JP6411129B2 - Application diffusion method, diffusion system, and diffusion program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for ad hoc communication between smartphones, in particular, smartphones using Android (registered trademark), and relates to a technique that enables applications to be distributed between different carriers and different models.

In the event of a disaster such as an earthquake disaster, it is important that necessary information and applications can be immediately downloaded to a portable information terminal. However, at the time of a disaster, it is assumed that the base station is damaged, cannot connect to the Internet, and necessary information and applications cannot be downloaded to the portable information terminal.
There have been many proposals for applications that realize ad-hoc communication between terminals when the Internet connection is lost due to a disaster, but the question is when and how to distribute the application.

  As a system at the time of a disaster, there is a system that performs an emergency information notification system via a communication network (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, in Patent Document 1, a case where a base station cannot be used is considered. Not.

JP 2003-242580 A

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, for example, there is a method of communicating between portable information terminals and propagating information and applications. It is necessary to incorporate a function to be installed or to be propagated by the terminal manufacturer to the terminal itself. However, there is a problem that it cannot be used between different carriers or cannot be used between models of different manufacturers.
In addition, distribution using an SD (Secure Digital) card and transfer using NFC (Near Field Communication) are conceivable, but there is a problem that only one-to-one correspondence is possible and time is required.

  In view of such a situation, the present invention does not need to incorporate a function in the mobile information terminal in advance, and uses a tethering function that is mounted as a standard in the mobile information terminal to connect to a network via a base station or a network access point. An object of the present invention is to provide an application diffusion method, a diffusion system, and a diffusion program capable of diffusing a file between different portable information terminals in an environment where no mobile phone exists.

In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, only the functions that are standardly installed in the portable information terminal are used, and the application itself diffuses the application itself to the neighboring terminals.
That is, the application spreading method of the present invention is a master station side terminal serving as a file spreading source in an environment where there is no network connection or network access point via a base station between portable information terminals having at least a tethering function. Is provided with a program file that can be installed and a Web server function, and is converted into an access point by tethering, and a slave station terminal serving as a file diffusion destination uses a terminal-to-terminal communication with the master station terminal as a Web client. A step of downloading and installing the program file itself and a step of spreading the program file to other terminals by the slave station side terminal that has installed the program file behaved as the master station side terminal .

That is, a special application having a Web server function is introduced into an initial portable information terminal, and the application is distributed to a plurality of adjacent terminals. An adjacent portable information terminal downloads an application as a Web client from a portable information terminal that behaves as a Web server. The receiving portable information terminal does not need to install a special application in advance. Then, using the downloaded file, the portable information terminal then acts as a Web server, and the applications are sequentially spread in the same manner.
The spreading application uses the inter-terminal communication to the master station side terminal that has been converted to an access point by tethering from one seed terminal that is the first spreading source. By repeating the spreading, the application can be executed even in an environment without an Internet connection. It becomes possible to distribute widely.

Here, examples of the portable information terminal include a mobile phone, a portable digital music player, a mobile computer such as a tablet terminal and a notebook computer, a portable game machine, an electronic dictionary, and an electronic notebook.
The tethering function is a function that makes a smartphone a mobile router, but in this specification, it is used to mean a function that uses a portable information terminal as a router.
The Web server function is a function for accumulating content information such as HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) documents and images and transmitting the information in response to a request from the Web browser software. The function of requesting information from a Web server using a Web browser and receiving content information such as an HTML document or an image is called a Web client.

  In the application spreading method of the present invention, the master station terminal serving as the file spreading source includes the installable program file, a tethering setting is performed, and a web server that supplies a file download request screen is activated. Then, a step of displaying a screen of tethering connection information and program distribution URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information is performed. Then, the slave station terminal serving as the file spreading destination connects to the URL from the browser as the Web client based on the tethering connection information based on the tethering connection information, and displays the file download request screen. A step in which file download is permitted on the file download request screen, a step in which the program file is downloaded from the master station side terminal, and a step in which the downloaded program file is installed.

