JPH11316761A - Mass media content distributing device, and device and system for broadcast prereception type cache server - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the mass-media content distributing device and the device and system for the broadcast prereception type cache server which enable the contents of a URL(unform resource locator), scheduled to be introduced in a broadcast program, to be browsed pleasantly. SOLUTION: In a URL content acquisition broadcasting program registration part 52, the time when contents are requested and the time when cache data are broadcasted are registered. An via-internet URL access request part 54 acquires contents from a mass-media introducing Web server 10 at the time when the contents are requested. A URL content cache data storage part 58 stores the acquired contents and a URL content cache data broadcasting part 60 broadcasts the cache data to the broadcast prereception type cache server device 100 at the broadcasting time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mass media content distribution device, a broadcast advance reception type cache server device, and a broadcast advance reception type cache server system, and more particularly to We introduced in real-time mass media.
The present invention relates to a mass media content distribution device, a broadcast advance reception type cache server device, and a broadcast advance reception type cache server system that allow a viewer to comfortably refer to content on a home page.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the penetration rate of computers has increased, and the penetration rate of computers in ordinary households has increased. In ordinary households, the usage form of connecting computers to each other via a network is not common, but is common in companies and universities. In the future, as the price of computers and the processing capability increase, the use of computers connected via a network is expected to become widespread even in ordinary households.

[0003] In recent years, the Internet has been remarkably developed. To connect to the Internet from a terminal connected to the network, first, a server (for example, a Proxy server) provided in the network is relayed. Then, it is common to access an infinite number of resources on the Internet. The server has a function of translating between a locally assigned IP address used only inside the network and a global address assigned to the server in order to effectively use the depleted IP address, and a resource once accessed. Has a cache function of storing the contents of a predetermined period. Hereinafter, a system using a server having a cache function is referred to as a cache server system.

[0004] The conventional cache server system operates as follows. First, when a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) access request is output from a Web browser of a certain terminal, the cache server accesses the Web server of the requested URL via the Internet and acquires the contents in the Web server. . Next, the acquired content is stored in the W
While returning the content to the web browser, the content is cached in the cache server together with the URL and content correspondence information.

[0005] The content of the cached content is stored in the cache server for a predetermined storage period. Thereafter, when the same or another Web browser makes a URL access request in which the content exists in the cache, the cache server system transmits the content in the cache without accessing the Web server of the requested URL. The data is read out and returned to the requested Web browser.

[0006] On the other hand, if the content of the requested URL does not exist in the cache, the cache server accesses the Web server of the requested URL via the Internet, obtains the predetermined content, and returns the response data. To the Web browser. At the same time, the same content is cached in the cache server together with URL and content correspondence information.

[0007] As described above, when the cache server system is used, if there is a previous access and the content is included in the cache, the web server is not accessed via the Internet, and the cached content is deleted. Since it is only sent back to the Web server that has made the request, there is an advantage that a high-speed response can be obtained from the viewpoint of the Web browser user, and there is no waste of redundant Internet resources from the viewpoint of the entire Internet. There is an advantage that can be used effectively.

[0008]

However, the conventional cache server system has at least one Web server.
If the browser does not access the URL, the content for the URL is not cached in the cache server. Therefore, for example, in response to a URL access request output from a certain Web browser, while the cache server is performing a process of acquiring the content of the URL through the Internet, another Web access request is output.
(b) When an access request for the same URL is output from the browser, the content of the URL cannot be retrieved from the cache for the latter because the cache processing of the URL content for the former request has not been completed yet. There is.

When a URL of a Web homepage is introduced by real-time mass media such as a television, many people try to access the introduced URL almost simultaneously.
Many cache servers in the broadcasting area or a single Web browser that does not belong to the cache server system are flooded with attempts to access the introduced URL. As a result, the URL server introduced is very crowded, and the process of returning the content becomes slow. Therefore, the acquisition of the content in the cache server is not completed easily, and the cache server cannot cache the content. As a result, the Web browser belonging to the cache server cannot easily obtain the desired content, and there is a problem that the user has to wait for a long time in front of the computer screen.

[0010] Further, when there is no response from the server of the introduced URL and the URL access is terminated due to a timeout, naturally, the content is not cached at all in the cache server. Acquisition of the content via the Internet is started again by the subsequent URL access request, but there is a problem that the completion of the content caching process is definitely delayed by the useless time elapsed until the timeout.

Further, when another request for the same URL access is received from the cache server while the requested content is being obtained through the Internet, it is determined that the corresponding content is not cached. If the access process via the Internet is started separately in parallel, the congestion of the server of the introduction URL becomes more serious. As a result, there is a problem that the content caching process does not progress further.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a Web browser that uses at least a cache server by sending the contents of a URL to be introduced in a broadcast program to a cache server via a broadcast line. It is an object of the present invention to provide a mass media content distribution device, a broadcast advance reception type cache server device, and a broadcast advance reception type cache server system capable of comfortably browsing the content of the introduction URL.

