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

• US 8,336,075 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2008
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Hayashi, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): RABOVIANSKI, JIVKA A
• Application Number:
  US12/007,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20080244674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 725/16, 725/22, 725/91, 725/103, 725/109, 725/110, 725/114, 725/131, 725/138, 725/139, 725/144, 725/151, 370/230, 370/235, 370/236
• US Class Current: 725/116
• 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 a plurality of information processors which transmit and receive distribution information via a network, and a management apparatus for managing a distribution status of the distribution information, the information distribution system being an information distribution system of a peer-to-peer type constituted by the plurality of information processors,

wherein at least one information processor of the plurality of information processors comprises:

a first receiving unit which receives the distribution information from any of the plurality of information processors in the information distribution system of the peer-to-peer;

a determining unit configured to determine reception status information based on an amount of the distribution information received from any of the plurality of information processors in the information distribution system of the peer-to-peer; and

a transmitting unit which transmits reception status information indicative of a reception status of the corresponding amount of the distribution information to the management apparatus;

the management apparatus comprises;

a second receiving unit which receives the reception status information transmitted by the transmitting unit of the information processors in the information distribution system of the peer-to-peer;

a management unit which manages a distribution status of the distribution information for the information processors which receive the distribution information, using the reception status information received by the second receiving unit,

a delay device determining unit configured to determine the information processor in which a delay in distributing the distribution information occurs on the basis of the reception status information obtained;

a distribution promoting unit configured to, in response to determining the information processor in which the distribution delay occurs, transmit distribution promotion information indicating that the distribution is to be promoted for the information processor in which the distribution delay occurs; and

a cause determining unit configured to determine a cause of the distribution delay; and

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

2. The information distribution system according to claim 1,

wherein the determining unit determines whether all of the distribution information to be distributed has been received by the information processor comprising the determining unit, and

the transmitting unit transmits the reception status information indicating that all of the distribution information has been received, to the management apparatus,

the management apparatus manages whether all of the distribution information has been received, for each information processor.

3. The information distribution system according to claim 1,

wherein the determining unit determines an amount of the distribution information received by the information processor comprising the determining unit, out of the distribution information to be distributed, and

the transmitting unit transmits the reception status information indicative of the determined received information amount.

4. The information distribution system according to claim 3,

wherein the determining unit determines the received information amount at every lapse of predetermined time period, and

the transmitting unit transmits the reception status information indicative of the received information amount determined at every lapse of the predetermined time period.

5. The information distribution system according to claim 1,

wherein the determining unit determines the received information amount of one or plural pieces of the distribution information at every predetermined time, and

the transmitting unit transmits the reception status information indicative of the received information amount determined 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:

a reception status information storing unit which temporarily stores the reception status information transmitted from each of the information processors; and

a reception status information transmitting unit which transmits 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 comprising a menu storing unit which stores menu information corresponding to a transmittable distribution information menu indicating that the distribution information can be transmitted in the information processor as a distribution destination of the distribution information so that the transmittable distribution information menu can be viewed from the information processor via the network,

wherein the management apparatus comprises:

a distribution completion determining unit configured to determine 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

a completion information transmitting unit configured to, in response to determining completion of reception of the whole distribution information in all of the information processors, transmit 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 when the distribution delay is caused by limitation of distribution speed and the limitation of the distribution time zone, the distribution promoting unit transmits the distribution promotion information that promotes cancellation of the limitations to the information processor in which the distribution delay occurs.

9. The information distribution system according to claim 1,

wherein the transmitting unit transmits reception status information and identification information of the distribution information received by the first receiving unit,

the second receiving unit receives the reception status information and the identification information, and

the storing unit stores the reception status information and the identification information received by the second receiving unit corresponding to each other.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a computer-executable program for an information distribution system including a plurality of information processors which transmit and receive distribution information via a network, and a management apparatus for managing a distribution status of the distribution information, the information distribution system being an information distribution system of a peer-to-peer type constituted by the plurality of information processors, the program comprising instructions for:

receiving, by an information processor of the plurality of the information processors, the distribution information from any of the plurality of information processors in the information distribution system of the peer-to-peer;

determining, by the information processor, the reception status information based on an amount of the distribution information received from any of the plurality of information processors in the information distribution system of the peer-to-peer;

transmitting, by the information processor, reception status information indicative of a reception status of the corresponding amount of the distribution information to the management apparatus;

receiving, by the management apparatus, the reception status information transmitted by the information processors;

managing, by the management apparatus, a distribution status of the distribution information for the information processors which receive the distribution information, using the reception status information obtained;

determining, by the management apparatus, the information processor in which a delay in distributing the distribution information occurs on the basis of the reception status information obtained;

transmitting, by the management apparatus, distribution promotion information indicating that the distribution is to be promoted for the information processor in which the distribution delay occurs, in response to determining the information processor in which the distribution delay occurs;

determining, by the management apparatus, a cause of the distribution delay; and

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

11. An information distribution method in an information distribution system including a plurality of information processors which transmit and receive distribution information via a network, and a management apparatus for managing a distribution status of the distribution information, the information distribution system being an information distribution system of a peer-to-peer type constituted by the plurality of information processors, the method comprising steps of:

receiving, by an information processor of the plurality of the information processors, the distribution information from any of the plurality of information processors in the information distribution system of the peer-to-peer;

determining, by the information processor, reception status information based on an amount of the distribution information received from any of the plurality of information processors in the information distribution system of the peer-to-peer; and

transmitting, by the information processor, reception status information indicative of a reception status of the corresponding amount of the distribution information to the management apparatus,

receiving, by the management apparatus, the reception status information transmitted by the information processors;

managing, by the management apparatus, a distribution status of the distribution information for the information processors which receive the distribution information, using the reception status information obtained;

determining, by the management apparatus, the information processor in which a delay in distributing the distribution information occurs on the basis of the reception status information obtained;

transmitting, by the management apparatus, distribution promotion information indicating that the distribution is to be promoted for the information processor in which the distribution delay occurs, in response to determining the information processor in which the distribution delay occurs;

determining, by the management apparatus, a cause of the distribution delay; and

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