Patent ID: 7590757

Claim:
A broadcast type communication data distribution apparatus distributing broadcast type communication data in a network, comprising: a first network interface card receiving segments of broadcast type communication data sent from a sender through the network as uni-cast communication, the broadcast type communication data having a network address stored in a source address field, which is assigned to be unique in the network on a basis of an identifier of the broadcast type communication data, and control information relating to a relay, a copy and a transfer; and a copy/transfer unit, wherein the copy/transfer unit includes: a buffer memory temporarily storing the received broadcast type communication data; a storage unit storing, in relation to the identifier of the broadcast type communication data, a receiver address to which copied broadcast type communication data is transmitted and a data transfer available/unavailable flag indicating whether a transmission to a receiver is possible; a second network interface card being connected to the network and transmitting the broadcast type communication data; and a processor, wherein the processor executes extracting the identifier of the broadcast type communication data and the control relating to a relay, a copy and a transfer by analyzing the network address stored in the source address field of the received broadcast type communication data; relaying the broadcast type communication data to be transmitted through the second network interface card in order to transmit the broadcast type communication data to the receiver; acquiring the receiver address and the data transfer available/unavailable flag corresponding to the identifier of the received broadcast type communication data from the storage unit; copying the broadcast type communication data on a basis of the acquired data transfer available/unavailable flag; and transferring the copied broadcast type communication data to one or more receivers other than the addressed receiver or to another distribution device through the second network interface card on a basis of the acquired receiver address; wherein the processor sets the data transfer available/unavailable flag, stored in the storage unit, of a receiver address that matches the destination address of the received broadcast type communication data to unavailable when the processor extracts a command from control information indicating a stoppage of data distribution to a receiver.