JP4543532B2 - Information communication system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an information communication system for receiving provision data such as target content from a server device provided on a communication network such as the Internet.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A large number of server devices and a large number of client devices such as personal computers having a communication function are connected to the communication network, and the server device is based on a request (information provision request) transmitted from the client device through the communication network. Information communication systems that provide provided data such as requested content to a requesting client device have been widely used.
[0003]
For example, a URL (Universal Resource Locator) is transmitted from a personal computer that can be connected to the Internet using a browser that is a so-called Web page browsing software provided on the Internet, and the WWW server device is sent to the URL transmitted. A WWW (World Wide Web) system that provides a corresponding Web page to a requesting personal computer is also an information communication system having the above-described form.
[0004]
In such an information communication system, a so-called cache system, which is a data storage and holding mechanism, is provided on a communication path in order to improve the response speed to a request from a client device and to efficiently use the communication path (communication line). There are cases where it is arranged.
[0005]
This cache system is realized by using a hard disk of a personal computer in a later stage of a modem or terminal adapter of the personal computer, or when a LAN (Local Area Network) is formed, a proxy server device. Etc.
[0006]
The provision data received from the server device is stored and held in the cache system described above, and when the same provision data is requested again from the client device, the provision data stored and held on the cache system is provided. Provide data.
[0007]
In this way, for all requests from the client device, the response speed is improved by using the data stored and held in the cache system, instead of requesting the data from the server device, and the communication path is Efficient use is being done.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional information communication system having the cache system as described above has the following problems.
(1). It has no effect on data requested for the first time. In other words, data that has never been provided and that is not stored in the cache system must be provided from the server device, so that both improvement in response speed and efficient use of the communication path cannot be realized. .
[0009]
(2). Since the data stored in the cache system is always transmitted and received through a normal communication path (communication line), for example, the line capacity (transmission) from the communication relay device such as a modem, terminal adapter, or proxy server device to the client device Even if the capacity is much larger than the line capacity (transmission capacity) from the server device to the communication relay device, the available data size is the latter (line capacity from the server device to the communication relay device). It will be greatly restricted.
[0010]
(3). Even when there is a strong tendency in the field to which the server device used by each user or the provided data to be accessed belongs, the response speed is not improved for data access related to these. For example, in the case of a user who often receives provided data about Japanese music, in the case of provided data received for the first time, even if it is provided data about Japanese music, it is provided with data related to sports that are rarely accessed. Even if there is, it takes almost the same response speed.
[0011]
(4). Since the cache system is managed for each communication relay device, the same data is communicated at least once for each communication relay device, even if the provided data to be accessed tends to be strong for all users. As a result, efficient use of the communication line is hindered.
[0012]
In view of the above, the present invention provides an information communication system that can eliminate the above-mentioned problems and improve the response speed, reduce the load on the communication path, and enable efficient use. For the purpose.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, an information communication system according to claim 1 is provided.
  One or more server devices;
  One or more client devices;
  At least one communication relay device,
  A first communication path connecting the server device and the communication relay device;
  A second communication path connecting the communication relay device and the client device;
  With
  An information communication system having a function of transmitting identification information of target provided data from the client device, the server device determining the provided data corresponding to the identification information, and providing the determined data to the requesting client device In
  A data collection device that estimates provision data that may be requested through the client device and collects the data from the server device through a third communication path connected to the server device;
  Data that receives and stores a set of the provision data collected by the data collection device and identification information of the provision data through a fourth communication path connected to the data collection device With storage
  Provided,
  When the provision data corresponding to the identification information from the client device is stored in the data storage unit, the communication relay device acquires the provision data from the data storage device, and Provided to the requesting client device through a communication pathAnd changing the transmission method of the provided data to the client device in accordance with the type of the provided data to be provided to the client device.It is characterized by that.
[0014]
According to the information communication system of the first aspect of the present invention, the server device and the communication relay device are connected through the first communication path, and the communication relay device and the client device are connected through the second communication path. A data collection device and a data storage device are provided in the information communication system that is formed in this manner and that provides the server device with the provision data requested by the client device.
[0015]
The data collection device is connected to the server device through the third communication path, and the data collection device and the data storage device are connected through the fourth communication channel. Provided data that may be requested by the data collection device to be provided to the server device through the client device, for example, from information from the communication relay device, information obtained from the server device, or information held by itself And the estimated provision data is collected from the server device through the third communication path in advance.
[0016]
The provided data collected by the data collection device is transmitted to the data storage device through the fourth communication path, and stored and held in the data storage device. Then, when the identification information of the provision data requesting provision is transmitted from the client device through the second communication path, it is confirmed whether or not the provision data requested by the communication relay device exists in the data storage device. .
[0017]
  If the provision data requested from the client device exists in the data storage device, the target data is acquired from the data storage device by the communication relay device, and this is obtained through the second communication path. Sent to. In addition, when the target provision data requested by the client device does not exist in the data storage device, the server device transmits the target data through the communication relay device and the first communication channel, which are conventional data acquisition routes. You will be able to receive data provided.At this time, the transmission method of the provided data to the client device is changed in accordance with the type of provided data provided to the client device.
[0018]
Thereby, even if it does not access a server apparatus one by one, it is collected by the data collection device through the third communication path, stored in the data storage device through the fourth communication path, and the provided data stored in this is used. As a result, it is possible to quickly and accurately acquire the data intended by the user. In addition, the load on the first communication path can be reduced and the first communication path can be used efficiently.
[0019]
Further, since the communication relay device can acquire and provide the target data from the data storage device managed by the own device, the response speed is higher than when the server device is accessed through the first communication path. Can be improved.
[0020]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of an information communication system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, first, a basic configuration and operation of an embodiment of an information communication system according to the present invention will be described, and then a specific configuration example of the information communication system according to the present invention will be described.
[0021]
[Basic configuration and operation of information communication system]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the basic configuration of the information communication system of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the information communication system of this embodiment includes a client device group 10 including client devices 11, 12, 13,..., A communication relay device 20, a data storage device 30, a server device 41, The server apparatus group 40 which consists of 42,43, ... and the data collection apparatus 50 are provided.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 1, each of the server devices 41, 42, 43... And the communication relay device 20 are connected through the first communication path 1, and each of the communication relay device 20 and the client devices 11, 12, 13. Are connected through the second communication path 2.
[0023]
In addition, the data collection device 50 is connected to each of the server devices 41, 42, 43,... Through the third communication path 3, and is connected to the data storage device 30 through the fourth communication path 4. Yes. The data collection device 40 is also connected to the communication relay device 20 through the fifth communication path 5.
[0024]
In the information communication system of this embodiment, the user accesses any server device in the server device group 40 through any client device in the client device group 10 and provides provided data such as target content. It can be received.
[0025]
The user transmits ID information (identification information) indicating necessary data to be provided to the communication relay device 20 through the second communication path 2 through any one of the client devices in the client device group 10. The communication relay device 20 transmits the ID information from the client device to the target server device through the first communication path 1.
[0026]
The server device of the server device group 10 that has received the ID information from the client device transmits provided data corresponding to the received ID information to the communication relay device 20 through the first communication path 1. The communication relay device 20 transmits the provided data transmitted from the server device to the requesting client device through the second communication path.
[0027]
Thus, in the information communication system of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the server device of the server device group 40, the first communication path 1, the communication relay device 20, the second communication path 2, Basic communication can be performed with client devices of the client device group 10.
[0028]
Further, in the information communication system of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a data storage device 30 and a data collection device 50 are provided. The data collection device 50 is connected to each server device 41, 42, 43,... Of the server device group 10 through the third communication path 3, and is connected to the communication relay device 20 through the fifth communication path 5. .
[0029]
Then, the data collection device 50 provides information such as the access history of each client device 11, 12, 13,... Supplied from the communication relay device 20 through the fifth communication path 5, and the communication environment held by the own device. Based on the information or the like, each client device 11, 12, 13,... Estimates the provision data that the server devices 41, 42, 43,.
[0030]
Based on this estimation result, the data collection device 50 transmits the provision data that will be requested from the client device through the third communication path 3 from the server devices 41, 42, 43,... Of the server device group 40. collect. Then, the data collection device 50 sends (provides) the provision data collected in advance to the data storage device 30 through the fourth communication path 4.
[0031]
The data storage device 30 is capable of storing a large amount of data and is connected to the communication relay device 20 as shown in FIG. The data storage device 30 can store and hold provided data from the data collection device 50 provided through the fourth communication path 4.
[0032]
In this way, by transmitting ID information from any client device in the client device group 10, the server device in the server device group 40 is requested to provide provision data such as content. In addition, when the requested data is in the data storage device 30, the communication relay device 20 acquires the provided data from the data storage device 30 and provides it to the requesting client device.
[0033]
The client device group 10, the communication relay device 20, and the data storage device 30 are so-called user devices, and the client device does not receive provision of target provision data from the server device through the first communication path 1. The target provided data can be acquired from the data storage device 30 through the communication relay device 20 and used.
[0034]
When the information communication system shown in FIG. 1 is formed using a WWW system, each of the client apparatuses 11, 12, 13,... Shown in FIG. 1 is a personal computer (indicated as a PC in FIG. 1). ), And each of the server devices 41, 42, 43,... Corresponds to a WWW server device.
[0035]
The first communication path 1 corresponds to a TCP / IP network (Internet) realized by various connection forms, the communication relay apparatus 20 corresponds to a proxy server apparatus (Proxy Server), and the second communication. The path corresponds to a LAN (Local Area Network), and the ID information corresponds to a URL (Universal Resource Locator).
[0036]
In this case, the proxy server corresponding to the communication relay device 20 normally connects the LAN and the Internet, performs a request from the client device in the LAN, and makes a request to the server device on the Internet. The data sent from the server device is relayed and provided to the client device.
