support device connecting the first internal network.

12. The information communication method according to claim 11,

wherein the first acquiring further comprises:

contents request information transmitting in which the node devices transmit contents request information indicating a contents request to the first support device if it is unable to acquire the contents from the first internal overlay network;

second acquiring in which the first support device receives the contents request information transmitted from the node devices, acquires contents from the external overlay network, and stores and transmits the acquired contents to a request source node device; and

contents receiving in which the node devices receive the contents transmitted from the first support device.

13. The information communication method according to claim 12, further comprising:

a first mode information acquiring, which is performed by the node devices, and which comprises acquiring mode information indicating either an overlay network mode or a client-server mode,

wherein in the first acquiring, each of the node devices acquires contents from the first support device if the mode information corresponding to the node device acquiring the contents indicates the client-server mode.

14. The information communication method according to claim 12, further comprising:

a second mode information acquiring, which is performed by each of the support devices, and which comprises acquiring mode information indicating either an overlay network mode or a client-server mode, and

wherein, in the second acquiring, the first support device acquires contents from a predetermined server device via the external network if the mode information corresponding to the first support device indicates the client-server mode.

15. A computer-readable medium having an information communication program stored thereon and readable by a computer in an information communication system in which a plurality of contents is exchanged between a plurality of node devices,

wherein the information communication system comprises a plurality of internal networks connected to an external network,

wherein each of the plurality of internal networks comprises the plurality of node devices connecting the same internal network and a plurality of support devices which connects the internal networks and supports acquisition of contents by the node devices,

wherein an internal overlay network, which is an overlay network which allows for exchanging of contents between the node devices connecting the same internal network, is constructed for each of the internal networks,

wherein an external overlay network, which is an overlay network which allows for exchanging of contents between the support devices, is constructed on the external network, and

wherein the information communication program, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to perform operations comprising:

acquiring contents from a access destination internal overlay network, which is the internal overlay network on the internal network at an access destination; and

if it is unable to acquire the contents from the access destination internal overlay network, acquiring contents from one of the support devices through a access destination support device, which is the support device connecting the access destination internal network.