Distribution device, distribution method, and computer program

• US 8,533,756 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kamoto, Satoru, Yamada, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): ALGIBHAH, HAMZA N
• Application Number:
  US12/448,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,113 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1886 with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

The present invention includes: a step of creating at least a play list including reproduction start times of the display terminal devices (1) and acquisition destination data indicating acquisition destinations of the creative data; and a step of transmitting the play list and the creative data to the display terminal devices (1) via the normal relay server devices (30) and the super relay server devices (20). The play list creating step creates the play list by determining the acquisition destination data in such a manner that the creative data is distributed preferentially to the super relay server devices (20) rather than to the normal relay server devices (30) and that the normal relay server devices (30) acquire the creative data from the super relay server devices (20). Because of this, the load on distribution devices for distributing creative data is reduced.

Claims

1. A distribution device for distributing creative data to display terminal devices via relay server devices so that said display terminal devices may reproduce said creative data, wherein said relay server devices include normal relay server devices and super relay server devices, said normal relay server devices distributing said creative data to said display terminal devices and incapable of relaying said creative data to the other relay server devices, said super relay server devices distributing said creative data to said display terminal devices and to the other relay server devices;

said distribution device comprising;

a storage unit that stores a plurality of said creative data;

a schedule unit that creates at least a play list for a given one of said display terminal devices, the play list including reproduction start times of said creative data of that play list and acquisition destination data indicating acquisition destinations of said creative data of that play list, the acquisition destinations being selected from the group consisting of said distribution device, said super relay server devices, and said normal relay server devices; and

a communication unit that transmits said play list and said creative data to said display terminal devices via said normal relay server devices and said super relay server devices;

wherein said schedule unit creates said play list by determining said acquisition destination data such that said creative data is distributed preferentially to said super relay server devices rather than to said normal relay server devices and said super relay server devices then distribute said creative data said normal relay server devices, and

when said reproduction start times of said creative data in the play list for the given one of said display terminal devices fall below a predetermined time, said schedule unit sets said acquisition destination data of said creative data for said distribution device and schedules said creative data to be distributed directly from said distribution device to the given display terminal device.

2. The distribution device according to claim 1, wherein upon transmission of said play list, said schedule unit performs a search to determine whether each of said creative data in said play list is cached in said super relay server devices and, if said creative data is found cached in said super relay server devices, selects said super relay service devices as relay-capable service devices, said schedule unit further selecting some of said relay-capable service devices as relay-determined server devices for actually relaying said creative data while setting said acquisition destination data for said relay-determined server devices.

3. The distribution device according to claim 2, wherein said schedule unit randomly selects said relay-determined server devices from said relay-capable server devices in which said creative data is cached and sets said acquisition destination data for said relay-determined service devices.

4. The distribution device according to claim 3, wherein if the selected relay-capable server devices are found to have been selected already as relay-determined server devices for other creative data, then said schedule unit selects the relay-capable server devices as relay-determined server devices for said creative data and sets said acquisition destination data for the same relay-determined service devices.

5. The distribution device according to claim 3, wherein if the selected relay-capable server devices are found to have been designated already as relay-determined server devices by said display terminal devices subordinate to the selected relay-capable server device using said acquisition destination data, then said schedule unit selects the relay-capable server devices as the relay-determined server devices and sets said acquisition destination data for the same relay-determined server devices.

6. The distribution device according to claim 1, wherein said schedule unit checks said super relay server devices for load levels upon start of distribution of said creative data and, if the load of said super relay server devices is found to have been equal to or exceeded a predetermined level, then sets said acquisition destination data of said creative data for an own device and schedules said creative data to be distributed directly.

7. The distribution device according to claim 1, wherein if said normal relay server devices are incapable of acquiring said creative data from said super relay server devices, then said schedule unit sets said acquisition destination data of said creative data for an own device and schedules said creative data to be distributed directly.

8. The distribution device according to claim 3, wherein if the selected relay-capable server devices are found to have been selected already as relay-determined server devices for at least some of the creative data of the play list, then said schedule unit selects the relay-capable server devices as relay-determined server devices for that creative data and sets said acquisition destination data for the same relay-determined service devices even though said schedule unit selects other relay-capable server devices as relay-determined server devices for other creative data of the play list.