[0037]
Normally, a proxy server is provided as a security mechanism to prevent entry into the LAN from the Internet, but at the same time, it has a cache system inside to improve response speed and efficiently use communication lines. Also used for. Paying attention to this latter function, the data storage device 30 shown in FIG. 1 can be realized by using the cache system of the proxy server device (communication relay device 20).
[0038]
The fourth communication path 4 connecting the data collection device 50 and the data storage device 30 is desirably a large-capacity communication path capable of transmitting a large amount of data quickly and accurately. For this reason, between the data collection device 50 and the data storage device 30, for example, provided data is transmitted using a data broadcasting system based on a communication satellite (CS).
[0039]
In such a case, the data collection device 50 corresponds to a WWW client device / CS broadcast data transmission system provided on the Internet. The data storage device 30 corresponds to a “hard disk device (HDD) + CS tuner” connected to the communication relay device 20 via SCSI, IEEE 1394, LAN, or the like.
[0040]
Here, SCSI is an abbreviation for Small Computer System Interface, and IEEE 1394 is an abbreviation for an interface standardized in IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).
[0041]
The third communication path 3 connecting the data collection device 50 and each server device of the server apparatus group 40 is a TCP / IP network (Internet) connected by a high-speed line, and the fourth communication path 4 is In the CS data broadcasting network, the fifth communication path 5 corresponds to a TCP / IP network (Internet) (which may be a network physically common to the first communication path).
[0042]
As described above, the information communication system of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 can be configured as a large-scale system that can be used by many users by using the WWW system. Of course, each of the client apparatuses 11, 12, 13,..., The communication relay apparatus 20, and the server apparatuses 41, 42, 43,... May be implemented as a software module in the same device in various combinations. it can.
[0043]
That is, the function of each device of the information communication system having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 can be realized by software in one computer, and the information communication system according to the present invention can be constructed in one computer. Also, for example, only the function of the communication relay device 20 may be realized by software that is executed in the client device. In this case, both the first communication path and the second communication path are communication between software modules.
[0044]
Thus, the first communication path 1, the second communication path 2, the fifth communication path 5 and the like may be software module communication. In addition, it is possible to construct an information communication system of a relatively small scale to which the present invention is applied by installing the devices shown in FIG. 1 in the same premises such as a building. .
[0045]
Thus, each of the first communication path 1, the second communication path 2, the third communication path 3, the fourth communication path 4, and the fifth communication path 5 is the scale of the information communication system to be constructed. Depending on the communication path, any communication path may be used, and the client device, the communication relay device, and the server device may be implemented as software modules in the same device in various combinations.
[0046]
[Processing in data collection device, data storage device, communication relay device]
Next, processing performed in the data collection device 50 of the information communication system shown in FIG. 1, processing performed in the data storage device 30, and processing performed in the communication relay device 20 will be described with reference to a flowchart.
[0047]
[Processing in the data collection device]
First, provided data collection processing performed by the data collection device 50 prior to access from the client device will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining data collection processing performed in the data collection device 50.
[0048]
As described above, the data collection device 50 receives the access histories of all the client devices 11, 12, 13,... From the communication relay device 20 through the fifth communication path 5 and holds this. The access history includes ID information of access data that has been accessed (requested to be provided), access date and time, client device identification information, and the like.
[0049]
The data collection device 50 lists the ID information of the provided data accessed a predetermined number of times or more from the access histories of all the held client devices, and identifies the ID information of the provided data to be collected (step S101). ).
[0050]
Based on the ID information listed in step S101, the data collection device 50 receives the client from the server devices through the third communication path, such as the desired provision data, the data size of the provision data, and the update date and time. Information used to estimate data that is highly likely to be requested from the device (data to be distributed) is acquired (step S102).
[0051]
Next, based on the access history used in step S101 and the information used for estimation obtained in step S102, the data collection device 5 selects the first data from the provided data specified by the listed ID information. Based on the transmission capacity of the four communication paths 4, the storage capacity of the data storage device 30, and the like, a process of estimating provided data to be finally sent (provided) to the data storage device 30 is performed (step S103).
[0052]
Then, if necessary, the data totaling device 50 provides related information to the set of the provided data to be sent and the ID information of the provided data (transmission data comprising the provided data and the ID information of the provided data). It adds (step S104). The related information added here is, for example, the update date and time of the provided data, data selection key information used when selecting provided data stored in the data storage device 30, and the like.
[0053]
Next, the data collection device 50 converts the data to be transmitted to the data storage device 30 through the fourth communication path 4 into an appropriate format for transmission (step S105), and converts the converted data to the fourth communication. The data is transmitted to the data storage device 30 through the path (step S106).
[0054]
In this way, the data collection device 50 estimates the provision data that the client device will request to provide, distributes the provision information according to the estimation result to the data storage device 30 in advance, and the data storage device 30. Can be stored in memory.
[0055]
Then, the data collection device 50, in the estimation process of step S103 shown in FIG. 2, (1) information about the communication line and the data storage device 30, (2) data transmission (provision) history from the data collection device 50, 3) Information related to provided data corresponding to each ID information, (4) Access history of all client devices, (5) Information about preferences of users using each client device, (6) Access history of each client device, (7) ▼ Based on the access history of other users belonging to the user group having the same preference as the user, the provided data that is presumed to be provided through the client device is determined.
[0056]
Here, (1) information relating to the communication line and the data storage device 30 can be stored in the data capacity per time that can be transmitted through the fourth communication path, the time that the fourth communication path can be used, and each data storage device 30. Such as data capacity. By using such information, the data collection device 50 selects data suitable for the available communication line and the data storage device 30.
[0057]
Further, the data sending (providing) history from the data collecting device 50 is a history of ID information of provided data sent from the data collecting device 50 within the past certain period. The data storage device 30 can hold the information once sent for a certain period. Therefore, the data collection device 30 uses information such as the data transmission (provision) history and the data retention period of the data storage device to prevent duplicate provisional transmission data currently stored and retained. The provided data whose retention period has passed is transmitted again, so that the data can be transmitted beyond the communicable capacity per transmission by transmitting the data a plurality of times.
[0058]
(3) Information relating to the provision data corresponding to each ID information includes the data size of the provision data corresponding to the ID information, the type of provision data corresponding to the ID information, and the server apparatus in which the provision data corresponding to the ID information exists. The date / time when the provision data corresponding to the ID information is created, updated, accessed, and the like.
[0059]
For example, the data collection device 50 prioritizes provided data whose response is slow when accessing the first communication path due to a large data size, or prioritizes data related to an image or sound according to the type of provided data, Provided data can be selected in correspondence with individual data, such as giving priority to a server device in which provided data is placed with a slow response or giving priority to recently updated information.
[0060]
Also, (4) the access history of all client devices is information obtained by tabulating the access history of each client device provided from the communication relay device 20 through the fifth communication path, and relates to the number of accesses for each ID information. Information can be obtained. With this information, the data collection server can select the data so as to limit the ID information to be determined by other means in advance or give priority to the data that has been accessed many times.
[0061]
In addition, (5) information related to the user preference of each client device indicates, for example, information related to a field in which a user who is registered in advance for each user of each client device is interested. The data collection device 50 can select data so as to preferentially collect and distribute data that the user will be interested in by determining the field of data to be collected and distributed. it can.
[0062]
(6) The access history of each client device is the access history information of each client device provided from the communication relay device through the fifth communication path as described above. Indicates the number of accesses. Based on this information, the data collection device 50 selects data to be processed, such as preferentially collecting or distributing data corresponding to the latest date and time of a news server frequently accessed by the user. be able to.
[0063]
(7) The access histories of other users belonging to a user group having the same preference as the user are obtained by grouping a specific user and totaling the access histories of users belonging to the group. Here, the grouping of specific users is assumed to be interested in a specific field based on, for example, users who share information about user preferences registered in advance, similar users, or user access history. This shows a group of users who are determined to have a high possibility of accessing similar provision data, such as a user to be provided.
[0064]
The data collection device 50 estimates that, for users belonging to the same group, the provided data accessed by other users belonging to the same group is likely to be accessed by the user, It is possible to preferentially process data accessed by a user to which the user belongs.
[0065]
[Data inference process in data collection device]
Next, the data estimation process performed in the data collection device 50 and performed in step S103 of FIG. 2 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the data estimation process executed in step S103 of FIG.
[0066]
First, the data collection device 50 determines the data size that can be newly provided from the line capacity acquired in step S102 of the process shown in FIG. 2, the storage capacity of the data storage device, and the data amount provided to the data storage device up to the previous time. Calculate (step S201). Then, the data collection device 50 excludes the provision data that was sent (provided) within a certain period from the provision data collected in the processing of step S102 shown in FIG. 2 from the provision target (step S202).
[0067]
Then, the data collection device 50 predicts related ID information, and allows the provided data specified by the predicted ID information to be a processing target (step S203).
[0068]
The processing in step S203 will be described in detail. For example, in the case where the date data is included in the ID information for specifying the provided data regarding the provided data related to the news article, the ID information in which the date is changed to the current day. The latest data can be processed by automatically generating the ID so that the data provided on the day can be processed, or by accessing the target server device and generating an ID information list for the latest provided data. Process to add to.
[0069]
Next, the data collection device 50 scores the degree of conformity with the preference of the user who uses the client device, and sorts (rearranges) the transmission order of the provided data based on the score (step S204). The preference scoring is, for example, whether the number of provided data accessed by a group of users determined to have the same preference is added as a score, or if the data is text data, whether or not it includes words that the user is interested in This is done by adding the number of points.
[0070]
Further, the data collection device 50 sorts the transmission order of the provided data by the number of accesses based on the access history of all the client devices for the provided data having the same priority among the collected provided data (step) S205).
