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Information exchange method, information processor, information gathering system, communication method, communication system, intermediary device, and communication device

Information exchange method, information processor, information gathering system, communication method, communication system, intermediary device, and communication device description/claims

The present invention relates to an information exchange method, an information processor, an information gathering system, a communication method, a communication system, an intermediary device, and a communication device, and more particularly, for transmitting information by a server from an information gathering device to a terminal device, to an information exchange method, and an information processor, an information gathering system, a communication method, a communication system, an intermediary device, and a communication device.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of a conventional information exchange system.

Conventional information exchange system 1 is configured in such a manner that information gathering devices 11-1 to 11-n, a server 12, and terminal devices 13-1 to 13-m are allowed to communicate with each other through a network 14.

The information gathering devices 11-1 to 11-n may be, for example, video cameras that take pictures of their surroundings to collect pieces of live streaming video image information. It should be noted that the information gathering devices 11-1 to 11-n may be those that provide pieces of streaming video information in real time.

The n pieces of real-time and/or live streaming video image information gathered by the information gathering devices 11-1 to 11-n are supplied to the server 12 through the network 14. The server 12 distributes and delivers these pieces of real-time and/or live streaming video image information gathered by the information gathering devices 11-1 to 11-n to the individual terminal devices 13-1 to 13-m, in answer to a request from the terminal devices 13-1 to 13-m.

It should be noted that the conventional information gathering systems of the type described are designed for cases where the number of pieces of the streaming video image information to be exchanged is more overwhelming than the number of users, so the server 12 is required to have a high processing capacity.

To this end, the conventional information exchange methods of the type described collect the pieces of streaming video information gathered by the information gathering devices 11-1 to 11-n on the server 12 before distributing and delivering them to the terminal devices 13-1 to 13-m in answer to their requests. Therefore, problems lie in that it causes huge processing loads on the server 12.

In addition, the server 12 is accessed by all terminal devices 13-1 to 13-m that ask for the pieces of streaming video information gathered by the information gathering devices 11-1 to 11-n. Problems lie in that increase in the number of the terminal devices 13-1 to 13-m gradually reduces the communication rate and, in some cases, may cause missing frames from the streaming video information.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a conventional content exchange system.

A content exchange system 20 is configured in such a manner that a client 21 and a server 22 are allowed to communicate with each other through a network 23. Upon a request from the client 21 to the server 22, the server 22 provides the client 21 with a content that is asked for by the client 21 through the network 23.

In this event, a user should work on his or her client 21 to find a server 22 which includes a content that he or she needs and access that server 22. In addition, he or she cannot choose a communication route from the client 21 to the server 22.

In the network 23, individual routers Rt can automatically determine the optimum route for communication, and data are transmitted through the communication route selected by these routers Rt.

As apparent from the above, any clients 21 wanting to obtain necessary content(s) should access a certain server22 in the conventional content exchange system 20, and they should find the server 22 which stores the content(s) they want. Therefore, problems lie in that user's operation becomes complicated.

In addition, in the conventional content exchange system 20, a communication route is automatically selected by the routers Rt included in the network 23. The routers Rt determine the optimum path depending on the traffic over their surrounding communication paths. They do not take into account the traffic on the downstream paths. Consequently, the overall communication rate of a selected route could possibly be slow. This means that the entire routing is not taken into account.

The present invention was made with respect to the above-mentioned issues, and an object thereof is to provide an information exchange method, an information processor, and an information gathering system with which pieces of streaming video information gathered by a number of information gathering devices can be exchanged efficiently.

In addition, the present invention was made with respect to the above-mentioned issues, and an object thereof is to provide a communication method, a communication system, an intermediary device, and a communication device with which a content that is asked for by a client can be obtained at a high speed.

The present invention is featured in linking each of the terminal devices to the information gathering device that gathers a given number of pieces of streaming video information that are asked for from its linked terminal device, out of the plurality information gathering devices, directing the information gathering devices to deliver the given number of pieces of streaming video information directly to their linked terminal device, and producing and displaying, by the terminal devices, a predetermined certain screen including a given number of streaming video images that has been delivered.

According to the present invention, the streaming video information is supplied to the terminal devices directly from the information gathering device(s) that are selected by a user. The server is not required to handle the streaming video information, so that operations in the server will be reduced. Each terminal device directly accesses a selected information gathering device or devices. Consequently, the access to the information gathering devices is spread. The capacity of the information gathering devices is not necessary to be increased.

The present invention is also featured in that the server obtains a link destination address of the respective information gathering devices that gather the given number of streaming video images that are asked for from the terminal devices and notifies the terminal devices of their corresponding link destination addresses, each of the terminal devices being adapted to access the information gathering device specified by the link destination address that is obtained from the server in order to directly obtain a predetermined piece of streaming video information.

According to the present invention, the server is only required to obtain the link destination address of the respective information gathering devices that gather the given number of streaming video images that are asked for from the terminal devices and notifies the terminal devices of their corresponding link destination addresses. This reduces process loads.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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