[0013]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a mass media content distribution apparatus according to the present invention comprises: means for requesting content by designating a URL at a predetermined time; Means for receiving the returned content, means for storing the received content as cache data together with the URL and content correspondence information, means for broadcasting the cache data stored at a predetermined time, Means for registering a time for requesting content and a time for broadcasting the cache data. Further, the content request and the content returned in response to the content request are received via the Internet. In addition, the broadcast advance reception type cache server device of the present invention stores the cache data broadcasted from the mass media content distribution device in a UR format.
Storage means for storing together with L and content correspondence information;
And a reply unit for receiving an access request from a browser terminal and transmitting the stored cache data to the browser when the request is the same as the URL. A return request unit for accessing a server at a URL specified by the browser terminal to request a return of the content; a unit for receiving a content sent in response to the return request; Means for transmitting the URL to a designated browser, wherein the storage means stores the received content together with the URL and content correspondence information. Further, the reply means requests the return request means to acquire the content when the content of the URL designated by the browser terminal is not stored in the storage means. Further, the broadcast advance reception type cache server system of the present invention includes the mass media content distribution device,
The broadcast advance reception type cache server device, a unit for receiving a URL access request from the mass media content distribution device or the broadcast advance reception type cache server device, a unit for storing the content, and a unit for returning the content. And a browser terminal that issues a URL access request to the broadcast advance reception type cache server device.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a mass media content distribution apparatus, a broadcast advance reception type cache server apparatus, and a broadcast advance reception type cache server system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mass media content distribution device, a broadcast advance reception type cache server device, and a broadcast advance reception type cache server system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The broadcast advance reception type cache server system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a mass media introduction Web server.
In this configuration, a server 10, a mass media content distribution device 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a broadcast advance reception type cache server device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention are connected to the Internet N. The mass media content distribution device 50 and the broadcast advance reception type cache server device 100 are connected by a broadcast line BN.
N (Local Area Network) line LN
The browser terminals 150-1 and 150-2 are connected. Note that the connection form of the broadcast advance reception type cache server device 100 may be a LAN connection via a dial-up connection or the like. FIG. 1 shows a Web browser terminal 1.
Although only 50-1 and 150-2 are shown, the invention is not limited to this, and many Web browser terminals are connected.

[Mass Media Introduction Web Server 10] The mass media introduction Web server 10
Web server similar to general Web server connected to
It is a server, and includes a URL access request receiving unit 12, a content storage unit 14, and a transmitting unit 16 via the content Internet.

The URL access request receiving section 12 detects a URL access request transmitted via the Internet N, and instructs the content storage section 14 to retrieve the content corresponding to the URL. The content storage unit 14 stores various contents. The transmission section 16 via the content Internet transmits the content extracted from the content storage section 14 to the transmission source that transmitted the access request via the Internet N.

[Mass media content distribution device 50]
The mass media content distribution device 50 includes a URL content acquisition broadcast plan registration unit 52,
It comprises an RL access request unit 54, a receiving unit via content Internet 56, a URL content cache data storage unit 58, and a URL content cache data broadcasting unit 60.

The URL content acquisition broadcast plan registration unit 52 retrieves the content from the mass media introduction Web server 10 and caches the content based on the time when the URL is scheduled to be introduced on a real-time mass media such as a television. A plan on whether to generate data,
A plan for when to broadcast the cache data to the broadcast advance reception type cache server 102 is registered in advance.

The URL access requesting unit 54 via the Internet sends the mass media introduction W via the Internet N at the time when the contents of the URL specified by the content acquisition broadcasting plan registration unit 52 should be obtained.
An access request is transmitted to the eb server 10. The content-intermediate receiving unit 56 receives the content transmitted from the mass media introduction Web server 10 in response to the access request transmitted from the Internet-based URL access requesting unit 54, and, as cache data, together with the URL-content correspondence information. It is stored in the URL content cache data storage unit 58.

When the time to broadcast the cache data specified by the content acquisition / broadcasting plan registration unit 52 is reached, the URL content cache data broadcasting unit 60 transmits the cache data stored in the URL content cache data storage unit 58 via a broadcast line. The data is broadcast to the broadcast advance reception type cache server device 100.

[Broadcast preceding reception type cache server device 1]
00] The broadcast advance reception type cache server device 100
URL Content Cache Data Broadcasting Receiver 10
2, the URL content cache unit 104, and the URL
Access request receiving unit 106 and UR via the Internet
It comprises an L access requesting unit 108, a receiving unit 110 via the content Internet, and a content returning unit 112.