[0071]
Further, the data collection device 50 scores each information (each item) of the information (information related to the provided data) for the estimation process of the provided data to be distributed, and sorts the provided data based on the total points (step S206). Then, the data collection device 50 provides the provided data rearranged by the processes of step S204, step S205, and step S206 as provided data that is actually distributed in order from the upper provided data until the available data size calculated in step S201 is reached. Adopt (step S207).
[0072]
In this way, the data collection device 50 can estimate data that is highly likely to be requested by the client device using various information, and make this data to be sent (provided). . Of course, the data collection device 50 can estimate the data to be sent based on other information. Even when the same information as in the above example is used, data to be sent can be selected by a different method.
[0073]
Such estimation processing is most suitable when the fourth communication path can send data independently for each client device. For example, when data broadcasting using a communication satellite is used as the fourth communication channel, the data that can be sent is common to all client devices, and the same communication relay device 20 is connected to a plurality of clients. In the case where the communication relay device 20 and the data storage device 30 do not correspond one-to-one with the client device, such as when the devices are shared, the provided data is not necessarily the data storage device so that each user is satisfied with the client device. It may be impossible to memorize it.
[0074]
Therefore, in such a case, the data collection device 50 sends all the information to be sent to each set of ID information and provided data in the process of adding related information, which is the process of step S104 in FIG. Data selection key information is assigned so that the data required by each data storage device can be determined and stored from among the data.
[0075]
For example, client devices are grouped in advance and given a group ID, and data selection key information includes an ID for specifying all client devices, a group ID indicating a specific client device group, or a client ID indicating a specific client device. In use, the data storage device and the communication relay device can selectively store data based on information about related client devices.
[0076]
Alternatively, the provided data is classified in advance according to the field, the field ID is used as the data selection key information, and another communication path is newly provided between the data collection device and the data storage device or the communication relay device. Data selection key information (one or more) corresponding to this client device is sent in advance to the data storage device to each client device through the path, and the data storage device is the same as the data having this data selection key information. Only the data may be selectively stored.
[0077]
Here, the other communication path may be the same communication path as the first communication path 1 or the fifth communication path 5. Further, each time the request from the client device is relayed to the server device, the communication relay device 20 internally stores and holds the ID information for specifying the requested provided data and the access count of the provided data for each client device. I am doing so.
[0078]
As described above, the communication relay device 20 sends this information to the data collection device 50 through the fifth communication path 5 every predetermined period. The data collection device 50 uses this information as the access history of the client device described above.
[0079]
Further, any communication means may be used for the fifth communication path. For example, TCP / IP communication via the Internet may be used as in the first communication path. The timing of transmission of history information from the communication relay device 20 may not be every fixed period. For example, the information may be immediately transmitted to the data collection device 50 for each data request.
[0080]
[About processing in the data storage device]
Next, processing in the data storage device 30 that receives (provides) provision data from the data collection device 50 and stores and holds it will be described. It should be noted that the storage capacity of the data storage device 30 is limited. Accordingly, when the provision data is sent (provided) from the data collection device 50 through the fourth communication path, the provision data previously received must be erased and a free space in the data storage area must be provided. There is also.
[0081]
In view of this, the data storage device according to this embodiment is configured to provide more efficient communication by providing a mechanism for changing the timing of erasing provided data depending on the individual data provided.
[0082]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining processing performed in the data storage device 30. First, the data storage device 30 receives the provision data transmitted from the data collection device 50 through the fourth communication path (step S301), and calculates the size of the storage area required to store the received provision data. (Step S302).
[0083]
Then, it is determined whether or not there is a free area that is large enough to store the newly provided provision data (step S303). When it is determined that there is not enough free area, the data storage device 30 Then, the already stored data is sorted based on the necessity (step S304), and the provision data with the lower necessity is sequentially deleted until a free space of a necessary size can be secured (step S305).
[0084]
Then, the data storage device 30 stores the newly received provision data in the free space secured in step S305 (step S306). Finally, the received data is checked in advance by the data collection device whether the data retention period is set according to the data. If not, a default value is set (step S307). Repeat the process.
[0085]
In the determination process in step S303, if it is determined that there is already a free space of a size that can store the newly received provision data, the data storage device 30 immediately determines in step S306. Then, the provided data is stored (step S306) and the storage period setting process (step S307).
[0086]
Note that any method may be used to determine the necessity of the stored data in step S304. However, the method described below with reference to FIG. 5 can be used.
[0087]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the determination process of the necessity of already stored data performed in step S304 in the process shown in FIG. By using the method shown in FIG. 5, each time the data storage device 30 receives a series of provision data, the data storage device 30 stores the provision data over a long period of time compared with the case where all the existing provision data is erased and stored. Therefore, it is possible to hold the data flexibly according to the necessity, so that the data collection device 50 can perform the provision data estimation process on the premise of continuous data transmission over a long period of time.
[0088]
Hereinafter, the process for determining the necessity of stored data shown in FIG. 5 will be described. First, the data storage device 30 performs sorting (rearrangement) based on the data storage period of data added to the stored data, assuming that data with a long storage period is highly necessary (step S401). Next, when there is data having the same rank in the data storage period, the data storage device 30 sorts the frequently accessed data as having a high necessity (step S402).
[0089]
In addition, the data storage device 30 needs more data from a server that is frequently accessed than data provided from a server that is frequently accessed when there is data having the same length in the data storage period. Sort as high (step S403). Further, the data storage device 30 sorts the data of the same rank based on the priority order regarding the preset data type (step S404).
[0090]
Further, the data storage device 30 sorts data having the same rank as data having a higher necessity with respect to the data of the same rank (step S405). In this way, rearrangement is performed according to the necessity of data, data with less necessity is efficiently erased, and a necessary free area can be secured in the storage area of the data storage device.
[0091]
As described above, the data storage device 30 of this embodiment receives the provision data from the data collection device 50 transmitted through the fourth communication path 4 and efficiently stores it in the storage area of the own device. It can be made available quickly.
[0092]
[Processing in the communication relay device]
Next, details of the processing in the communication relay device 20 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the communication relay device 20 receives ID information from the client device through the second communication path (step S501). The communication relay device 20 determines whether provided data corresponding to the received ID information exists in the data storage device 30 (step S502).
[0093]
If it is determined in step S502 that the provided data corresponding to the received ID information does not exist in the data storage device 30, the communication relay device 20 uses the ID information from the client device as the first communication. The data is transmitted to the server device via the path 1 (step S503).
[0094]
Then, since the server device of the server device group 40 transmits the provision data according to the ID information provided through the communication relay device 20 and the first communication path 1, the communication relay device 20 receives this. This is provided to the requesting client apparatus through the second communication path 2 (step S505).
[0095]
And the communication relay apparatus 20 preserve | saves ID information used this time as an access history (step S506), and prepares for transmitting this to the data collection apparatus 50 through the 5th communication path 5. FIG. And the communication relay apparatus 20 will complete | finish the series of processes to step S506, will repeat the process from step S501, and will prepare for the next request | requirement from a client apparatus.
[0096]
In addition, in the determination process in step S502, when the provided data corresponding to the ID information from the client device exists in the data recording device, the communication relay device 20 reads and obtains the provided data from the data storage device 30. (Step S507), and the processing from Step S505 is performed.
[0097]
As described above, in the information communication system of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the data collection device 50 collects the provision data that will be requested to be provided through the client device, and transmits this to the data storage device. To be stored in memory. Therefore, the requests from the client apparatuses 11, 12, 13,... Do not require communication to the server apparatus group with high probability, that is, communication using the first communication path.
[0098]
As described above, since the data storage device 30 is realized by a device adjacent to the client device such as a proxy server cache system or a hard disk device owned by the user, it is possible to send and receive data quickly. A faster response can be made to requests from.
[0099]
In addition, transmission of the provided provision data collected from the data collection device 50 to the data storage device 30 is performed not through the first communication channel but through the fourth communication channel, so that the load on the first communication channel can be reduced. Become.
[0100]
Furthermore, since the data storage device 30 exists, any provided time point from the client device can be transmitted only once by providing each provided data estimated to be required through the fourth communication path. Can be prepared for Therefore, the communication line can be used more efficiently than in the case where communication is performed with the server device as requested by the client device.
[0101]
In particular, when a broadcast type data communication path is used as the fourth communication path, it is possible to respond by sending (providing) a certain amount of data regardless of the number of clients or the number of users. When the user has a common tendency in the provided data to be accessed, the effect is great.
[0102]
Actually, when a web page is accessed through the general Internet, there is a big tendency in the type of web page to be accessed and the number of accesses. A great effect can be expected from the viewpoint of reducing the load on the machine.
[0103]
In general, a broadcast-type data communication path has a very large data capacity that can be sent (provided), and thus, for example, a large volume of data (for example, a movie or a movie) that is not practical when using the first communication path. (AV content such as music) can be transmitted sufficiently, and when viewed from the client, comfortable use as if using a broadband network (Virtual Broadband Network) is possible.
[0104]
Further, as a fourth communication path used when data is transmitted from the data collection device 50 to the data storage device 30, communication is possible per hour depending on the situation such as a general Internet connection (including a CATV cable network). It can also be applied when the data capacity varies. In such a case, when the data collection device sends the data, the effective rate is measured, and the data communication capacity used in the subsequent estimation process is configured to dynamically change, It becomes possible to respond appropriately.
[0105]
In addition, the fourth communication path used when data is transmitted from the data collection device 50 to the data storage device 30 has a function of performing communication only for a limited time, or the user explicitly It is also possible to use a communication path that is used as described above.
[0106]
In this case, for example, a case may be assumed where conditions such as a charge are individually set for each time zone by the communication carrier, and the user performs communication only in an advantageous time zone. In such a case, the data collection device 50 can appropriately cope with the problem by calculating the available data communication capacity used in the estimation process based on the available time.
