Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A quality degradation point estimating method of estimating a quality degradation point in a directed link set through which a communication flow has passed on a network, comprising:(A) determining a test flow set for estimating the quality degradation point; and(B) estimating the quality degradation point in a directed link set by sending the test flow set to said network,wherein said (A) determining comprises:setting a flow, which passes through a partial set as a part of the directed link set, as a test flow; andadding the set test flow to the test flow set, andthe test flow is sent from a test terminal on said network to a predetermined node in the partial set, a response is obtained at said predetermined node, and the response is sent from said predetermined node to a predetermined terminal,wherein the predetermined node is a terminal on said network other than said test terminal and other than said predetermined terminal,wherein said predetermined terminal receiving the response is said test terminal,wherein said (A) determining comprises:(a) setting continuous directed links included in the directed link set as the partial set, and setting an interval of the continuous directed links as a directed link interval;(b) setting the flow, which passes through at least a part of the directed link interval, as the test flow;(c) adding the set test flow to the test flow set;(d1) determining a route from each of terminals which can generate the flow in the directed link interval, to said end point of the directed link interval;(d2) setting one of said terminals corresponding to the route having the longest overlap with the directed link interval, of the determined routes, as said test terminal;(e1) setting the link set included in the directed link interval as an indefinite link set, if said test terminal is not found out; and(e2) updating the directed link set by removing the indefinite link set from the directed link set, andwherein the test flow is sent from said test terminal to said predetermined node in the directed link interval, the response is obtained at said predetermined node, and the response is sent from said predetermined node to said predetermined terminal. 2. The quality degradation point estimating method according to claim 1, wherein the test flow set includes a first test flow as the test flow, andthe first test flow is sent from said test terminal to an end point of the directed link interval, the response is obtained at said end point, and the response is sent from said end point to said predetermined terminal. 3. The quality degradation point estimating method according to claim 1, wherein the response is an ECHO response resulting from ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol). 4. The quality degradation point estimating method according to claim 1, wherein the response is a response resulting from a packet survival time excess. 5. A quality degradation point estimating method of estimating a quality degradation point in a directed link set through which a communication flow has passed on a network, comprising:(A) determining a test flow set for estimating the quality degradation point; and(B) estimating the quality degradation point in a directed link set by sending the test flow set to said network,wherein said (A) determining comprises:setting a flow, which passes through a partial set as a part of the directed link set, as a test flow; andadding the set test flow to the test flow set, andthe test flow is sent from a test terminal on said network to a predetermined node in the partial set, a response is obtained at said predetermined node, and the response is sent from said predetermined node to a predetermined terminal,wherein the predetermined node is a terminal on said network other than said test terminal and other than said predetermined terminal,wherein said (A) determining comprises:(a) setting continuous directed links included in the directed link set as the partial set, and setting an interval of the continuous directed links as a directed link interval;(b) setting the flow, which passes through at least a part of the directed link interval, as the test flow; and(c) adding the set test flow to the test flow set, andthe test flow is sent from said test terminal to said predetermined node in the directed link interval, the response is obtained at said predetermined node, and the response is sent from said predetermined node to said predetermined terminal,wherein the test flow set includes a plurality of third test flows as the test flows,a number of hops until an intersection point at which the flow from said test terminal overlaps on the directed link interval is H1, and a number of hops until an end point of the directed link interval from said test terminal is H2, each of TTL (Time To Live) values in the plurality of third test flows is set to H1 or more and H2 or less, and a destination of each of said plurality of third test flows is set as said end point of the directed link interval, andeach of the plurality of third test flows is sent from said test terminal to a plurality of nodes in the directed link interval, the response is obtained at each of the plurality of nodes, and the response is sent from each node to said predetermined terminal. 6. The quality degradation point estimating method according to claim 5, wherein said (b) setting comprises:(b1) setting a start point of the directed link interval as said predetermined node;(b2) setting the flow sent to said predetermined node as one of the plurality of third test flows; and(b3) repeatedly performing said (b2) setting while changing said predetermined node from said start point of the directed link interval to said end point one hop by one hop. 7. A method for estimates a quality degradation point in a directed link set through which a communication flow has passed on a network, comprising:determining a test flow set for estimating the quality degradation point;sending the test flow set to said network and estimating the quality degradation point in a directed link set,wherein said determining comprises:setting a flow, which passes through a partial set as a part of the directed link set, as the test flow; andadding the set test flow to the test flow set, andthe test flow is sent from a test terminal on said network to a predetermined node in the partial set, a response is obtained at said predetermined node, and the response is sent from said predetermined node to a predetermined terminal,wherein said determining further comprises:setting continuous directed links included in the directed link set as the partial set, and setting an interval of the continuous directed links as a directed link interval, and for setting a flow, which passes through at least a part of the directed link interval, as the test flow; andadding the set test flow to the test flow set, andthe test flow is sent from said test terminal to said predetermined node in the directed link interval, the response is obtained at said predetermined node, and the response is sent from said predetermined node to said predetermined terminal,wherein said determining further comprises:determining a route from each of terminals which can generate the flow in the directed link interval, to said end point of the directed link interval; andsetting one of said terminals corresponding to the route having the longest overlap with the directed link interval, of the determined routes, as said test terminal,wherein said determining further comprises:setting the link set included in the directed link interval as an indefinite link set, if said test terminal is not found out; andupdating the directed link set by removing the indefinite link set from the directed link set,wherein the predetermined node is a terminal on said network other than said test terminal and other than said predetermined terminal.