From another point of view, in the application spreading method of the present invention, the master station terminal serving as the file spreading source includes the installable program file, and provides a step for tethering setting and a file download request screen. The step of starting the Web server to perform, and the step of transmitting the tethering connection information and the program distribution URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information to the slave station side terminal are performed. Then, the slave station terminal serving as the file spreading destination receives the tethering connection information and the program distribution URL information from the master station terminal, the tethering connection based on the tethering connection information, and the program distribution URL. Connected to the URL from the browser as a Web client based on the information, a step where a file download request screen is displayed, a step where file download is permitted on the file download request screen, and a program file is downloaded from the master station side terminal And a step of installing the downloaded program file.

  As a method of transmitting information from the master station side terminal to the slave station side terminal, for example, NFC (Near field communication) can be used. By using NFC, the parent station terminal is held over the child station terminal, the browser of the other party is started, and a specific URL screen is displayed, so that a series of processes can be automated.

The program file in the application spreading method of the present invention may be a compressed file packaged in a format that allows the application program to be installed on the terminal.
For example, an OS (Operating System) of Android (registered trademark) used for smartphones and tablet terminals has a function of reading an APK file and installing internal software on the terminal, and various applications have the form of the APK file. It is distributed with. The APK file is a compressed archive file in which data such as a file name and a plurality of files and folders are stored. The file includes a program file, a file describing setting information, a resource file such as an icon image used by the program, and the like.

The communication between terminals in the application spreading method of the present invention may be an ad hoc mode wireless communication. The ad hoc mode is one of the operation modes of the IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN, and is a communication mode in which wireless LAN adapters installed in the respective terminals communicate directly with each other.

Further, in the application spreading method using the ad hoc mode wireless communication described above, the number of ad hoc hops serving as a threshold of the spreading range of the program file is previously set in the master station terminal serving as the first file spreading source. The number of ad hoc hops set and set in the program file may be embedded as data, and the spread range of the program file may be limited by the set number of ad hoc hops.
The spread range of the program file is limited by the number of ad hoc hops.For example, by referring to the download directory managed by the browser, reading the downloaded file name and analyzing the file name, It is possible to determine how many hops the installed file is, and when the program file itself is larger than a predetermined number of hops, the program file is prevented from being installed. Or, it cannot be started even if it is installed, or it is deleted by uninstallation after installation.

In the application spreading method of the present invention, the location area information that becomes the threshold of the spreading range of the program file is preset in the master station side terminal that is the first file spreading source, and the location area information set in the program file is used as data. The spread area of the program file may be limited by the embedded and set position area information.
The preset location area information includes, for example, address information such as prefectures, cities, and towns, and range information such as within a radius of 100 m from a specific position.

Further, in the application spreading method of the present invention, time information that is a threshold value of the spreading range of the program file is preset in the master station side terminal that is the first file spreading source, and the time information set in the program file is used as data. The spread range of the program file may be limited by the embedded time information set.
The time information set in advance is the diffusion time such as how many hours, days, weeks, months, and the start and end times of diffusion such as the time when the diffusion ends or the time when the diffusion starts. . The time information can also be acquired from, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) that is standard on the portable information terminal.

Also, in the application spreading method of the present invention, terminal user information that becomes a threshold of the spreading range of the program file is preset in the master station terminal that is the first file spreading source, and the terminal user information set in the program file is The spread range of the program file may be limited by the set terminal user information embedded as data.
The terminal user information set in advance is a user attribute (gender, age, etc.) that uses the terminal, and if there is a file (for example, an address book file) in which the user attribute is registered, it is obtained by referring to it. .

  Also, in the application spreading method of the present invention, the slave station terminal serving as the file spreading destination acquires its own MAC (Media Access Control) address, transmits the acquired MAC address to the master station terminal, and the file spreading source When the master station terminal that becomes and acquires and stores its own MAC address, receives and stores the MAC address of the slave station terminal from which the program file has been downloaded, and is connected to the network, to the management server, When the stored MAC address is transmitted, the management server on the network generates diffusion path data based on the received MAC address information.