[0107]
Furthermore, in the fourth communication path used when data is transmitted from the data collection device 50 to the data storage device 30, when the communicable data capacity fluctuates, the data is actually stored as described above. Appropriate measures can be taken by measuring the data capacity (effective rate) that can be transmitted in the case of transmission and reflecting this in the calculation of the data capacity for data communication.
[0108]
Further, as described above, when the data collection device 50 estimates the provided data to be actually provided to the data storage device 30, for example, the data collection device 50 provides the transmission target in consideration of the data update in the data storage device. Although the data is estimated, there may be a time lag between the provision of the provided data to the data storage device 30 and the actual access of the provided data from the client device, which is not necessarily stored in the data storage device 30. Data is not always in the latest invitation.
[0109]
Therefore, when the ID information is transmitted from the client device, the communication relay device 20 only inquires the server device about the update date and time even if the provided data corresponding to the data storage device 30 exists. If the provided data is newer than the provided data stored in the data storage device 30, the provided data is acquired from the server device in the same manner as when the provided data does not exist in the data storage device 30, and is sent to the client device. By sending, it is always possible to guarantee the sending (providing) of the latest provided data to the client device.
[0110]
In this case, the response speed is reduced by the amount of communication for date and time confirmation, but if the data has not been updated, the provided data body is not acquired from the server device. Compared to the case where the provision data body is provided, the time required for communication can be shortened and the response speed can be expected to increase.
[0111]
Furthermore, when the response speed is particularly important, the data storage device 30 is once sent (provided) according to a request from the client device, and then the server device is checked for the update date and time. If the communication is performed and updated, the provision data from the server device can be transmitted again to the client device. In this case, the client device needs to cope with the retransmission of the provided data. However, since the probability of being updated is considered to be low, the response speed is often improved.
[0112]
Further, in the information communication system of this embodiment, when viewed from the client device, the difference between the communication through the first communication path and the storage-type communication between the communication relay device 20 and the data storage device 30 is recognized. Not. However, this can be explicitly indicated for the convenience of the user.
[0113]
That is, when the client device shows the ID information or the provided data associated with the ID information to the user, the communication relay device 20 is inquired in advance for information regarding whether the provided data exists in the data storage device 30. Finally.
[0114]
In the client device, when providing provided data directly received from the server device through the first communication path 1 and displaying provided data received from the data storage device 30, for example, By explicitly changing the visual information such as the color of the information displayed on the screen and the presence / absence of an underline, and displaying it on the screen, it is shown how the corresponding data is explicitly acquired.
[0115]
Thus, the user can recognize whether the provision data is directly provided from the server device or whether the data stored in the data storage device 30 is provided. The user can selectively use data that is expected to have a fast response speed.
[0116]
Further, in this embodiment, any communication path can be used, and the same communication path may be used except for the first and third communication paths. Alternatively, the same communication path can be used for the first and third communication paths as long as the time zones to be used are different.
[0117]
For example, as the first communication path 1, an Internet communication network according to various connection forms, a mobile phone communication network, or software-based inter-module communication can be used.
[0118]
In addition, for example, as the third communication path, use an Internet communication network according to various connection forms, a mobile phone communication network, software-based inter-module communication, or recording / transportation / reproduction to / from a recording medium. Can do.
Here, recording / transportation / reproduction to / from storage media is not communication via a communication line. For example, data to be sent is stored in a medium such as a CD-R, transported, and read out again. It means the form to send.
[0119]
As the fourth communication path, an Internet communication network according to various connection forms, a communication satellite, a broadcast satellite, a terrestrial or wired data broadcast network, a software-based inter-module communication, or a recording on a recording medium・ Transportation / regeneration can be used. In addition, as the fifth communication path, an Internet communication network according to various connection forms or communication between modules on software can be used.
[0120]
Further, as the fifth communication path 5, an internet communication network or communication between modules on software can be used. In addition, as described above, the first, third, and fifth communication paths are Internet communication networks, and the fourth communication path is a communication satellite, a broadcasting satellite, a terrestrial or wired data broadcasting network. It is possible to use a WWW server as the server device, a Web browser as the client device, and a proxy server system as the communication relay device.
[0121]
In addition, an Internet communication network is used as the first, third, and fifth communication paths, a data broadcasting network using a CATV cable network is used as the fourth communication path, a WWW server is used as the server device, and the client A Web browser may be used as the device, and a proxy server system may be used as the communication relay device 20.
[0122]
In addition, an Internet communication network is used as the first, third, and fifth communication paths, an Internet communication network with a limited connection time is used as the fourth communication path, and a WWW server apparatus is used as the server apparatus. A Web browser may be used as the client device, and a proxy server system may be used as the communication relay device 20.
[0123]
In addition, a mobile phone communication network or an Internet communication network realized on the mobile phone communication network is used as the first communication path, an Internet communication network is used as the third communication path, and the fourth and fifth communication paths are used. A wired, infrared, or short-range wireless communication network is used, a WWW server device is used as the server device, a Web browser is used as the client device, a personal computer is used as the data collection device 50, and a communication relay device is installed as a software module in the client. It may be built in or in a portable communication device connected to the portable information terminal, and the portable information terminal may be used as a client.
[0124]
[Specific configuration example of information communication system]
An embodiment of an information communication system to which the present invention described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 is applied can be implemented by various system configurations. In the following, a configuration example of an embodiment of an information communication system according to the present invention realized by a characteristic system configuration will be described.
[0125]
[First configuration example]
FIG. 7 is a block diagram for explaining a first configuration example of the information communication system of this embodiment. The information communication system shown in FIG. 7 is based on the present invention using a so-called WWW system capable of browsing Web data stored in a WWW server device (Web server device) provided on the Internet 100. An information communication system is configured.
[0126]
As will be described later, in the information communication system shown in FIG. 7, each client can be connected to the Internet through an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) network and an ISP (Internet Service Provider). .
[0127]
In the information communication system shown in FIG. 7, a personal computer 111 capable of executing a Web browser corresponds to the client device of the client device group 10 shown in FIG. 1, and the ISDN router 120 uses the communication relay shown in FIG. Corresponds to device 20. Further, the hard disk device 130 provided in the ISDN router 120 and functioning also as a cache system of the ISDN router 120 corresponds to the data storage device 30 shown in FIG.
[0128]
Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the WWW server device 140 corresponds to the server device of the server device group 40 shown in FIG. 1, and a device group including the data collection device 151 and the CS data broadcasting facility 152 is shown in FIG. This corresponds to the data collection device 50 shown in FIG. In the case of the information communication system shown in FIG. 7, the data collection device 151 uses CS broadcasting as a route for providing data to the data storage device 130. The data collected by the data collection device 151 is: The data is supplied to the hard disk device 100 through the CS data broadcasting facility 152 and the communication satellite 153. For this purpose, a CS tuner 160 is connected to the ISDN router 120.
[0129]
In the information communication system shown in FIG. 7, the Internet connection by ISDN via the ISP 190 is the first communication path 101 corresponding to the first communication path 1 shown in FIG. The 100BaseT Ethernet connection for connecting the client device 111 and the ISDN router 120 is the second communication path 102 corresponding to the second communication path 2 shown in FIG. Here, 100BaseT is one of Ethernet connection standards and is an extended version of 10BaseT.
[0130]
Further, the Internet connection between the WWW server device and the data collection device is the third communication channel 103 corresponding to the third communication channel shown in FIG. 1, and the data broadcasting channel via the communication satellite 153 is shown in FIG. This is a fourth communication path 104 corresponding to the fourth communication path 4 shown. Also in this example, a URL is used as ID information for specifying provided data.
[0131]
As shown in FIG. 7, the ISDN router 120 having a function as a communication relay device includes an ISDN communication unit 121, an Ethernet communication unit 122, a proxy server 123, and a CS data receiving unit 124. Here, the ISDN communication unit 121 transmits / receives data to / from the ISDN network, and the Ethernet communication unit 122 transmits / receives data to / from 100BaseT, that is, to / from each client device connected to 100BaseT. This is the part to be done.
[0132]
Further, as described above, the proxy server 123 allows the information from each client device to be sent to the ISDN network and the like, and prevents data that controls the client device from the ISDN network. It is what has. In addition, the CS data receiving unit 124 performs processing for taking data from the CS tuner 160 into this ISDN router.
[0133]
As described above, the information communication system to which the present invention is applied has an effect of improving the response speed to the request for the provided data from the client device. In the information communication system shown in FIG. 7, when the target provision data exists in the hard disk device built in the ISDN router 120, the ISDN router 120 obtains the provision data acquired from the hard disk device 130. It can be sent to a browser running on the personal computer 111 at 100 Mbps.
[0134]
If the provided data does not exist in the hard disk device 130 built in the ISDN router 120, the WWW server device 140 → Internet 100 → ISP 190 → ISDN network → ISDN router 120 → second communication path 102 is passed through. In this case, data cannot be transmitted from the ISDN router to the personal computer 111 faster than the transmission capacity of 64 kbps of the ISDN network.
[0135]
Therefore, the transmission speed on the second communication path 102 is 64 kbps when transmitting data supplied through the ISDN network, and 100 Mbps when transmitting data stored in the hard disk device 130. In many cases, the apparent communication speed is increased by 1600 times, and the browser can operate as if it is connected to the broadband network.
[0136]
Further, in the information communication system shown in FIG. 7, the use of AV contents is devised particularly in the form of utilizing the improvement in communication speed of 1600 times as described above. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, a data registration database 154 is connected to the data collection device 151. The data registration database 154 is a mass storage device such as a hard disk device.
[0137]
A data registration apparatus 170 for registering data is connected to the data registration database 154. The data registration device 170 can register the ID information and the provided data corresponding thereto as a set in the database 154. In addition to the set of ID information and provided data, the data registration device 154 can also assign business ID information. Here, the provider ID information is identification information assigned to an information provider that provides data corresponding to the ID information.
