Patent ID: 8682611

Claim:
A distance metric estimating system comprising: a distance metric storage for storing distance metrics determined between each landmark node and other landmark nodes which are present on a network; shortest path searching means for searching for shortest paths from each landmark node to other landmark nodes based on the distance metrics between the landmark nodes which are stored in said distance metric storage, and calculating first distance metrics along the discovered shortest paths; coordinate axis generating means for generating coordinate axes of a predetermined dimension number from the first distance metrics along the shortest paths which are calculated by said shortest path searching means; coordinate calculating means for calculating coordinates of a coordinate-to-be-calculated node from distance metrics between said coordinate-to-be-calculated node and the landmark nodes which are present on the network and the coordinate axes generated by said coordinate axis generating means; and distance metric estimating means for estimating a distance metric between two coordinate-to-be-calculated nodes whose coordinates are calculated by said coordinate calculating means, using the calculated coordinates, wherein said shortest path searching means searches for shortest paths from said coordinate-to-be-calculated node to said landmark nodes, using the distance metrics between said coordinate-to-be-calculated node and the landmark nodes which are present on the network and the distance metrics between said landmark nodes stored in said distance metric storage, and calculates second distance metrics along the discovered shortest paths; and said coordinate calculating means uses the second distance metrics along the discovered shortest paths calculated by said shortest path searching means, instead of the distance metrics between said coordinate-to-be-calculated node and the landmark nodes which are present on the network.