The URL content cache data broadcast receiving unit 102 receives the cache data broadcast from the mass media content distribution device 50, and
The content is stored in the L content cache unit 104. The URL content cache unit 104 stores, in addition to storing the cache data output from the URL content cache data broadcast receiving unit 102, the content output from the content Internet receiving unit 110,
It is stored together with the correspondence information between the RL and the content.

The URL access request receiving unit 106
Web browser terminal 150 connected to N line LN
1, 150-2, the access request of the URL is detected, and the cache data corresponding to the URL is stored in the URL.
If the content is stored in the L content cache unit 104, the content is read and returned. If the cache data corresponding to the requested URL is not stored in the URL content cache unit 104,
It requests the URL access request unit via the Internet 108 to access the Web server of the corresponding URL and return the content.

The URL access request unit via the Internet 108 accesses the Web server of the designated URL via the Internet N when the return of the content is requested from the URL access request receiving unit 106. The receiving unit 110 via the content Internet receives the content transmitted from the Web server in response to the request from the URL access requesting unit 108 via the Internet.

Next, the operation of the mass media content distribution device, the broadcast advance reception type cache server device, and the broadcast advance reception type cache server system according to an embodiment of the present invention in the above configuration will be described. First,
The URL access request unit via the Internet 54
Based on the plan registered in the L content acquisition broadcast plan registration unit 52, when the time to obtain the URL content comes, the mass media introduction Web server 10 is accessed via the Internet N.

UR of mass media introduction Web server 10
When receiving the URL access requesting the content from the mass media content distribution device 50, the L access request receiving unit 12 instructs the content storage unit 14 to retrieve the content corresponding to the URL. When the designated content is retrieved from the content storage unit 14, the content is transmitted from the content transmission unit 16 via the Internet.

The receiving unit 56 via the content Internet of the mass media content distribution device 50 receives the content transmitted from the mass media introduction Web server 10 and, together with the URL and content correspondence information, a URL content cache data storage unit 58 as cache data. To be stored. When the time at which the cache data is to be broadcast specified by the content acquisition broadcast plan registration unit 52 is reached, the URL content cache data broadcasting unit 60 deletes the cache data stored in the URL content cache data storage unit 58 through the broadcast line BN. Broadcast to the broadcast advance reception type cache server device 100.

Broadcast Reception Type Cache Server 10
0, when receiving the cache data broadcast from the mass media content distribution device 50, the URL content cache data broadcast receiving unit 102 transmits the cache data together with the URL-content correspondence information to the URL.
The content is stored in the L content cache unit 104. At this point, the broadcast advance reception type cache server device 100 has access to the URL from a certain Web browser terminal, and is in the same cache state as the state in which the content for the URL is cached.

That is, in the present embodiment, each time the plan registered in the URL content acquisition broadcast plan registration unit 52 in the mass media content distribution device 50 is executed, the broadcast advance reception type cache server device 100 is broadcast. The content of the URL is cached. Note that the cache data stored in the URL content cache unit 104 is automatically deleted when a preset storage period has elapsed.

Thereafter, when the Web browser terminal 150-1 or 150-2 outputs an access request to the same URL, the URL access request receiving unit 106 detects this. Then, without accessing the mass media introduction Web server 10 via the Internet N, the corresponding content is immediately retrieved from the URL content cache unit 104 and the Web browser terminal 150-1 or the Web browser terminal that has output the request. 150-2.

On the other hand, if the URL access request receiving unit 106 of the broadcast advance reception type cache server device 100 receives the URL access request and the cache data corresponding to the URL is not stored in the content cache unit 104, the URL The access request receiving unit 106 requests the via-URL access request unit 108 to acquire the content of the specified URL.

When this request is received, U via the Internet
The RL access request unit 108 makes a content return request to the Web server of the URL via the Internet N. When the content is returned from the Web server, the receiving unit 1 via the content Internet
10 receives the returned content and stores it in the URL content cache unit 104 together with the URL and content correspondence information. At the same time, the content is transmitted to the Web browser terminal 150-1 or the Web browser terminal 150-2 that has requested the URL access via the content return unit 112.

Although the mass media content distribution device, the broadcast advance reception type cache server device, and the broadcast advance reception type cache server system according to one embodiment of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Can be changed freely within the range. As an example, it is not essential that the method by which the mass media content distribution device acquires content from the mass media introduction Web server be limited to via the Internet.

