JP6630478B2 - Software distribution system, software distribution method, program and server - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a distribution system for distributing software, a distribution method for distributing software, and a program, a server, and a terminal device for implementing the distribution system.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been a system in a terminal device for downloading various software such as contents and programs from a server.

  In such a system, access from a large number of terminal devices to the server may be concentrated in order to download popular software. In this case, since a load is applied to the server and the network, it is difficult for the terminal device to comfortably download the software from the server.

  Therefore, for example, if the number of reservations exceeds a predetermined number before the start date of the distribution of the content, the content body is encrypted and transmitted to the terminal device before the start date of the distribution. A technique has been proposed in which a key for decrypting content is transmitted to a terminal device (for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, a technique has been proposed in which a part of content is downloaded to a terminal device in advance, and when the content is reproduced, the terminal device reproduces the remaining portion of the content in real time while acquiring it from a server (for example, Patent Document 2). etc).

JP 2008-134992 A JP 2005-184472 A

  However, in the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2, when content or a part of the content that has been encrypted in advance is downloaded, access to the server from the terminal device may be concentrated. Further, in the technique of Patent Document 2, when the remaining portion of the content is acquired from the server in real time for the purpose of reproducing the content in the terminal device, there is a possibility that the access from the terminal device to the server is concentrated. Further, with the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is difficult for the user of the terminal device to download the content at a desired timing. That is, it is difficult to say that the technologies of Patent Documents 1 and 2 realize an environment that enables comfortable download of content. Such a problem is common to techniques for acquiring software from a server in a terminal device.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a technology that enables a terminal device to acquire software comfortably.

  In order to solve the above problem, a software distribution system according to a first aspect includes a server, one or more first terminal devices, and a second server capable of communicating with the server and the one or more first terminal devices. A terminal device. Here, each of the first terminal devices has a first storage unit that stores transmission data relating to at least a part of software and at least one of the software. Also, at least one first terminal device among the one or more first terminal devices has a first communication unit that transmits the transmission data to the second terminal device. In addition, the server includes a server communication unit that transmits, to the second terminal device, additional data for enabling use of the software Sf1 using the transmission data. The second terminal device has a second storage unit that stores at least one of the transmission data Td2 and the software.

  The software distribution system according to a second aspect is the software distribution system according to the first aspect, wherein the transmission data has a form in which a part of the software is deleted, and at least a part of the software is encrypted. And data relating to the software in at least one of a required form and a form requiring permission data to use the software.

  The software distribution system according to a third aspect is the software distribution system according to the second aspect, wherein the additional data is a deleted part of the software, or at least an encrypted part of the software. A decryption key for decrypting a part and at least one of the permission data are included.

  The software distribution system according to a fourth aspect is the software distribution system according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the at least one first terminal device is configured to communicate with the at least one first terminal device by the first communication unit. At least one of the first identification information of one first terminal device, the second identification information of the second terminal device, and the third identification information of the software is transmitted to the server. Then, the server, in response to receiving the at least one piece of identification information from the at least one first terminal device, sends the transmission data to the second terminal device to the at least one first terminal device. And a transmission permitting unit for permitting transmission of the data.

  The software distribution system according to a fifth aspect is the software distribution system according to the fourth aspect, wherein the second terminal device transmits the first identification information relating to the at least one first terminal device to the server. The server includes a reward data generation unit that transmits and the reward server generates reward data indicating a reward for the at least one first terminal device in response to receiving the first identification information from the second terminal device.

  A software distribution system according to a sixth aspect is the software distribution system according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the second terminal device has a second identification information associated with the second terminal device and The server transmits third identification information according to the software to the server, and the server responds to the server by the server communication unit according to the second identification information and the third identification information received from the second terminal device. A server communication control unit that transmits the additional data to the second terminal device.

  A software distribution system according to a seventh aspect is the software distribution system according to the sixth aspect, wherein the server responds to the second identification information and the third identification information received from the second terminal device. And a billing data generating unit that generates billing data indicating billing for the second terminal device.

  The software distribution system according to an eighth aspect is the software distribution system according to the sixth or seventh aspect, wherein the at least one first terminal device includes second identification information according to the second terminal device, and Transmitting third identification information relating to the software to the server, wherein the server communication control unit receives the second identification information received from the at least one first terminal device and the second identification information received from the second terminal device; The additional data is transmitted to the second terminal device by the server communication unit according to the correspondence with the second identification information.

  A software distribution system according to a ninth aspect is the software distribution system according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the second terminal device transmits the transmission data from the at least one first terminal device. In response to the interruption of the reception of the credit data, the position information relating to at least one of the interruption part of the transmission data where the reception is interrupted and the reception completion data area where the reception is completed is stored in the second data. A position specifying unit to be stored in a storage unit, and at least one of the at least one first terminal device or at least one other first terminal device different from the at least one first terminal device For, by transmitting the position information, a restart request unit that requests a restart of reception after the interruption point or the reception completion data area of the transmission data, A.

  A software distribution system according to a tenth aspect is the software distribution system according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the second terminal device deletes the transmission data from the second storage unit. A deletion control unit that causes the additional data to remain in the second storage unit.

  A software distribution system according to an eleventh aspect is the software distribution system according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein the at least one first terminal device is N (N is an integer of 2 or more) The first terminal device is included. Here, the second terminal device includes an assignment setting unit that divides the transmission data into N regions and allocates the N regions to the N first terminal devices. Then, the N first terminal devices transmit the transmission data to the second terminal device by the first communication unit according to a result of the area allocation by the sharing setting unit.

  The software distribution system according to a twelfth aspect is the software distribution system according to the eleventh aspect, wherein the allotment setting unit is configured to transmit each of the N first terminal devices from the N first terminal devices. Obtaining information related to the use state, dividing the transmission data into the N areas according to the information related to the use state of each of the N first terminal devices, and dividing the N areas into the N areas. Assigned to N first terminal devices.

  The software distribution system according to a thirteenth aspect is the software distribution system according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, wherein each of the first terminal devices uses the information unique to the first terminal device. The software is stored in the first storage unit with a part of the software bound to the first terminal device. Then, the transmission data is at least one of data in which part of the software bound to the first terminal device is deleted and data in which part of the software is bound. including.

  A software distribution system according to a fourteenth aspect is the software distribution system according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, wherein the first storage unit of each of the first terminal devices is provided separately from the software. And storing the transmission data generated based on the software.

  A software distribution method according to a fifteenth aspect includes: (a) at least one first terminal device storing data relating to software in a first storage unit; and (b) at least one first terminal device. Transmitting at least one first terminal device for transmission data relating to at least a part of the software to a second terminal device; and (c) the server transmitting the transmission data transmitted in step (b). Transmitting additional data for enabling the use of the software to the second terminal device by using the.

The program according to the sixteenth aspect is executed by a processor included in the terminal device, and transmits the terminal device to the second terminal device according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects. first to function as a terminal device for.

  The program according to a seventeenth aspect is executed by a processor included in the terminal device, and causes the terminal device to function as a second terminal device according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects.

  The program according to an eighteenth aspect is executed by a processor included in the server, thereby causing the server to function as the server according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects.

The server according to a nineteenth aspect is a server included in the software distribution device according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects .

The terminal device according to the twentieth aspect is a second terminal device included in the software distribution device according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects, or a first terminal device that transmits transmission data to the second terminal device. There is .

  In the software distribution system according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects, the software can be used by the transmission data relating to the software obtained by communication between the terminals and the additional data obtained from the server. Software can be acquired comfortably. Also, for example, unauthorized duplication of software can be suppressed.

  With the software distribution system according to any of the second and third aspects, illegal duplication of software can be easily suppressed.

  According to the software distribution system according to the third aspect, since the amount of data transmitted from the server to the terminal device can be reduced, it is difficult for the terminal device to access the server.

  With the software distribution system according to any of the fourth and fifth aspects, transmission and reception of transmission data between terminals is managed by the server, so that unauthorized duplication of software can be suppressed.

  According to the software distribution system according to the fifth aspect, the transmission of the transmission data between the terminals is activated by providing a reward to the terminal device that has transmitted the transmission data between the terminals. As a result, the concentration of access from the terminal device to the server can be reduced.

  In the software distribution system according to any of the sixth and seventh aspects, additional data enabling the use of software from the server is transmitted to the destination terminal device in response to the transmission of the identification information from the destination terminal device. Sent. For this reason, unauthorized duplication of software can be further suppressed.

  According to the software distribution system of the seventh aspect, the server can manage the billing for the terminal device of the transmission destination, so that illegal duplication of software can be reduced.

