JP2004151965A - Data distribution system and data receiving system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a data distribution system and a data receiving system for implementing contents distribution, using contents owned by a user. <P>SOLUTION: A contents provider 1 retains music data and image data called the "contents" in an HDD 11 and offers a data contents distribution service that accepts a request for downloading of the contents from a user 2 via the Internet 3. When the contents provider 1 distributes the contents to a user A, for example, it records the user A as a destination of the contents. When the contents provider 1 receives a request for downloading of the same contents from a user B, it returns the address information of the user A recorded as a destination to the user B and has transmission and reception of the contents executed between the user A and the user B. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a data distribution system that provides a data distribution service that distributes music data, image data, and the like via a network such as the Internet, and a data receiving system that receives the service.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, the Internet has become widespread, and services using the Internet have been actively developed (for example, Patent Document 1). The service using the Internet is mainly a data distribution service that distributes music data or image data called content in response to a request from a user. With this service, a user can, for example, stay at home. Thus, desired data can be obtained as appropriate. In general, obtaining such desired data via a network is referred to as downloading or the like.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-73840
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in this data distribution service, since it is required to respond to a user's needs widely, it is necessary to have various contents. In addition, since popular content is concentrated in access, it is necessary to install a plurality of distribution bases in order to distribute the content, that is, to scatter the same content in a plurality of places. Further, recently, cases of handling large-capacity contents such as movies have been increasing.
[0005]
In other words, from the viewpoint of a data distributor, there is a tendency to increase so-called capital investment, such as adding magnetic disk devices for storing contents, and the burden cannot be ignored. That is the fact.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and has as its object to provide a data distribution system and a data reception system that can execute content distribution using content owned by a user.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a data distribution system that provides a data distribution service to a plurality of client computers connected via a network, wherein a storage area held by each of the plurality of client computers is provided. Shared area management means for managing as a shared area, and distribution destination management for managing the client computer as a distribution destination of the data when the data is distributed to a client computer whose storage area is managed by the shared area management means Means, and a distribution control means for controlling execution of data distribution to other client computers while using a client computer managed as a data distribution destination by the distribution destination management means as a data distribution base.
[0008]
According to the present invention, in a data receiving system that receives a data distribution service from a server computer connected via a network, a storage medium and a storage area on the storage medium are used as a shared area that can be used by the server computer. A shared area management means for managing, a distribution data storage means for storing data distributed from the server computer in a shared area managed by the shared area management means, and another computer receiving the data distribution service. Data transmission means for transmitting data stored in the shared area by the distribution data storage means in response to a request.
[0009]
The present invention also relates to a data receiving system provided with a data distribution service from a server computer connected via a network, wherein the other computer receiving the data distribution service is provided, wherein the data distribution base is provided from the server computer. Information receiving means for receiving from the server computer address information of the computer designated by the user, and data transmission requesting means for requesting data transmission to the computer indicated by the address information received by the address information receiving means And characterized in that:
[0010]
In the present invention, each user lends a part of the storage area on his or her own, for example, a magnetic disk device as a shared area to a data distributor, while the data distributor uses the borrowed shared area to perform data renting. Controls execution of distribution.
[0011]
More specifically, when the data distributor distributes the content X to the user A and then receives a download request of the content X from the user B, the data distributor acquires the content X from the user A to the user B. To do so. Further, when a download request for the content X is similarly received from the user C, the data distributor selects either the user A or the user B and instructs the user C to acquire the content X from the selected user. I do.
[0012]
On the other hand, when downloading the content X, the user A stores the content X as a shared area in a recording area lent to a data distributor, and transfers the content X in response to a request from the user B. Further, when the user B is instructed by the data distributor as the acquisition destination of the content X, the user B requests the instructed user A to transfer the content X. Then, in exchange for the process of transferring the content X to the user B, the user A obtains the right to receive a corresponding service from the data distributor.
[0013]
That is, for example, when it becomes necessary for a data distributor to disperse popular contents in a plurality of places in order to decentralize access, in the past, capital investment had to be increased, The present invention solves the problem of an increase in capital investment by using previously owned content owned by the user for subsequent distribution processing. On the other hand, the user can use the downloaded content more effectively.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0015]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a network configuration of a content distribution system and a content receiving system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0016]
In FIG. 1, a content provider (content distributor) 1 is a server computer on which a content distribution system operates, while a user 2 is a client computer on which a content receiving system operates. The content distribution system provides a content distribution service that distributes music data, image data, and the like, which are referred to as content, in response to a request from the user 2. On the other hand, the content reception system provides a content distribution service provided by the content provider 1. It is for receiving services.