For example, after introducing the URL of the mass media introduction Web server in the broadcast program, the contents of the mass media introduction Web server are updated in accordance with the progress of the program, and the contents are reflected in the cache data via the broadcast line as needed. When the user wants to do so, even if the mass media introduction Web server is crowded, it is necessary to adopt a configuration that can promptly deliver updated content to the mass media content distribution device. In this case, it is effective to directly connect the mass media introduction Web server and the mass media content distribution device with a dedicated line, or to integrate them as one server device.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, for a URL scheduled to be introduced in a broadcast program of a real-time mass media such as a television, the content of the latest content is transmitted to a broadcast advance reception type cache server. Since the data is sent to the device via a broadcast line, the browser terminal using the cache server already has the U
The cache can be set as if the RL were accessed. Therefore, by introducing the URL in a broadcast program after the content is sent through a broadcast line, a browser using the cache server can browse the cached content and comfortably use the mass media. Has the effect that the content of the URL introduced in the program can be browsed.

On the user side, the browser operation is not changed at all, and the user does not need to be conscious of whether or not the content being viewed is cached through the broadcast line. In addition, program broadcasting ends, at a later date,
Mass media introduction W even if cache data is deleted
As long as the web server remains, it can be accessed as ordinary URL content.

The time at which the mass media content distribution device acquires the content from the mass media introduction Web server is earlier than the time at which the URL is introduced in the broadcast program. At that time, mass media introduction Web
Since the server is relatively cheap, content can be obtained smoothly via the Internet. If the content is acquired via the Internet, there is an effect that the communication cost can be reduced. Also, we are actually providing services on the Internet
At the same time, the effect that the b server side does not require a special operation for delivering the content to the mass media content distribution device is obtained.

Of course, it is not essential that the method by which the mass media content distribution device acquires content from the mass media introduction Web server be limited to via the Internet. For example, when the URL of the mass media introduction Web server is introduced in a broadcast program and then the content of the mass media introduction Web server is updated in accordance with the progress of the program and the content is to be reflected in the cache data via the broadcast line as needed, Even if the mass media introduction Web server is crowded, it is necessary to adopt a configuration that can promptly deliver the updated content to the mass media content distribution device. In this case, it is effective to directly connect the mass media introduction Web and the mass media content distribution device by a dedicated line, or to integrate them as one server device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a mass media content distribution device, a broadcast advance reception type cache server device, and a broadcast advance reception type cache server system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Mass media introduction Web server, 12 ... URL access request receiving part, 14 ... Content storage part, 16 ... Content internet transmission part, 50 ... Mass media content distribution device, 52 ... URL content acquisition broadcast plan registration part, 54 ... URL access request unit via the Internet, 56: reception unit via the content Internet, 58: URL content cache data storage unit,
60 URL content cache data broadcasting unit, 10
0 ... broadcast advance reception type cache server device, 102 ... U
RL content cache data broadcast receiving unit, 10
4 ... URL content cache unit (storage means), 10
6 URL access request receiving unit (reply means), 108
URL access request unit via the Internet, 110: receiving unit via the content Internet, 112: content returning unit, 150-1, 150-2: Web browser terminal, N: Internet, BN: broadcasting line.

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Goichi Maruyama 3-19-2 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A means for requesting a content by designating a URL at a time designated in advance, a means for receiving a content returned in response to the request, and a correspondence between the received content and the URL and the content Means for storing the cache data stored at a specified time in advance, means for broadcasting the cache data, and means for registering the time at which the content is requested and the time at which the cache data is broadcast. A mass media content distribution device characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The mass media content distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the request for the content and the reception of the content returned in response to the request for the content are performed via the Internet. 3. A storage means for storing the cache data broadcast from the mass media content distribution apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 together with URL and content correspondence information, and receiving an access request from a browser terminal. And a reply means for sending the stored cache data to the browser when the request is the same as the URL. 4. A UR specified by the browser terminal
L requesting means for accessing the server of L and requesting return of the content, means for receiving the content transmitted in response to the return request, and transmitting the received content to the browser specifying the URL Means, wherein the storage means stores the received content in the UR
4. The pre-broadcast reception cache server apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the cache server apparatus stores the information together with correspondence information between L and content. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reply unit requests the return request unit to acquire the content when the content of the URL specified by the browser terminal is not stored in the storage unit. The broadcast-advanced-reception-type cache server device according to claim 4. 6. The mass media content distribution device according to claim 1 or 2, the broadcast advance reception type cache server device according to any one of claims 3 to 4, and the mass media content distribution device or Mass media introduction Web including means for receiving a URL access request from the broadcast advance reception type cache server device, means for storing content, and means for returning content
UR to the server and the broadcast advance reception type cache server device
A broadcast advance reception type cache server system comprising a browser terminal for making an L access request.