  According to the software distribution system of the eighth aspect, if the information obtained from both the source terminal device and the destination terminal device correspond, additional data enabling the use of the software is transmitted from the server. The message is transmitted to the destination terminal device. Therefore, the effect of preventing unauthorized duplication of software can be improved.

  According to the software distribution system according to the ninth aspect, the data obtained halfway through the communication between the terminals can be effectively used, so that the terminal device can more quickly acquire the software.

  According to the software distribution system according to the tenth aspect, when the software is reacquired at the transmission destination terminal device, it is not necessary to acquire additional data that enables the use of the software. Rapid use of software becomes possible.

  In the software distribution system according to any one of the eleventh and twelfth aspects, the transmission data relating to the software is transmitted from the plurality of transmission source terminal devices to the transmission destination terminal device. Can be shortened.

  According to the software distribution system of the twelfth aspect, transmission and reception of transmission data between terminals can be speeded up by transmitting transmission data in accordance with the use state of the plurality of transmission source terminal devices.

  According to the software distribution system according to the thirteenth aspect, by transmitting transmission data relating to software bound to the transmission source terminal device, data that can be transmitted between the terminals can be easily prepared.

  According to the software distribution system of the fourteenth aspect, since transmission data related to the software is stored separately from the software itself in the transmission source terminal device, transmission and reception of the transmission data between the terminals can be speeded up. Can be achieved.

  According to the software distribution method of the fifteenth aspect, the same effects as those of the software distribution device of the first aspect can be obtained.

  According to the program of the sixteenth aspect, the software can be comfortably acquired in the terminal device by transmitting and receiving the transmission data relating to the software between the terminals.

  According to the program according to any of the seventeenth and eighteenth aspects, the software can be used by the transmission data relating to the software obtained by the communication between the terminals and the additional data obtained from the server. Can be obtained comfortably. Also, for example, unauthorized duplication of software can be suppressed.

  According to the server according to the nineteenth aspect, since the additional data that makes the software usable can be obtained from the server, the software can be obtained by communication between the terminals in the terminal device. As a result, the terminal device can comfortably acquire the software. Also, for example, unauthorized duplication of software can be suppressed.

  According to the terminal device of the twentieth aspect, transmission data related to software is obtained by communication between the terminals, and the software can be used by the transmission data and data obtained from the server. Software can be acquired comfortably. Also, for example, unauthorized duplication of software can be suppressed.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a distribution system according to an embodiment. It is a figure showing the outline of operation in a distribution system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a management server. It is a block diagram which illustrates the structure of the terminal device as a DL origin terminal. It is a block diagram which illustrates the structure of the terminal device as a DL destination terminal. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration realized by a server control unit; FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration realized by a first control unit. It is an image figure showing typically an example of the data concerning software. It is an image figure which shows an example of the data for transmission typically. It is an image figure which shows another example of the data for transmission typically. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration realized by a second control unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a place where reception of transmission data is interrupted. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of receiving transmission data from a plurality of terminal devices. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of receiving transmission data from a plurality of terminal devices. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation flow related to software distribution. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation flow related to software distribution. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation flow related to software distribution. FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a first control unit according to a first modification. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation flow according to a second modification. FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a terminal device as a DL source terminal according to a third modification.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment and various modifications of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, parts having the same configuration and function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted in the following description. In addition, the drawings are schematically shown, and the sizes, positional relationships, and the like of various structures in the drawings can be appropriately changed.

<(1) One embodiment>
<(1-1) Schematic Configuration of Software Distribution System>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a software distribution system (hereinafter, abbreviated as “distribution system”) 1 according to an embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the distribution system 1 mainly includes a server (also referred to as a management server) 2 for managing software distribution, and a terminal device (also referred to as a management terminal) for managing the management server 2. 3 and a plurality of terminal devices 4.

  The management server 2 and the management terminal 3 are connected in such a manner that signals can be transmitted and received. The connection format may be, for example, any of a wired format and a wireless format. In addition, the management server 2 and the plurality of terminal devices 4 are connected in a manner that allows communication via the communication line NW1. The communication line NW1 may be a wired or wireless line. The communication between the terminal devices 4 via the wireless line can be realized by, for example, Wi-Fi using a wireless LAN. Here, the communication between the terminal devices 4 can be realized by any of a global network and a local network. For example, when the communication between the terminal devices 4 is realized by a local network, the communication between the management server 2 and the terminal device 4 may be realized by a global network, or the local network. It may be realized by.

  In the distribution system 1 according to the present embodiment, software-related data download (also referred to as inter-terminal DL) is possible between two or more terminal devices 4. For this reason, the data relating to the software can be downloaded comfortably in the terminal device (also referred to as the DL destination terminal) 4 at the download destination without imposing an excessive burden on the server. In addition, in the DL destination terminal 4, even if the server does not function (also referred to as a down state), data related to software is obtained from the download source terminal device (also referred to as the DL source terminal) 4 by the inter-terminal DL. obtain. As a result, a problem that the service for distributing software is completely stopped hardly occurs.

  However, in the distribution system 1, the data required for executing the software include data that can be downloaded between terminal DLs (also referred to as DL possible data) and data that cannot be downloaded between terminal DLs (also referred to as DL impossible data). ) And is managed separately. In the DL destination terminal 4, data relating to software as DL-enabled data received by the terminal-to-terminal DL is data that cannot be used as it is. Therefore, at the DL destination terminal 4, data enabling the use of software as DL-impossible data is acquired from the management server 2, and the software is usable by the data relating to the software as DL-possible data and the DL-impossible data. It is said. Thereby, unauthorized duplication and use of software can be suppressed.

  Hereinafter, the functional configuration and operation of the distribution system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. Here, the terminal devices 4a to 4f having the same configuration are included in the six terminal devices 4, and at least one of the terminal devices 4a to 4e as one or more first terminal devices is a DL source terminal. Yes, an example in which the terminal device 4f as the second terminal device is a DL destination terminal will be described. That is, an example will be described in which the terminal device 4f as the second terminal device is communicably connected to the management server 2 and the terminal devices 4a to 4e as one or more first terminal devices. In the present embodiment, an example is described in which communication can be performed between the six terminal devices 4 via the communication line NW1. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an arbitrary number of two or more It is sufficient that communication between the terminal devices 4 via the communication line NW1 is possible.

<(1-2) Overview of Software Distribution Operation>
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a software distribution operation in the distribution system 1. As shown in FIG. 2, in the software distribution operation, six steps (steps 1 to 6) are mainly performed in order.

  [1] In step 1, the terminal device (DL destination terminal) 4f requests at least one of the terminal devices 4a to 4e (DL source terminal) 4 to execute inter-terminal DL. For example, the DL destination terminal 4f obtains, from the DL source terminal 4, a list in which one or more software of the DL source terminal 4 is enumerated, and the desired software is designated on the list at the DL destination terminal 4f. Then, execution of the inter-terminal DL of the desired software is requested.

  In step 1, the DL source terminal 4 authenticates the DL destination terminal 4f in response to a request for an inter-terminal DL from the DL destination terminal 4f. At this time, the request of the inter-terminal DL from the DL destination terminal 4f may be rejected by the DL source terminal 4. For example, a mode is conceivable in which either one of permission and rejection of inter-terminal DL can be selected in the input unit 45 and the output unit 46 of the DL source terminal 4. If the DL source terminal 4 and the DL destination terminal 4f are, for example, the terminal devices 4 that are acquainted with each other, such as friends, the user of the DL source terminal 4f can be specified by the user of the DL destination terminal 4f. As a result, the security of software download can be improved.

  [2] In step 2, in response to the request for the inter-terminal DL from the DL destination terminal 4f, the DL source terminal 4 permits the management server 2 to permit the inter-terminal DL with the DL destination terminal 4f. Required. At this time, the information related to the inter-terminal DL (also referred to as first inter-terminal DL information) is transmitted to the management server 2 by the DL source terminal 4. The first inter-terminal DL information may include, for example, the identification information of the DL source terminal 4, the identification information of the DL destination terminal 4f, the identification information of the software targeted for the inter-terminal DL, and the like.

  [3] In step 3, the management server 2 permits the terminal DL between the DL source terminal 4 and the DL destination terminal 4f. For example, permission or rejection of the terminal-to-terminal DL may be determined according to the first terminal-to-terminal DL information.

  [4] In step 4, the terminal-to-terminal DL is started in response to the permission of the terminal-to-terminal DL in step S3. As a result, data relating to the software as DL-capable data (also referred to as transmission data) is transmitted from the DL source terminal 4 to the DL destination terminal 4f. Here, the transmission data relates to at least a part of the software, and is data relating to software for transmitting and receiving by the terminal-to-terminal DL between the DL source terminal 4 and the DL destination terminal 4f.

