Information providing method and information distribution apparatus
First Claim
1. A method of distributing information from at least one information distribution server to a plurality of terminals via a network, comprising:
- receiving an information request generated by user selection of a link in an online hypertext document at a requesting terminal; and
determining whether conversion of requested information is necessary based on whether the requested information has a data format that can be utilized by the requesting terminal according to environment information identifying an application executing on the requesting terminal;
converting at least a relevant part of the requested information into response information in a type and format that can be utilized by the requesting terminal based on the environment information for the requesting terminal, when it is determined that the conversion of the requested information is necessary;
determining whether to perform said converting by using the identification of the application to access an application function management table cross referencing a plurality of registered applications and functions provided by the registered applications, and by transmitting an inquiry to the requesting terminal when the application function management table is unable to determine whether a required function included in the requested information can be performed at the requesting terminal;
generating sample data for checking an application function on the requesting terminal based on the requested information;
sending the sample data to the requesting terminal; and
updating the application function management table depending on a response to the sample data from the requesting terminal.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A world wide information network called the Internet is structured and the information distribution service via the network is now operating in which it is now possible to obtain and make reference to every type of information resources through connection to the Internet. However, the type of distributed information and environment of user terminal connected to such information distribution service are all diversified and therefore it is sometime impossible to process the information requested from the user in the user terminal even if such requested information is transmitted to the user terminal. The present invention distributes information, in the information distribution service for transmitting the information to the terminal based on the request from a user through the network, by confirming the function of the terminal of user who has requested the information, determining whether the requested information can be processed with the function of the terminal and then converting, when processing is determined as impossible, the information to the format which may be processed.
36 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method of distributing information from at least one information distribution server to a plurality of terminals via a network, comprising:
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receiving an information request generated by user selection of a link in an online hypertext document at a requesting terminal; and determining whether conversion of requested information is necessary based on whether the requested information has a data format that can be utilized by the requesting terminal according to environment information identifying an application executing on the requesting terminal; converting at least a relevant part of the requested information into response information in a type and format that can be utilized by the requesting terminal based on the environment information for the requesting terminal, when it is determined that the conversion of the requested information is necessary; determining whether to perform said converting by using the identification of the application to access an application function management table cross referencing a plurality of registered applications and functions provided by the registered applications, and by transmitting an inquiry to the requesting terminal when the application function management table is unable to determine whether a required function included in the requested information can be performed at the requesting terminal; generating sample data for checking an application function on the requesting terminal based on the requested information; sending the sample data to the requesting terminal; and updating the application function management table depending on a response to the sample data from the requesting terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for distributing information to a plurality of terminals via a network, comprising:
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a network interface unit, coupled to the network, to receive an information request generated by user selection of a link in an online hypertext document at a requesting terminal and to transmit response information to the requesting terminal; an application function management unit determining whether conversion of requested information is necessary based on whether the requested information has a data format that can be utilized by the requesting terminal according to environment information including identification of an application executing on the requesting terminal; a converting function unit, coupled to said network interface unit and said application function management unit, to convert at least a relevant part of the requested information into the response information in a type and format that can be utilized by the requesting terminal based on the environment information for the requesting terminal, when it is determined that the conversion of the requested information is necessary, said converting function unit including; an application function management unit to determine whether to convert the requested information by using the identification of the application to access an application function management table cross referencing a plurality of registered applications and functions provided by the registered applications, and an inquiry function unit to generate an inquiry for the requesting terminal when the application function management table is unable to determine whether a required function included in the requested information can be performed at the requesting terminal, the inquiry incorporating the required function such that the inquiry can be responded to only if the required function executes properly on the requesting terminal, and said converting function unit determining what conversion is necessary based on whether a response to the inquiry is received from the requesting terminal; and an update unit, coupled to said network interface unit and said application function management unit, to generate sample data for checking an application function on the requesting terminal based on the requested information, to send the sample data to the requesting terminal, and to update the application function management table depending on a response to the sample data from the requesting terminal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer readable storage controlling a computer to perform a method comprising:
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receiving an information request generated by user selection of a link in an online hypertext document at a requesting terminal; determining whether conversion of requested information is necessary based on whether the requested information has a data format that can be utilized by the requesting terminal according to environment information identifying an application executing on the requesting terminal; converting, at least a relevant part of the requested information into response information in a type and format that can be utilized by the requesting terminal based on the environment information for the requesting terminal, when it is determined that the conversion of the requested information is necessary; determining whether to perform said converting by using the identification of the application to access an application function management table cross referencing a plurality of registered applications and functions provided by the registered applications, and by transmitting an inquiry to the requesting terminal when the application function management table is unable to determine whether a required function included in the requested information can be performed at the requesting terminal; generating sample data for checking an application function on the requesting terminal based on the requested information; sending the sample data to the requesting terminal; and updating the application function management table depending on a response to the sample data from the requesting terminal. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An information distribution method used by an information distribution service to receive a request for information distribution generated by user selection of a link in an online hypertext document at a terminal connected via a network and to transmit requested information to the terminal, comprising:
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verifying functions of an application used by the terminal that sent the request for information distribution upon receipt thereof; determining whether the functions of the application can process requested information by reference to an application function management table cross referencing registered applications and functions provided by the registered applications, and by transmitting an inquiry to the terminal when the application function management table is unable to determine whether a required function included in the requested information can be performed at the terminal; converting, when it is determined that the process is impossible, at least a relevant part of the requested information into a type and format which may be processed by the application prior to transmission to the terminal; and updating the application function management table depending on a response to sample data generated and sent to the terminal to check an application function on the terminal based on the requested information.
