Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – With communication link
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-23
2004-05-18
Dolinar, Andrew M. (Department: 3747)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
With communication link
C455S003040, C455S003050, C709S219000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06736726
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an information distribution system and a program, and, in particular, to an information distribution system and program that enables a game on that terminal by creating and distributing game information based on a request from the terminal.
BACKGROUND OF ART
Game systems that display a game image on the screen of a portable telephone have been implemented, to enable the playing of games thereon.
In such a game system, game information such as page data for game images is distributed to the portable telephone from a predetermined information distribution system, and the game is played by the updating of pages.
If a large number of people should access the information distribution system simultaneously, however, the processing capability of the information distribution device may be exceeded. That could cause an increase in the response waiting time and make the game fail to progress partway through.
When customers want to apply for prizes or acquire concert tickets, they apply just before the deadline and thus accesses to the server tend to cluster immediately after the start of acceptance if applications are dealt with in first-come-first-served order.
Within a certain period, there are times at which accesses cluster and other times at which there are few accesses. Even within a single day, there are time periods in which accesses cluster and time periods in which there are few accesses.
In such a case, a prior-art information distribution device would cope by providing information to the user by transmitting a message such as “We are busy at the moment” when there is a cluster of accesses, to reinforce the processing capability of the information distribution system and the communications line. Transmitting the above message to the terminal device does not, however, remove the user's dissatisfaction and, if it does reinforce the processing capability, it does so at great cost.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was devised in the light of the above described problem and has as an objective thereof the provision of an information distribution system and program that make it possible to disperse accesses from terminal devices. Another objective of the present invention is to provide an information distribution system and program that make it possible to reduce the waiting time of access from a terminal device.
(1) In order to solve the above described problem, an information distribution system in accordance with the present invention relates to an information distribution system distributing predetermined information to a terminal device over a transfer path, the information distribution system comprising:
information generation means which generates distribution request time specifying information that specifies a distribution request time indicating a time-point or a time period at which the terminal device issues a distribution request for the predetermined information; and
means for transmitting generated distribution request time specifying information to the terminal device.
wherein the information generation means specifies the distribution request time so as to disperse a distribution request time for the terminal device.
(2) A program in accordance with the present invention relates to a program embodied on an information storage medium or in a carrier wave which is a program for distributing predetermined information to a terminal device over a transfer path, the program comprising means for implementing in a computer:
information generation means which generates distribution request time specifying information that specifies a distribution request time indicating a time-point or a time period at which the terminal device issues a distribution request for the predetermined information; and
means for transmitting generated distribution request time specifying information to the terminal device,
wherein the information generation means specifies the distribution request time so as to disperse a distribution request time for the terminal device.
The present invention makes it possible to stagger distribution requests by having the information distribution system side specify a distribution request time for the terminal device. Since this ensures that accesses do not cluster, it reduces irritations such as processing wait time, enabling congenial distribution processing. This also reduces the time that the user of the terminal device has to wait, making it possible for the user to receive the requested service smoothly.
The method used to specify a distribution request time in such a manner that the distribution request times of the terminal devices are staggered could be one in which the specification of each distribution request time is based on history data which is stored in a predetermined storage area and which indicates the history of at least one of distribution requests and responses corresponding to the distribution requests, one in which the specification of each distribution request time is based on actual distribution requests.
(3) In this information distribution system or program, it is desirable that the information generation means specifies the distribution request time, based on history data which is stored in a predetermined storage area and which indicates a history of at least one of a distribution request and a response corresponding to the distribution request.
This makes it possible to ensure that distribution requests from terminal devices do not cluster, by specifying a time-point or time period at which there are few requests or responses as the distribution request time, by way of example, with reference to the history of requests or responses in the past
Note that the history data in this case corresponds to data comprising a history of service request time-points and service provision time-point, byway of example. This clarifies the service processing time for each time period, making it possible to give the user a smooth service by determining the time periods in which distribution requests tend to cluster and specifying a distribution request time in a time period in which distribution requests do not cluster.
(4) This information distribution system desirably comprises:
means which receives distribution request information from the terminal device; and
control means which updates the history data, based on the distribution request information and a response
corresponding to the distribution request.
(5) This program desirably makes a computer implement:
means for a reception means to receive distribution request information from the terminal device; and
control means which updates the history data, based on the distribution request information and a response corresponding to the distribution request.
This makes it possible to maintain the history data in an up-to-date manner, so that the user can always receive a congenial service.
(6) In this information distribution system or program, it is desirable that the information generation means generates information specifying at least one of a start time-point of accepting the distribution request and an end time-point of the distribution request as part of the distribution request time specifying information.
In general, distribution requests cluster immediately after the acceptance-start time-point or immediately before the acceptance-end time-point. More specifically, distribution request cluster at times such as at the start of reservation of concert tickets or at the deadline of a prize application period, but this configuration makes it possible to prevent any cluster of excessive distribution requests so that users can receive information in a congenial manner, by specifying an acceptance-start time-point or acceptance-end time-point for distribution requests.
(7) In this information distribution system or program, it is desirable that the storage area stores request frequency data, which indicates a frequency of the distribution requests from a plurality of terminal devices for each of predetermined time periods,
Dolinar Andrew M.
Namco Limited
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