[0017]
The content provider 1 has an HDD 11 for storing various contents to be distributed in response to a request from the user 2, while the user 2 stores the content and personal data distributed from the content provider 1. Each has an HDD 21 for storing. The content provider 1 and the user 2 are mutually connected via the Internet 3.
[0018]
FIG. 2 is a diagram for describing an outline of the operation principle of the content distribution system and the content reception system according to the embodiment.
[0019]
A feature of the content distribution system and the content receiving system of this embodiment is that a contract between the content provider 1 and the user 2 for lending a part of the storage area on the HDD 21 held by the user 2 to the content provider 1 as a shared area is provided. The point is to do. Further, the user 2 can select whether the content downloaded from the content provider 1 is stored in this shared area or stored in another area (local area). Regardless of whether the content is stored in the shared area or the local area, there is no difference in using the content by the user 2.
[0020]
Then, the content stored in the shared area is transmitted and received between the plurality of users 2 under the control of the content provider 1. That is, in the content distribution system and the content receiving system of this embodiment, the user 2 who has downloaded the content first is used as the distribution base of the user 2 who downloads the same content thereafter.
[0021]
This eliminates the need for the content provider 1 to add equipment called a mirror site, for example. On the other hand, the user 2 who has lent the storage area and transmitted the content to another user 2 obtains the right to receive a corresponding service from the content provider 1 according to the number of times, for example.
[0022]
Now, it is assumed that the user A has transmitted a content download request to the content provider (FIG. 2 (1)). At this time, it is assumed that the content has not been distributed to any user yet. In this case, the content provider executes the content distribution using the content stored in its own HDD 11 (FIG. 2 (2)). On the other hand, it is assumed that the user A stores the content in a shared area on the HDD 21, that is, in a storage area lent to a content provider. Whether the content is stored in the shared area or the local area is indicated by a parameter set by the user A at the time of the download request. If the parameter indicates storage in the shared area, the content provider indicates that the content is to be stored in the shared area. Is recorded to the user A.
[0023]
Next, it is assumed that the same content download request is transmitted from the user B to the content provider (FIG. 2 (3)). Upon receiving this request, the content provider instructs the user B to acquire the content from the user A (FIG. 2 (4)). More specifically, the address information of the user A used as the content distribution base is returned. On the other hand, the user B receiving the address information of the user A requests the transmission of the content to the user A (FIG. 2 (5)). Then, upon receiving this request, the user A executes the transmission of the content to the user B (FIG. 2 (6)). Here, it is also assumed that the user B has stored the content in the shared area on the HDD 21.
[0024]
Further, when the user A is used as a content distribution base in this way, the content provider gives, for example, a redemption point to the user A, and subtracts the amount corresponding to the redemption point from the billing amount of the user A. Provide predetermined services.
[0025]
After that, it is assumed that a download request for the same content is further transmitted from the user C to the content provider. At this time, since the user A and the user B are recorded as content distribution destinations, the content provider selects one of them and returns the address information to the user C. When a contract is made with a plurality of users including the user A and the user B to rent a part of the storage area on the HDD 21 owned by each of the users as a shared area, the content provider transmits the regional information and the communication environment information of each user. get. Then, when receiving a distribution request for content already distributed to a plurality of users from other users, the content provider selects a user to be used as a content distribution base based on the regional information and the communication environment information, and The return points to be given to the selected user are added. Here, if the user B is selected, a content transmission request from the user C is transmitted to the user B, and on the other hand, the user B transmits the content to the user C in response to the request. As a result, the user B is given a corresponding redemption point from the content provider.
[0026]
In other words, according to the content distribution system and the content receiving system of this embodiment, the content provider can eliminate the need for facilities for scattering the same content at a plurality of locations for the purpose of decentralized access, while the user can download The content that has been used can be used even more effectively.
[0027]
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks of a content distribution system that operates on the server computer of the content provider 1.
[0028]
As shown in FIG. 3, the content distribution system 100 includes a control unit 101, an interface unit 102, a shared area management unit 103, a distribution destination management unit 104, a distribution control unit 105, a processing unit of a service providing unit 106, and a shared area. It has a management table A and a data part of a distribution destination management table B.
[0029]
The control unit 101 controls the entire contents distribution system 100. The interface unit 102 controls communication performed between the user 2 and the client computer via the Internet 3. The shared area management unit 103 uses the shared area management table A to manage a shared area borrowed from a plurality of users 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the shared area management table A. As shown in FIG. 4, the shared area management table A includes fields for user name, area information, communication environment information, address information, and return points. have.
[0030]
When the above-mentioned contract is made with the user 2, the shared area management unit 103 acquires the area information and the communication environment information of the user 2, and stores the information in the shared area management table A. The redemption point is a field for managing a redemption point given to the user 2.
