JP4629345B2 - User terminal and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for distributing information using communication between terminals.

  With the modernization of network technology, a content distribution system using P2P (Peer to Peer) or the like in which client terminals exchange data in an equal relationship without using a server is considered.

  In conventional content distribution systems, there are storage rules that define conditions for storing content information in the terminal based on user preference information, and conditions for transmitting content information to other terminals based on regional information, etc. The specified distribution rules have to be changed consciously in accordance with changes in the environment in which the terminal exists. In other words, when the environment in which the terminal exists changes, a business operator or a user who distributes content information needs to manually change the setting of various rules. As described above, changing the setting of various rules in accordance with the environment that changes from moment to moment has been a heavy burden on both the business operator and the user.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and various rules for distributing information using communication between terminals based on presence information regarding an environment in which a terminal used by a user exists. It is an object of the present invention to provide a distribution system capable of automatically reflecting changes in the environment in various rules by changing.

One aspect of the present invention is a user terminal having a storage area for storing information and capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from an access point and other user terminals, wherein the storage area is used for other purposes. A common area for storing information for distribution to a user terminal, and the common area includes a content information area for storing content information for distribution to another user terminal and the user terminal. A presence information area for storing presence information related to the environment, wherein the user terminal stores distribution content information for distribution to the other user terminal in the content information area. Content information distribution rule acquisition means for acquiring a content information distribution rule that defines conditions for selection from information, and a plurality of the content information Content information acquisition means for acquiring information, content information area storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of content information in the content information area, and all content information stored in the content information area. A selection means for selecting the distribution content information based on the determined condition, a distribution means for distributing the distribution content selected by the selection means to another user terminal, and a reference based on the presence information, Presence information processing rule acquisition means for acquiring from the access point a presence information processing rule that defines processing for changing the content information distribution rule, and presence information acquisition for acquiring the presence information from the access point or another user terminal Means and the presence information A reference determination unit that determines whether the presence information acquired by the presence information acquisition unit matches the reference, and the reference determination unit determines that the reference determination unit matches the reference. Content information distribution rule changing means for changing the content information distribution rule based on the processing associated with the presence information area storage means for storing the presence information acquired by the presence information acquisition means in the presence information area; The selection unit selects the distribution content information based on the conditions defined in the content information distribution rule changed by the content information distribution rule change unit.

  The user terminal configured as described above has a common area for storing information distributed between user terminals. The common area further includes a content information area for storing content information and a presence information area for storing presence information. First, the user terminal stores the received content information in the content information area of the common area. Further, the user terminal stores the received presence information in the presence information area of the common area. Further, the user terminal determines whether or not the presence information matches any of the criteria of the presence information processing rule. If the presence information matches, the content information distribution rule is determined based on the processing associated with the criterion. Change the setting. Here, presence information is information relating to the environment in which the user terminal exists. Thereafter, the user terminal selects the distribution content information based on the presence information and the content information distribution rule changed in accordance with the presence information processing rule, and distributes it to other user terminals.

  According to this, it is possible to easily change the content information distribution rule by referring to the presence information processing rule based on the presence information. That is, the content information distribution rule can be easily changed with a change in the environment where the user terminal exists.

  In one aspect of the user terminal, based on the common area management rule, a common area management rule obtaining unit that obtains a common area management rule that regulates control over the content information area and the presence information area constituting the common area. , A common area control means for controlling the content information area and the presence information area constituting the common area, and the presence information processing rule is a process for changing the common area management rule in association with a reference based on the presence information. A common area management rule changing means for changing the common area management rule based on a process associated with the reference when the reference determining means determines that the reference is met. The common area control means is changed by the common area management rule changing means. Controlling the content information area and the presence information region constituting the common area based on the conditions specified in the common area management rules.

  The user terminal configured as described above determines whether or not the presence information matches any of the criteria of the presence information processing rule, and if it matches, based on the processing associated with the criteria. Change the common area management rule settings. Thereafter, the user terminal controls the content information area and the presence information area constituting the common area based on the common area management rule changed according to the presence information and presence information processing rule. According to this, the common area management rule can be easily changed by referring to the presence information processing rule based on the presence information. That is, the common area management rule can be easily changed with a change in the environment in which the user terminal exists.

  In another aspect of the user terminal, the presence information processing rule is set by a provider that provides the content information to the user terminal. According to this, the business operator can arbitrarily change the content information distribution rule and the common area management rule with the change of the environment where the user terminal exists by using the presence information processing rule.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program executed by a computer having a storage area for storing information and capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from an access point and other user terminals, the storage area being , Including a common area for storing information for distribution to other user terminals, the common area including a content information area for storing content information for distribution to other user terminals, and the user A presence information area for storing presence information relating to an environment in which the terminal exists, wherein the program stores distribution content information for distribution to the other user terminal in the content information area. Content information distribution rule acquisition that acquires the content information distribution rule that defines the conditions for selecting from the selected content information Means, content information acquisition means for acquiring a plurality of pieces of content information, content information area storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of content information in the content information area, and the content information from all content information stored in the content information area. Selection means for selecting the distribution content information based on the conditions stipulated in the information distribution rule, distribution means for distributing the distribution content selected by the selection means to other user terminals, corresponding to the criteria based on the presence information In addition , presence information processing rule acquisition means for acquiring a presence information processing rule defining a process for changing the content information distribution rule from the access point, presence for acquiring the presence information from the access point or another user terminal Information acquisition means, When the presence information processing rules are referred to and the presence determination information acquired by the presence information acquisition unit is determined to match the reference, the reference determination unit determines whether the reference information matches the reference. Content information distribution rule changing means for changing the content information distribution rule based on processing associated with the reference, presence information area storage means for storing presence information acquired by the presence information acquisition means in the presence information area , And the selection unit selects the distribution content information based on a condition defined in the content information distribution rule changed by the content information distribution rule change unit.

  By executing the above program by a computer, the above-described user terminal can be realized. Moreover, each aspect of the above-described user terminal can be realized in the same manner.