  [5] In step 5, in response to the end of the terminal-to-terminal DL in step 4, the data (additional data) that allows the management server 2 to use the software as DL-impossible data by the DL destination terminal 4f. ) Is required. At this time, information on the inter-terminal DL (also referred to as second inter-terminal DL information) is transmitted to the management server 2 by the DL destination terminal 4f. The second inter-terminal DL information may include, for example, identification information relating to the DL destination terminal 4f, identification information relating to software as a target of the inter-terminal DL, and the like.

  [6] In step 6, the management server 2 transmits additional data to the DL destination terminal 4f. At this time, the management server 2 checks the second inter-terminal DL information obtained from the DL destination terminal 4f and the first inter-terminal DL information obtained from the DL source terminal 4. Then, if the first inter-terminal DL information corresponds to the second inter-terminal DL information, additional data is transmitted from the management server 2 to the DL destination terminal 4f. At this time, for example, the management server 2 may generate data Ac1 (also referred to as billing data) relating to a fee charged for downloading the software. Here, a fee may be charged for the download of the software by charging a fee for obtaining additional data that enables the use of the software.

  In this way, the DL destination terminal 4f can use the software only when both the transmission data obtained by the inter-terminal DL and the additional data obtained from the management server 2 are available. Therefore, the effect of preventing unauthorized duplication of software can be improved. In addition, the concentration of accesses to the management server 2 hardly occurs. As a result, the software can be comfortably acquired at the DL destination terminal 4f.

  Further, unlike a distribution system employing a general P2P communication method, in the distribution system 1 according to the present embodiment, the DL source terminal 4 and the DL destination terminal 4f can be managed by the management server 2. Thereby, for example, the identities of both the DL source terminal 4 and the DL destination terminal 4f in which the inter-terminal DL is performed can be confirmed. Further, for example, if the operations of Step 2 and Step 3 are performed, it can be confirmed whether or not the software as the target of the terminal-to-terminal DL is software obtained through a regular route. That is, the security of software download can be improved.

<(1-3) Functional configuration of distribution system>
<(1-3-1) Functional Configuration of Management Server>
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of the management server 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the management server 2 includes a server control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit (also referred to as a server communication unit) 23, and an input / output (I / O) unit 24.

  The server control unit 21 includes, for example, a CPU 211 including a processor, a memory 212 for temporarily storing information, and the like. The CPU 211 implements various functions and information processing of the management server 2 by reading and executing the program Pg1 stored in the storage unit 22. With the various functions of the management server 2, the DL destination terminal 4f as the user's terminal device 4 acquires the additional data Ad1 for enabling the use of the software Sf1 from the management server 2. This allows the DL destination terminal 4f to use the software Sf1 related to the transmission data Td2 acquired in the inter-terminal DL. As a result, the software Sf1 can be acquired comfortably by the DL destination terminal 4f. Further, for example, unauthorized duplication of the software Sf1 can be suppressed. Here, various information temporarily obtained by various information processing in the server control unit 21 is stored in the memory 212 or the like.

  The storage unit 22 is a unit that stores various types of information, and includes, for example, a storage medium such as a hard disk. The configuration of the storage unit 22 is, for example, any of a configuration having one storage medium, a configuration having two or more storage media integrally, and a configuration having two or more storage media divided into two or more parts. May be adopted.

  The storage unit 22 may store, for example, a program Pg1, software Sf1, additional data Ad1, billing data Ac1, reward data Rd1, and other various data. The program Pg1 implements the function of the management server 2 by being read and executed by the CPU 211. The software Sf1 may include, for example, various programs such as an application program, and various contents (a set of data) related to images, videos, music, and the like. In other words, the software Sf1 may include a computer program in which instructions for operating the computer and a procedure of the process are summarized, data to be processed by the computer program, and the like. The additional data Ad1 is, for example, data for enabling use of the software Sf1. The billing data Ac1 is data indicating a price charged for downloading the software Sf1 in the terminal device 4. The reward data Rd1 is data indicating a reward for the DL source terminal 4 that has transmitted the transmission data Td2 by the inter-terminal DL.

  The server communication unit 23 is a part that transmits and receives data to and from external devices such as the management terminal 3 and the terminal device 4. The server communication unit 23 exchanges data with the management terminal 3 via, for example, a dedicated cable or a LAN line, and exchanges data with the terminal device 4 via the communication line NW1. Can be performed. For example, the server communication unit 23 transmits the additional data Ad1 for enabling the use of the software Sf1 using the transmission data Td2 from the management server 2 to the DL destination terminal 4f.

  The I / O unit 24 is, for example, a part to which a portable storage medium D2 can be attached and detached. In the I / O unit 24, for example, data can be exchanged between the storage medium D2 and the server control unit 21 while the storage medium D2 is mounted. Further, a mode may be adopted in which the program Pg1 is read from the storage medium D2 into the storage unit 22 and stored by mounting the storage medium D2 storing the program Pg1 on the I / O unit 24.

<(1-3-2) Functional configuration of terminal device>
FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are block diagrams illustrating the configuration of the terminal device 4. Specifically, FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of the terminal devices 4a to 4e as the first terminal devices, and FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a configuration of the terminal device 4f as the second terminal device. It is a block diagram. In the present embodiment, the terminal devices 4a to 4f have substantially the same configuration, but at least one of the terminal devices 4a to 4e functions as a DL source terminal, and the terminal device 4f functions as a DL destination terminal. work. Therefore, the functions realized by the control unit 41 and the information stored in the storage unit 42 are different between the terminal devices 4a to 4e and the terminal device 4f.

  Each terminal device 4 includes a control unit 41, a storage unit 42, a communication unit (also referred to as a terminal communication unit) 43, an input / output (I / O) unit 44, an input unit 45, and an output unit 46.

  The control unit 41 has, for example, a CPU 411 including a processor, a memory 412 for temporarily storing information, and the like. The CPU 411 realizes various functions and information processing of the terminal device 4 by reading and executing the program Pg2 or the program Pg3 stored in the storage unit 42. By the various functions of the terminal device 4, the DL destination terminal 4f receives the transmission data Td2 related to the software Sf1 in the terminal-to-terminal DL. Then, at the DL destination terminal 4f, additional data Ad1 enabling the use of the software Sf1 is acquired from the management server 2. This allows the DL destination terminal 4f to use the software Sf1 related to the transmission data Td2 acquired in the inter-terminal DL. As a result, the software Sf1 can be acquired comfortably by the DL destination terminal 4f. Further, for example, unauthorized duplication of the software Sf1 can be suppressed. Here, various information temporarily obtained by various information processing in the control unit 41 is stored in the memory 412 or the like.

  The storage unit 42 is a unit that stores various types of information, and includes, for example, a storage medium such as a hard disk. The configuration of the storage unit 42 is, for example, any one of a configuration having one storage medium, a configuration having two or more storage media integrally, and a configuration having two or more storage media divided into two or more parts. May be adopted.

  The storage unit 42 may store, for example, a program Pg2 or a program Pg3, software Sf1, transmission data Td2, additional data Ad1, identification information Id1, and other various data. The program Pg2 realizes the functions of the terminal devices 4a to 4e by being read and executed by the CPU 411, and the program Pg3 realizes the functions of the terminal device 4f by being read and executed by the CPU 411. It is. The transmission data Td2 relates to at least a part of the software Sf1, and is data related to the software Sf1 for transmission and reception by the terminal-to-terminal DL. The identification information Id1 is information for enabling each terminal device 4 to be identified.

  In the present embodiment, for example, software Sf1 is stored in the storage unit (also referred to as a first storage unit) 42a of the DL source terminal 4. The storage unit (also referred to as a second storage unit) 42f of the DL destination terminal 4 may store, for example, at least one of the transmission data Td2 and the software Sf1.

  The terminal communication unit 43 is a part that transmits and receives data to and from external devices such as the management server 2 and other terminal devices 4. In the terminal communication unit 43, for example, data can be exchanged between the management server 2 and another terminal device 4 via the communication line NW1.

  Here, the terminal communication unit 43a of the DL source terminal 4 can communicate with, for example, the management server 2 and the DL destination terminal 4f, and transmits the transmission data Td2 to the DL destination terminal 4f. On the other hand, the terminal communication unit 43f of the DL destination terminal 4f can communicate with, for example, the management server 2 and one or more terminal devices 4a to 4e, and at least one DL source of the one or more terminal devices 4a to 4e. The transmission data Td2 can be obtained from the terminal 4. Further, the terminal communication unit 43f can acquire, for example, the additional data Ad1 for enabling the use of the software Sf1 from the management server 2.

