Patent ID: 8166186
Filing Date: 2012-04-24
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A content distribution method, comprising: sending distribution requests by a client apparatus to a plurality of server apparatuses via a network, the distribution requests requesting distribution of a piece of content data in a distributed manner on a packet basis; distributing the piece of content data by the plurality of server apparatuses to the client apparatus via the network in the distributed manner on the packet basis in response to the distribution requests sent in the sending distribution requests; and playing back the piece of content data by the client apparatus by assembling packets distributed in the distributed manner from the plurality of server apparatuses in the distributing the piece of content data; wherein the sending distribution requests includes detecting a ratio of packets received at the client apparatus to total packets sent by a corresponding server apparatus, decreasing a transfer rate of the corresponding server apparatus to a non-zero transfer rate if the ratio detected for the corresponding server apparatus falls below a threshold, and reassigning only some of the areas assigned to the corresponding server apparatus to another server apparatus if the transfer rate of the corresponding server apparatus is decreased and maintaining another portion of the areas assigned to the corresponding server apparatus, the distributing the piece of content data includes the playing back includes reconstructing the plurality of blocks on the basis of the packets contained in the plurality of areas distributed from the plurality of server apparatuses in the distributing the packets contained in the plurality of areas.