  According to the present invention, based on presence information related to an environment in which a terminal used by a user exists, various rules for distributing information using communication between terminals are changed, thereby changing the environment. It can be automatically reflected in various rules.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the distribution system in which each terminal operates autonomously, various rules for distributing content information can be automatically changed based on presence information regarding an environment in which each terminal exists. Specifically, the present invention can be used in a distribution system in which a plurality of user terminals capable of wireless communication operate autonomously.

[Distribution system]
First, the distribution system according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of the distribution system. A distribution system 100 shown in FIG. 1 distributes various content information widely and uniformly by autonomously operating a plurality of user terminals and repeatedly performing wireless communication.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the distribution system 100, the access point 3 and the server 4 are communicably connected through a network 2. One preferred example of network 2 is the Internet. The access point 3 has a function of having a large-capacity storage for distributing information and performing communication (LAN, WAN, etc.) with the back end. The server 4 is connected to a content information database (hereinafter referred to as “DB”) 5 and a presence information DB 6.

  In the distribution system 100, the access point 3, the user terminal 20, and the user terminal 21 are connected to each other so as to be capable of wireless communication. For convenience, FIG. 1 shows 3 as an access point and 2 and 20 and 21 as user terminals, but the distribution system 100 is not limited to these, and a plurality of access points and a plurality of user terminals are shown. Assume that a user terminal is included as a component. As wireless communication, various methods including infrared communication and Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used, and Bluetooth is applied in this embodiment. In the present invention, when wireless communication is infrared communication, the access point is an infrared port, and when wireless communication is an IC tag, the access point is an IC tag reader / writer.

  First, an outline of a method for distributing content information in this system will be described. The access point 3 constituting the distribution system 100 is an information distribution terminal that is installed in association with an advertisement or the like that attracts the user's interest and distributes content information associated with the advertisement to a plurality of user terminals. . When the access point 3 confirms that the user terminal exists in the communicable area, the access point 3 distributes the content information to the user terminal. A plurality of access points 3 are installed, from which various pieces of content information are distributed to the user terminals. Further, the access point 3 distributes presence information related to the environment in which the access point 3 exists to the user terminals existing in the communicable area.

  The access point 3 acquires various content information from the server 4 via the network 2. The server 4 stores and manages content information distributed to each access point 3 in the content information DB 5. Further, the access point 3 acquires presence information from the server 4 via the network 2. The server 4 stores and manages information related to the environment in which each access point 3 exists in the presence information DB 6. Each user terminal assumes that the presence information acquired from the access point 3 or another user terminal is information related to the environment in which the terminal is present. Therefore, an expiration date or the like is set in the presence information for the purpose of restricting the distribution area.

  The user terminal 20 stores the content information acquired from the access point 3 or another user terminal in the content information area of the common area. Then, the user terminal 20 determines whether to copy the content information and store it in the user area based on a storage rule set in advance by the user. The content information stored in the user area based on the determination result can be browsed freely on the user terminal 20 by the user. The user sets user area management rules for controlling the user area in advance, and the user terminal 20 performs control such as deletion of content information stored in the user area according to the user area management rule depending on the situation. Do.

  The user terminal 20 acquires and stores the content information distribution rule, the control information distribution rule, and the common area management rule from the server 4 via the access point 3 or another user terminal in advance. Based on the acquired content information distribution rule, the user terminal 20 selects distribution content information to be distributed to other user terminals from all the content information stored in the common area. Further, the user terminal 20 adjusts the ratio of the content information area, the presence information area, and the control information area that constitute the common area based on the acquired common area management rule. Although details will be described later, the control information is information defining control for various rules, and the content information distribution rule and the common area management rule are reset by the control information.

  Specifically, when it is confirmed that another user terminal exists in the communicable area, the user terminal 20 distributes the distribution content information to the other user terminal based on the content information distribution rule. Also, control information and presence information are distributed to the other user terminals under certain conditions.

  Further, the user terminal 20 has a presence information processing rule that defines a process for changing various rules in association with a reference based on presence information. Although the details of this presence information processing rule will be described later, the process for changing the accumulation rule and the user area management rule is set by the user. The process for changing the content information distribution rule and the common area management rule is as follows. This is set by the business operator who manages the server 4. The user terminal 20 acquires presence information from the access point 3 or another user terminal and stores it in the presence information area within the common area. Then, the user terminal 20 specifies processing for changing various rules by referring to the presence information processing rule based on the presence information. Then, the user terminal 20 changes various rules based on the identified process. That is, presence information is information for changing various rules indirectly through presence information processing rules, unlike control information. The user terminal 20 that has changed various rules based on the presence information distributes information based on the changed various rules.

  Note that the user terminal 20 distributes presence information within the expiration date to other user terminals. In other words, presence information is circulated among user terminals within a certain limit of an expiration date.

  In this way, the user terminal acquires various content information, presence information, and control information from the access point 3 and other user terminals. Then, the content information, presence information, and control information stored in the common area are further distributed to other user terminals based on various distribution rules. Further, by referring to the presence information processing rule based on the presence information, various rules are changed according to a change in the environment where the user terminal exists. And a user terminal distributes information based on various rules after change. By repeating this, in the distribution system 100, various types of information are exchanged between user terminals in accordance with environmental changes.

[server]
Next, the server 4 will be described in detail. The server 4 is connected to the content information DB 5 and distributes various content information stored in the content information DB 5 to the user terminal via the access point 3. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the data structure of the content information DB 5. As shown in FIG. 2, the content information DB 5 stores and manages content data and additional information using the content information ID as a key. Here, the content data is content main body information necessary for browsing the content information on the user terminal. The additional information is information associated with the content data, and details will be described later.

  The server 4 is connected to the presence information DB 6, and distributes various presence information stored in the presence information DB 6 to the user terminal via the access point 3. The presence information DB 6 stores and manages information about the environment in which the access point exists, using an access point ID that is identification information of the access point as a key. Specifically, the information on the environment where the access point exists is that the place where the access point exists is “near the shopping street”.

  Note that the presence information is not limited to fixed information such as information relating to areas that can be grasped in advance, but may be fluid information such as traffic jam information and weather information around the access point. In this case, the server 4 obtains traffic information and weather information at the current time from a predetermined information organization and provides the information to the user terminal via each access point. Various methods such as a method of calculating and providing to the user terminal can be applied.

