Information distribution method, information distribution system, communication terminal, information distribution apparatus, and duplicate distribution preventing method

An information distribution system in which a communication terminal receives information distributed from an information distribution apparatus via a communication line,

• said communication terminal comprising:
• information provision request transmission means for transmitting an information provision request including request source identification information and information-identification information about information to be provided to said information distribution apparatus via said communication line;
• decision result reception means for receiving a decision result from said information distribution apparatus, said decision result indicating whether the provision of the requested information is duplicate;
• and
• if said decision result received from said decision result reception means indicates that at least the provision of the requested information is duplicate, notification means for notifying a user of said communication terminal of said decision result;
• and
• said information distribution apparatus comprising:
• list holding means for holding a list containing said request source identification information about a request source to which information has been supplied before and said information-identification information about the information supplied to said request source;
• information provision request reception means for receiving said information provision request sent from said communication terminal via said communication line;
• duplicate provision decision means for referencing, on the basis of said information provision request received by said information provision request reception means, said list held in said list holding means to determine whether the provision of information requested this time to said request source is the duplicate provision;
• and
• decision result transmission means for transmitting a result of the decision made by said duplicate provision decision means from said information distribution apparatus to said communication terminal.

A communication terminal which is provided with information from an information distribution apparatus via a communication line, comprising:

• information provision request transmission means for transmitting an information provision request including request source identification information and information-identification information about information to be provided to said information distribution apparatus via said communication line;
• decision result reception means for receiving a decision result from said information distribution apparatus, said decision result indicating whether the provision of the requested information is duplicate;
• and
• if said decision result received from said decision result reception means indicates that at least the provision of the requested information is duplicate, notification means for notifying a user of said communication terminal of said decision result.

An information distribution apparatus for distributing information in response to an information provision request received from a communication terminal via a communication line, comprising:

• list holding means for holding a list containing said request source identification information about a request source to which information has been supplied before and said information-identification information about the information supplied to said request source;
• information provision request reception means for receiving said information provision request sent from said communication terminal via said communication line;
• duplicate provision decision means for referencing, on the basis of said information provision request received by said information provision request reception means, said list held in said list holding means to determine whether the provision of information requested this time to said request source is duplicate;
• and
• decision result transmission means for transmitting a result of the decision made by said duplicate provision decision means from said information distribution apparatus to said communication terminal.

A duplicate distribution preventing method for preventing duplicate distribution, to a communication terminal, of information to be supplied from an information distribution apparatus in response to a request for said information from said communication terminal, said duplicate distribution preventing method being executed in said communication terminal, comprising:

• a specification input acceptance step for accepting a specification input for requesting said information distribution apparatus for information;
• on the basis of said specification input accepted in said specification input acceptance step, a duplicate provision decision step for referencing a list containing information which has been supplied before to determine whether the information requested this time is one provided before;
• and
• a notification step for notifying a user of said communication terminal of said decision result if said decision result in said duplicate provision decision step at least indicates that the requested information is one provided before.

A communication terminal comprising:

• list holding means for folding a list of information-identification information about information provided before;
• specification input acceptance means for accepting a specification input for an information distribution apparatus to provide information;
• duplicate provision decision means for referencing, on the basis of said specification input received by said specification input acceptance means, said list held in said list holding means to determine whether the information requested this time is one provided before;
• and
• if said decision result of said duplicate provision decision means indicates that at least the requested information is one provided before, notification means for notifying a user of said communication terminal of said decision result.