  The I / O unit 44 is, for example, a part to which a portable storage medium M4 can be attached and detached. In the I / O unit 44, for example, data can be exchanged between the storage medium M4 and the control unit 41 while the storage medium M4 is mounted. Further, by mounting the storage medium M4 storing the programs Pg2 and Pg3 in the I / O unit 44, the program Pg2 and Pg3 are read from the storage medium M4 into the storage unit 42 and stored. May be.

  The input unit 45 inputs a signal according to an operation of a user of the terminal device 4 or the like. The input unit 45 includes, for example, an operation unit including various buttons for inputting a signal corresponding to an operation, a voice recognition unit for inputting a signal corresponding to voice, and a motion recognition unit for inputting a signal corresponding to motion recognition. Etc. may be included.

  The output unit 46 is a unit that outputs various information in a manner recognizable by the user. The output unit 46 includes, for example, a display unit that visually outputs various information, a speaker unit that audibly outputs various information, and the like. Further, for example, a touch panel in which the input unit 45 and the output unit 46 are integrated may be employed.

<(1-4) Functional configuration realized by each control unit>
Next, in the server control unit 21 of the management server 2, the control units (also referred to as first control units) 41a of the DL source terminals 4a to 4e, and the control units (also referred to as second control units) 41f of the DL destination terminals 4f. The functional configurations realized respectively will be described.

<(1-4-1) Functional configuration realized by server control unit>
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration realized by executing the program Pg1 in the server control unit 21. The server control unit 21 has a server communication control unit 211s, a download (DL) permission unit 212s, a collation unit 213s, a reward data generation unit 214s, and a billing data generation unit 215s as functional configurations to be realized.

  The server communication control unit 211s controls communication by the server communication unit 23. For example, under the control of the server communication control unit 211s, the server communication unit 23 transmits the additional data Ad1 to the DL destination terminal 4f that has received the transmission data Td2 from at least one DL source terminal 4.

  The DL permission unit 212s sends the DL destination terminal 4f to the at least one DL source terminal 4 in response to receiving the identification information from at least one of the DL source terminals 4 among the terminal devices 4a to 4e. This is a part that permits transmission of the credit data Td2 (also referred to as a transmission permission unit). In this way, for example, by allowing transmission of the transmission data Td2 between the terminals in accordance with the information from the DL source terminal 4, unauthorized duplication of the software Sf1 can be suppressed. The identification information received here includes, for example, identification information (also referred to as first identification information) Id1 relating to the DL source terminal 4, identification information (also referred to as second identification information) Id2 relating to the DL destination terminal 4f, and software. At least one piece of identification information of the identification information related to Sf1 (also referred to as third identification information) may be included.

  As the first identification information Id1, for example, a terminal ID as identification information unique to the DL source terminal 4, a user ID as identification information unique to a user of the DL source terminal 4, and the like can be adopted. As the second identification information Id2, for example, a terminal ID as identification information unique to the DL destination terminal 4, a user ID as identification information unique to the user of the DL destination terminal 4, and the like can be adopted. As the third identification information, for example, information for identifying the type of the software Sf1 and information for confirming whether or not the software Sf1 is legitimate can be adopted. The information for confirming whether the software Sf1 is legitimate includes, for example, identification information attached to the software Sf1, a checksum and a hash value (digest value) calculated from the software Sf1. Other identification information or the like may be employed.

  Also, the server communication control unit 211s transmits the additional data Ad1 to the DL destination terminal 4f by the server communication unit 23 according to the second identification information Id2 and the third identification information received from the DL destination terminal 4f. You may do it. In this way, for example, in response to the transmission of the identification information from the DL destination terminal 4f, the additional data Ad1 enabling the use of the software Sf1 is transmitted from the management server 2 to the DL destination terminal 4f, so that the software Sf1 is transmitted. Can be further suppressed.

  In addition, the server communication control unit 211 s includes the second identification information Id2 related to the DL destination terminal 4 f received from at least one DL source terminal 4 and the second identification information related to the DL destination terminal 4 f received from the DL destination terminal 4 f. In response to the correspondence with Id2, the server communication unit 23 transmits the additional data Ad1 to the DL destination terminal 4f. Thereby, the effect of preventing unauthorized duplication of the software Sf1 can be improved.

  The collation unit 213s determines whether the second identification information Id2 received from at least one DL source terminal 4 corresponds to the second identification information Id2 related to the DL destination terminal 4f received from the DL destination terminal 4f. Perform collation. Here, for example, if the second identification information Id2 received from at least one DL source terminal 4 and the second identification information Id2 related to the DL destination terminal 4f received from the DL destination terminal 4f match or correspond to each other. Then, the server communication control unit 211s transmits the additional data Ad1 to the DL destination terminal 4f by the server communication unit 23. As described above, if the information obtained from both the DL source terminal 4 and the DL destination terminal 4f corresponds, the additional data Ad1 is transmitted from the management server 2 to the DL destination terminal 4f, and the software Sf1 The effect of preventing unauthorized duplication can be improved.

  Further, here, for example, the collation unit 213s uses the third identification information on the software Sf1 received from the DL destination terminal 4f to confirm that the software Sf1 is legitimate, and then performs server communication. The additional data Ad1 may be transmitted to the DL destination terminal 4f by the unit 23.

  The reward data generation unit 214s, in response to the reception of the first identification information Id1 related to at least one DL source terminal 4 from the DL destination terminal 4f, data indicating a reward for the at least one DL source terminal 4 (including the reward data). Say) Rd1. Thus, the transmission of the transmission data Td2 between the terminals is activated by the reward being given to the DL source terminal 4 according to the transmission of the transmission data Td2 between the terminals. As a result, the concentration of access from the terminal device 4 to the management server 2 can be reduced. Here, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which the DL destination terminal 4f receives the first identification information Id1 from the DL source terminal 4 together with the transmission data Td2.

  Here, examples of the reward include various points, various discount benefits, and application program options. Application program options may include, for example, service programs, service content, rare content, and the like. In addition, if the application program is a game program, if the reward is various items, rare items, or the like, promotion of the terminal-to-terminal DL can be promoted.

  Here, if a user ID as identification information unique to the user of the DL source terminal 4 is used as the first identification information Id1, reward data Rd1 can be generated for each user. At this time, the registration information of the user is used to limit the allowable age of the user with respect to the inter-terminal DL in the DL source terminal 4 and the grant of the reward to the inter-terminal DL by the DL source terminal 4. Is also good.

  The billing data generation unit 215s receives the data (charging) for the DL destination terminal 4f according to the second identification information Id2 related to the DL destination terminal 4f and the third identification information related to the software Sf1 received from the DL destination terminal 4f. Ac1 is also generated. Such charging in accordance with the reception of the transmission data Td2 between the terminals can reduce the unauthorized duplication of the software Sf1.

<(1-4-2) Functional Configuration Realized by First Control Unit>
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration realized by executing the program Pg2 in the first control unit 41a. The first control unit 41a includes a first communication control unit 411a, a terminal authentication unit 412a, a DL permission request unit 413a, and a transmission data preparation unit 414a as a functional configuration to be realized.

  The first communication control unit 411a controls communication by the terminal communication unit 43a as the first communication unit in the DL source terminal 4. For example, under the control of the first communication control unit 411a, the terminal communication unit 43a transmits the transmission data Td2 to the DL destination terminal 4f. Here, the transmission data Td2 includes at least one of a form in which a part of the software Sf1 is deleted, a form in which at least a part of the software Sf1 is encrypted, and a form in which permission data is required to use the software Sf1. Three forms of data may be included. Thereby, unauthorized duplication of the software Sf1 can be easily suppressed.

  The form in which a part of the software Sf1 is deleted can be realized, for example, by removing at least one of the program code and the data as a part of the software Sf1 from the software Sf1. The permission data includes, for example, a license key required for installing the software Sf1. Thereby, from a conventional purchase model in which a license key is purchased at the same time as the purchase of software Sf1, a new model in which permission data as a license is purchased after acquisition of transmission data Td2 related to software Sf1 by terminal-to-terminal DL. Can change.

  Further, under the control of the first communication control unit 411a, for example, at least one of the first identification information related to at least one DL source terminal 4, the second identification information related to the DL destination terminal 4f, and the third identification information related to the software Sf1. One piece of identification information is transmitted from the terminal communication unit 43a to the management server 2.