[User terminal]
Next, the user terminal will be described in detail. First, the internal configuration of the user terminal will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 shows the internal configuration of the user terminal 20 in the distribution system 100 of the present invention. Since the user terminal 21 has the same internal configuration as the user terminal 20, a description thereof will be omitted for the sake of convenience.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the user terminal 20 includes a storage area 201, a common area processing function 207, a common area management rule storage function 208, a user area processing function 209, a user area management rule storage function 210, a display function 211, and an accumulation. It has a processing function 212, an accumulation rule storage function 213, a presence information processing function 214, a presence information processing rule storage function 215, a wireless communication function 216, a distribution processing function 217, and a distribution rule storage function 218.

  The storage area 201 includes a user area 202 and a common area 203, and the common area 203 further includes a content information area 204, a presence information area 205, and a control information area 206. The distribution rule storage function 218 stores a content information distribution rule 219 and a control information distribution rule 220.

  The common area 203 is an area for storing content information, presence information, and control information received by the wireless communication function 216, which will be described later, from the access point 3 and other user terminals. The content information stored in the content information area 204 of the common area 203, the presence information stored in the presence information area 205, and the control information stored in the control information area 206 are transmitted by the distribution processing function 217 and the wireless communication function 216 described later. And delivered to other user terminals existing in the communicable area. That is, in the present invention, the user terminal repeats “reception”, “store in common area”, and “distribution” for various types of information, so that various types of information are accumulated and propagated among a plurality of user terminals. Can be formed. In principle, the common area 203 is an area that the user is not aware of, and operation editing by the user is restricted. That is, it is assumed that the user does not perform operations such as copying and displaying various information stored in the common area 203. Thereby, the reliability of various information, especially content information, and the public property of a common area can be maintained.

  The user area 202 is an area for storing content information that matches the user's preference. Unlike the content information stored in the content information area 204, the content information stored in the user area 202 is edited by the user. That is, the user performs an operation such as copying or displaying the content information stored in the user area 202. Of the content information received by the wireless communication function 216, which will be described later, from the access point 3 and other user terminals, only the content information that matches the accumulation rule is duplicated in the content information area 204 and stored in the user area 202. . In principle, copying of content information from the user area 202 to the content information area 204 is not permitted. Thereby, it is possible to prevent content information collected based on the user's preference from leaking and leaking information that can be used to guess the personal preference. It is also possible to prevent the distribution of content information that has been illegally created or acquired.

  The common area processing function 207 is a function for controlling the three areas of the content area 203, the presence information area 205, and the control information area 206 that constitute the common area 203 based on the common area management rule.

  The common area management rule storage function 208 is a function for storing common area management rules created by the server 4 and distributed by exchanging between the access point 3 and other user terminals in the same manner as the content information. The common area management rule defines the control to be performed on the three areas constituting the common area 203, and details will be described later.

  The user area processing function 209 is a function for controlling the capacity of content information stored in the user area 202 based on the user area management rules.

  The user area management rule storage function 210 is a function for storing user area management rules created by the user. The user area management rule defines the control performed on the content information stored in the user area according to the accumulation rule, and will be described in detail later.

  The display function 211 is a function for displaying content information stored in the user area 202 on the user terminal 20. Thereby, the user can freely display and browse the content information stored in the user area 202 on the user terminal 20.

  The accumulation processing function 212 is a function for copying only the content information that matches the accumulation rule from the content information stored in the content information area 204 of the common area 203 and storing it in the user area 202.

  The accumulation rule storage function 213 is a function that stores an accumulation rule that the user terminal 20 creates consciously or automatically by the user terminal 20 based on the user's preference. The accumulation rule defines conditions for duplicating the content information stored in the content information area 204 of the common area 203 and storing it in the user area, details of which will be described later.

  The presence information processing function 214 is a function for determining whether information acquired by the wireless communication function 216, which will be described later, is presence information, and whether the information is within the expiration date when it is presence information. When the presence information is within the expiration date, the user terminal 20 transmits the presence information to another user terminal by the wireless communication function 216. The presence information processing function 214 is a function for changing various rules according to changes in the environment by referring to presence information processing rules described later based on the presence information.

  The presence information processing rule storage function 215 is a function for storing presence information processing rules set by the business operator or the user who manages the server 4. Presence information processing rules define processing for changing various rules in association with criteria based on presence information, details of which will be described later.

  The wireless communication function 216 transmits / receives content information, presence information, control information, various distribution rules and various area management rules from the access point 3 and other user terminals, and distributes distribution content information to other user terminals. It is a function to do. The wireless communication function 216 is a function for performing a neighborhood search, which is a search for whether or not another user terminal exists within the communicable area of the user terminal 20.

  The distribution processing function 217 stores content information, presence information, and control information received from the access point 3 and other user terminals in each area of the common area 203, and stored in the content information area 204 of the common area 203. This is a function for selecting distribution content information to be distributed to other user terminals from all the content information based on the content information distribution rule and distributing it by the wireless communication function 216. Also, the control information is distributed to other user terminals by the wireless communication function 216 based on the control information distribution rule.

  The distribution rule storage function 213 is a function that stores various distribution rules created by the server 4 and distributed by exchanging between the access point 3 and other user terminals in the same manner as the content information. The distribution rules include a content information distribution rule 219 and a control information distribution rule 220, details of which will be described later.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the distribution of various types of information in the user terminal will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is a diagram conceptually showing the distribution of various types of information in the user terminal 20 of the distribution system 100. The user terminal 20 stores content information received from the access point 3 or another user terminal in the content information area 204 of the common area 203, presence information in the presence information area 205, and control information in the control information area 206. . The user area processing function 209 controls the capacity of the content information stored in the user area 202 based on the user area management rule. Further, the common area processing function 207 controls the capacity of the content information area 204, presence information area 205, and control information area 206 constituting the common area 203 based on the common area management rule.