Next, the application diffusion system of the present invention will be described.
The application diffusion system of the present invention is a system composed of a plurality of portable information terminals having at least a tethering function, and includes a program file that can be installed and a Web server function, and a master station side terminal that is converted into an access point by tethering And a slave station terminal that downloads and installs the program file itself as a Web client using inter-terminal communication with the master station terminal. Then, in an environment where there is no network connection or network access point via the base station, the master station side terminal becomes the file spreading source, the slave station side terminal becomes the file spreading destination, and the slave station side terminal installed with the program file Behaves as a master station side terminal and spreads the program file to other terminals .

  In the application diffusion system of the present invention, the master station terminal serving as the file diffusion source includes the installable program file, the tethering setting means, the Web server that supplies the file download request screen, tethering connection information, and program distribution A screen display means for URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information is provided. Then, the slave station terminal serving as the file diffusion destination connects to the URL as a Web client based on the tethering connection means connected based on the tethering connection information and the program distribution URL information, and displays the file download request screen. A browser, permission means for permitting file download on the file download request screen, download means for downloading a program file from the master station side terminal, and installation means for installing the downloaded program file are provided.

From another point of view, in the application diffusion system of the present invention, the master station terminal serving as the file diffusion source includes the installable program file, tethering setting means, and a Web server that supplies a file download request screen. And transmitting means for transmitting tethering connection information and program distribution URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information to the slave station side terminal. Then, the slave station terminal serving as the file spreading destination includes receiving means for receiving tethering connection information and program distribution URL information from the master station terminal, tethering connection means for connecting based on the tethering connection information, and a program Connects to the URL as a Web client based on the distribution URL information, displays a browser for displaying a file download request screen, permission means for permitting file download on the file download request screen, and downloads a program file from the master station side terminal Download means and installation means for installing the downloaded program file are provided.

Next, the application diffusion program of the present invention will be described.
The application spreading program of the present invention is a program installed in a portable information terminal having at least a tethering function and a Web server function, and executes each step in the following cases 1) and 2) on the computer of the portable information terminal. It is a program to let you.
1) When the portable information terminal is a master station side terminal serving as a file diffusion source (1a) Step for performing tethering setting (1b) Step for starting a Web server that supplies a file download request screen (1c) Information for tethering connection and Step 2 of displaying a program distribution URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information screen 2) When the portable information terminal is a slave station terminal serving as a file diffusion destination (2a) Step of tethering connection based on tethering connection information;
(2b) Step of displaying a file download request screen by connecting to a URL from a browser as a Web client based on URL information for program distribution (2c) Step of allowing file download on file download request screen (2d) Parent Step of downloading a program file from the station side terminal (2e) Step of installing the downloaded program file

From another point of view, the application spreading program of the present invention is a program installed in a portable information terminal having at least a tethering function and a Web server function, and the following 3) and 4) are installed in the computer of the portable information terminal. In this case, the program executes each step.
3) When the portable information terminal is a master station side terminal serving as a file diffusion source (3a) Step for performing tethering setting (3b) Step for starting a Web server that supplies a file download request screen (3c) Information for tethering connection and Step 4) Transmitting program distribution URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information to the slave station side terminal 4) When the portable information terminal is the slave station side terminal serving as a file spreading destination (4a) The tethering connection information and the program distribution URL information Step (4b) received from the master station side terminal (4b) Step of tethering connection based on tethering connection information (4c) Based on the program distribution URL information, a browser is connected to the URL as a Web client, and a file download request screen is displayed. Step (4d) Step of allowing file download on file download request screen (4e) Step of downloading program file from terminal on master station side (4f) Step of installing downloaded program file

  According to the application spreading method, spreading system, and spreading program of the present invention, even if the network becomes unusable due to a disaster or the like and the base station becomes impossible, the application is successively propagated from one portable information terminal to another portable information terminal. In addition, there is an effect that various other applications and information can be incorporated in the application.