  The terminal authentication unit 412a authenticates the DL destination terminal 4f in response to a request for an inter-terminal DL related to the software Sf1 from the DL destination terminal 4f. For example, data relating to an electronic certificate or the like of the DL destination terminal 4f is transmitted from the DL destination terminal 4f to the DL source terminal 4, and based on the electronic certificate, the DL destination terminal 4f is set to a specific hardware set in advance. Is authenticated. The specific hardware includes, for example, a regular portable communication terminal provided by a service company or a manufacturer.

  The DL permission request unit 413a transmits the first inter-terminal DL information related to the inter-terminal DL to the management server 2 and requests permission of the inter-terminal DL with the DL destination terminal 4f. The first inter-terminal DL information may include, for example, first identification information Id1 for the DL source terminal 4, second identification information Id2 for the DL destination terminal 4f, and third identification information for the software Sf1. Then, in response to the request from the DL permission request unit 413a, the transmission of the transmission data Td2 to the DL destination terminal 4f can be permitted by the DL permission unit 212s.

  The transmission data preparation unit 414a prepares transmission data Td2 based on the software Sf1. For example, the transmission data Td2 can be prepared by deleting a part of the software Sf1 and encrypting at least a part of the software Sf1. The encryption of the software Sf1 may be, for example, partial encryption of the software Sf1 or encryption of the entire software Sf1.

  FIG. 8 is an image diagram schematically showing data relating to the software Sf1. FIG. 9 is an image diagram schematically illustrating an example of the transmission data Td2. FIG. 10 is an image diagram schematically showing another example of the transmission data Td2. FIG. 9 shows transmission data Td2 generated by deleting a part De1 of the software Sf1 shown in FIG. FIG. 10 shows transmission data Td2 generated by encrypting a part Dc1 of the software Sf1 shown in FIG.

  Here, for example, a configuration is conceivable in which the transmission data Td2 is prepared by encrypting at least a part of the data relating to the software Sf1 by the transmission data preparation unit 414a when performing the inter-terminal DL. When such a configuration is adopted, for example, the following three methods (methods 1 to 3) are considered as a method for obtaining the encryption key in the DL source terminal 4 and a method for obtaining the decryption key in the DL destination terminal 4f. Can be

  [Method 1] In step 1, when the DL source terminal 4 authenticates the DL destination terminal 4f, an encryption key and a decryption key are determined between the DL source terminal 4 and the DL destination terminal 4f. . The method 1 can be realized by applying a technology such as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encrypted communication. When the method 1 is adopted, the DL destination terminal 4f obtains the decryption key before executing the inter-terminal DL. Therefore, in the DL destination terminal 4f, for example, the transmission data Td2 as data relating to the software Sf1 encrypted by the inter-terminal DL is received, and the encrypted transmission data Td2 is decrypted. obtain. As a result, the decrypted data of the software Sf1 can be stored in the storage unit 42f of the DL destination terminal 4f. When this method 1 is adopted, additional data Ad1 is required in addition to the decryption key determined between the DL source terminal 4 and the DL destination terminal 4f.

  [Method 2] The management server 2 prepares an encryption key and a decryption key. Then, in step 3 described above, when the terminal DL between the DL source terminal 4 and the DL destination terminal 4f is permitted by the management server 2, an encryption key is assigned from the management server 2 to the DL source terminal 4. Can be done. On the other hand, for example, a step in which a decryption key is given from the management server 2 to the DL destination terminal 4f may be added between step 3 and step 4. Note that, even when the method 2 is adopted, the DL destination terminal 4f can obtain the decryption key before performing the inter-terminal DL. Therefore, in the DL destination terminal 4f, for example, the transmission data Td2 as data relating to the software Sf1 encrypted by the inter-terminal DL is received, and the encrypted transmission data Td2 is decrypted. obtain. As a result, the decrypted data of the software Sf1 can be stored in the storage unit 42f of the DL destination terminal 4f. In the method 2, the decryption key may be the additional data Ad1.

  [Method 3] The management server 2 prepares an encryption key and a decryption key. Then, in step 3 described above, when the terminal DL between the DL source terminal 4 and the DL destination terminal 4f is permitted by the management server 2, an encryption key is assigned from the management server 2 to the DL source terminal 4. Can be done. On the other hand, for example, in step 6 described above, a decryption key can be given from the management server 2 to the DL destination terminal 4f. In this case, in the DL destination terminal 4f, for example, after the transmission data Td2 as the data relating to the software Sf1 encrypted by the inter-terminal DL is acquired and the transmission data Td2 is stored in the storage unit 42f, the management is performed. The encryption key is provided from the server 2 to the DL destination terminal 4f. As a result, after the end of the inter-terminal DL, the transmission data Td2 stored in the storage unit 42f can be decoded. In the method 3, the decryption key may be the additional data Ad1.

<(1-4-3) Functional configuration realized by second control unit>
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration realized by executing the program Pg3 in the second control unit 41f. The second control unit 41f has a second communication control unit 411f, a DL requesting unit 412f, a software utilization unit 413f, a position specifying unit 414f, a deletion control unit 415f, and a sharing setting unit 416f as realized functional configurations. are doing.

  The second communication control unit 411f controls communication by the terminal communication unit 43f as the second communication unit in the DL destination terminal 4f. For example, under the control of the second communication control unit 411f, the terminal communication unit 43f acquires the transmission data Td2 from at least one DL source terminal 4. Further, under the control of the second communication control unit 411f, the terminal communication unit 43f transmits the second inter-terminal DL information to the management server 2. The second inter-terminal DL information may include the second identification information Id2 related to the DL destination terminal 4f and the third identification information related to the software Sf1. Here, the additional data Ad1 is transmitted from the management server 2 to the DL destination terminal 4f according to the transmission of the second inter-terminal DL information. As a result, under the control of the second communication control unit 411f, the terminal communication unit 43f acquires the additional data Ad1 from the management server 2.

  Here, the additional data Ad1 includes, for example, a deleted part of the software Sf1, a decryption key for decrypting at least a part of the software Sf1 that has been encrypted, and a permission required for using the software Sf1. Including at least one of the data. Thereby, the amount of data transmitted from the management server 2 to the DL destination terminal 4f is reduced. As a result, access from the terminal device 4 to the management server 2 is difficult to concentrate.

  The DL request unit 412f requests the terminal DL according to the software Sf1 from the DL source terminal 4. At this time, for example, data related to the digital certificate of the DL destination terminal 4f is transmitted to the DL source terminal 4 for authentication related to the inter-terminal DL.

  When the reception of the transmission data Td2 from at least one DL source terminal 4 is interrupted on the way, for example, the DL request unit 412f requests the DL request unit 412f to restart the reception of the transmission data Td2 from the middle. May be performed on the DL source terminal 4. Specifically, for example, the DL request unit 412f serving as the restart request unit includes at least one DL source terminal 4 of one or more DL source terminals 4 or at least one other DL terminal different from the at least one DL source terminal 4. The information (also referred to as position information) indicating the position of the transmission data Td2 where the reception is interrupted (also referred to as the interruption point) is transmitted to the DL source terminal 4. Thereby, resumption of reception from the interrupted portion of the transmission data Td2 may be requested. In such a configuration, data obtained halfway by the terminal-to-terminal DL can be effectively used. As a result, the acquisition of the software Sf1 in the terminal device 4 can be further speeded up.

  Here, even if at least one DL source terminal 4 transmitting the transmission data Td2 halfway and at least one DL source terminal 4 transmitting the transmission data Td2 from the interrupted part are completely identical, for example, , May be partially different or completely different. Further, the data after the interruption part in the transmission data Td2 may be acquired from the management server 2 by the DL destination terminal 4f, for example. When such a configuration is adopted, data acquisition of data in a portion of the transmission data Td2 before the interrupted portion can be speeded up by the terminal-to-terminal DL.

  As a case where the reception of the transmission data Td2 is interrupted on the way, for example, while the transmission data Td2 is being received by the DL destination terminal 4f from the terminal device 4 of the friend as the DL source terminal 4, There is a case where a friend turns off the terminal device 4 as the DL source terminal 4 and brings the terminal device 4 home.

  The software utilization unit 413f enables the use of the software Sf1 based on the transmission data Td2 obtained from the DL source terminal 4 and the additional data Ad1 obtained from the management server 2. Here, for example, the transmission data Td2 has a form in which a part of the software Sf1 has been removed, and if the additional data Ad1 is a part of the software Sf1 that has been deleted, the transmission data Td2 has By adding the additional data Ad1, usable software Sf1 can be obtained.

  Further, for example, the transmission data Td2 is a form in which at least a part of the software Sf1 is encrypted, and the additional data Ad1 is a decryption for decrypting at least a part of the software Sf1 which is encrypted. If it is a key, the usable data Sf1 can be obtained by decrypting the transmission data Td2 with the additional data Ad1.