[0138]
Normally, the data collection device 151 acquires a set of ID information and provision data for specifying the provision data through the third communication path, but if the target provision data exists in the data registration database 154, Instead of obtaining and using the provision information through the third communication path 103, the provision data registered in the registration database 154 is used.
[0139]
The registration database 154 may register the same provision data that can be acquired through the third communication path, but is not limited thereto. Even provided data having the same information content, provided data having a different data format may be registered in the registration database 154.
[0140]
For example, low-quality, low-bit-rate AV content (movies) compressed in MPEG1 is placed on the WWW server 140, and high-quality, high-bit-rate AV content compressed in MPEG2 is stored in the registration database 154. Can be put.
[0141]
In this way, using the same URL, a general client can use a bit rate content suitable for the first communication path, although the quality is low from the WWW server device. In the information communication system shown in FIG. 7, each client apparatus (personal computer) 111 connected to the ISDN router 120 uses high-quality AV content with a higher bit rate. Can do.
[0142]
Of course, the data collection device 151 does not selectively use either the data acquired from the WWW server 140 through the third communication path 103 or the data registered in the registration database 154, but both data Can also be included in the sending target. In this case, which data is sent on the data relay device 151 side can be switched according to the setting of the user.
[0143]
Further, when the provided data is AV content or the like, it is necessary to take measures against copyright protection. Therefore, in the information communication system shown in FIG. 7, the data storage device 130 is not the personal computer 111 as the client device but the hard disk device 130 in the ISDN router 120. Therefore, when the communication relay device 120 transmits the provided data, it is configured not to transmit the provided data itself, but only to transmit in the stream format, thereby realizing a distribution means that takes copyright protection into consideration. Can do.
[0144]
Transmission in the stream format does not send the entire provided data in a batch format, but instead exchanges data between the sending side and the receiving side, and the receiving side uses partially received data. This means a transmission form in which content is reproduced so that there is no room for copying data on the client device side.
[0145]
Further, in the information communication system shown in FIG. 7, regarding the use of AV content, the billing system of the communication satellite broadcasting system is used as it is, and the ID information of the used pay content is notified to the billing server 180 via the CS tuner 160. With such a configuration, it is possible to perform billing processing for accessing content on the Internet at high speed. Further, this billing process may be used in combination with the above-described function of registering high quality data in the data collection device 151.
[0146]
Further, by separately preparing a billing information database 181 for managing billing information corresponding to each ID information, the billing server 180 searches the billing information database 181 based on the ID information of the provided data used by each user. Then, by summing up the billing amount for each carrier ID described above, the billing proxy processing for each carrier can be performed based on the above method. Of course, the charging server and the charging database are not shared with those used in the CS broadcasting system, but may be provided separately from the CS broadcasting system.
[0147]
Further, the sixth communication path 106 for transmitting the charging information to the charging server apparatus is a communication path that is completely different from the communication path for transmitting the provided data, and therefore does not affect the transmission of the provided data. . Therefore, the transmission of the provision data, the transmission of the accounting data, and the accounting process can be appropriately processed without affecting each other.
[0148]
Furthermore, in the information communication system shown in FIG. 7, the data collection device 151 may collect the provision data published by any WWW server device in advance through the third communication path 103 and distribute it to the data storage device. I can do it. However, it is considered that an information provider who provides information on the WWW server device 140 may want to refuse distribution of provided data through the data collection device 151.
[0149]
In such a case, for example, as shown in FIG. 8A, data corresponding to ID information that can be uniquely determined from the original ID information (URL) based on a certain naming rule is provided, or FIG. As shown in FIG. 8C, a specific description for restricting the provision is made inside the provision data, or information about provision data to be restricted in advance is registered in the data collection device 151 as shown in FIG. 8C. By doing so, it is possible to provide a function of removing each of the provided data from the collection target. As a result, the information provider can set restrictions on the distribution means.
[0150]
In the case of the method of FIG. 8A, the server device and the provided data are not changed at all, and the information provider can easily control permission / denial of distribution within the server device managed by the information provider. It is.
[0151]
That is, in the case of the method of FIG. 8A, when there is provided data to be restricted, the information provider prepares in advance a provided data corresponding to an ID (Converted ID) obtained by converting the ID according to a certain rule. . The content of this data may be anything, for example, a file of size 0 may be used.
[0152]
The data collection device generates a converted ID from the ID before sending the ID and acquiring the provided data when collecting the data, and requests the server device for the provided data using the ID. If the server device sends the provided data to the server device, the data collection device determines that the ID expresses that it is desired to restrict distribution, and excludes it from the collection target.
[0153]
When the server device returns an error that there is no data corresponding to the timing in the Converted ID, the target data is acquired by sending the ID again.
[0154]
[Communication data structure and communication protocol in the fourth communication path]
In the case of the information communication system shown in FIG. 7, the provided data collected by the data collection device 151 is transmitted as a fourth communication path 104 by CS broadcasting and a hard disk device 130 having a function as a data storage device. To provide. As described above, in the distribution of the provided data through the broadcast media, the communication data structure and the communication protocol become problems.
[0155]
In the case of data communication using CS broadcasting (data broadcasting), a protocol that defines error correction, encoding, encryption, and the like is used from its characteristics, and a data communication layer is formed thereon. This data communication layer actually has limitations on the size of data, for example, but in order to remove such detailed protocol restrictions, a plurality of data areas are combined with a single piece of data. By defining a higher-level protocol such as determination, a more general data communication layer can be configured.
[0156]
9 to 12 are diagrams for describing a data communication layer of provided data provided through the fourth communication path 104 in the information communication system illustrated in FIG. 9 shows the format of the data communication layer of the provided data provided through the fourth communication path 104 in the information communication system shown in FIG. 7, and FIG. 10 shows each item in the data communication layer shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating.
[0157]
In the information communication system shown in FIG. 7, provided data provided through the fourth communication path 104 is transmitted according to the data communication layer shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the data communication layer of this example includes a 16-byte data selection key portion 710, a 4-byte data type portion 720, a 4-byte data size portion 730, and a variable-length data body portion 740. It has.
[0158]
The data selection key portion 710 stores a data selection key indicating what kind of provision data the provision data stored in the data body portion 740 is. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, “FORALL” indicating that the provided data is for all clients, and “TECH.PC.NET” indicating that the provided data is technical information related to the PC network. There is an arbitrary character string such as “MUSIC.J-POPS” indicating that the provided data is information related to Japanese music.
[0159]
In addition, a specific data such as “GROUP1224322” indicating that the provided data is not general information but information for a user determined as a user group having a certain tendency in the data collection device. Some of them indicate information about user groups. These data selection keys are given in the data collection device.
[0160]
In the data type section 720, the provided data to be provided is stored with a data type indicating how the provided data to be processed is provided on the data storage device 130 side. In this example, “DT_CACHEUPDATE” requesting data update and “DT_RECOMMEND” recommending data update are used.
[0161]
That is, in the case of this example, “DT_CACHEUPDATE” requesting data update, when new provision data is received for provision data such as content of the same URL and the same data type, the previous provision data (old provision data) ) Is for erasing and supporting the provision of newly provided provision data.
[0162]
In addition, “DT_RECOMMEND” recommending data update includes provided data such as content from the data providing side in the information communication system at that time (usually a service provider providing provided data such as content). This is recommendation information related to provided data, and encourages storing a predetermined number of pieces of data. The provided data with “DT_RECOMMEND” added to the data type can be displayed in a list on the client side using a dedicated client (software or the like).
[0163]
Thus, in this embodiment, provided data includes not only various contents such as audio data, video data, and text data, but also notification information and control information provided from the data providing side.
[0164]
Further, the data size portion 730 can have a data size indicating the length of the data body having a variable length. In the case of this example, for example, the data length of the data body portion 740 is indicated in bytes.
[0165]
The data body portion 740 stores provided data that is actually provided. In this example, the data body portion 740 defines the internal layout of the data body portion 740 depending on whether the data type is “DT_CACHEUPDATE” or “DT_RECOMMEND”.
[0166]
FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the layout of the data body portion 740 when the data type is “DT_CACHEUPDATE”. As shown in FIG. 11, when the data type is “DT_CACHEUPDATE”, the data body part 740 includes a URL size part 741, a data type part 742 of the body part, a data size part 743 of the data part 749, an access method part 744, The license part 745, the update date part 746, the collection date part 747, the URL part 748, and the data part 749 are included.
[0167]
The URL size part 741 stores the data length of the URL stored in the URL part 748. The data type portion 742 of the data portion 749 stores information indicating what kind of data the provided data stored in the data portion 749 is. In this example, as shown in FIG. 11, ten data types are prepared.
[0168]
In FIG. 11, (CU_DT_HTML) indicates that the provided data is an HTML (HyperText Markup Language) document, and (CU_DT_TXT) indicates that the provided data is text data. Further, (CU_DT_BINARY) indicates that the provided data is binary data, and (CU_DT_JPEG) indicates that the provided data is a JPAG (Joint Photographic Expert Group) image.
[0169]
Furthermore, (CU_DT_GIF) indicates that the provided data is a GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) image, and (CU_DT_WAV) indicates that the provided data is WAV (WAve) audio. (CU_DT_ATRAC3) indicates that the provided data is ATRAC3 (Adaptive Transform Acoustic Cording 3) music, and (CU_DT_MP3) indicates that the provided data is MP3 (MPeg audio layer 3) music.
[0170]
(CU_DT_MPEG1) indicates that the provided data is an MPEG1 (Motion Picture Expert Group 1) image, and (CU_DT_MPEG2) indicates that the provided data is an MPEG2 image.
[0171]
The data size section 743 stores the data length of the data section 749, and the access method section 744 stores the data access method. In the case of this example, as shown in FIG. 11, (CU_AC_FREE) capable of arbitrary access (downloading) and (CU_AC_STREAM) indicating that only streaming (STREAMING) is possible are prepared.