  Then, the accumulation processing function 212 of the user terminal 20 duplicates the content information that matches the conditions defined in the accumulation rule from the content information stored in the content information area 204 and stores it in the user area 202. Further, the distribution processing function 217 of the user terminal 20 selects distribution content information from the content information stored in the content information area 204 based on the conditions defined in the content information distribution rule. Then, the distribution processing function 217 and the wireless communication function 216 distribute various information including distribution content information to other user terminals existing in the communicable area of the user terminal. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the user terminal 20 distributes content information through the content information band and distributes control information through the control information band.

  Here, the band is an exit when various types of information are distributed to other user terminals. Specifically, the bandwidth is not physically different, but the information flowing according to the priority order based on time and frequency is different. That is, the difference between the bands is that the type of information flowing is different, and the band in the user terminal plays a role of distinguishing various information and securing and adjusting the amount of information when distributing.

  The presence information processing function 214 refers to presence information processing rules that are set in advance by a business operator or user based on the presence information acquired by the wireless communication function 216, thereby managing the user area. The rule, the accumulation rule, the common area management rule, and the content information distribution rule are changed. That is, various rules are changed according to changes in the environment in which the user terminal 20 exists. After the various rules are changed by the presence information processing function 214, the user area processing function 209, the accumulation processing function 212, the common area processing function 207, and the distribution processing function 217 perform respective processes based on the changed various rules. .

[Various rules]
Next, various rules will be described.

(I) Common area management rule First, the common area management rule will be described in detail. The common area management rule defines control for three areas constituting the common area. For example, as a common area management rule, when content information satisfying a certain condition is stored in a predetermined area, a TTL (Time to live) value set as additional information of content information satisfies a predetermined condition. It is specified that the content information received from other user terminals is deleted according to the state of the free space, etc., if it is satisfied. The common area processing function 207 of the user terminal controls the content information area 204, presence information area 205, and control information area 206 that constitute the common area 203 based on such rules.

  FIG. 5 shows a common area management rule list. The common area management rule list is composed of standards and processes as shown in the figure. The common area management rule is defined so that the common area processing function 207 of the user terminal performs a predetermined process according to a predetermined standard. That is, the server 4 creates a common area management rule by arbitrarily combining the criteria and processing as shown in FIG. 5, and the common area processing function 207 performs a predetermined process according to a predetermined standard as the common area management rule. Can be prescribed to do.

  Here, an example of the common area management rule will be specifically described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, as a common area management rule, the common area processing function 207 assigns the corresponding content information to the common area 203 according to the criterion “content information having a size of 500 KB or more when the free area of the user area is equal to or less than a certain value”. The content information area 204 can be defined to be deleted. Similarly, it can be defined that the process associated with the common area processing function 207 is performed according to the illustrated standard.

  Note that the server 4 can specify that the common area processing function 207 performs arbitrary processing according to arbitrary criteria other than those described in FIG. 5.

(Ii) User Area Management Rule Next, the user area management rule will be described in detail. The user area management rule defines control for the user area 202. For example, according to the user area management rule, when content information satisfying a certain condition is stored in the user area 202, the content information is deleted based on a predetermined condition. It is specified that content information is deleted based on conditions. The user area processing function 209 of the user terminal controls the user area 204 based on such rules.

(Iii) Distribution rules Next, distribution rules will be described in detail. There are two types of distribution rules: content information distribution rules and control information distribution rules.

  First, content information distribution rules will be described. The content information distribution rule defines conditions for selecting distribution content information to be distributed to other user terminals from content information stored in the content information area 204 constituting the common area 203. The present invention is characterized in that the distribution content information selected based on the content information distribution rule is PUSH-type distributed to other user terminals existing in the communicable area of the user terminal. Therefore, the distribution processing function 217 of the user terminal performs the PUSH type distribution based on the content information distribution rule without performing the PULL type distribution. The PUSH type distribution is a method of distributing content information to other user terminals existing in the communicable area regardless of whether there is a request for content information from the other user terminals. On the other hand, the PULL type distribution is a method of distributing content information corresponding to the request only when there is a request for content information from another user terminal.

  FIG. 6 shows a content information distribution rule list. The content information distribution rule list is composed of criteria, processing, and purpose as shown in the figure. The content information distribution rule is defined such that the distribution processing function 217 of the user terminal performs a predetermined process according to a predetermined standard. That is, the server 4 creates a content information distribution rule by arbitrarily combining the criteria and processing as shown in FIG. 6, and the distribution processing function 217 performs a predetermined process according to a predetermined criterion as the content information distribution rule. Can be defined as follows. Here, an example of the content information distribution rule will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

  As the content information distribution rule, the distribution processing function 217 randomly selects content information from all the content information stored in the content information area 204 constituting the common area 203 according to the criterion “random”, and the distribution content information It can be specified that the message is distributed to other user terminals. According to this, all the contents stored in the common area can be uniformly distributed to other user terminals without deviation. Similarly, the distribution processing function 217 can be defined to perform processing associated with the illustrated standard.

  Note that the server 4 can specify that the distribution processing function 217 performs an arbitrary process according to an arbitrary standard other than those described in FIG. 6.

  Next, the control information distribution rule will be described. The control information distribution rule defines the distribution of control information. For example, the control information is preferentially distributed to other user terminals existing in the communicable area of the user terminal based on a specific command.

(Iv) Accumulation rule Next, the accumulation rule will be described in detail. The accumulation rule defines conditions for copying content information stored in the content information area 204 of the common area 203 and storing it in the user area 202. The accumulation rule may be created by consciously inputting a field in which the user is interested in advance, or automatically based on user attribute information acquired in advance by the user terminal. It is good also as creating by setting to. Since the storage processing function 212 of the user terminal copies and stores only the content information that matches the conditions specified in the storage rule from the content information area 204 to the user area 202, the user area 202 has a user preference. Only the matching content information is stored.

  FIG. 7 shows a list of accumulation rules. As shown in the figure, the accumulation rule list is composed of standards and processes. The accumulation rule is defined such that the accumulation processing function 212 of the user terminal performs a predetermined process according to a predetermined standard. That is, the user or the user terminal 20 creates an accumulation rule by arbitrarily combining the criteria and processing as shown in FIG. 7, and the accumulation processing function 212 performs predetermined processing according to the predetermined criteria as the accumulation rule. Can be prescribed to do.

