Multicast communication system allows user to join or leave multicast groups and specify communication quality using easily comprehensible and operable user terminal display
First Claim
1. A multicast communication system for receiving a desired multicast communication for a desired multicast group from a server through a network by joining/leaving to/from multicast groups, comprising:
- a display device configured to display on a screen a virtual space with a plurality of regions defined therein in correspondence to a plurality of multicast groups;
a memory unit communicatively connected to the display device and configured to store an information indicating a range of each region in the virtual space in correspondence to an address information for a corresponding multicast group;
an input device communicatively connected to the display device and configured to specify a desired position in the virtual space on the screen displayed by the display device;
a control unit communicatively connected to the memory unit and the display device and configured to control joining/leaving to/from multicast groups by using the address information stored by the memory unit in correspondence to a region in the virtual space which contains the desired position specified by the input device; and
a communication unit communicatively connected to the control unit and the network and configured to receive a multicast communication for a multicast group identified by the address information used by the control unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The multicast communication scheme which can enable a user to easily comprehend the multicast groups existing on the network, easily carry out an operation to join a desired multicast group, and easily specify a desired communication quality. At each user terminal, a virtual space with a plurality of regions defined therein in correspondence to a plurality of multicast groups is displayed on a screen, while an information indicating a range of each region in the virtual space is stored in correspondence to an address information for a corresponding multicast group. A desired position in the virtual space on the screen is specified by an input device, and joining/leaving to/from multicast groups is controlled by using the address information stored in correspondence to a region in the virtual space which contains the desired position. The display on the screen may include a plurality of zones defined within each region in correspondence to a plurality of different communication qualities, so that a communication quality of a multicast communication to be received can be controlled according to a zone within a region in the virtual space which contains the desired position.
105 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A multicast communication system for receiving a desired multicast communication for a desired multicast group from a server through a network by joining/leaving to/from multicast groups, comprising:
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a display device configured to display on a screen a virtual space with a plurality of regions defined therein in correspondence to a plurality of multicast groups; a memory unit communicatively connected to the display device and configured to store an information indicating a range of each region in the virtual space in correspondence to an address information for a corresponding multicast group; an input device communicatively connected to the display device and configured to specify a desired position in the virtual space on the screen displayed by the display device; a control unit communicatively connected to the memory unit and the display device and configured to control joining/leaving to/from multicast groups by using the address information stored by the memory unit in correspondence to a region in the virtual space which contains the desired position specified by the input device; and a communication unit communicatively connected to the control unit and the network and configured to receive a multicast communication for a multicast group identified by the address information used by the control unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A multicast communication system for receiving a desired multicast communication of a desired communication quality from a server through a network by specifying the desired communication quality, comprising:
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a display device for displaying on a screen a virtual space with a plurality of zones defined therein in correspondence to a plurality of different communication qualities; an input device for specifying a desired position in the virtual space on the screen displayed by the display device; a control unit for controlling a communication quality of a multicast communication to be received according to a zone in the virtual space which contains the desired position specified by the input device; and a communication unit for receiving a multicast communication of a communication quality as controlled by the control unit. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A multicast communication system for receiving a desired multicast communication for a desired multicast group from a server through a network by joining to the desired multicast group, comprising:
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a display device configured to display on a screen a virtual space with a plurality of regions defined therein in correspondence to a plurality of multicast groups, and an information concerning each multicast group allocated to each region in relation to a display of each region; an input device communicatively connected to the display device and configured to specify a desired position in the virtual space on the screen displayed by the display device; an icon display unit communicatively connected to the display device and the input device and configured to display an icon representing a multicast communication receiving side end point on the screen displayed by the display device at the desired position specified by the input device; a control unit communicatively connected to the memory unit and the display device and configured to control a joining to a multicast group allocated to a region in the virtual space which corresponds to the desired position on the screen at which the icon is displayed by the icon display unit; and a communication unit communicatively connected to the control unit and the network and configured to receive a multicast communication for a multicast group with respect to which the joining is controlled by the control unit.
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14. A method of multicast communication for receiving a desired multicast communication for a desired multicast group from a server through a network by joining/leaving to/from multicast groups, comprising the steps of:
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displaying on a screen a virtual space with a plurality of regions defined therein in correspondence to a plurality of multicast groups; storing an information indicating a range of each region in the virtual space in correspondence to an address information for a corresponding multicast group; specifying a desired position in the virtual space on the screen displayed by the displaying step; controlling joining/leaving to/from multicast groups by using the address information stored by the storing step in correspondence to a region in the virtual space which contains the desired position specified by the specifying step; and receiving a multicast communication for a multicast group identified by the address information used by the controlling step. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of multicast communication for receiving a desired multicast communication of a desired communication quality from a server through a network by specifying the desired communication quality, comprising the steps of:
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displaying on a screen a virtual space with a plurality of zones defined therein in correspondence to a plurality of different communication qualities; specifying a desired position in the virtual space on the screen displayed by the displaying step; controlling a communication quality of a multicast communication to be received according to a zone in the virtual space which contains the desired position specified by the specifying step; and receiving a multicast communication of a communication quality as controlled by the controlling step. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of multicast communication for receiving a desired multicast communication for a desired multicast group from a server through a network by joining to the desired multicast group, comprising the steps of:
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displaying on a screen a virtual space with a plurality of regions defined therein in correspondence to a plurality of multicast groups, and an information concerning each multicast group allocated to each region in relation to a display of each region; specifying a desired position in the virtual space on the screen; displaying an icon representing a multicast communication receiving side end point on the screen at the desired position specified by the specifying step; controlling a joining to a multicast group allocated to a region in the virtual space which corresponds to the desired position on the screen at which the icon is displayed; and receiving a multicast communication for a multicast group with respect to which the joining is controlled by the controlling step.
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Specification