JP2007316912A - Method and system for information distribution - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a system for information distribution, which allow a client side to simply register contexts and types of request information, and an information distributor side to selectively distribute information to only clients suitable as an information distribution destination. <P>SOLUTION: A switch control server 7 links each pull control information and each push control information, and controls a switch apparatus 6 so that an information distribution server 4a in which the context "A" and the request information type "α" are registered as a request context and a providing information type respectively distributes information to the client 3a. In the same way, the switch control server 7 controls the switch apparatus 6 so that an information distribution server 4c in which the context "B" and the request information type "β" are registered as a request context and a providing information type respectively distributes information to the client 3b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information distribution method and system in an information distribution network, and more particularly to an information distribution method and system suitable for a client-server type communication network.

  As a search method using a computer, a context search using a user's context has been studied instead of a keyword search in which a keyword is input from a keyboard. Here, the context is information used to characterize the user. For example, the user context including information unique to the user such as the user's gender, blood type, date of birth, and preference, the position of the user terminal, It is composed of an environment context including information unique to the user environment such as a communication environment.

Also, in the field of information distribution using a network, when a user registers his or her own context in advance, an information distribution system in which only information that matches this context is automatically distributed from an information distribution server has been studied. Yes.
JP-A-2005-339279

  In order for the information distribution server side to distribute information suitable for the context to each client, the context and the request information type must be acquired from each client in advance. However, since the context also includes private information, it is not easy to get it.

  On the other hand, on the client side, if more information and more accurate information are to be obtained, a large amount of labor is required because the context must be registered in a large number of information distribution sources.

  The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, allowing the client side to easily register the context and request information type, and for the information distribution side to selectively distribute information only to clients suitable as information distribution destinations. An object is to provide a method and system for distributing information.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention selects an information delivery destination client based on the client context and the context requested by the information delivery server to the delivery destination, and delivers information to the client. The client registers the pull control information including its own context and request information type to the switch control server on the network, and the information distribution server sends the push control information including the request context and the provided information type to the switch control server. A registration procedure; and a procedure in which the switch control server controls distribution of information to each client based on the pull control information and push control information.

According to the present invention, the following effects are achieved.
(1) On the client side, desired information can be received from a plurality of information distribution servers simply by registering its own context and request information type with the switch control server.
(2) On the information distribution side, it is possible to distribute information to a plurality of clients suitable as information distribution destinations by simply registering the context (request context) requested to the information distribution destination and the provided information type with the switch control server.
(3) Since the client context and request information type are not provided to the information distribution side, it is possible to prevent diffusion of the client context information and the like.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the best embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of an information distribution network to which an information distribution method and system of the present invention is applied. Here, illustrations of configurations unnecessary for the description of the present invention are omitted. .

  The information network 1 includes an access point 2 (2a, 2b, 2c... 2e), a client terminal 3 (3a, 3b...) Such as a computer or a mobile phone, and an information distribution server 4 (4a, 4b. The access point 2 that accommodates the client terminal 3 accommodates pull control information management servers 5 (5a, 5b,...) That manage the context of each client as pull control information. Each access point 2 and client terminal 3 are connected by broadband via ADSL, FTTH, wireless LAN, mobile phone network or the like. Each access point 2 and the information distribution server 4 are similarly connected by broadband. Further, a switch device 6 controlled by a switch control server 7 is connected to the information network 1.

  Pull control information including the context of each client (terminal) and the request information type is registered in the pull control information management server 5 of each client terminal 3, and this pull control information is a communication path for transferring the pull control information. Is registered in the switch control server 7 via.

  Here, the context of the client (terminal) is the gender, age, hobby, preference of each client, the current position of each client terminal 3, time information, communication environment, and the like, and the request information type is a request for distribution. It is attribute information of information. For example, if a client located in Shinjuku requests distribution of restaurant information, pull control information including “Shinjuku” as the context and “restaurant” as the request information type is generated and registered in the switch control server 7. The

  On the other hand, from each information distribution server 4, push control information including a context (hereinafter referred to as request context) requested from an information distribution destination client and a provided information type is registered in the switch control server 7. The request context is a context for specifying a client to which information is to be distributed. For example, if information is to be distributed to a user in Shinjuku, “Shinjuku” is registered as the request context. If the information to be distributed is restaurant information, “restaurant information” is registered as the provided information type.