  Here, an example of the accumulation rule will be specifically described with reference to FIG. As a storage rule, the storage processing function 212 copies content information including xx as the file name from all the content information stored in the content information area 204 according to the criterion “include xx in the file name”. , It can be defined to be stored in the user area 202. An arbitrary character string can be defined in “XX”. Similarly, it can be specified that the accumulation processing function 212 performs processing associated with the illustrated standard.

  Note that the user or the user terminal can specify that the storage processing function 212 performs an arbitrary process according to an arbitrary standard other than those described in FIG.

(V) Presence Information Processing Rule Next, the presence information processing rule will be described in detail. The presence information processing rule defines a process for changing various rules in association with a reference based on presence information acquired from the access point 3 or another user terminal. There are three possible combinations of a plurality of criteria and a plurality of processing contents in the presence information processing rule: one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many. As the various criteria, various criteria such as a keyword search criterion and a criterion such as comparison of numerical values (processing is permitted when it is lower or higher than a threshold) can be applied.

  In addition, the presence information processing rule that defines the processing for changing the user area management rule and the accumulation rule is set by the user who uses the user terminal and is held by the user terminal. As a method for setting the presence information processing rule by the user, it is conceivable to use a push button or a GUI. On the other hand, the presence information processing rule that defines the processing for changing the common area management rule and the content information distribution rule is set by the business operator who manages the server 4 and is provided from the server 4 to the user terminal in the same manner as the content information. .

  In the above embodiment, the presence information processing rule set by the operator is provided from the server 4 to the user terminal in the same manner as the content information. However, the present invention is not limited to this, It may be set as a default in the user terminal in advance.

  FIG. 8 shows a list of presence information processing rules. As shown in the figure, the presence information processing rule list includes a reference and a process. The presence information processing rule is defined such that the presence information processing function 214 of the user terminal performs a predetermined process according to a predetermined standard based on presence information. That is, the server 4 specifies that the presence information processing function 214 performs predetermined processing based on predetermined criteria as a presence information processing rule created by arbitrarily combining the criteria and processing shown in FIG. Can do. Here, an example of the presence information processing rule will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

  As the presence information processing rule, the presence information processing function 214 can be defined to change the user area management rule according to the criterion “place is xx”. According to this, for example, when the user terminal acquires information “near a movie theater” as presence information, the information relating to the movie is copied from the content information area 204 and stored in the user area 202. Presence information processing rules can be defined to change. As described above, the presence information processing rule that defines the processing for changing the accumulation rule set based on the user's preference is set by the user.

  Further, as the presence information processing rule, it can be defined that the presence information processing function 214 changes the common area management rule according to the criterion “place is xx”. According to this, for example, when the user terminal acquires the information “near a movie theater” as presence information, the presence information processing is changed so as to change to the common area management rule for deleting content information other than information related to the movie. Rules can be defined. In this way, the presence information processing rule that defines the process for changing the common area management rule set based on the request of the operator is set by the operator.

  In the same manner as described above, the presence information processing rule can be defined so as to perform processing for changing various rules associated with the presence information processing function 214 based on the illustrated standard. Note that the user or the operator can specify that the presence information processing function 214 performs an arbitrary process according to an arbitrary standard other than those described in FIG.

[How to change presence information processing rules]
Next, a method for changing the presence information processing rule will be described. There are two types of presence information processing rules: those that specify the process for changing the storage rule or user area management rule by the user, and those that specify the process for changing the content information distribution rule or common area management rule by the operator. To do.

  First, a method for changing the presence information processing rule set by the user will be described. The user can change the presence information processing rules related to the storage rules and user area management rules set by the user. In this case, the change can be set using an input device or a GUI in the user terminal. Note that the user cannot change the presence information processing rule regarding the content information distribution rule and the common management rule.

  Next, a method for changing the presence information processing rule set by the operator will be described. The user can change the presence information processing rule related to the content information distribution rule and the common area management rule set by the user. When the user terminal is set in advance, it can be set as a default in the program. It is also possible to change the presence information processing rule by the control information described above. In addition, when a user terminal is rented and used at an event venue or the like, an administrator having the authority to change the presence information processing rule can perform the resetting using the GUI after the return. Note that the business operator cannot change the presence information processing rule regarding the accumulation rule and the user area management rule. This is because a function that forcibly changes the setting that the user should do is irrational.

[Various information]
Next, various information will be described.

(I) Content information First, content information will be described in detail. FIG. 9 conceptually shows the configuration of the content information. As shown in FIG. 9, the content information is composed of additional information and content data. The content data is information of the content information main body that is necessary when browsing the content information on the user terminal. On the other hand, the additional information is information tagged in association with the content data, and may be automatically generated from a keyword in the content data, or may be manually set by the server 4 or the content information creator. Specific examples of information set as additional information include a content information ID for identifying content data, keyword information representing content data, genre information of content data, and expiration date information of content data. In addition, data for guaranteeing the originality of content data, such as an electronic signature of the content information creator and a hash value for preventing falsification, may be set as additional information.

  The additional information is information that is automatically or manually set by the server 4 or the content information creator, and whether or not the additional information is included in the content information is arbitrary. That is, as content information, as shown in FIG. 9, there are two types of content information, that is, content information composed of additional information and content data, and content information composed only of content data. Content information can be applied.

  As described above, the distribution processing function 217 of the user terminal distributes the content information to other user terminals existing in the communicable area based on the content information distribution rule. Further, the accumulation processing function 212 of the user terminal duplicates the content information stored in the content information area 204 based on the accumulation rule and stores it in the user area 202. Further, the common area processing function 207 of the user terminal controls three areas constituting the common area 203 based on the common area management rule. The user area processing function 209 controls the user area 202 based on the user area management rule. Also, the presence information processing function 214 changes various rules according to changes in the environment in which the user terminal exists based on the presence information processing rules. At this time, information for determining whether content information, presence information, or the like that matches the rules of the content information distribution rule, storage rule, common area management rule, user area management rule, or presence information processing rule is shown in FIG. Shown in

  As shown in the figure, information for discriminating data (hereinafter referred to as “content information etc.”) included in content information and presence information is composed of conditions and specific examples. The conditions may be “when no additional information is included”, “when text data”, “when created in a standard format”, and “when additional information is included”.