[0031]
Further, when the content is distributed, the distribution destination management unit 104 executes the management of the distribution destination using the distribution destination management table B. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the distribution destination management table B. As shown in FIG. 5, the distribution destination management table B has fields of a content name, a stored user, and the number of requests. The number of requests is a field for managing the number of times the user 2 has been used as a distribution base of the content.
[0032]
The distribution control unit 105 refers to the shared area management table A managed by the shared area management unit 103 and the distribution destination management table B managed by the distribution destination management unit 104, and refers to the content using the content owned by the user 2. Execute the distribution control of. Then, the service providing unit 106 provides a predetermined service to each user based on the return points managed in the shared area management table A. What kind of service provided by the service providing unit 106 provides an incentive to the user 2 such as, for example, subtracting the amount corresponding to the return points from the user's billing amount or presenting a suitable product. It may be something.
[0033]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of content distribution control by the content distribution system 100.
[0034]
When the download request is received by the interface unit 102, the distribution control unit 105 first refers to the distribution destination management table B (step A1), and the user who has distributed the content (the user has stored the content in the shared area). (Step A2). If it does not exist (NO in step A2), the distribution control unit 105 executes this content distribution using the content stored in its own HDD 11 (step A3). Then, when the distributed content is stored in the shared area (YES in step A8), the distribution control unit 105 notifies the distribution destination management unit 104 of the user name of the distribution destination and adds the user name to the distribution destination management table B. (Step A9).
[0035]
On the other hand, if there is a user to whom the content has been delivered (YES in step A2), the delivery control unit 105 refers to the shared area management table B (step A4) and selects a content from among the users to whom the content has been delivered. A user to be a distribution base is selected (step A5). This selection is made based on the regional information and the communication environment information managed in the shared area management table B. The rule is, for example, that the distance between the users 2 is minimized, Various methods can be applied according to the actual situation, for example, selection is made to give priority to a user having a communication line with a high transfer rate. If there are a plurality of users with the same conditions, the user who has the smallest number of requests managed in the distribution destination management table B is selected for equalization. Upon making this selection, the distribution control unit 105 notifies the shared area management unit 103 of the user name, and adds the redemption points managed in the shared area management table A (step A6). At this time, the distribution control unit 105 also notifies the distribution destination management unit 104 of the user name, and adds the number of requests managed in the distribution destination management table B. Then, the distribution control unit 105 acquires the address information of the selected user from the shared area management table B, passes the acquired information to the interface unit 102, and returns it to the user who transmitted the download request (step A7).
[0036]
Further, when the content distributed with the selected user as the content distribution base is stored in the shared area (YES in step A8), the distribution control unit 105 notifies the distribution destination management unit 104 of the user name of the distribution destination. Is added to the distribution destination management table B (step A9).
[0037]
On the other hand, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing functional blocks of a content receiving system that operates on the client computer of the user 2.
[0038]
As shown in FIG. 6, the content receiving system 200 includes a control unit 201, an interface unit 202, a shared area management unit 203, a content reception control unit 204, a storage destination selection unit 205, and a processing unit of a content transfer unit 206. ing.
[0039]
The control unit 201 controls the entire content receiving system 200. The interface unit 202 controls communication performed with the server computer of the content provider 1 via the Internet 3. Further, the shared area management unit 203 secures and manages a shared area to be lent to the content provider 1 on the HDD 21.
[0040]
The content reception control unit 204 stores the content received from the content provider 1 in one of the shared area and the local area based on the notification from the storage destination selection unit 205. When the address information is returned from the content provider 1 instead of the content, the content reception control unit 204 transmits a content transmission request to another user 2 indicated by the address information, and responds to the request. A function of storing the returned content in either the shared area or the local area. When transmitting a content download request, the storage destination selection unit 205 provides a user interface for selecting whether to store the content in the shared area or the local area, and receives the result of the selection. Notify the control unit 204.
[0041]
When the interface unit 202 receives a content transmission request from another user 2 (whose address information has been returned instead of the content from the content provider 1), the content transmission unit 206 transmits the content to the shared area of the HDD 21. And sends it to the interface unit 202 and returns it to the user who transmitted the content transmission request.
[0042]
8 and 9 are flowcharts showing an operation procedure of the content receiving system 200. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure when transmitting a download request to the content provider 1, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure when a content transmission request is received from a.
[0043]
After transmitting the download request to the content provider 1, when the interface unit 202 receives any return (step B1), the content reception control unit 204 checks whether the return is address information (step B2). If it is not address information (NO in step B2), that is, if the content is content, the content reception control unit 204 determines that the notification by the storage destination selection unit 205 is storage in the shared area (YES in step B5). This content is stored in the shared area (step B6). If the content is stored in the local area (NO in step B5), the content is stored in the local area (step B7).
