Patent ID: 7490136
Filing Date: 2009-02-10
Classification: G06F,G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
1. A contents distribution support system comprising a contents server, a plurality of terminals connected to the contents server via a network to allow contents to be distributed to the terminal from the contents server and further allow the contents to be distributed to another terminal from the terminal that received the distribution, and an amount setting section that fixes an amount to be subtracted or added, wherein the contents server comprises a storing section that stores information on the terminal that received the distribution of the contents and information on a distribution state to be associated with each other, a receiving section that receives a terminal that receives a request for distributing the contents in advance at the time of executing a synchronous distribution of the contents, a counting section that counts a plurality of patterns in connection with the synchronously distributed contents included in the received distribution request, a deciding section that decides a scale of the distribution including at least primary or secondary and other distribution ranges and distribution frequencies of the contents according to the result of the counting section, and a section that selects a terminal stored in said storing section based on information concerning the distribution state from said contents server, and enables the selected terminal to distribute the contents to another terminal, wherein a storage media having at least one of a read-only storage area and a rewritable storage area is used, a program for gaining access to the contents server via the network to the read-only storage area, a storing section of a prepaid amount is provided in the rewritable storage area and an arbitrary amount is subtracted or added from/to the prepaid amount according to the distribution or reception of the contents, and the subtracted or added amount is stored in the storing section of the prepaid amount, and wherein the contents server includes a communication monitoring section that monitors a communication state between the selected one terminal and another terminal, and when interruption of the communication is judged by the communication monitoring section, selection is executed again based on information on the terminal stored in the storing section, and the amount setting section fixes the amount to be added by dividing the amount according to a contents size before the communication is interrupted and a contents size after the communication is interrupted.