  As shown in FIG. 10, when additional information is not included, specific examples of information for determining content information and the like include a file name, an extension, a size, and the like.

  In addition, when content information or the like is text data regardless of whether or not additional information is included, a specific example of information for determining content information or the like is a word included in the text data. For example, as a storage rule, according to the criterion “keyword search (keyword: fireworks)”, the storage processing function 212 selects only content information including “fireworks” as a keyword from all content information stored in the content information area 204. Is copied and stored in the user area 202. In this case, the accumulation processing function 212 determines whether or not the keyword “fireworks” defined as the accumulation rule is included in the words included in the text data of the content information. The accumulation processing function 212 copies the content information and stores it in the user area 202 when it is determined that “fireworks” are included in the words included in the text data.

  In addition, when content information or the like is created in a standard format regardless of whether or not additional information is included, specific examples of information for discriminating content information and the like include the creator and editing time. Can be mentioned.

  In addition, when additional information is included, specific examples of information for determining content information and the like include creators included as additional information, genre information, target age, and the like.

  Distribution processing function 217, storage processing function based on information for discriminating content information as described above, content information distribution rule, storage rule, common area management rule, user area management rule, and presence information processing rule 212, the common area processing function 207, the user area processing function 209, and the presence information processing function 214 are performing processing, but in principle, each processing function confirms that the content information and the like meet the criteria defined in various rules. It is determined whether or not. Here, the term “match” is a broad concept that includes a complete match, a partial match, and a match in the magnitude relationship of numerical values. Note that the content information to be determined may be the entire content information or the like, or may be a part (one element) of the content information or the like. Further, there may be a case where content information or the like is divided and handled in advance.

(Ii) Control information Next, the control information will be described in detail. The control information is information for controlling various rules of each user terminal. Note that the control information does not control the rules set by the user, such as accumulation rules and user area management rules. Based on the received control information, the user terminal resets various rules, or as a result, immediately executes a specific command. In principle, the user is not aware of the control information, and the control information is not operated by the user.

  FIG. 11 shows a control information list. As shown in the figure, the control information list is composed of a control object, a control function, control contents, and effects. The control target represents a rule controlled by resetting based on control information. The control function represents a function that is controlled by resetting a rule to be controlled. The control content represents how to control the function of the rule to be controlled by the control information. The effect represents an effect obtained by resetting a rule to be controlled by the control information. That is, the control information includes information such that the user terminal controls a predetermined function of a rule to be controlled according to a predetermined control content. That is, the server 4 creates control information by arbitrarily combining the control target, the control function, and the control content as shown in FIG. 11, and distributes the control information to the user terminal. It is possible to reset such as changing various rules stored in.

  Here, an example of the control information will be specifically described with reference to FIG. As control information, based on the state transition of the neighbor search for searching for another user terminal existing in the communicable area, the time for performing the neighbor search, and the standby time for receiving the content information from the other user terminal, It is possible to regulate that the user terminal resets the content information distribution rule so as to change the period. Thereby, effects, such as control of a distribution state, relief of congestion, and priority of emergency information, can be realized. Similarly, it is possible to specify that the user terminal resets the associated control target according to the illustrated control content.

  Note that the server 4 can be specified to reset the control target associated with the user terminal according to any control contents other than those described in FIG. 11.

(Iii) Presence information Next, presence information will be described in detail. Presence information is information relating to the environment in which the user terminal exists, and is information that is used as a judgment material for each user terminal to change various rules by referring to the presence information processing rule. Specific examples of presence information include location, altitude, location attribute information (close to shopping streets, restaurants, etc.), weather information, traffic information, number of peripheral user terminals, and surrounding wireless communication environment (noise) Etc.). In particular, as the advertisement information included in the presence information, sales item information, provided service information, time sales information, and the like can be considered. The presence information is information that is not merged or modified by the user terminal in principle.

  Unlike the control information, the presence information is a judgment material for changing all the rules, but is not information that directly instructs the change of various rules. Even for user terminals that have acquired the same presence information, the processing performed by each user terminal differs depending on the presence information processing rule setting. The server 4 distributes the presence information to the user terminal via each access point 3 with reference to the presence information DB 6. In addition, presence information is distributed between user terminals within the validity period.

  Here, the expiration date that the presence information has will be described. The term of validity is, specifically, the issue time of presence information, the valid time from the issue time, the number of hops, and the like. Presence information is information provided from the access point 3 or another user terminal, and the user terminal imitates information related to the environment in which the user terminal exists. The distribution range is limited. In order to improve the reliability of presence information by providing a distribution range, that is, a regional restriction, it is conceivable to shorten the effective time from the issue time or reduce the number of hops.

  A method for restricting the region where the presence information is distributed using the issue time and the valid time from the issue time will be specifically described. For example, it is assumed that the presence information includes information of an issue time “3:30” and an effective time “3 minutes”. In this case, the time when the access point 3 distributes the presence information to the user terminal A existing in the communicable area becomes the issue time. The user terminal A that has received the presence information from the access point 3 has an effective time of “3 minutes”. Therefore, until the time “3:33”, the other user terminal A that exists in its own communication area The presence information is distributed to the user terminal B. Similarly, the user terminal B that has received the presence information from the user terminal A also has an expiration date “3:30” and validity period “3 minutes” that the presence information has, Until the time becomes “3:33”, the presence information is distributed to other user terminals C existing in the communicable area. In this way, presence information is circulated among user terminals existing in a predetermined area.

  After the time “3:33”, all of the user terminals A to C stop sending the presence information to other user terminals, and refer to the presence information processing rule based on the presence information. Processing to change various rules is also stopped.

  In addition, the user sets rules such as “based only on presence information within XX minutes from the issue time” and “does not apply presence information within xx minutes until the expiration date” as presence information processing rules. You can also In other words, the expiration date itself can be used as a reference for the presence information processing rule at the user's discretion.