Explanatory drawing of the application spreading | diffusion method in Example 1 Processing flow diagram of application diffusion method in embodiment 1 Processing flow diagram of transmitting terminal (master station side) in embodiment 1 Processing flow chart of receiving terminal (slave station side) in embodiment 1 Processing flow diagram of application diffusion method in embodiment 2 Explanatory diagram of application diffusion range restriction method (1) Explanatory diagram of application diffusion range limiting method (2) Explanatory drawing of application diffusion range limiting method (3) Explanatory diagram of distribution route based on MAC address information in management server Application diffusion range restriction processing flow chart (1) Application diffusion range restriction processing flow chart (2) Application diffusion range restriction process flow diagram (3) Application diffusion range restriction processing flow chart (4)

  Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the following examples and illustrated examples, and many changes and modifications can be made.

FIG. 1 shows a flow of an application spreading method in the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, first, an application installed on a master station side terminal (hereinafter simply referred to as an “app”) is started and tethering setting is performed on the master station side terminal. The application spreading procedure is displayed on the station terminal screen. When tethering is set from the slave station terminal screen according to the procedure displayed on the master station terminal screen and the web server of the master station terminal is accessed from the web browser, the screen of the slave station terminal is displayed. A specific URL and an application download button are displayed. When the user of the slave station terminal presses the download button, the application is downloaded from the master station terminal to the slave station terminal. After being downloaded to the slave station terminal, the downloaded application is installed when the user of the slave station terminal permits installation. After installation, the application icon is displayed on the screen of the slave station terminal, and the replication is completed. Then, the slave station side terminal that has completed the duplication now acts as the master station side terminal, and can spread the application to other terminals.

FIG. 2 shows the flow of the application spreading method according to the first embodiment, which is divided into the processing of the distribution target application, the action of the transmitting terminal (master station side) user, and the action of the receiving terminal (slave station side) user. . As shown in FIG. 2, when the transmission terminal (master station side) user taps an icon (S01), the application is activated (S02).
When the application is activated, a tethering setting screen is displayed (S03), and the tethering setting of the transmitting terminal user is prompted. The transmitting terminal (master station side) user who saw the tethering setting screen performs tethering setting (S04). When the tethering setting of the transmission terminal (master station side) user is completed, the distribution target application activates an application distribution Web server (S05). Then, tethering connection information and application distribution URL are displayed on the screen (S06).

The transmitting terminal (master station side) user informs the receiving terminal (slave station side) user of the screen and the like, and notifies the tethering connection information displayed on the screen and the application distribution URL (S07). The receiving terminal (slave station side) user connects to the tethering based on the tethering connection information notified from the transmitting terminal (master station side) user and the URL of application distribution (S08), and from the installed browser Connect to the application distribution URL (S09).
When the receiving terminal (slave station side) user connects to the application distribution URL of the Web server of the transmitting terminal (master station side) from the browser as a Web client, the application distribution file stored in the transmitting terminal (master station side) (Content file such as HTML document) is automatically downloaded to the receiving terminal (slave station side), and a display for confirming whether or not to download is displayed on the screen of the receiving terminal (slave station side). When the receiving terminal (slave station side) user permits download, an installation target file (for example, APK file) stored in the transmitting terminal (master station side) is downloaded to the receiving terminal (slave station side). After the installation target file (app) is downloaded, the screen moves to a screen for confirming whether or not to install, and when the receiving terminal (slave station side) user permits installation, the installation target file (app) is It is executed (S10).

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are a processing flowchart of the transmitting terminal (master station side) and a processing flowchart of the receiving terminal (slave station side), respectively, in the first embodiment.
As shown in the flow of FIG. 3, when the application is started by the transmission terminal (parent station side) user, the processing of the transmission terminal (parent station side) is displayed on the tethering setting screen on the screen of the transmission terminal (parent station side). Is displayed (S21). When the tethering setting (S22) by the transmission terminal (master station side) user is completed, the program distribution Web server is activated (S23). On the other hand, when the tethering setting is not completed, the tethering setting screen is displayed again. Or, if canceled, the process is terminated.
After starting the program distribution Web server, the tethering connection information and the program distribution URL are displayed on the screen of the transmission terminal (S24).