[0044]
On the other hand, if it is the address information (YES in step B2), the content reception control unit 204 transmits a content transmission request to another user 2 indicated by the address information (step B3). Then, when the content is received by the interface unit 202 in response to the content transmission request (step B4), the content reception control unit 204 determines that the notification by the storage destination selection unit 205 is storage in the shared area ( (Step B5: YES), the content is stored in the shared area (Step B6), and if the content is stored in the local area (NO in Step B5), the content is stored in the local area (Step B7). ).
[0045]
When the interface unit 202 receives a content transmission request from another user 2, the content transmission unit 206 acquires the requested content from the shared area and delivers it to the interface unit 202, and the user who transmitted the content request 2 (step C1, step C2).
[0046]
As described above, in the content distribution system and the content reception system according to the present embodiment, the content provider 1 can eliminate the need for facilities for dispersing the same content at a plurality of locations for the purpose of decentralized access, while the user 2 can use For example, contents can be used more effectively.
[0047]
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified in an implementation stage without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements. For example, even if some components are deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment, the problem described in the column of the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved, and the effects described in the column of the effect of the invention can be solved. Is obtained, a configuration from which this configuration requirement is deleted can be extracted as an invention.
[0048]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a data distribution system and a data reception system capable of executing content distribution using content owned by a user.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a network configuration of a content distribution system and a content reception system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exemplary view for explaining the outline of the operation principle of the content distribution system and the content reception system according to the embodiment;
FIG. 3 is an exemplary view showing functional blocks of a content distribution system which operates on the server computer of the content provider according to the embodiment;
FIG. 4 is an exemplary view showing an example of a shared area management table of the embodiment.
FIG. 5 is an exemplary view showing an example of the distribution destination management table of the embodiment.
FIG. 6 is an exemplary flowchart showing an operation procedure of content distribution control by the content distribution system of the embodiment.
FIG. 7 is an exemplary view showing functional blocks of a content receiving system which operates on the user's client computer of the embodiment.
FIG. 8 is an exemplary flowchart showing the operation procedure when the content receiving system of the embodiment transmits a download request to a content provider.
FIG. 9 is an exemplary flowchart showing the operation procedure when the content receiving system of the embodiment receives a content transmission request from another user.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Content provider 2 User 3 Internet 11 and 21 HDD
100: Content distribution system 101: Control unit 102: Interface unit 103: Shared area management unit 104: Distribution destination management unit 105: Distribution control unit 106: Service providing unit 200: Content reception system 201: Control unit 202: Interface unit 203 Shared area management unit 204 Content reception control unit 205 Storage destination selection unit 206 Content transmission unit

Claims (8)

In a data distribution system that provides a data distribution service to a plurality of client computers connected via a network,
Shared area management means for managing a storage area held by each of the plurality of client computers as a shared area,
When data is distributed to a client computer whose storage area is managed by the shared area management unit, a distribution destination management unit that manages the client computer as a distribution destination of the data,
A data distribution system comprising: a distribution control unit that controls execution of data distribution to other client computers while using a client computer managed as a data distribution destination by the distribution destination management unit as a data distribution base. 2. The data distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said distribution control means includes means for returning address information of a client computer used as said data distribution base to a client computer requesting data distribution. The shared area management means has means for managing regional information and communication environment information of each of the plurality of client computers,
When there are a plurality of client computers that can be used as the data distribution base, the distribution control unit selects one of the client computers based on the area information and the communication environment information managed by the shared area management unit. 2. The data distribution system according to claim 1, further comprising means. 2. The data distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said distribution control means includes means for recording a use status of each client computer used as said data distribution base. 2. The data according to claim 1, further comprising a service providing unit that provides a predetermined service to a client computer used as the data distribution base in accordance with a use situation recorded by the distribution control unit. Delivery system. In a data receiving system that receives the provision of a data distribution service from a server computer connected via a network,
A storage medium;
Shared area management means for managing a storage area on the storage medium as a shared area available to the server computer,
Distribution data storage means for storing data distributed from the server computer in a shared area managed by the shared area management means,
A data transmission system for transmitting data stored in the shared area by the distribution data storage unit in response to a request from another computer receiving the data distribution service. . 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a selection unit that selects which of the shared area managed by the shared area management unit and another storage area stores the data distributed from the server computer. Data receiving system. In a data receiving system that receives the provision of a data distribution service from a server computer connected via a network,
Address information receiving means for receiving, from the server computer, address information of a computer designated as a data distribution base from the server computer, the other computer receiving the provision of the data distribution service,
A data transmission requesting unit for requesting a computer indicated by the address information received by the address information obtaining unit to transmit data.

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