[Presence Information List]
The presence information list is a list of all presence information that the server 4 may distribute between user terminals via the access point 3 and is provided to the user in advance. As a method for providing the presence information list, various methods such as a method in which a provider provides P2P to a user via a user terminal or the like, and a method in which the information is stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM are applied. It is possible. Since the user can grasp in advance what kind of presence information is provided by the presence information list, the presence information processing rule can be set in detail and easily. Specifically, the contents of the presence information list may include types of presence information that may be provided and possible values, examples of presence information processing rules based on the information types and the values, and the like.

[Presence information processing]
Next, presence information processing executed by the distribution system 100 will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of presence information processing.

  First, the user terminal 20 sets a presence information processing rule based on an instruction from a user or a business operator (step S1). Specifically, the presence information processing rule that defines the processing for changing the setting of the accumulation rule or the user area management rule is set based on a user instruction. On the other hand, the presence information processing rule that defines the processing for changing the setting of the content information distribution rule or the common area management rule is set based on an instruction from the operator.

  Next, the user terminal 20 performs a neighborhood search, which is confirmation of whether or not another user terminal exists in the communicable area (step S2). When there is no other user terminal (step S3; NO), the user terminal 20 repeatedly performs a neighborhood search. On the other hand, when the other user terminal 21 exists (step S3; YES), the user terminal 20 receives presence information within the expiration date from the other user terminal 21 (step S4). Then, the user terminal 20 confirms whether or not the received presence information meets any of the criteria of the presence information processing rule. If there is a matching criterion, the user terminal 20 specifies a process corresponding to the criterion in the presence information processing rule (step S5).

  The user terminal 20 changes the settings of various rules by executing the process specified in step S5 (step S6). Then, the presence information is stored in the presence information area 205 shown in FIG. 3 (step S7). Further, the user terminal 20 determines whether or not the presence information stored in the presence information area 205 is within the expiration date (step S8), and if it is not within the expiration date, deletes the presence information (step S8). S9). The user terminal 20 transmits presence information within the expiration date to other user terminals existing in the communicable area. Thereby, presence information processing is completed.

  If this means is used, the user can easily store content information related to a movie by setting the keyword of the accumulation rule as “movie” when the presence information “there is a movie theater nearby” is acquired. Presence information processing rule so that the user area management rule is changed to “delete content information related to restaurants from the user area preferentially” in consideration that the user area is filled with content information related to movies Can be set. On the other hand, the user can change the storage rule for storing the movie content information in detail, or the user area management rule because the user is not interested in the movie content information. It is also possible to set the presence information processing rule so that “the content information regarding the movie is preferentially deleted from the user area” is changed. In addition, in areas where presence information such as “there is a movie theater nearby” is distributed as a presence information, the business operator changes the content information distribution rules and common area management rules to “prioritize content information about movies”. It is possible to set presence information processing rules.

  In addition, if this means is used, the user can change the accumulation rule on the assumption that a large amount of advertisements will be received when information indicating that “a shopping street is nearby” is acquired as presence information. The presence information processing rule can be set so that the content information is changed to an accumulation rule that is conscious of being product information.

  In addition, if this means is used, the user can acquire not only the regional information as the presence information but also the weather information “rain is pretending” and the accumulation rule is “sell umbrella” It is also possible to set a presence information processing rule to change to “collect store information quickly”. In addition, when the user acquires the traffic information “Let's enter a traffic jam” as the presence information, the user sets the presence information processing rule so as to change the accumulation rule to “collect break points”. It is also possible. In this way, when the user sets presence information processing rules according to his / her preference, the user terminal is customized more and more according to the user and becomes easier to use.

  According to the present invention, settings of various rules can be automatically changed based on presence information. In other words, the presence information becomes information indicating a change in the environment, and the change in the environment can be automatically and easily reflected in the setting of various rules. Specifically, it is possible to easily set the wireless communication setting according to the environment to maintain the information propagation efficiency, or to make the neighborhood search longer in an area with a lot of noise.

  In the present embodiment, the additional information is included in the content information. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may exist as a separate file associated with the content information.

  In the present embodiment, the access point 3 is connected to the server 4 through the network 2, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various types of content information can be transmitted and received by wireless communication. A terminal can be applied. Specifically, the access point 3 is not limited to a fixed device, and may be a customized user terminal described in the present embodiment. The customization may be a user terminal that also has a function for setting content information to be distributed to a common area. According to this, when the person carrying the customized user terminal moves, the communicable area can be moved to an arbitrary place such as a place where people are crowded at that time.

  In the present embodiment, the presence information is acquired from the access point 3 or another user terminal. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the presence information is acquired from RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). It is good also as what to do. Specifically, when the user terminal applied to the present invention is a PDA or mobile phone with a wireless function and can read the RFID, the presence information is read from the RFID, and the user terminal The form which distributes is considered.

[First modification]
In the present embodiment, the presence information is added with information such as an expiration date. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a serial number is added. The distribution system 100 may be such that the acquired user terminal always stores only the presence information to which the latest serial number is added. According to this, it is not necessary to add expiration date information such as an issue time and an effective time to the presence information, and it is possible to determine the suitability of present information which is information related to the environment based on the size of the serial number. Such serial number processing is a particularly effective method in a closed space where the user terminal moves only within a certain venue.

  Specifically, it is assumed that there is a server 4 that manages serial numbers to be distributed by all 100 access points by the presence information DB 6. In this case, for example, when the server 4 transmits presence information at all 100 locations at 10 am, for example, the access point with the access point ID “AP001” has the serial number “100001”, and the access point with the access point ID “AP002” has the serial number. The presence information of the number “100002” can be distributed. For example, if the presence information of the serial numbers “110001” and “110002” is set just at 11:00 am, it is easy to always give priority to information having a stronger information at 11:00 am and a lower access point number than 10 am. Can be done.

  It is not always necessary to add an expiration date or serial number to the presence information. This is because the user terminal can be lent out to the user. In this case, the administrator side of the user terminal may reset the user terminal every night, and the next day may be applied in order without determining the expiration date in the order in which the presence information is received.