  On the other hand, as shown in the flow of FIG. 4, in the processing of the receiving terminal (slave station side), the wireless LAN is set (S31), the browser is activated (S32), and the content of the application distribution URL is displayed (S33). ). A download request screen is displayed on the browser according to the contents of the application distribution URL (S34). It is determined whether or not the download is permitted (S35). If the download is permitted, the file download is executed (S36). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not installation of the downloaded file is permitted (S37). If permitted, installation is executed (S38).

In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the transmitting terminal user does not convey the tallying connection information and the application distribution URL to the receiving terminal user by showing it to the receiving terminal user. The browser of the slave station terminal is automatically started up by NFC (Near field communication) over a terminal, and a specific URL (page for download) is automatically displayed.
FIG. 5 shows a flow of an application spreading method in the second embodiment. Hereinafter, the flow of FIG. 5 will be described.
In the master station side terminal, when an application is started by tapping an icon on the screen of the portable information terminal, a tethering setting screen is displayed first, and a user of the master station side terminal sets tethering. The tethering is set on the screen, and the name, security type, security key, etc. that are distinguished from others are input or selected from the screen. When the setting of tethering is completed, the terminal-to-terminal communication with respect to the master station side terminal that is converted into an access point by tethering becomes possible. Thereafter, the master station side terminal starts the Web server. When the master station side terminal and the slave station side terminal are brought close to each other, tethering connection information and application distribution URL are transmitted from the master station side terminal to the slave station side terminal using NFC.
On the other hand, when the slave station terminal receives the tethering connection information and the application distribution URL via NFC, the browser automatically starts as a Web client, and automatically becomes the application distribution URL of the master station terminal. Access and automatically display a file download screen, which is a Web content of an application distribution URL. When the user of the slave station terminal presses a download permission button displayed on the screen, the slave station terminal transmits download permission data to the master station terminal. The master station side terminal transmits a program file (application) that is a file to be installed to the slave station side terminal. When the slave station terminal receives the program file that is the installation target file, it automatically displays the installation screen. When the user of the slave station side terminal presses the installation permission button displayed on the screen, the application is installed in the slave station side terminal.

FIG. 6 shows an explanatory diagram of a method for limiting the application diffusion range of the third embodiment, and FIG. 10 shows a restriction processing flow.
In the case of the third embodiment, the number of ad hoc hops serving as a threshold of the spread range of the program file is set in advance, and the set number of ad hoc hops is embedded as data. As a result, the spread range of the program file is limited by the set number of ad hoc hops.
As shown in FIG. 6, the terminal 1a having the first generation file and the terminal 1b having the second generation file can be spread, but the terminal 1c having the third generation file distributes the application to other terminals. It is a specification that cannot be done.

Specifically, as shown in the restriction process flow of FIG. 10, the number of ad hoc pops is read from the installed file (S51), the download directory managed by the browser is referenced, the file name is viewed, It is possible to know the generation number of the file installed on itself (S53), and to determine the number of hops after the program itself (for example, the condition that the numerical value at the end of the file name is larger than the number of hops) (S55). The installation file is deleted (S57).
The number of hops, which is an index for spreading restriction, is set in advance in the program installed on the first master station side where spreading starts (hereinafter referred to as seeds program), and up to how many hops (how many generations) can be spread. The setting can be changed freely.

  In this embodiment, the distribution limitation of application distribution is limited only by application generation management. However, with that alone, the terminal 1a having the first generation file and the terminal 1b having the second generation file are permanently diffused. Therefore, it is possible to provide a specification that limits the number of distributions by limiting the number of diffusions.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a method for limiting the application diffusion range according to the fourth embodiment, and FIG.
In the case of the fourth embodiment, position area information that is a threshold value of the diffusion range of the program file is set in advance, and the set position area information is embedded as data. As a result, the spread range of the program file is limited by the set position area information.
As shown in FIG. 7, by using a GPS (Global Positioning System) mounted as a standard on the portable information terminal, diffusion is possible only within the range of the specific area 10, and the area terminals (2a, 2b, 2c) ) Can distribute applications, but cannot distribute applications from the regional terminals (2a, 2b, 2c) to the terminal 3 outside the area. This area may be a unit such as a prefecture, city, or town, or may be set within a range of several tens of meters to several kilometers from a specific position.