[0172]
The license unit 745 stores information indicating whether or not use permission (license) is necessary for access. In this example, the license unit 745 indicates that no license is required (CU_LI_FREE), or various information Stores the license key. The update date / time portion 746 stores the update date / time of the provided provision data itself, and the data collection date / time portion 747 stores the date / time when the provision data is collected. The URL portion 748 can be the URL of the provided data, and the data portion 749 stores the provided data itself.
[0173]
As described above, when the data type is “DT_CACHEUPDATE”, according to the layout shown in FIG. 11, various types of provided data can be transmitted and provided to the data storage device side.
[0174]
FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the layout of the data body portion 740 when the data type is “DT_RECOMMEND”. As shown in FIG. 12, when the data type is “DT_RECOMMEND”, the data body portion 740 includes a data size portion 751, an update date portion 752, and a data portion 753 of the data portion 753.
[0175]
The data size portion 751 stores information indicating the data length of the variable length data portion 753, and the update date / time stores the update date / time of the data itself stored in the data portion 753. In addition, provided data is stored in the data portion 753. As described above, when the data type is “DT_RECOMMEND”, the information from the provider of the provided data can be efficiently provided to the data storage device according to the layout shown in FIG. .
[0176]
The provided data collected by the data collection device 150 shown in FIG. 7 and provided to the data storage device 130 through the fourth communication path 104, which is a CS broadcast, includes a data selection key as shown in FIG. Is added (added) by the data collection device 150.
[0177]
The data selection key is formed based on the determination result of the provided data determination process performed in the data collection device 150, and as described above, “FORALL”, “TECH.PC.NET”, “MUSIC.J-POPS”. A data selection key such as In the case of provided data such as content that is not included in the general category as described above, a data selection key generated on an occasional basis such as “GROUP1224322” is given.
[0178]
The provided data determination process for giving the data selection key performed in the data collection device 150 may be performed by any method. For example, in the case of text-based provided data, the natural language processing technique called mobile element analysis processing is used to decompose the text into words, and whether or not a specific keyword is included in the used word Judgment can be made.
[0179]
Then, the data storage device 130 uses the data selection key of the provided data transmitted from the data collection device 150 through the fourth communication path 104 to select the provided data to be stored by itself. However, in this case, there is a problem as to what kind of data selection key is provided and stored.
[0180]
Of course, provided data having a data selection key that is specified in advance by the user of the client device can be stored and retained. However, in the information communication system shown in FIG. 7, the data collection device 150 analyzes the access history of past users, the tendency of provided data accessed by many other users, and the like for each individual user. A list of target data selection keys is transmitted to the data storage device side.
[0181]
For example, in the case of the example described above with reference to FIGS.
TECH. PC. NET
MUSIC. J-POPS
GROUP1222432
A list of data selection keys to be stored and retained by the data storage device 130 is sent to the data storage device 130 in advance through, for example, the Internet, a telephone communication network, or a dedicated line.
[0182]
A user who uses the data storage device 130 that has been provided with the list of data selection keys described above has an interest in general provided data such as a PC (personal computer) network and Japanese music. You will be interested in the provided data that happens to be named GROUP1222432, which is only supported by a specific group.
[0183]
In this way, not only a general data selection key determined in advance, but also a data selection key is generated based on the access trend analysis at that time, and sent as a list to be held. By doing so, it is possible to perform a flexible response on the data storage device side.
[0184]
[AV (Audio & Visual) extension of first configuration example]
As described in the information communication system shown in FIG. 7, when the provided data is so-called AV data such as a movie, the client device 111 uses the first communication path and the fourth communication path 104 to From the difference in transmission capacity, it was explained that even provided data with the same content can be provided with different quality (quality).
[0185]
That is, the client device 111 receives the relatively low quality AV data with a certain amount of data suppressed to some extent through the first communication path 101 via the Internet, and uses the CS communication or the like for the fourth communication. High-capacity transmission is possible through the path 104, so that high-quality AV data can be provided.
[0186]
The provision of AV data through the fourth communication path of provided data in such a case will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining provision of AV data, which is provided data, with some modifications to the information communication system shown in FIG.
[0187]
In FIG. 13, a client device 111, an ISDN router 120, a data storage device 130, a WWW server device 140, a data collection device 151, a CS data broadcast facility 152, a communication satellite 153, a CS tuner 160, a satellite broadcast receiving antenna 161, and an ISP 190 These are configured in the same manner as the corresponding units shown in FIG.
[0188]
Although the ISDN communication unit 121, the Ethernet communication unit 122, and the CS data receiving unit 124 are not shown in the ISDN server 120 in FIG. 13, these units are also similar to the ISDN router 120 shown in FIG. It is to be prepared. Although not shown in FIG. 13, a data registration database 154 and a data registration device 170 are also provided on the data collection device 151 side. The information communication system of FIG. 13 is further provided with a client device 511 connected to the WWW server 140 only via the Internet in addition to the information communication system shown in FIG.
[0189]
Originally, provided data such as content is present in the WWW server device 140. From the security, the transmission capacity of the communication path, and the like, normally, in FIG. As mpg (1) indicates, provided data of low quality and small size is held. That is, the WWW server 140 stores AV data having a data format of MPEG1 and a data size of 640 KB (kilobytes).
[0190]
In addition to this, in the information communication system shown in FIGS. 7 and 13, AV data having the same URL as the AV data stored in the WWW server device 140 on the data collection device 151 side, and higher quality and larger size AV data. It is possible to register. That is, in the data collection device 151 side, in FIG. As indicated by mpg (2), the URL is the same as the URL of the AV data (http: //.../Movie.mpg) stored in the WWW server device 140, but the data format is MPEG2 and the data AV data having a size of 4.7 GB (gigabytes) is stored.
[0191]
Then, Movie., Which is stored in the WWW server device 140, is stored. The AV data of mpg (1) can be hidden or downloaded directly by the client device 111 or the client device 511 through the first communication path 101 to the WWW server device 140. If it is frequently accessed, the data collection device 151 obtains it from the WWW server device 140 and transmits it to the data storage device 130 through the fourth communication path 104.
[0192]
Similarly, Movie.registered in the data collection device 151. The mpg (2) AV data is also transmitted from the data collection device 151 to the data storage device 130 through the fourth communication path 104.
[0193]
14A and 14B are diagrams for explaining transmission data when AV data is transmitted from the data collection device 151. FIG. Among these, FIG. 14A shows Movie. Which is AV data stored in the WWW server device 140. 14B shows a format of transmission data when transmitting mpg (1), and FIG. 14B shows Movie. which is AV data registered on the data collection device 150 side. This is a format of transmission data when mpg (2) is transmitted.
[0194]
Movie. As shown in FIG. mpg (1) transmission data and Movie. The URL is the same as the transmission data of mpg (2), but the data type (DATATYPE) of the data body part is different, so both are transmitted and stored in the data storage device 130.
[0195]
However, Movie. mpg (1) transmission data and Movie. The data size (DATASIZE), access method (ACCESS), and license (LISENSE) of the body part are different from the transmission data of mpg (2).
[0196]
As a result, when the client device 111 attempts to download the client device 111, the AV data in the MPEG1 format to which access is permitted is used. This brings about the same result as the case where the WWW server apparatus 140 is directly accessed through the first communication path 101 which is a normal communication path, except that the response speed is increased.
[0197]
On the other hand, when the client apparatus 111 tries to use high-quality AV data in a stream, MPEG2 format data is used. At this time, prior to access, the ISDN router 120, which is a communication relay device, confirms whether the client device 111 has acquired a license in advance, and if not, the user confirms whether to acquire the license, and there is an acquisition request. If you do, you will get a license.
At this time, charging for the use of AV data occurs.
[0198]
As a result, high-quality MPEG2 AV data is provided from the data storage device 130 to the client device 111 in a stream format through the second communication path. In this case, since the AV data is provided in a stream format, the device 111 cannot store the AV data. However, the user of the client device 111 can exchange high-quality AV data with high quality in exchange for charging. You can audition video and audio.
[0199]
In the case of the example in FIG. 13, the client device 511 is not connected to the router 120 which is an ISDN as a communication relay device, and therefore cannot receive provision of data provided from the data storage device 130. . When the client 511 also wants to use the data stored and held in the data storage device 130, the client 511 joins the LAN of the ISDN router 120, but the 511 side also has a device having a function as a communication relay device, A device having a function as a memory device may be provided.
[0200]
of course. The client device 511 has a function as a communication relay device and a function as a data storage device within one communication device by software, a function as a client device, a function as a communication relay device, and data An information communication system according to the present invention can also be constructed by mounting a function as a storage device.
[0201]
[Second Configuration Example]
Next, a second configuration example of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 15 is a block diagram for explaining a second configuration example of the information communication system according to this embodiment. In the case of the information communication system shown in FIG. 15 as well, the Web data stored in the WWW server device provided on the Internet 100 is browsed as in the case of the first configuration example shown in FIG. The information communication system according to the present invention is configured by using a so-called WWW system.
[0202]
In the case of the information communication system shown in FIG. 15, each client can be connected to the Internet through the ISDN network and ISP as in the case of the first configuration example shown in FIG. ing.
[0203]
The personal computer 211 implements functions as a client device, a communication relay device, and a data storage device. That is, as shown in FIG. 15, a browser 2111 executed in the personal computer 211 corresponds to the client device 10 shown in FIG. 1, and a communication relay module 220 configured as software in the personal computer 211 is shown in FIG. 1 corresponds to the communication relay device 20 shown in FIG. Further, the hard disk device 230 provided in the personal computer 211 corresponds to the data storage device 30 shown in FIG.
