Apparatus and method for collecting information from information providing server

An information collection apparatus provided between an information providing server and a plurality of client terminals for collecting information from said information providing server for use by said plurality of client terminals, said information collection apparatus comprising:

• a collection list table in which a collection list is stored, wherein the collection list is created by combining a plurality of requested-items identifying a plurality of information items to be obtained by said plurality of client terminals and is composed of a plurality of collection items;
• a data acquisition unit that acquires individual update data from said information providing server used to check if information corresponding to each collection item of the collection list has been updated;
• a checking unit that checks if, based on the individual update data, information corresponding thereto has been updated;
• and
• an information acquisition unit that acquires updated latest information from said information providing server if said checking unit has judged that the information has been updated.

An information collection apparatus connected to an information providing server via a first network and connected to a plurality of client terminals via a second network for collecting information from said information providing server for use by said plurality of client terminals, said information collection apparatus comprising:

• a requested-item list table in which a plurality of requested-item lists of said plurality of client terminals are stored, each of said requested-item lists being composed of a plurality of requested-items identifying a plurality of information items to be obtained by each of the clients;
• a combining processor that combines contents of the plurality of requested-item lists, stored in said requested-item list table, to create a collection list, said collection list being composed of a plurality of collection items identifying a plurality of information to be collected by said information collection apparatus;
• a collection list table in which the collection list is stored;
• a collection processor that actively references said information providing server based on the collection list to collect updated latest information;
• and
• a delivery processor that delivers the collected latest information to one or more client terminals that want to receive the information.

An information collection method executed by an information collection apparatus connected to an information providing server and to a plurality of client terminals, said method comprising the steps of:

• storing a collection list into a collection list table, said collection list being created by combining a plurality of requested-items identifying a plurality of information items to be obtained by said plurality of client terminals, said collection list being composed of a plurality of collection items;
• actively referencing said information providing server to check if information corresponding to each of said collection items has been updated:
• acquiring updated latest information from said information providing server;
• and
• delivering to one or more client terminals, or having one or more client terminals acquire, the latest information.