  Further, for example, if the transmission data Td2 is software Sf1 requiring permission data for use and the additional data Ad1 is permission data required for use of the software Sf1, the transmission data Td2 and the permission data can be used. Software Sf1 can be obtained. Here, for example, the additional data Ad1 received from the management server 2 includes information for collation, and the software utilization unit 413f outputs third identification information related to the software Sf1 and information for collation. According to the collation result, the transmission data Td2 and the permission data make it possible to use the software Sf1.

  The process of enabling the use of the software Sf1 in the software utilization unit 413f may be executed, for example, when the use of the software Sf1 is started for the first time, or may be executed each time the software Sf1 is used. Here, in a configuration in which the processing for enabling the use of the software Sf1 in the software use enabler 413f is performed when the use of the software Sf1 is started for the first time, for example, the usable form of the software Sf1 is written in the storage unit 42f. Can be stored. Further, for example, in a configuration in which the processing for enabling the use of the software Sf1 in the software utilization unit 413f is executed each time the software Sf1 is used, for example, when the software Sf1 is used, the software in a usable form may be used. When the Sf1 is stored in the storage unit 42f and the use of the software Sf1 ends, the usable form of the software Sf1 may be deleted from the storage unit 42f.

  In response to the interruption of the reception of the transmission data Td2 from at least one DL source terminal 4, the position specifying unit 414f outputs the position information of the transmission data Td2 regarding the interruption point where the reception was interrupted. It is stored in the storage unit 42f. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of the position information regarding the interruption point Po1 where the reception of the transmission data Td2 is interrupted. As shown in FIG. 12, in the transmission data Td2, an outer edge of a data area (also referred to as a received data area) Tf1 that has already been received is indicated by a solid line, and a data area that has not yet been received. The outer edge of Tn1 (also referred to as an unreceived data area) is shown by a broken line.

  For example, when deleting at least one of the transmission data Td2 and the software Sf1 from the storage unit 42f in response to an input from the input unit 45, the deletion control unit 415f causes the additional data Ad1 to remain in the storage unit 42f. . Thus, when the software Sf1 is reacquired at the DL destination terminal 4f, the acquisition of the additional data Ad1 in step 6 and the like becomes unnecessary. As a result, the terminal device 4 can use the software Sf1 more quickly. In addition, it is possible to reduce the amount of access to the management server 2 and to prevent a charge for acquiring the additional data Ad1 from being charged a plurality of times.

  For example, when at least one DL source terminal 4 includes N (N is an integer of 2 or more) DL source terminals 4, the sharing setting unit 416f divides the transmission data Td2 into N areas. Then, the N areas are allocated to the N DL source terminals 4. Here, the N regions may be, for example, data in which the transmission data Td2 is simply divided into N regions, or after the transmission data Td2 is divided into more than N regions. Each region of the N regions may be constituted by a lump region or a group of regions including two or more regions.

  At this time, the N DL source terminals 4 transmit the transmission data Td2 to the DL destination terminal 4 by the terminal communication unit 43a according to the result of the area allocation by the sharing setting unit 416f. In other words, under the control of the second communication control unit 411f, the terminal communication unit 43f of the DL destination terminal 4f transmits the transmission data Td2 from the N DL source terminals 4 according to the result of the area allocation by the sharing setting unit 416f. Receive. As a result, the transmission data Td2 related to the software Sf1 is transmitted from the plurality of DL source terminals 4 to the DL destination terminal 4f, so that the time required for acquiring the software Sf1 can be reduced.

  Further, for example, the sharing setting unit 416f acquires information on the use state of each of the N DL source terminals 4 from the N DL source terminals 4, and changes the use state of the N DL source terminals 4 According to the information, the transmission data Td2 is divided into N areas, and the N areas are allocated to N DL source terminals 4. For example, a mode is conceivable in which the ratio of the N areas into which the transmission data Td2 is divided is set according to the use state of the N DL source terminals 4. Thus, transmission / reception of transmission data Td2 between terminals can be speeded up by transmission / reception of transmission data Td2 in accordance with the use state of the plurality of DL source terminals 4.

  FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 are diagrams illustrating an aspect of receiving transmission data Td2 from a plurality of terminal devices 4. As shown in FIG. 13, a specific example in which the DL destination terminal 4f receives the transmission data Td2 from the three terminal devices 4a to 4c will be described. In this example, the DL destination terminal 4f divides and downloads the transmission data Td2 from the three DL source terminals 4a to 4c. When such a configuration is adopted, if various data processing is required for the transmission of the transmission data Td2 in the DL source terminal 4, the transmission data Td2 is downloaded from one DL source terminal 4. Transmission and reception of transmission data Td2 between terminals can be speeded up.

  Further, in each of the DL source terminals 4, when transmitting the data relating to the transmission data Td2, the CPU 411 may have a processing capability for various data processing other than the data transmission. For this reason, the information on the use state of each of the three DL source terminals 4 is acquired by the sharing setting unit 416f of the DL destination terminal 4f. Here, as shown in FIG. 14, for example, according to the assignment setting unit 416f, the transmission data Td2 is divided into three areas Ar1 by weighting according to the information on the use state of each of the three DL source terminals 4. To Ar3. At this time, for example, the assignment setting unit 416f allocates the three areas Ar1 to Ar3 to the three DL source terminals 4a to 4c. In the DL destination terminal 4f, for example, reception of the transmission data Td2 from the three DL source terminals 4a to 4c is performed in a time-division manner.

  Here, the use state includes, for example, a state in which the application software is being executed (also referred to as a first state), a state in which the DL source terminal 4 is activated but the application software is not being executed (also referred to as a second state). ), And the DL source terminal 4 is in a standby state (also referred to as a third state). For example, in a case where the DL source terminal 4a is in the first state, the DL source terminal 4b is in the second state, and the DL source terminal 4c is in the third state, the transmission data Td2 has a roughly data rate ratio. The transmission data Td2 is divided into three areas Ar1 to Ar3 such that X1: X2: X3. That is, the data amount and the address of each of the three regions Ar1 to Ar3 are set. For example, if X1: X2: X3 = 10: 40: 50, the area Ar1 is allocated to the DL source terminal 4a by the sharing setting unit 416f, and the area Ar2 is allocated to the DL source terminal according to the ratio. 4b, and the area Ar3 is allocated to the DL source terminal 4c. Then, for example, in the DL destination terminal 4f, the data Da1 relating to the area Ar1 is received from the DL source terminal 4a, the data Da2 relating to the area Ar2 is received from the DL source terminal 4b, and the data relating to the area Ar3 is received from the DL source terminal 4c. Da3 is received. At this time, for example, reception of the transmission data Td2 from the three DL source terminals 4a to 4c is performed in a time sharing manner.

<(1-5) Operation flow of distribution system>
FIGS. 15 to 17 are flowcharts illustrating an example of an operation flow related to the distribution of the software Sf1 in the distribution system 1. Here, an example in which at least one of the one or more terminal devices 4a to 4e is the DL source terminal 4 and the terminal device 4f is the DL destination terminal 4 will be described. At the start of the operation flow, description will be made on the assumption that one or more terminal devices 4a to 4e store data related to the software Sf1 in the storage unit 42a.

  First, in step ST1 of FIG. 15, information is received by the terminal communication unit 43 of each terminal device 4.

  In step ST2, the first communication control unit 411a in at least one of the one or more terminal devices 4a to 4e determines whether the DL request unit 412f of the DL destination terminal 4f requests the inter-terminal DL. . Here, if there is no request for inter-terminal DL from the DL destination terminal 4f, the process returns to step ST1, and if there is a request for inter-terminal DL from the DL destination terminal 4f, the process proceeds to step ST3.

  In step ST3, authentication of the DL destination terminal 4f is performed by the terminal authentication unit 412a in at least one terminal device (DL source terminal) 4 for which the inter-terminal DL has been requested in step ST2.

  In step ST4, the terminal authentication unit 412a in at least one DL source terminal 4 determines whether the authentication of the DL destination terminal 4f in step ST3 has been successful. Here, if the authentication of the DL destination terminal 4f is not good, the process returns to step ST1, and if the authentication of the DL destination terminal 4f is good, the process proceeds to step ST5.

  In step ST5, the DL permission request unit 413a of the at least one DL source terminal 4 requests the management server 2 to permit the inter-terminal DL between the at least one DL source terminal 4 and the DL destination terminal 4f. You. At this time, the first inter-terminal DL information related to the inter-terminal DL is transmitted from at least one DL source terminal 4 to the management server 2.

