Patent ID: 8533756

Claim:
A distribution device for distributing creative data to display terminal devices via relay server devices so that said display terminal devices may reproduce said creative data, wherein said relay server devices include normal relay server devices and super relay server devices, said normal relay server devices distributing said creative data to said display terminal devices and incapable of relaying said creative data to the other relay server devices, said super relay server devices distributing said creative data to said display terminal devices and to the other relay server devices; said distribution device comprising: a storage unit that stores a plurality of said creative data; a schedule unit that creates at least a play list for a given one of said display terminal devices, the play list including reproduction start times of said creative data of that play list and acquisition destination data indicating acquisition destinations of said creative data of that play list, the acquisition destinations being selected from the group consisting of said distribution device, said super relay server devices, and said normal relay server devices; and a communication unit that transmits said play list and said creative data to said display terminal devices via said normal relay server devices and said super relay server devices; wherein said schedule unit creates said play list by determining said acquisition destination data such that said creative data is distributed preferentially to said super relay server devices rather than to said normal relay server devices and said super relay server devices then distribute said creative data said normal relay server devices, and when said reproduction start times of said creative data in the play list for the given one of said display terminal devices fall below a predetermined time, said schedule unit sets said acquisition destination data of said creative data for said distribution device and schedules said creative data to be distributed directly from said distribution device to the given display terminal device.