9. A distribution method for distributing creative data to display terminal devices via relay server devices so that said display terminal devices may reproduce said creative data, wherein said relay server devices include normal relay server devices and super relay server devices, said normal relay server devices distributing said creative data to said display terminal devices and incapable of relaying said creative data to the other relay server devices, said super relay server devices distributing said creative data to said display terminal devices and to the other relay server devices;

said distribution method comprising;

creating at least a play list for a given one of said display terminal devices, the play list including reproduction start times of said creative data of that play list and acquisition destination data indicating acquisition destinations of said creative data of that play list, the acquisition destinations being selected from the group consisting of said distribution device, said super relay server devices, and said normal relay server devices; and

transmitting said play list and said creative data to said display terminal devices via said normal relay server devices and said super relay server devices;

wherein said play list creating step creates said play list by determining said acquisition destination data such that said creative data is distributed preferentially to said super relay server devices rather than to said normal relay server devices and said super relay server devices then distribute said creative data said normal relay server devices, and

when said reproduction start times of said creative data in the play list for the given one of said display terminal devices fall below a predetermined time, said play list creating step sets said acquisition destination data of said creative data for said distribution device and schedules said creative data to be distributed directly from said distribution device to the given display terminal device.

10. The distribution method according to claim 9, wherein upon transmission of said play list, said play list creating step performs a search to determine whether each of said creative data in said play list is cached in said super relay server devices and, if said creative data is found cached, selects said cached super relay service devices as relay-capable service devices, said play list creating step further selecting some of said relay-capable service devices as relay-determined server devices for actually relaying said creative data while setting said acquisition destination data for said relay-determined server devices.

11. The distribution method according to claim 10, wherein said play list creating step randomly selects said relay-determined server devices from said relay-capable server devices and sets said acquisition destination data for said relay-determined service devices.

12. The distribution method according to claim 11, wherein if the selected relay-capable server devices are found to have been selected already as relay-determined server devices for other creative data, then said play list creating step selects the relay-capable server devices as relay-determined server devices for said creative data and sets said acquisition destination data for the same relay-determined service devices.

13. The distribution method according to claim 11, wherein if the selected relay-capable server devices are found to have been designated already as relay-determined server devices by said display terminal devices subordinate to the selected relay-capable server device using said acquisition destination data, then said play list creating step selects the relay-capable server devices as the relay-determined server devices and sets said acquisition destination data for the same relay-determined server devices.

14. The distribution method according to claim 11, wherein if the selected relay-capable server devices are found to have been selected already as relay-determined server devices for at least some of the creative data of the play list, then said play list creating step selects the relay-capable server devices as relay-determined server devices for that creative data and sets said acquisition destination data for the same relay-determined service devices even though said play list creating step selects other relay-capable server devices as relay-determined server devices for other creative data of the play list.

15. The distribution method according to claim 9, wherein said play list creating step checks said super relay server devices for load levels upon start of distribution of said creative data and, if the load of said super relay server devices is found to have been equal to or exceeded a predetermined level, then sets said acquisition destination data of said creative data for an own device and schedules said creative data to be distributed directly.

16. The distribution method according to claim 9, wherein if said normal relay server devices are incapable of acquiring said creative data from said super relay server devices, then said play list creating step sets said acquisition destination data of said creative data for an own device and schedules said creative data to be distributed directly.

17. A processor encoded with a computer program for causing a distribution server device to perform a distribution method for distributing creative data to display terminal devices via relay server devices so that said display terminal devices may reproduce said creative data, wherein said relay server devices include normal relay server devices and super relay server devices, said normal relay server devices distributing said creative data to said display terminal devices and incapable of relaying said creative data to the other relay server devices, said super relay server devices distributing said creative data to said display terminal devices and to the other relay server devices;

said distribution method comprising;

creating at least a play list for a given one of said display terminal devices, the play list including reproduction start times of said creative data of that play list and acquisition destination data indicating acquisition destinations of said creative data of that play list, the acquisition destinations being selected from the group consisting of said distribution device, said super relay server devices, and said normal relay server devices; and

transmitting said play list and said creative data to said display terminal devices via said normal relay server devices and said super relay server devices;

wherein said play list creating step creates said play list by determining said acquisition destination data such that said creative data is distributed preferentially to said super relay server devices rather than to said normal relay server devices and said super relay server devices then distribute said creative data said normal relay server devices, and

when said reproduction start times of said creative data in the play list for the given one of said display terminal devices fall below a predetermined time, said play list creating step sets said acquisition destination data of said creative data for said distribution device and schedules said creative data to be distributed directly from said distribution device to the given display terminal device.