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25. An information distribution apparatus of an information distribution service to receive requests for information distribution generated by user selection of a link in an online hypertext document at terminals connected thereto via a network and to transmit requested information to the terminals, comprising:
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a conversion determination table provided for management of applications which may be operated on the terminal and corresponding functions to be processed by the applications; an application identification unit to identify the application used by a requesting terminal when an information request is accepted from the requesting terminal; a conversion determination unit, coupled to said conversion determination table and said application identification unit, to determine whether the application can process the requested information by referring to said conversion determination table; an inquiry function unit to inquire about functions of the application used by the requesting terminal when the application used by the requesting terminal is not registered in said conversion determination table; a converting unit, coupled to said conversion determination unit, to convert at least a relevant part of the requested information into converted information, different in at least one of type and format, that can be processed by the requesting terminal when it is determined that the application cannot process the requested information; a sample data generation unit to generate sample data for checking an application function on the requesting terminal based on the requested information; a transmission unit, coupled to said inquiry function unit, said converting unit and said sample data generation unit, to transmit the converted information to the requesting terminal and to transmit the sample data to the requesting terminal; and an update unit, coupled to said transmission unit, to update the conversion determination table depending on a response to the sample data from the requesting terminal. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A terminal apparatus used to receive an information distribution service that responds to an information distribution request from said terminal apparatus connected via a network by transmitting requested information to said terminal apparatus, comprising:
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a requesting unit, coupled to the network, to generate the information distribution request in response to user selection of a link in an online hypertext document, including environment information about at least one of an application used in said terminal apparatus and a function of the application, so that the information distribution service can determine whether conversion of requested information is necessary based on whether the requested information has a data format that can be utilized by the terminal apparatus based on the environment information and convert at least a relevant part of the requested information into response information in a type and format that can be utilized by said terminal apparatus based on the environment information, when it is determined that the conversion of the requested information is necessary; an inquiry response unit, coupled to the network, to respond to an inquiry from the information distribution service regarding whether a required function can be performed by said terminal apparatus when the information distribution service is unable to determine whether conversion of the requested information is necessary based on the environment information; and a sample data execution unit, coupled to the network, to execute sample data received from the information distribution service to test the function of the application and respond to the information distribution service with results of the test.
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29. A terminal used to receive an information distribution service that responds to an information distribution request from said terminal connected via a network by transmitting requested information to said terminal, comprising:
a computing unit, coupled to said network, which uses browser software on connection to the information distribution service to transmit, together with the information distribution request, environment information about at least one of application software which may be operated in cooperation with the browser software and application functions, so that the information distribution service can determine whether conversion of requested information is necessary based on whether the requested information has a data format that can be utilized by the terminal apparatus based on the environment information and convert at least a relevant part of the requested information into response information in a type and format that can be utilized by said terminal based on the environment information, when it is determined that the conversion of the requested information is necessary, said computing unit responding to an inquiry from the information distribution service regarding whether a required function can be performed by said terminal when the information distribution service is unable to determine whether conversion of the requested information is necessary based on the environment information, and executing sample data received from the information distribution service to test the application functions and respond to the information distribution service with results of the test.
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30. A storage medium storing a program controlling a computer to provide an information distribution service to receive an information distribution request from a terminal connected via a network and to transmit requested information to the terminal, by performing a method comprising:
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storing a conversion determination table provided for management of applications which may be operated on the terminal and corresponding functions to be processed with such applications; identifying an application used by the terminal when the information distribution request, generated by user selection of a link in an online hypertext document at the terminal is received from the terminal; determining whether a function of an identified application can process the requested information by referring to the conversion determination table; inquiring about functions of the application used by the terminal when the application used by the terminal is not registered in the conversion determination table; converting at least a relevant part of the requested information into converted information, different in at least one of type and format, that can be processed by the terminal when it is determined that processing of the requested information by the terminal is impossible; generating sample data for checking an application function on the terminal based on the requested information; transmitting the converted information to the terminal and the sample data to the terminal; and updating the conversion determination table depending on a response to the sample data from the terminal. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A storage medium storing a program for controlling a computer to perform an information distribution service by receiving an information distribution request from a terminal connected via a network and transmitting requested information to the terminal, in a method comprising:
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registering a conversion determination table provided for management of an application which can be processed on the terminal and corresponding functions which can be processed by the application; identifying the application used in the terminal when the information distribution request, generated by user selection of a link in an online hypertext document at the terminal is received from the terminal; inquiring about functions of the application used by the terminal when the application used by the terminal is not registered in the conversion determination table; determining whether the requested information can be processed by the application by referring to the conversion determination table; converting, when it is determined that the requested information cannot be processed by the application, at least a relevant part of the requested information into converted information, different in at least one of type and format, which can be processed by the terminal; generating sample data for checking an application function on the terminal based on the requested information; transmitting the converted information to the terminal and the sample data to the terminal; and updating the conversion determination table depending on a response to the sample data from the terminal. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A method of distributing information from at least one information distribution server to terminals via a network, comprising:
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receiving an information request including environment information for a requesting terminal identifying at least one of a plurality of data formats in which the at least one information distribution server can output information and identifying an application executing on the requesting terminal; determining whether conversion of information requested by the information request is necessary based on whether the requested information has a data format that can be utilized by the requesting terminal according to the environment information for the requesting terminal; inquiring about functions of the application used by the terminal when the application used by the requesting terminal is not registered in the conversion determination table; converting at least part of the information requested by the information request from a first type and format in which the information is stored on the at least one information distribution server into a second type and format that can be utilized by the requesting terminal based on the environment information for the requesting terminal, when it is determined that the conversion of the requested information is necessary; generating sample data for checking an application function on the requesting terminal based on the requested information; transmitting the converted information to the requesting terminal and the sample data to the requesting terminal; and updating the conversion determination table depending on a response to the sample data from the requesting terminal.
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Specification