  In step ST6, the DL permission unit 212s of the management server 2 determines whether or not the inter-terminal DL is permitted according to the first inter-terminal DL information. If the inter-terminal DL is not permitted, the process returns to step ST1, and if the inter-terminal DL is permitted, the process proceeds to step ST11 of FIG.

  In step ST11, the first communication control unit 411a of the at least one DL source terminal 4 and the second communication control unit 411f of the DL destination terminal 4f cause at least one terminal device 4 of one or more terminal devices 4 and the DL destination terminal 4f Between terminals is started. Thereby, the transmission data Td2 related to at least a part of the software Sf1 is transmitted to the DL destination terminal 4f by at least one DL source terminal 4 of the one or more terminal devices 4. In other words, the transmission data Td2 is received by the DL destination terminal 4f.

  In step ST12, the second communication control unit 411f determines whether or not the inter-terminal DL has been interrupted. If the inter-terminal DL is not interrupted, the process proceeds to step ST13. If the inter-terminal DL is interrupted, the process proceeds to step ST14.

  In step ST13, the first communication control unit 411a and the second communication control unit 411f determine whether or not the inter-terminal DL has been completed. Here, if the inter-terminal DL is not completed, the process returns to step ST12. If the inter-terminal DL is completed, the process proceeds to step ST21 in FIG.

  In step ST14, the position specifying unit 414f stores, in the storage unit 42f, the position information regarding the interrupted point of the transmission data Td2 where the reception is interrupted.

  In step ST21 of FIG. 17, the second communication control unit 411f determines whether the DL destination terminal 4f has already received the additional data Ad1 from the management server 2. If the additional data Ad1 has not been received yet, the process proceeds to step ST22. If the additional data Ad1 has already been received, the process proceeds to step ST26.

  In step ST22, the second communication control unit 411f transmits the second inter-terminal DL information to the management server 2.

  In step ST23, the second identification information Id2 included in the first inter-terminal DL information received from the at least one DL source terminal 4 and the second terminal received from the DL destination terminal 4f by the matching unit 213s of the management server 2 A check is performed to determine whether or not the second identification information Id2 included in the inter-DL information corresponds.

  In step ST24, the matching unit 213s of the management server 2 matches the second identification information Id2 of the first inter-terminal DL information with the second identification information Id2 of the second inter-terminal DL information based on the result of the comparison in step ST23. It is determined whether there is a relationship. Here, if the information has a correspondence, the process proceeds to step ST25, and if the information does not have a correspondence, the present operation flow ends.

  In step ST25, the server communication control unit 211s of the management server 2 transmits the additional data Ad1 to the DL destination terminal 4f. Thereby, under the control of the second communication control unit 411f, the additional data Ad1 can be received by the terminal communication unit 43f.

  In step ST26, the software utilization unit 413f enables the use of the software Sf1 based on the transmission data Td2 obtained from the DL source terminal 4 and the additional data Ad1 obtained from the management server 2. . When the process in step ST26 ends, this operation flow also ends.

<(1-6) Specific example of software distribution>
Here, a specific example of distribution of the software Sf1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  For example, on a release date of popular software (hereinafter, abbreviated as popular software), access from terminal devices is excessively concentrated on a server (also referred to as a DL server) that provides a service for downloading the popular software. . At this time, problems such as a down state in which the DL server does not function and a decrease in the download speed of popular software are caused, thereby giving stress to the user accessing the DL server from the terminal device.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, for example, most of the data related to popular software (for example, transmission data Td2) is directly downloaded from the terminal device of a friend who has downloaded popular software at the user's terminal device. The structure that can be obtained is adopted. As a result, data relating to popular software can be distributed without imposing an excessive load on the DL server.

  However, if data relating to popular software is simply distributed between terminals, there is a risk that unauthorized duplication of data relating to popular software may occur. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in downloading between terminals (DL between terminals), for example, not all data relating to software is transmitted and received, but downloading of a program code or the like which is a core of software is prohibited. On the other hand, in the terminal device of the user who has executed the download of the software from the friend's terminal device, for example, access to a management server that permits use of the software is performed. From the management server, a program code serving as a core of the software and a license for enabling the use of the software can be acquired. This allows the user's terminal device to obtain software in a usable form. At this time, charging for the user can be appropriately executed.

  The technology that makes it possible to obtain software by such a distribution form is, for example, in a scene where a user himself / herself wants to obtain the software for a fee because the software owned by a friend was interesting or interesting. It can be applied effectively. Then, even in such a situation, depending on the user's terminal device, most of the data relating to the software can be downloaded in a short time from the friend's terminal device without accessing the DL server. As a result, the time required for downloading the software can be significantly reduced.

  Also, as a form of downloading software not via a server, there is a P2P download. However, downloading of P2P software is not necessarily safe in terms of security, such as whether the software is legitimate, whether the software contains a virus, and whether the terminal device from which the software is downloaded is safe. Some parts cannot be done.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the user's terminal device can download desired software from a trusted friend's terminal device. For this reason, there may be a merit for the user who can obtain security in terms of security.

<(1-7) Summary>
As described above, in the distribution system 1 according to the present embodiment and the method of distributing the software Sf1 in the distribution system 1, the transmission data Td2 relating to the software Sf1 is obtained by the terminal-to-terminal DL at the DL destination terminal 4f. Then, the software Sf1 can be used by the transmission data Td2 and the additional data Ad1 obtained from the management server 2. For this reason, the software Sf1 can be acquired comfortably in the terminal device 4 of the user. Further, for example, unauthorized duplication of the software Sf1 can be suppressed. Further, in the DL destination terminal 4, even if the management server 2 goes down and the management server 2 does not function, data related to the software Sf <b> 1 can be acquired from the DL source terminal 4 by the inter-terminal DL. As a result, a problem that the service for distributing the software Sf1 is completely stopped hardly occurs. Then, if the additional data Ad1 is acquired from the management server 2 after the management server 2 recovers from the down state, the distribution of the software Sf1 to the user terminal device 4 can be completed promptly. As a result, the software Sf1 can be comfortably acquired in the user's terminal device 4.

<(2) Modification>
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes and improvements can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

<(2-1) First Modification>
In the above-described embodiment, the data required to execute the software Sf1 is managed by being divided into DL-capable data that allows DL between terminals and DL-impossible data that cannot perform DL between terminals, but is limited to this. Absent. For example, a configuration in which a part of the data related to the software Sf1 is bound to the DL source terminal 4 instead of preparing and transmitting the DL-capable data in the DL source terminal 4 may be adopted. Here, each DL source terminal 4 stores the software Sf1 in the storage unit 42a in a state where a part of the software Sf1 is bound to the DL source terminal 4 by information unique to the DL source terminal 4. For example, a mode in which a part of the software Sf1 is bound to the DL source device 4 by encrypting a part of the data related to the software Sf1 using an encryption key unique to the DL source terminal 4 can be considered. For example, the encryption key unique to the DL source terminal 4 may be generated by the DL source terminal 4 based on the terminal ID unique to the DL source terminal 4, or may be obtained from the management server 2 or the like. .

  FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration realized by executing the program Pg2 in the first control unit 41a according to the present modification. As shown in FIG. 18, the functional configuration realized by the first control unit 41a according to the present modification is based on the functional configuration realized by the first control unit 41a according to the embodiment. Then, the transmission data preparation unit 414a is replaced with a binding unit 414aA. The binding unit 414aA has a functional configuration that binds a part of data relating to the software Sf1 to the DL source terminal 4.

  When such a configuration is adopted, the transmission data Td2 transmitted and received in the terminal-to-terminal DL includes data in which a part of the software Sf1 bound to the DL source terminal 4 is deleted and part of the software Sf1. At least one of the data bound to the DL source terminal 4 may be included. That is, for example, the entire data related to the software Sf1 including the part not bound to the DL source terminal 4 or the part bound to the DL source terminal 4 in the data related to the software Sf1 is transmitted by the terminal-to-terminal DL. It can be transmitted from the DL source terminal 4 to the DL destination terminal 4f. In other words, for example, the data related to the software Sf1 is data that can be used by the DL destination terminal 4f (also referred to as usable data) and data that cannot be used by the DL destination terminal 4f (also referred to as unusable data). Say). Thereby, the transmission data Td2 related to the software Sf1 bound to the DL source terminal 4 is transmitted. As a result, data that can be transmitted between terminals can be easily prepared.

  Then, for example, in the DL destination terminal 4f, the additional data Ad1 for enabling the use of the unusable data may be acquired from the management server 2. As a result, the DL destination terminal 4f can use the software Sf1. At this time, for example, a part of the data related to the software Sf1 in a usable form may be bound to the DL destination terminal 4f.

