Server computer capable of automatically notifying updated database content to client computer, and program storage medium

• US 6,477,548 B1
• Filed: 09/27/1999
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MEC Management, LLC (Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota)
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Nihei, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUONG, CAM Y T
• Application Number:
  US09/405,598
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 707/9, 707/200-205, 705/14, 705/26, 709/232, 709/217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2358 Change logging, detection, and notification replication G06F16/27
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

In a client/server network system, an updated database content is automatically notified from the server computer to all of client computers which have once accessed this database content. In the server computer, an access history record for recording access requests issued from certain client computers is saved in a merchandise information database. When the record of this merchandise information database is changed, the server computer extracts such a client computer which has accessed this database in the past based up on the access history. Then, the server computer notifies a change notification to all of the relevant client computers, so that all of these relevant client computers can recognize the changed database.

Claims

1. A server computer comprising:

a database;

transmission means for transmitting data stored in said database to a plurality of client computers which are connected via a network to said server computer, the transmission of data occurring in response to access requests of using the data, which are issued from said plurality of client computers;

history storage means for storing access histories of respective client computers which have accessed said database so as to use the data stored in said database;

transmission means for transmitting the data stored in said database to one client computer of the plurality of client computers which requests to change/register a content of said data stored in the database;

update means for updating a content of relevant data stored in the database by the changed content of said data by receiving said changed content data transmitted from said one client computer;

extraction means operated in such a manner that when the data content of said database is updated by receiving the changed data content from said one client computer, other client computers among said plurality of client computers which have accessed the database before being updated are extracted based upon said access histories stored in the history storage means; and

notification information transmitting means for transmitting to said extracted client computers information that the content of said database is updated, wherein;

said history storing means stores an access history of a client computer for every record contained in said database, which has accessed each of the records contained in said database; and

said extracting means extracts a client computer based upon said access history of said record stored in said history storing means, said client computer having accessed a record before being updated when the record contained in the database is updated;

said access issued from the client computer is a download access used to download an arbitrary record contained in said database to a client computer as the access source; and

said history storing means stores an access history of said client computer which has downloaded said arbitrary record with respect to each of the records;

said database stores a plurality of records;

said download-history storage means stores into respective records, the download histories of the client computers functioning as access sources which have downloaded each of the respective records contained in the database;

said extraction means is operated such that when the respective records contained in the database are updated, client computers which have downloaded records before said records were updated are extracted based upon said download history of said record, which is stored in said download-history storage means; and

said message notification/transmission means provides notification that said record stored in the database is updated.

2. The server computer as defined by claim 1 wherein:

said server computer is further comprises;

monitoring means for monitoring whether a data access request is newly issued from a client computer which has transmitted notification information after said notification information was sent from said transmitting means to said client computer; and

said transmitting means retransmits the notification information to the relevant client computer in the case that said monitoring means judges that said relevant client computer does not issue a data access request for a predetermined time period.

3. A server computer comprising:

a database;

means for downloading/transmitting data stored in said database to a plurality of client computers connected via a network to said server computer in response to data downloading requests issued from at least one of said plurality of client computers;

download-history storage means for storing download histories as to said data stored in the database with respect to each of said plurality of client computers which have requested to download said data;

extraction means operated such that when a content of data stored in said database is updated, client computers which have downloaded data from the database before the content of data was updated are extracted based upon said download histories stored in the download-history storage means;

transmission means for transmitting notification information for notifying that said data content stored in the database is updated to the respective client computers extracted by said extraction means;

monitoring means for monitoring whether or not each of said respective client computers again requests to download said updated data stored in the database after said notification information has been transmitted to the respective client computers extracted by said extraction means; and

means for extracting client computers from among said plurality of client computers which do not download said updated data within a predetermined time period from said extracted client computers to which said notification information is transmitted, and for transmitting a message notification to each of said extracted client computers, said notification information prompting said extracted client computer to download said updated content of data, wherein;

.

said database stores a plurality of records;

said download-history storage means stores into respective records, the download histories of the client computers functioning as access sources which have downloaded each of the respective records contained in the database;

said extraction means is operated such that when the respective records contained in the database are updated, client computers which have downloaded records before said records were updated are extracted based upon said download history of said record, which is stored in said download-history storage means; and

said message notification/transmission means provides notification that said record stored in the database is updated.

4. The server computer as defined by claim 3 wherein:

said message notification/transmission means extracts records which are not downloaded after said notification of updating of the record has been issued to the client computers to which the updated records which accessed the record are notified, and transmits said notification message containing a list of said undownloaded records.

5. A storage medium for storing a program code readable by a server computer which includes a database, said program code comprising:

a function for transmitting data stored in said database to a plurality of client computers connected via a network to said server computer in response to access requests of using the data, which are issued from at least one of said plurality of client computers;

a function for storing access histories of respective client computers which have accessed said database so as to use the data stored in said database;

a function for transmitting the data stored in said database to one client computer of the plurality of client computers which requests to change/register a content of said data stored in the database;

a function for updating a content of data stored in the database by the changed content of said data by receiving said changed content data transmitted from said one client computer;

a function such that when the data content of said database is updated by receiving the changed data content from said one client computer, other client computers which have accessed the database before the data content was updated are extracted based upon said access histories; and

a function for transmitting information that the content of said database is updated to said extracted client computers, wherein;

said storing function stores an access history of a client computer for every record contained in said database, which has accessed each of the records contained in said database;

said extracting function extracts a client computer based upon said access history of said record, said client computer having accessed a record before being updated when the record contained in the database is updated;

said access issued from the client computer is a download access used to download an arbitrary record contained in said database to a client computer as the access source;

said storing function stores an access history of said client computer which has downloaded said arbitrary record with respect to each of the records;

said database stores a plurality of records;

said download-history storing function stores into respective records, the download histories of the client computers functioning as access sources which have downloaded each of the respective records contained in the database;

said extracting function operates such that when the respective records contained in the database are updated, client computers which have downloaded records before said records were updated are extracted based upon said download history of said record; and

said function for message notification/transmission provides notification that said record stored in the database is updated.