Specifically, as shown in the restriction process flow of FIG. 11, the position area information is read from the installed file (S61), and the current position is taken in using the GPS function installed in its own terminal ( S63). Then, it is determined whether the current position is outside the position area information (S65). If the current position is outside the position area information, the installation file is deleted (S67).
The position area information that serves as an index for limiting the diffusion is set in advance in the seeds program, and up to which position area can be diffused can be freely changed.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a method for limiting the application diffusion range according to the fifth embodiment, and FIG.
In the case of the fifth embodiment, the user attribute information file registered in the portable information terminal is referred to, and the user terminal having the user attribute information permitted to spread by the seeds program is specified. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, application distribution is possible between permission attribute possessing terminals (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d), while permission attribute non-permission is permitted from the permission attribute possessing terminals (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d). Application distribution to the owned terminal 5 becomes impossible. As the user attribute information in the portable information terminal, an address book in the portable information terminal may be referred to, and the user attribute is not limited to gender and age but may be other information.

  Specifically, as shown in the restriction process flow of FIG. 12, the user attribute information is read from the installed file (S71), and the user attribute registration file installed in its own terminal is fetched (S73). Then, it is determined whether the user attribute registered in the user attribute registration file is different from the user attribute read from the installation file (S75). If the user attribute is different from the user attribute, the installation file is deleted (S77).

In the sixth embodiment, the application distribution target is not limited as in the third to fifth embodiments, but a diffusion period is set in advance by setting a diffusion period in the seed program in advance. This is useful when you want to temporarily spread apps in an emergency such as an earthquake disaster.
FIG. 13 shows an application diffusion range restriction process flow of the sixth embodiment. As shown in the restriction process flow of FIG. 13, the time information is read from the installed file (S81), and the current time is taken in using the clock function installed in its own terminal (S83). Then, it is determined whether or not the current time is outside the time range of the time information (S85). If the current time is outside the time range of the time information, the installation file is deleted (S87).
The time information is the diffusion time, such as how many hours, days, weeks, months, etc., and the start and end times of diffusion, such as the time when the diffusion ends or the time when the diffusion starts. Information can be changed freely.

In the seventh embodiment, a delivery route generation process based on MAC address information in the management server will be described. FIG. 9 shows a distribution route generation processing image based on the MAC address information in the management server.
As shown in FIG. 9, the MAC address information is acquired on the master station side at the time of application distribution, and when the network is restored and connected later, each mobile information terminal acquires it to the management server 7 via the network The MAC address information is sent (61, 62, 63, 64, 65), and the management server 7 constructs a distribution route (system diagram) 8 based on the MAC address information.
Since the distribution path 8 is formed, it becomes possible to confirm generation management in the above-described embodiment and to forcibly delete an application from a terminal where unnecessary diffusion has been performed.

  Here, acquiring the MAC address information on the master station side at the time of app distribution means in detail that the slave station terminal serving as the file spreading destination acquires its own MAC address and uses the acquired MAC address as the master station terminal. Send to. The master station terminal that is the file spreading source acquires and stores its own MAC address, and receives and stores the MAC address of the slave station terminal from which the program file has been downloaded. The timing at which the slave station terminal transmits its own MAC address to the master station terminal is performed after the application is installed in order to collect the MAC addresses of the slave station terminals that have been correctly installed.

