Patent ID: 7171687
Filing Date: 2007-01-30
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A cache server set between a content server and a plurality of clients for distributing contents to the clients, based on requests sent from the clients, said content server is requested to provide contents by said clients via said cache server and in response transfers said requested contents to the clients, said cache server comprising: an apparatus for collecting contents access situation information from the clients; an apparatus for analyzing contents access trends based on the contents access situation information of accesses to the contents as conducted by the clients; an apparatus for transmitting the contents access trends to an apparatus which predicts contents expected to be in demand for said clients in the future based on the contents access trends and causing the contents expected to be in demand in the future to be transmitted; an apparatus for receiving the contents expected to be in demand in the future from the content server in advance before access requests are received from the clients; a cache apparatus for storing the received contents; and an apparatus for transmitting requested contents from the contents expected to be in demand in the future to the clients in accordance with the requests when received from the clients, wherein the requested contents from the contents expected to be in demand in the future are distributed to a client only when distribution of the contents to the client is permitted, and when distribution of the contents to the client is not permitted, requesting to acquire distribution permission from a server which manages content distribution permission information, wherein the requested contents distributed to the client having permission is encrypted and the encrypted requested contents is distributed along with a decryption key so that the client having permission can decrypt the encrypted requested contents using the decryption key upon receipt thereof.