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US006092112A
United States Patent [w]
Fukushige
[54] DISTRIBUTING INFORMATION THROUGH AN OPEN NETWORK TO MANY AND UNSPECIFIC CLIENTS BEING IN DIFFERENT RETAINING SITUATIONS WITH AN INFORMATION SERVER
[75] Inventor: Yoshio Fukushige, Fujisawa, Japan
[73] Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.,
Ltd., Osaka, Japan
[21] Appl. No.: 08/783,138
[22] Filed: Jan. 14, 1997
[30] Foreign Application Priority Data
Jun. 17, 1996 [JP] Japan 8-155151
[51] Int. CI.7 G06F 13/14; G06F 9/06
[52] U.S. CI 709/229; 709/219; 709/225;
709/238
[58] Field of Search 709/203, 211,
709/216, 219, 225, 229, 246, 218, 248, 238; 707/10; 84/602; 434/307; 348/429,
432
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 5,442,749 8/1995 Northcutt et al. .
5,491,820 2/1996 Belove et al 395/600
5,550,557 8/1996 Verbiest et al 348/7
5,566,297 10/1996 Devarakonda et al. .
Patent Number: 6,092,112 Date of Patent: Jul. 18,2000
5,694,546 12/1997 Reisman 705/26
5,799,150 8/1998 Hamilton et al 709/203
5,821,987 10/1998 Larson 348/19
5,873,086 2/1999 Fujii et al 707/10
5,879,236 3/1999 Lambright 463/42
5,890,963 4/1999 Yen 463/42
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
0529864A1 8/1991 European Pat. Off. .
0597592A2 10/1992 European Pat. Off. .
6-102888 4/1994 Japan G10K 15/04
Primary Examiner—Zarni Maung
Assistant Examiner—Jason D. Cardone
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Lowe Hauptman Gopstein
Oilman & Berner
[57] ABSTRACT
An information distribution system which distributes information including a large amount ol data through an open network to many and unspecific clients being in different retaining situations. An information server includes a data production section, while the client includes a large capacity data retaining medium and a data retaining medium control section. When the information server distributes information through a network to the client, the data production section ol the information server provides the data corresponding to the state ol the data retaining medium control section ol the client, whereas the client suitably uses the data existing in its own data retaining medium in utilizing the data from the information server. This enables effective data distribution.
19 Claims, 38 Drawing Sheets