[Second modification]
In the above embodiment, the user terminal 20 distributes various types of information with the configuration shown in FIG. 4, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the user terminal 20 has an arbitrary configuration. It is possible to take.

  Specifically, FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram in which the presence information processing function 214 in the user terminal 20 is directly connected to the distribution function 217. According to this, presence information received from the access point 3 or other user terminal by the wireless communication function 216 is processed by the presence information processing function 214 via the distribution processing function 217. That is, the distribution processing function 217 can grasp all the information received by the wireless communication function 216 including presence information.

  FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram in which the presence information processing function 214 in the user terminal 20 secures a presence information band for distributing presence information. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the information for determining the content information or the like is not limited to the conditions and specific examples as shown in FIG. 10 but also the physical band difference, frequency difference, packet header difference, etc. It does not matter. According to this, the distribution system 100 of the present invention presents one method for demarcating the trade area to the business operator who creates content information by distributing presence information to the presence information band, and to the user. Therefore, it is possible to provide an environment that can actually use the presentation method to the operator.

  FIG. 15 is a conceptual diagram of various information distribution in the user terminal 20 constituting the distribution system 100 having no control information or bandwidth. Thus, unlike the above embodiment, the present invention can be applied even to the user terminal 20 constituting the distribution system 100 having no control information or bandwidth.

  According to the distribution system of the present invention, based on the presence information related to the environment in which the user terminal exists, by changing various rules for distributing information using communication between the user terminals, the change of the environment can be reduced. It can be automatically reflected in various rules.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the distribution system in this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the data structure of content information DB. It is a functional block diagram of the user terminal contained in the distribution system shown in FIG. It is a conceptual diagram of the various information distribution in a user terminal. It is a common area management rule list. It is a content information distribution rule list. It is an accumulation rule table. It is a presence information processing rule list. It is a figure which shows the structure of content information typically. It is a table | surface which shows the information for discriminating content information etc. It is a control information table. It is a flowchart of presence information processing in the present invention. It is a conceptual diagram in which the presence information processing function in the user terminal is directly connected to the distribution function. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram in which a presence information band for distributing presence information is secured by a presence information processing function in a user terminal. It is a conceptual diagram of the various information distribution in the user terminal which comprises the distribution system without control information and a zone | band.

Explanation of symbols

2 ... Network 3 ... Access point 4 ... Server 5 ... Content information DB
6 ... Presence information DB
20 ... User terminal 21 ... User terminal 100 ... Distribution system

Claims (4)

A user terminal having a storage area for storing information and capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from an access point and other user terminals,
The storage area includes a common area for storing information for distribution to other user terminals,
The common area includes a content information area for storing content information to be distributed to other user terminals, and a presence information area for storing presence information regarding an environment in which the user terminal exists. ,
The user terminal is
Content information distribution rule acquisition means for acquiring a content information distribution rule that defines conditions for selecting distribution content information for distribution to the other user terminal from the content information stored in the content information area When,
Content information acquisition means for acquiring a plurality of content information;
Content information area storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of content information in the content information area;
Selecting means for selecting the distribution content information from all the content information stored in the content information area based on the conditions defined in the content information distribution rule;
A distribution means for distributing the distribution content information selected by the selection means to another user terminal;
Presence information processing rule acquisition means for acquiring presence information processing rules that define processing for changing the content information distribution rules in association with criteria based on the presence information from the access point;
Presence information acquisition means for acquiring the presence information from the access point or other user terminal;
Reference determination means for referring to the presence information processing rule and determining whether the presence information acquired by the presence information acquisition means matches the reference;
Content information distribution rule changing means for changing the content information distribution rule based on a process associated with the reference when the reference determining means determines that the reference is satisfied;
Presence information area storage means for storing presence information acquired by the presence information acquisition means in the presence information area;
The user terminal, wherein the selection unit selects the distribution content information based on a condition defined in the content information distribution rule changed by the content information distribution rule change unit. A common area management rule acquisition means for acquiring a common area management rule defining control for the content information area and the presence information area constituting the common area;
A common area control means for controlling the content information area and the presence information area constituting the common area based on the common area management rule;
The presence information processing rule defines a process for changing the common area management rule in association with a criterion based on the presence information, and when the criterion determining unit determines that the criterion is satisfied, A common area management rule changing means for changing the common area management rule based on a process associated with the reference;
The common area control means controls the content information area and the presence information area constituting the common area based on conditions defined in the common area management rule changed by the common area management rule changing means. The listed user terminal.   The user terminal according to claim 1, wherein the presence information processing rule is set by a business operator who provides the content information to the user terminal. A program executed by a computer having a storage area for storing information and capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from an access point and other user terminals,
The storage area includes a common area for storing information for distribution to other user terminals,
The common area includes a content information area for storing content information to be distributed to other user terminals, and a presence information area for storing presence information regarding an environment in which the user terminal exists. ,
The program is
Content information distribution rule acquisition means for acquiring a content information distribution rule that defines conditions for selecting distribution content information for distribution to the other user terminal from the content information stored in the content information area ,
Content information acquisition means for acquiring a plurality of the content information;
Content information area storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of the content information in the content information area;
Selecting means for selecting the distribution content information from all the content information stored in the content information area based on the conditions defined in the content information distribution rule;
A distribution means for distributing the distribution content selected by the selection means to another user terminal;
Presence information processing rule acquisition means for acquiring from the access point a presence information processing rule defining a process for changing the content information distribution rule in association with a reference based on the presence information;
Presence information acquisition means for acquiring the presence information from the access point or another user terminal;
Reference determination means for referring to the presence information processing rule and determining whether the presence information acquired by the presence information acquisition means matches the reference;
Content information distribution rule changing means for changing the content information distribution rule based on a process associated with the reference when the reference determining means determines that the reference is satisfied;
Causing the computer to function as presence information area storage means for storing presence information acquired by the presence information acquisition means in the presence information area;
The program, wherein the selection unit selects the distribution content information based on a condition defined in the content information distribution rule changed by the content information distribution rule change unit.

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