The reason why the master station side terminal cannot acquire the MAC address of the slave station side terminal is that the software installed in the application layer in the data communication protocol layer is already in the Ethernet (registered trademark) data in the lower data link layer. This is because it arrives as an IP (Internet Protocol) packet with the header removed, and the Android (registered trademark) application is written in the Java (registered trademark) language, which cannot directly refer to the function of the OS. This is because the function function for reading the MAC address corresponding to the IP address cannot be used.
Therefore, in order for the master station side terminal to acquire the MAC address of the slave station side terminal, for example, after the download of the application is completed, communication is performed again from the slave station side terminal to the master station side terminal, and its own MAC address is notified. Perform these steps.

  The present invention is useful for application distribution when there is no Internet connection environment at the time of a disaster such as an earthquake disaster.

1a Terminal having first generation file
1b Terminal with second generation file
1c Terminal with 3rd generation file
1d Terminal with 4th generation file
2a Regional terminal (1st generation)
2b Regional terminal (2nd generation)
2c Regional terminal (3rd generation)
3 Out-of-area terminal 4a Permitted terminal (1st generation)
4b Permitted terminal (2nd generation)
4c Terminal with permission attribute (3rd generation)
4d Permitted terminal (4th generation)
5 Non-permitted terminal 6a Portable information terminal (1st generation)
6b Personal digital assistant (2nd generation)
6c Portable information terminal (3rd generation)
6d portable information terminal (4th generation)
7 Management server 8 Distribution route 10 Specific area 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 MAC address information transmission 81, 82, 83, 84, 85 Terminal information in server

Claims (15)