  Note that the form of the binding is not limited to the form in which a part of the data relating to the software Sf1 is encrypted. For example, the acquired additional data Ad1 may be bound to the DL destination terminal 4.

<(2-2) Second Modification>
In the above-described embodiment, the terminal 2 between the DL source terminal 4 and the DL destination terminal 4f is permitted to the DL source terminal 4 by the management server 2 by the processes of step 2 and step 3, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the processing of step 2 and step 3 may be omitted. If this configuration is adopted, the DL source terminal 4 may not be connected to the management server 2 when the inter-terminal DL is started. Then, by simplification of the processing, the terminal-to-terminal DL can be executed quickly. As a result, the software Sf1 can be comfortably acquired in the user's terminal device 4. When such a configuration is adopted, an operation flow in which steps ST5 and ST6 in the operation flow shown in FIG. 15 are omitted as shown in FIG. 19 may be employed.

<(2-3) Third Modification>
In the above embodiment, when the transmission data Td2 is transmitted by the terminal-to-terminal DL, the transmission data preparation unit 414a prepares the transmission data Td2 from the software Sf1; however, the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 20, for example, the storage unit 42a of each DL source terminal 4 may store transmission data Td2 generated based on the software Sf1 separately from the software Sf1. The transmission data Td2 can be generated by the transmission data preparation unit 414a, for example, when the software Sf1 is acquired by each DL source terminal 4. If such a configuration is adopted, there is no need to prepare the transmission data Td2 by the transmission data preparation unit 414a when the transmission data Td2 is transmitted by the terminal-to-terminal DL. As a result, transmission and reception of the transmission data Td2 between the terminals can be speeded up.

  For example, if the DL source terminal 4 has a configuration in which an encryption key for encrypting the transmission data Td2 is obtained from the management server 2, the DL source terminal 4 executes the DL source terminal. The amount of access from the terminal 4 to the management server 2 can be reduced. Thereby, the speed of transmission and reception of the transmission data Td2 between the terminals can be further increased.

  For example, in the DL source terminal 4, the transmission data Td2 is stored in the storage unit 42a in a state where at least a part of the software Sf1 is encrypted. A configuration in which the transmission data Td2 is decoded each time may be adopted. Even when such a configuration is adopted, when the transmission data Td2 is transmitted by the terminal-to-terminal DL, the transmission data preparation unit 414a does not need to prepare the transmission data Td2. As a result, transmission and reception of the transmission data Td2 between the terminals can be speeded up. Therefore, the storage unit 42a of the DL source terminal 4 only needs to store at least one of the transmission data Td2 and the software Sf1, for example.

<(2-4) Other Modifications>
For example, in the above embodiment, the transmission data Td2 is prepared by deleting a part of the software Sf1 and encrypting at least a part of the software Sf1, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the transmission data Td2 may be prepared by exchanging two or more portions of the data related to the software Sf1 according to a preset rule (also referred to as a replacement rule). In such a case, as the additional data Ad1, for example, data indicating a replacement rule for returning two or more replaced parts of the data related to the software Sf1 to the original state may be adopted.

  In the above embodiment, the DL destination terminal 4f can receive the transmission data Td2 from the plurality of DL source terminals 4, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a configuration in which the DL destination terminal 4 receives the transmission data Td2 from one DL source terminal 4 may be adopted.

  In the above embodiment, at least one of the five terminal devices 4a to 4e is a DL source terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, at least one terminal device 4 among one or more terminal devices 4 may be a DL source terminal.

  In the above-described embodiment, if the information obtained from both the DL source terminal 4 and the DL destination terminal 4f corresponds to the result of the collation of the second identification information Id2 by the collation unit 213s, the additional data Ad1 is managed. Is transmitted from the service server 2 to the DL destination terminal 4f, but is not limited thereto. For example, the additional data Ad1 may be transmitted from the management server 2 to the DL destination terminal 4f without performing collation of the second identification information Id2 by the collation unit 213s.

  In the above embodiment, when the reception of the transmission data Td2 from the DL source terminal 4 is interrupted in the middle, the reception of the transmission data Td2 is restarted from the interrupted point. Absent. For example, when the transmission data Td2 is an aggregate of a plurality of data areas, when the reception of the transmission data Td2 is interrupted, one or more data areas that have already been received (also referred to as a reception completion data area) The part at the end of ()) may be set as the interruption point.

  That is, for example, in response to the interruption of the reception of the transmission data Td2 from the at least one DL source terminal 4 by the position specifying unit 414f, the interruption point of the transmission data Td2 where the reception is interrupted. It is sufficient that the position information relating to at least one of the reception completion data area in which the reception has been completed is stored in the storage unit 42f. At this time, the DL request unit 412f sends to the at least one DL source terminal 4f or at least one other DL source terminal 4 different from the at least one DL source terminal 4 among the one or more terminal devices 4a to 4e. Thus, by transmitting the position information, it may be requested to resume the reception after the interruption point or the reception completion data area in the transmission data Td2.

  Further, for example, even when the reception of the transmission data Td2 from the DL source terminal 4 is interrupted in the middle, when the reception of the transmission data Td2 is restarted, the reception of the transmission data Td2 is restarted from the beginning. May be.

  It goes without saying that all or a part of each of the above-described embodiment and various modifications can be appropriately combined within a consistent range.

Reference Signs List 1 distribution system 2 management server 4, 4a-4f terminal device 21 server control unit 22, 42, 42a, 42f storage unit 23 server communication unit 41 control unit 41a first control unit 41f second control unit 43, 43a, 43f terminal Communication unit 211, 411 CPU
211s Server communication control unit 212s Download (DL) permission unit 213s Collation unit 214s Reward data generation unit 215s Billing data generation unit 411a First communication control unit 411f Second communication control unit 412a Terminal authentication unit 412f Download (DL) request unit 413a Download (DL) Permission requesting unit 413f Software utilization unit 414a Transmission data preparation unit 414aA Binding unit 414f Location specifying unit 415f Deletion control unit 416f Assignment setting unit Id1 First identification information Id2 Second identification information Pg1 to Pg3 Program Po1 Interruption point Sf1 Software Td2 transmission data

Claims (5)

Server and
At least one first terminal device;
A second terminal device capable of communicating with the server and the one or more first terminal devices;
With
Each said first terminal device,
A first storage unit that stores at least one of the transmission data and the software according to at least a part of the software,
At least one first terminal device of the one or more first terminal devices,
A first communication unit that transmits the transmission data to the second terminal device,
Said server,
A server communication unit that transmits additional data for enabling use of the software using the transmission data to the second terminal device,
The second terminal device,
A second storage unit that stores at least one of the transmission data and the software,
The second terminal device,
Transmitting second identification information relating to the second terminal device and third identification information relating to the software to the server,
Said server,
A server communication control unit configured to transmit the additional data to the second terminal device by the server communication unit according to the second identification information and the third identification information received from the second terminal device; ,
The at least one first terminal device comprises:
The first communication unit transmits, to the server, first information including the second identification information of the first identification information, the second identification information, and the third identification information of the at least one first terminal device. Send to
Said server,
A transmission permitting unit that permits the at least one first terminal device to transmit the transmission data to the second terminal device in response to receiving the first information from the at least one first terminal device. Has,
The server communication control unit,
According to the second identification information included in the first information received from the at least one first terminal device, the second identification information received from the second terminal device corresponds, the A software distribution system for transmitting the additional data to the second terminal device by a server communication unit. The software distribution system according to claim 1 , wherein
Said server,
A software distribution system, comprising: a billing data generating unit that generates billing data indicating billing for the second terminal device according to the second identification information and the third identification information received from the second terminal device. (a) one or more first terminal devices each storing software-related data in a first storage unit;
(b) at least one first terminal device of the one or more first terminal devices has first identification information of the at least one first terminal device, second identification information of the second terminal device, and the software; Transmitting to the server first information including the second identification information of the third identification information according to
(c) the server, in response to receiving the first information from the at least one first terminal device, to the at least one first terminal device, the transmission data of at least a portion of the software for the transmission data Allowing transmission to the second terminal device;
(d) after the step (c), the at least one first terminal device transmits the transmission data to the second terminal device;
(e) the second terminal device transmitting the second identification information and the third identification information to the server;
(f) the server receives, from the at least one first terminal device, additional data for enabling use of the software using the transmission data transmitted in the step (d). Transmitting the second identification information included in the first information to the second terminal device in response to the correspondence between the second identification information and the second identification information received from the second terminal device;
A software distribution method comprising: 3. A program which is executed by a processor included in a server to cause the server to function as the server according to any one of claims 1 and 2 . A server provided in the software distribution system according to any one of claims 1 and 2 .

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