[0204]
As shown in FIG. 15, the WWW server device 240 corresponds to the server device of the server device group 40 shown in FIG. 1, and includes a data collection device 251, a CATV data broadcast facility 252, and a CATV broadcast facility 253. The group corresponds to the data collection device 50 shown in FIG.
[0205]
In the case of the information communication system shown in FIG. 15, the data collection device 251 uses CATV broadcasting as a route for providing data to the data storage device 230, and the data collected by the data collection device 251 The data is supplied to the hard disk device 230 through the CATV data broadcasting facility 252 and the CATV broadcasting facility 253. For this purpose, a cable modem 208 is connected to the personal computer 211 so that data broadcasting by cable television broadcasting can be received.
[0206]
Then, as shown in FIG. 15, the Internet connection by ISDN via ISP is connected to the first communication path 201, the fifth communication path corresponding to the first communication path 1 and the fifth communication path 5 shown in FIG. A communication path 205. Further, the inter-software communication between the Web browser 2111 and the communication relay module 220 corresponds to the second communication path 202 corresponding to the second communication path 2 shown in FIG.
[0207]
Further, the Internet connection is the third communication path 203 corresponding to the third communication path 3 shown in FIG. 1, and the data communication system via CATV corresponds to the fourth communication path shown in FIG. This corresponds to the second communication path. Also in this example, since the WWW system is used, the URL is used as the ID information for specifying the target provided data.
[0208]
In the information communication system shown in FIG. 15, a client device, a communication relay device, and a data on a personal computer 211 having two communication channels, that is, a communication channel via the Internet and a CATV broadcast communication channel. A storage device is realized, and many parts are realized as software.
[0209]
The communication between the WWW server device 240 and the browser 2111 is performed using the first communication path 201 through the ISP 260 and ISDN TA (TA is an abbreviation for terminal adapter) 270 → the communication relay module 220, This is performed through the communication path 202. That is, the communication between the WWW server device 240 and the browser 2111 is performed through the Internet 100 as in the information communication system of the first configuration example shown in FIG.
[0210]
However, transmission of data from the data collection device 251 is performed using a CATV communication system. Then, in a storage area provided in the hard disk device 230 of the personal computer 211, a set of ID information that the data collection device 251 preliminarily estimates and provided data corresponding to the ID information is stored.
[0211]
At this time, the CATV data communication system may be in a form for performing broadcast-type data communication or in a general communication form. In the case of a general communication mode, the communicable data capacity may change over time, so the data capacity assumed when estimating a set of ID information and provided data is estimated by the method described above. It can be changed dynamically.
[0212]
Also, in the case of a CATV cable network that is a general communication mode and only a private address can be given to communication devices on the client side, data cannot be sent from the data collection device side. Therefore, in such a case, the data collection device creates and stores data estimated for each client in advance, and in the case of the communication device on the client side, the information communication system shown in FIG. This can be sent in response to a request from the person.
[0213]
In the configuration example shown in FIG. 15, the communication relay module 220 is implemented as a proxy server. Of course, a similar mechanism may be realized by other methods.
[0214]
In particular, in the case of the information communication system shown in FIG. 15, the client device, the communication relay device, and the data storage device are mounted in the same device. It is also possible to refer to a corresponding area in the storage device, use the corresponding data if it exists, and actually perform communication via ISDN otherwise.
[0215]
[Third configuration example]
Next, a third configuration example of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 16 is a block diagram for explaining a third configuration example of the information communication system according to this embodiment. In the case of the information communication system shown in FIG. 16 as well, the Web stored in the Web server provided on the Internet 100 is the same as the first and second configuration examples shown in FIGS. The information communication system according to the present invention is configured using a so-called WWW system capable of browsing data.
[0216]
In the case of the information communication system shown in FIG. 16, each client connects to the Internet through the ISDN network and ISP as in the case of the first and second configuration examples shown in FIGS. Have been able to.
[0217]
In the information communication system shown in FIG. 16, as in the case of the information communication system in the first configuration example shown in FIG. 7, the personal computer 311 capable of executing a Web browser is connected to the client device group 10 shown in FIG. The ISDN router 320 corresponds to the communication relay device 20 shown in FIG. Further, the hard disk device 330 provided in the ISDN router 320 and functioning also as a cache system of the ISDN router 320 corresponds to the data storage device 30 shown in FIG.
[0218]
Further, as shown in FIG. 16, the WWW server device 140 corresponds to the server device of the server device group 40 shown in FIG. 1, and the data collection device 350 corresponds to the data collection device 50 shown in FIG.
[0219]
In the information communication system shown in FIG. 16, the Internet connection by ISDN via the ISP 190 is the first communication path 301 corresponding to the first communication path 1 shown in FIG. Also, the 100BaseT Ethernet connection is the second communication path 302 corresponding to the second communication path 2 shown in FIG.
[0220]
Further, the Internet connection is the third communication path 303 corresponding to the third communication path shown in FIG. 1. Similarly, the data collection device 350 and the ISDN router are connected to the Internet, and this is shown in FIG. A fourth communication path 304 and a fifth communication path 305 corresponding to the fourth communication path 4 and the fifth communication path 5. Also in this example, a URL is used as ID information for specifying provided data.
[0221]
In the configuration example shown in FIG. 16, the same communication path, that is, communication via the Internet, is used for the first communication path, the fourth communication path, and the fifth communication path.
[0222]
The first communication path is used only when the user is operating the browser on the client device side, and the browser uses the fourth communication path and the fifth communication path. It is a time zone different from the timing that has been set. For example, the user can instruct time zones used as the fourth communication path and the fifth communication path by setting in advance. That is, the time zone in which the data collection device 350 and the ISDN router 220 communicate can be set in advance.
[0223]
This is assumed to be used, for example, when a communication provider provides a communication service with a fixed amount or a low price for a user for a certain period of time. In the case of such a configuration, even if it is attempted to send data from the data collection device 350 side, even if the communication line via the ISP is disconnected or the communication line itself is connected, the communication relay device Since the network address on the 320 side is different each time, it is assumed that data may not be sent from the data collection device 350 side.
[0224]
In such a case, the data collection device 350 creates and stores data estimated for each client device in advance, and sends this data in response to a request from the communication relay device 320 side. Thus, the processing described above can be performed.
[0225]
[Fourth configuration example]
Next, a fourth configuration example of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 17 is a block diagram for explaining a fourth configuration example of the information communication system according to this embodiment. In the case of the information communication system shown in FIG. 17, a so-called PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) 411 which is a portable personal information communication terminal is used as a client device, and a user of the PDA 411 is used as a data collection device. For example, a personal computer 450 installed at home or the like is used.
[0226]
In the case of the information communication system shown in FIG. 17, the provided data is provided by the provided data prepared in the WWW server device provided on the Internet. An information communication system according to the present invention is configured using a mobile phone terminal communication system.
[0227]
In the information communication system shown in FIG. 17, the PDA 411 that can be executed by the Web browser corresponds to the client device of the client device group 10 shown in FIG. 1, and is realized by software executed in the PDA. The communication module 420 corresponds to the communication relay device 20 illustrated in FIG. A memory 430 having a relatively large storage capacity provided in the PDA 411 corresponds to the data storage device 30 shown in FIG. The memory 430 may be an external memory that can be attached to and detached from the PDA 411.
[0228]
In addition, as shown in FIG. 17, the WWW server device 440 corresponds to the server device of the server device group 40 shown in FIG. 1, and is provided with an ISDN communication unit 451 and a data collection module 452 realized by software. The computer 450 corresponds to the data collection device 50 shown in FIG.
[0229]
In the information communication system shown in FIG. 17, the communication path via the Internet 100 → the gateway 470 → the mobile phone communication network 400 → the mobile phone communication adapter 461 → the communication connector 462 becomes the first communication path 1 shown in FIG. This is the corresponding first communication path 401. In the PDA 411, the communication path between the Web browser and the communication relay module is the second communication path 402 corresponding to the second communication path 2 shown in FIG.
[0230]
In addition, the Internet connection via the ISP 480 is the third communication path 403 corresponding to the third communication path shown in FIG. 1, and the communication path via the personal computer 450 and the USB (Universal Serial Bus) via the cradle is illustrated. 4 is a fourth communication path 404 corresponding to the fourth communication path 4 shown in FIG. 1 and a fifth communication path 405 corresponding to the fifth communication path 5. Also in this example, a URL is used as ID information for specifying provided data.
[0231]
In the information communication system shown in FIG. 17, the cradle 463 is provided for data communication between the personal computer 450 and the PDA 411, and is a communication device on which the PDA 411 can be installed. The cradle 463 is connected to the personal computer 450 by USB. Has been.
[0232]
When the PDA 411 is placed on the cradle 463, the PDA 411 is connected to the communication connector 461 built in the PDA 411, and is automatically connected to the personal computer 450 via USB to establish communication. For example, various data in the PDA 411 can be updated.
[0233]
The communication connector 461 built in the PDA 411 can also be connected to the mobile phone communication adapter 462. In this case, the PDA 411 is connected to the mobile phone communication network 400, the mobile phone communication network 400, and the Internet 100. By connecting via the gateway 470 for connecting to the Internet, it is possible to connect to the Internet wirelessly and realize Internet communication.
[0234]
In a state where the PDA 411 is not connected to the personal computer 450 through the cradle 463, the PDA 411 is connected to the Internet through the first communication path 401, and can obtain target provision data from the WWW server 440.
[0235]
However, as described with reference to FIG. 1, if necessary data exists in the memory (data storage device) 430 in the PDA 411 at this time, the communication relay module preferentially uses this data. To do. The data stored in the memory 430 inside the PDA 411 corresponding to the data storage device is updated while the PDA 411 is placed in the cradle 463.
[0236]
Prior to this, the data collection module 452 implemented as software on the personal computer 450 predicts provided data that is likely to be used in the browser of the PDA 411 in advance, and in advance via the ISP 480 that is the third communication path. Data is collected from the WWW server 440 via the Internet communication.