In an environment where there is no network connection or network access point via a base station between portable information terminals having at least a tethering function,
A master station terminal serving as a file spreading source has an installable program file and a Web server function, and is converted into an access point by tethering;
A slave station terminal serving as a file spreading destination downloads and installs the program file itself as a Web client using inter-terminal communication with the master station terminal; and
The slave station side terminal that installed the program file behaves as the master station side terminal and spreads the program file to other terminals;
An application diffusion method characterized by comprising: 1) The master station terminal that becomes the file spreading source
Comprising the installable program file;
Steps where tethering settings are made,
Starting a web server that supplies a file download request screen;
Displaying a screen of tethering connection information and program distribution URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information;
And
2) The slave station terminal that is the file spreading destination
Tethering connection based on the tethering connection information;
Connecting a URL from a browser as a Web client based on the program distribution URL information, and displaying a file download request screen;
The step where file download is permitted on the file download request screen,
The program file is downloaded from the master station side terminal;
Installing the downloaded program file; and
The application spreading method according to claim 1, wherein: 1) The master station terminal that becomes the file spreading source
Comprising the installable program file;
Steps where tethering settings are made,
Starting a web server that supplies a file download request screen;
Transmitting tethering connection information and program distribution URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information to the slave station side;
And
2) The slave station terminal that is the file spreading destination
Receiving the tethering connection information and the program distribution URL information from a master station terminal;
Tethering connection based on the tethering connection information;
Connecting a URL from a browser as a Web client based on the program distribution URL information, and displaying a file download request screen;
The step where file download is permitted on the file download request screen,
The program file is downloaded from the master station side terminal;
Installing the downloaded program file; and
The application spreading method according to claim 1, wherein:   4. The application diffusion method according to claim 1, wherein the program file is a compressed file packaged in a format that allows an application program to be installed in a terminal. 5. The application spreading method according to claim 1, wherein the inter-terminal communication is wireless communication in an ad hoc mode. In the master station terminal that becomes the first file spreading source,
The number of ad hoc hops serving as a threshold for the spread range of the program file is preset,
The number of ad hoc hops set in the program file is embedded as data,
6. The application spreading method according to claim 5, wherein a spreading range of the program file is limited by a set number of ad hoc hops. In the master station terminal that becomes the first file spreading source,
Position area information that is a threshold value of the diffusion range of the program file is preset,
The location area information set in the program file is embedded as data,
6. The application spreading method according to claim 1, wherein a spreading range of the program file is limited by the set position area information. In the master station terminal that becomes the first file spreading source,
Time information that is a threshold value of the diffusion range of the program file is preset,
The time information set in the program file is embedded as data,
The application diffusion method according to claim 1, wherein a diffusion range of the program file is limited by the set time information. In the master station terminal that becomes the first file spreading source,
Terminal user information serving as a threshold of the diffusion range of the program file is preset,
Terminal user information set in the program file is embedded as data,
6. The application spreading method according to claim 1, wherein a spreading range of the program file is limited by the set terminal user information. The slave station terminal serving as the file spreading destination acquires its own MAC (Media Access Control) address, transmits the acquired MAC address to the master station terminal,
When the master station terminal serving as the file spreading source acquires and stores its own MAC address, receives and stores the MAC address of the slave station terminal from which the program file has been downloaded, and is connected to the network, the management server Send memorized MAC address,
The application management method according to claim 1, wherein the management server generates diffusion path data based on the received MAC address information. A system composed of a plurality of portable information terminals having at least a tethering function,
A master station side terminal that has an installable program file and a Web server function and is converted into an access point by tethering;
Using inter-terminal communication to the parent station side terminal, and downloading and installing the program file itself as a Web client,
In an environment where there is no network connection or network access point via a base station, the master station side terminal becomes a file spreading source, the slave station side terminal becomes a file spreading destination, and the slave station installed with the program file A side terminal behaves as the master station side terminal and spreads the program file to other terminals . 1) The master station terminal that becomes the file spreading source
The installable program file; and
Tethering setting means;
A web server that supplies a file download request screen;
Screen display means for tethering connection information and program distribution URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information;
With
2) The slave station terminal that is the file spreading destination
Tethering connection means for connecting based on the tethering connection information;
A browser that displays a file download request screen by connecting to the URL as a Web client based on the program distribution URL information;
Permission means to permit file download on the file download request screen;
Download means for downloading the program file from the master station side terminal;
Installation means for installing the downloaded program file;
The application diffusion system according to claim 11, further comprising: 1) The master station terminal that becomes the file spreading source
The installable program file; and
Tethering setting means;
A web server that supplies a file download request screen;
Transmitting means for transmitting tethering connection information and program distribution URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information to the slave station side;
With
2) The slave station terminal that is the file spreading destination
Receiving means for receiving the tethering connection information and the program distribution URL information from a master station side;
Tethering connection means for connecting based on the tethering connection information;
A browser that displays a file download request screen by connecting to the URL as a Web client based on the program distribution URL information;
Permission means to permit file download on the file download request screen;
Download means for downloading the program file from the master station side terminal;
Installation means for installing the downloaded program file;
The application diffusion system according to claim 11, further comprising: A program installed in a portable information terminal having at least a tethering function,
To the computer of the portable information terminal,
1) When the mobile information terminal is a master station side terminal that is the file spreading source,
Steps where tethering settings are made,
Starting a web server that supplies a file download request screen;
Displaying a screen of tethering connection information and program distribution URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information;
And execute
2) If the mobile information terminal is a slave station terminal that is the file spreading destination,
Tethering connection based on the tethering connection information;
Connecting a URL from a browser as a Web client based on the program distribution URL information, and displaying a file download request screen;
The step where file download is permitted on the file download request screen,
A step in which a program file is downloaded from the master station side terminal;
Installing the downloaded program file; and
An application diffusion program for running A program installed in a portable information terminal having at least a tethering function,
To the computer of the portable information terminal,
1) When the mobile information terminal is a master station side terminal that is the file spreading source,
Steps where tethering settings are made,
Starting a web server that supplies a file download request screen;
Transmitting tethering connection information and program distribution URL (Uniform Resource Locator) information to the slave station side;
And execute
2) If the mobile information terminal is a slave station terminal that is the file spreading destination,
Receiving the tethering connection information and the program distribution URL information from a master station terminal;
Tethering connection based on the tethering connection information;
Connecting a URL from a browser as a Web client based on the program distribution URL information, and displaying a file download request screen;
The step where file download is permitted on the file download request screen,
A step in which a program file is downloaded from the master station side terminal;
Installing the downloaded program file; and
An application diffusion program for running