Patent ID: 7664817
Filing Date: 2010-02-16
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An information-distribution method utilized by a system including a plurality of user terminals and a computer connected to the user terminals via a network, the information-distribution method including: accepting, from any of the user terminals, designation of at least one other user terminal among the user terminals, by the computer; storing, by the computer, a buddy list in which at least one identifier identifying a user terminal is correlated with at least one other identifier identifying the at least one other user terminal designated in said accepting designation; accepting, by the computer, from a source user terminal among the user terminals, a distribution content to be distributed and a distribution condition according to which the distribution content is distributed, the distribution condition including a stop condition, but neither the distribution content nor the distribution condition specifying any destination to which the distribution content to be distributed; determining, by the computer, one or more primary destination user terminals to which the distribution content will be distributed, the primary destination user terminals being selected from user terminals whose identifiers are correlatively stored with the identifier of the source terminal in the buddy list, in accordance with the distribution condition; transmitting, by the computer, the distribution content to the one or more primary destination user terminals; until the stop condition is satisfied, by any recipient user terminal that has received the distribution content, determining one or more next-destination user terminals to which the recipient user terminal distributes the distribution content will be distributed, the one or more destination user terminals being selected from user terminals in a buddy list of the recipient user terminal, in accordance with the distribution condition, and transmitting the distribution content from the recipient user terminal to the one or more next-destination terminal; recording stop-condition candidates, wherein the stop condition candidates are alternatives for the stop distribution condition; and selecting at least one of the stop-condition candidates as the stop distribution condition by the source user terminal.