[0237]
Further, the estimation process in the data collection module 452 uses access history information transmitted from the communication relay module 420 of the PDA 411 in communication via the cradle which is also the fifth communication path. By constructing the information communication system shown in FIG. 17, comfortable web browsing can be performed even in a severely restricted usage environment such as data communication using a PDA and a mobile phone.
[0238]
In other words, the necessary provision data can be quickly provided by receiving the necessary provision data from the WWW server apparatus on the spot, or by providing the provision data that would be necessary from the WWW server apparatus in advance. Can be used. Since the provision data that will be required is received in advance from the WWW server device, it is not necessary to access the WWW server device every time the provision data is requested. Can be reduced and the response of the response can be improved.
[0239]
As described above, in each communication system according to the above-described embodiment, the provision data that is highly likely to be requested by the user is estimated in advance, and the data storage device connected to the communication relay device is connected to the broadcast communication channel. For example, the response speed can be improved and the communication line can be used efficiently by sending it through another communication path.
[0240]
In the above-described embodiment, as the client device, each main information communication device having a communication function such as a personal computer (PC), a PDA, or a notebook portable personal computer can be used as the client device.
[0241]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to greatly improve the response speed when receiving provided data provided on various networks, and the load is large due to a problem with transmission capacity. It is possible to significantly reduce the load on the conventional communication path for the provided data.
[0242]
In addition, since the target data can be provided and used quickly, audio data, video data, and complex data such as AV data such as movies are processed in real time. Can be used.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining an embodiment of an information communication system according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining an estimation process of provided data to be collected performed in the data collection apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a process of narrowing provided data to be performed in the data collection apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
4 is a flowchart for explaining received received data storage processing performed in the data storage device shown in FIG. 1; FIG.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining processing for determining necessity of stored provision data performed in the data storage device shown in FIG. 1;
6 is a flowchart for explaining processing performed in the communication relay device shown in FIG. 1; FIG.
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a first configuration example of an information communication system according to the present invention;
8 is a diagram for explaining a method for a provider of provided data to limit a provider of provided data in the information communication system shown in FIG. 7; FIG.
9 is a diagram for explaining transmission data transmitted from a data collection device to a data storage device in the information communication system shown in FIG. 7;
10 is a diagram for explaining each item of transmission data shown in FIG. 9; FIG.
FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of a detailed format of the data body part shown in FIG. 9;
12 is a diagram for explaining another example of the detailed format of the data body part shown in FIG. 9; FIG.
13 is a diagram for explaining an extended function for AV data of the information communication system shown in FIG. 7; FIG.
14 is a diagram for explaining a format of transmission data transmitted from the data collection device to the data storage device in the information communication system shown in FIG. 13; FIG.
FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining a second configuration example of the information communication system according to the present invention;
FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining a third configuration example of the information communication system according to the present invention;
FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining a fourth configuration example of the information communication system according to the present invention;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... 1st communication path, 2 ... 2nd communication path, 3 ... 3rd communication path, 4 ... 4th communication path, 5 ... 5th communication path, 10 ... Client device group, 11, 12, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 ... Client apparatus, 20 ... Communication relay apparatus, 30 ... Data storage apparatus, 40 ... Server apparatus group, 41, 42, 43 ... Server apparatus, 50 ... Data collection apparatus

Claims (20)

One or more server devices;
One or more client devices;
At least one communication relay device,
A first communication path connecting the server device and the communication relay device;
A second communication path for connecting the communication relay device and the client device;
An information communication system having a function of transmitting identification information of target provided data from the client device, the server device determining the provided data corresponding to the identification information, and providing the determined data to the requesting client device In
A data collection device that estimates provision data that may be requested through the client device and collects the data from the server device through a third communication path connected to the server device;
Data that receives and stores a set of the provision data collected by the data collection device and the identification information of the provision data through a fourth communication path connected to the data collection device A storage device and
When the provision data corresponding to the identification information from the client device is stored in the data storage means, the communication relay device acquires the provision data from the data storage device, and Information provided to the client device as a request source through a communication path, and a method of transmitting the provided data to the client device is changed in accordance with the type of the provided data to be provided to the client device. Communications system. The information communication system according to claim 1,
The communication relay device is:
Information related to the identification information transmitted from the client device can be transmitted to the data collection device through a fifth communication path immediately or at regular intervals after being stored inside,
Data collection device
An information communication system characterized in that provided data to be acquired from the server device is estimated based on the information related to the identification information transmitted from the communication relay device. An information communication system according to claim 2,
The data collection device includes:
The provision data to be acquired from the server device through the first communication path is inferred in consideration of both of the held information and the information that can be newly acquired from the other, or one of them. An information communication system. The information communication system according to claim 1,
The information communication system, wherein the fourth communication path is a broadcast type. An information communication system according to claim 4,
The data collection device includes:
Data selection key information is further given to the set of the identification information and the provision data corresponding thereto, and these can be provided to the data storage device,
The data storage device comprises:
The provision data from the data collection device is selectively stored based on the data selection key information given to the provision data provided from the data collection device. Information communication system. An information communication system according to claim 5,
The data collection device includes:
An information communication system, characterized in that a data selection key information list for determining the provision data to be selectively stored by the data storage device is provided in advance. The information communication system according to claim 1,
The data storage device comprises:
It has a function to determine the necessity of provided data already stored,
When storing the new provision data sent from the data collection device through the fourth communication path, the new provision data is obtained from the provision data having the lowest necessity among the provision data already stored. An information communication system, wherein a number of the provided data corresponding to a size necessary for storage is deleted. An information communication system according to claim 7,
The data storage device comprises:
The necessity determination of the provision data already stored, the time since the provision data was sent, the number of times the provision data was provided to the client device, information about the server device that acquired the provision data, An information communication system, which is performed using at least one of the size of provided data and the type of the data. An information communication system according to claim 7,
The data collection device includes:
Information regarding a period during which the provided data should exist in the data storage device can be further attached to the set of the identification information to be provided and the corresponding provided data,
Data storage device
An information communication system, wherein provision data to be erased is determined based on information relating to the period of time from the information collection device. The information communication system according to claim 1,
The fourth communication path is
The amount of data that can be communicated per hour varies.
The data collection means includes
An information communication system, wherein a set of the identification information to be sent and the provided data corresponding thereto is changed in response to a change in a data capacity transmitted through the fourth communication path. The information communication system according to claim 1,
The fourth communication path is
The time for communication is limited in advance,
The data collection means includes
An information communication system characterized by having a function of changing a set of the identification information to be sent and the provision data corresponding thereto corresponding to a length of time during which communication is possible through the fourth communication path. The information communication system according to claim 1,
The data collection device includes:
When collecting the set of the identification information and the provided data corresponding to the identification information through the third communication path, an update date and time of the data can be further given.
The communication relay device is:
When the provided data corresponding to the identification information provided from the client device through the second communication path exists in the data storage device, the server device is connected to the server via the first communication path. The identification information is sent, the update date and time of the provision data corresponding thereto is acquired, and if the update date and time given to the provision data stored in the data storage device is newer, the first communication path An information communication system having a function of acquiring the corresponding provision data from the server device through the client device and sending the provision data to the client device. The information communication system according to claim 1,
The data collection device includes:
When collecting the set of the identification information and the provided data corresponding to the identification information through the third communication path, an update date and time of the data can be further given.
The communication relay device is:
When the provision data corresponding to the identification information provided from the client device via the second communication path exists in the data storage device, the stored provision data is immediately stored in the client device. Is sent to the server device, and then the identification information is transmitted to the server device via the first communication path so as to obtain the update date and time of the corresponding provided data, and stored in the data storage device. A function of acquiring the corresponding provision data from the server device through the first communication path and transmitting the data to the requesting client device when the update date and time given to the provision data is newer Have
The client device is
An information communication system having a function of replacing provision data corresponding to the transmitted identification information once when the provision data corresponding to the transmitted identification information is provided again. The information communication system according to claim 1,
The client device is
When allowing the user to select the provision data corresponding to the identification information, the identification information is sent to the communication relay device via the second communication path,
The communication relay device is:
Determining whether provided data corresponding to the provided identification information exists in the data storage device, and sending a determination result to the client device through the second communication path;
The client device is
An information communication system having a function of changing a display format when providing the provision data corresponding to the identification information to a user based on the determination result. The information communication system according to claim 1,
The data collection device includes:
An information communication system having a function of using high-quality provision data that is stored in advance as the provision data corresponding to the identification information. The information communication system according to claim 1 ,
The communication relay device is:
When the provided data provided to the client device can be transmitted only in a stream format, the provided data is transmitted only in a stream format. The information communication system according to claim 1,
A billing server connected to the communication relay device through a sixth communication path;
The communication relay device is:
For each piece of provision data provided to the client device, the identification information and the number of times of provision are transmitted to the accounting server device through the sixth communication path immediately or at regular intervals,
The billing server device
An information communication system having a function of performing a charging process based on the identification information from the communication relay device and the number of times of provision. An information communication system according to claim 17 ,
The sixth communication path and the billing server apparatus are prepared for a billing process in a cable channel broadcast or a communication path and billing server apparatus prepared for an overcharge process in a communication satellite system. An information communication system using a communication path and a billing server device. An information communication system according to claim 17 ,
The billing server
It has a function of counting the identification information sent from all client devices and the number of times of use, holds information about the provider of the data identified by the identification information, and provides the information based on the counting result An information communication system having a function of calculating a charge amount for each person. The information communication system according to claim 1,
The data collection device includes:
Prior to data collection, the data acquired from the server device, or the provision data corresponding to other identification information determined based on the identification information, or registered in the data collection device in advance An information communication system characterized by having a function of collecting data based on information provision intention display information added to provided data that has been stored.

Images