  The switch control server 7 associates the pull control information received from each client terminal 3 with the push control information acquired from each information distribution server 4, and distributes information to the client terminal 3 and the client terminal 3. 4 is associated. Then, the switch device 6 is controlled so that only information that the client wants to distribute is distributed to each client from the information distribution side that wants to provide the same.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the correspondence of distribution information in the switch control server 7. Here, the pull control information (A) whose context is “A” and the request information type is “α” from the client 3a. | Α) has been received and registered, pull control information (B | β) having the context “B” and the request information type “β” has been received and registered from the client 3b, and the context has been received from the client 3c. Is the pull control information (C | β, γ) with the request information type “γ” and “β” received and registered.

  The information distribution server 4a provides push control information (A | α, β) with the request context “A” and the provided information types “α” and “β”. The information distribution server 4b requests the information distribution server 4a. Push control information (C | γ) having the context “C” and the provided information type “γ” is provided, and the information distribution server 4 c has the request context “B”, “C”, and the provided information type “ It is assumed that push control information (B, C | γ, β) of “γ” and “β” is provided.

  The switch control server 7 associates each pull control information with each push control information, and the client 3a registers the context “A” and the request information type “α” as the request context and the provided information type, respectively. The switch device 6 is controlled so that information is distributed from the information distribution server 4a.

  Similarly, the switch device 6 allows the client 3b to distribute the information from the information distribution server 4c registered with the context “B” and the request information type “β” as the request context and the provided information type, respectively. Be controlled. Similarly, in the client 3c, the context “C” and the request information type “β” are registered as the request context and the provided information type, respectively, and the context “C” and the request information type “γ” are registered. "Is controlled so that information is distributed from the information distribution server 4c registered as the request context and the provided information type, respectively.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) document distribution network to which the present invention is applied. The same reference numerals as those described above represent the same or equivalent parts.

  In the present embodiment, an XML switch device 8 is connected to a network via an access point (router) 2 f, and the XML switch device 8 is controlled by an XML switch control server 9.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of pull control information in which “B” as a context and “β” as a request information type are described in an XML format. FIG. 5 shows “C” as a context and a request information type as a request information type. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of pull control information in which “α” and “β” are described in an XML format. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of push control information in which “α” as the provided information type and “B” and “C” as the request context are described in the XML format.

  In such a configuration, when the XML document having the provided information type “α” is transferred to each of the above-described information, the XML switch control server 9 has a context of C, the requested information type The XML switch device 8 is controlled so as to be distributed only to the client whose is is α.

It is a block diagram of an information distribution network to which the information distribution method of the present invention is applied. It is a figure for demonstrating matching of the delivery information in a switch control server. It is a block diagram of an XML document distribution network to which the present invention is applied. It is the figure which showed an example of the pull control information described by the XML format. It is the figure which showed an example of the pull control information described by the XML format. It is the figure which showed an example of the push control information described by the XML format.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Information network, 2 ... Access point, 3 ... Client terminal, 4 ... Information delivery server, 5 ... Pull control information management server, 6 ... Switch apparatus, 7 ... Switch control server, 8 ... XML switch apparatus, 9 ... XML switch Control server

Claims (6)

In an information distribution method for selecting an information distribution destination client based on a client context and a context requested by an information distribution server to a distribution destination and distributing information to the client,
A procedure for a client to register pull control information including its own context and request information type to a switch control server on the network;
A procedure in which the information distribution server registers push control information including a request context and a provided information type in the switch control server;
The switch control server includes a procedure for controlling information distribution to each client based on the pull control information and push control information. The switch control server
A procedure for associating pull control information with push control information whose context and request information type are registered as request context and provided information type, respectively;
2. A procedure for distributing information corresponding to the provided information type from an information providing server that has registered the associated push control information to a client that has registered the pull control information. Information delivery method described.   3. The information distribution method according to claim 1, wherein the pull control information and push control information are in an XML format, and the distributed information is an XML document. In an information distribution system in which a client terminal and an information distribution server are connected via a network, and information corresponding to a client context is distributed from the information distribution server to the client terminal.
The client includes means for transmitting pull control information including its own context and request information type,
The information distribution server includes means for transmitting push control information including a request context requested from an information distribution destination and a provided information type,
A switch control server that determines a distribution destination of information distributed from each information distribution server based on push control information received from the information distribution server and pull control information received from the client terminal;
An information distribution system comprising: a switch device that is controlled by the switch control server and routes information distributed from each information distribution server to a predetermined client terminal. The switch control server
Means for associating pull control information with push control information whose context and request information type are registered as request context and provided information type, respectively;
5. The means for distributing information corresponding to the provided information type from an information providing server that has transmitted the associated push control information to a client that has registered the pull control information. The information distribution system described.   6. The information distribution system according to claim 4, wherein the pull control information and push control information are in an XML format, and the distributed information is an XML document.

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