Patent ID: 7983193

Claim:
An information distribution system, comprising: an information distribution apparatus which distributes contents information via a network; a plurality of terminal apparatuses which are logically connected, multilayered in a hierarchical structure on the network, with the information distribution apparatus as an apex; and a connection management apparatus which manages information on the hierarchical structure, the contents information distributed from the information distribution apparatus being sequentially relayed to a lower layer terminal apparatus by means of a relaying function of the terminal apparatus, wherein the terminal apparatuses includes: a hierarchical structure request section which, before participating in the hierarchical structure, requests the information on the hierarchical structure from the connection management apparatus, wherein the information on the hierarchical structure is used to select a terminal apparatus to be connected; a hierarchical structure information display section which, based on the information on the hierarchical structure acquired from the connection management apparatus, controls a display portion that the display portion displays participation statuses in the hierarchical structure of the plurality of terminal apparatus configuring the hierarchical structure; a connection position selection section which selects at least one terminal apparatus, among the plurality of terminal apparatus whose participation statuses are displayed in the display portion, as a connection destination candidate in the hierarchical structure; and a connection section which connects the selected connection destination candidate as an upper layer terminal apparatus, and wherein the connection management apparatus includes: a hierarchical structure information storage section which stores the information on the hierarchical structure; and a hierarchical structure information transmission section which, in response to the request from the terminal apparatus, retrieves the information on the hierarchical structure from the hierarchical structure information storage section, and transmits the information on the hierarchical structure to the terminal apparatus.