Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Distributed data processing – Client/server
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-18
2004-02-17
Alam, Hosain (Department: 2755)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Distributed data processing
Client/server
C709S200000, C709S201000, C709S205000, C709S238000, C709S239000, C709S245000, C370S218000, C370S238000, C370S252000, C370S254000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06694350
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information providing service system including a server, which includes a plurality of communication interface, and a plurality of clients, each of which includes at least a communication interface, which are connected with each other via a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an information providing system, a server provides a client with information which is stored in the server.
However, in the prior information providing systems, a client has carelessly selected a communication path to a server, without determining between the server and the client whether or not the communication path has been preferably selected. Thus, the client can not select a preferred communication path among a plurality of communication paths which are secured by the server, because it can not recognize, for example, a communication load between the server and the client.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and an object thereof is to provide an information providing system capable of selecting a preferred communication path among a plurality of communication paths.
In order to achieve the above-described object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information providing system including a server and at least one client which are connected with each other via a plurality of communication paths, wherein the server comprises
receiving means for receiving a request message which is sent from the at least one client,
communication path identifying means for identifying a communication path to be used for communicating with the at least one client for service information,
transmitting means for transmitting to the at least one client a communication path message for specifying the communication path which is identified by the communication path identifying means and
service providing means for transmitting the service information to the at least one client; and
wherein the at least one client comprises
transmitting means for transmitting to the server the request message for requesting the service information to be provided,
receiving means for receiving the communication path message sent from the server;
communication path switching means for switching the communication path, which is used for communicating with the server for the service information, in accordance with the communication path message received by the receiving means; and
service utilizing means for receiving the service information which is sent from the server via the communication path switched by the communication path switching means.
According to the present invention, the communication path identifying means identifies a communication path to be used for communicating with the at least one client for the service information. The transmitting means in the server transmit to the at least one client the communication path message for specifying the communication path which is identified by the communication path identifying means. The communication path switching means switches a communication path, which is used for communicating with the server for the service information, in accordance with the communication path message received by the receiving means in the at least one client. The service utilizing means receives the service information which is transmitted from the server via the communication path, which is switched by the communication path switching means. The service providing means transmits the service information to the at least one client via the communication path, which is identified by the communication path identifying means. As a result of this, a preferred communication path among the plurality of communication paths can be selected.
The server may further comprise service management means for controlling communication conditions for communicating with the at least one client for service information; and
the communication path identifying means may identify a communication path to be used for communicating with the client as to spread communication loads between the server and the client. In this case, a preferred communication path among the plurality of communication paths can be selected, to which communication path the spread communication loads in the server are given.
The server may further comprise identifier storage means for storing identifier information identifying a communication path;
the transmitting means in the server may transmit to the at least one client a communication path message which contains the identifier information stored in the identifier storage means, the identifier storage means specifying the communication path identified by the communication path identifying means;
the receiving means in the at least one client may receive the communication path message which is transmitted by the transmitting means in the server; and
the communication path switching means in the at least one client may switch a communication path in accordance with the identifier information which is contained in the communication path message received by the receiving means.
In order to achieve the above-described object, according to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information providing system including a server and at least one client which are connected with each other via a plurality of communication paths, the system comprising:
client-side transmitting means for transmitting a request message for requesting service information to be provided, to the server;
server-side receiving means for receiving the request message which is sent from the client-side transmitting means;
communication path identifying means for identifying a communication path to be used for communicating with the at least one client for service information;
server-side transmitting means for transmitting, to the at least one client, a communication path message for specifying the communication path which is identified by the communication path identifying means;
client-side receiving means for receiving the communication path message which is sent from the server-side transmitting means;
communication path switching means for switching the communication path to be used for communicating with the server for the service information, in accordance with the communication path message received by the client-side receiving means;
service utilizing means for receiving the service information sent from the server via the communication path which is switched by the communication path switching means; and
service providing means for transmitting the service information to the at least one client via the communication path which is identified by the communication path identifying means.
According to the present invention, the communication path identifying means identifies a communication path to be used for communicating with the client for the service information. The server-side transmitting means transmits, to the at least one client, the communication path message for specifying the communication path which is identified by the communication path identifying means. The communication path switching means switches the communication path to be used for communicating with the server for the service information, in accordance with the communication path message received by the client-side receiving means. The service utilizing means receives the service information, which is sent from the server via the communication path switched by the communication path switching means. The service providing means transmits the service information to the at least one client via the communication path which is identified by the communication path identifying means. Accordingly, a communication path can be preferably selected from the plurality of communication paths.
In order to achieve the above-described object, according to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a server which is connected to at least one clien
Kurashima Akihisa
Tagashira Shigeru
Alam Hosain
NEC Corporation
Nguyen Thu Ha
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