Information distribution system, terminal apparatus used in same system and recording medium on which is recorded a program, as well as information processing method

A terminal apparatus in an information distribution system which includes:

• an information distribution apparatus which distributes contents information via a network;
• a plurality of terminal apparatus which are logically connected, multilayered in a hierarchical structure on the network, with the information distribution apparatus as an apex;
• and a connection management apparatus which manages information on the hierarchical structure, and in which the contents information distributed from the information distribution apparatus is sequentially relayed to a lower layer terminal apparatus by means of a relaying function of the terminal apparatus, the terminal apparatus comprising:
• a hierarchical structure request section which, when participating in the hierarchical structure, requests the information on the hierarchical structure from the connection management apparatus;
• a hierarchical structure information display section which, based on the information on the hierarchical structure acquired from the connection management apparatus, displays participation statuses in the hierarchical structure of the plurality of terminal apparatus configuring the hierarchical structure;
• a connection position selection section which selects at least one terminal apparatus, among the plurality of terminal apparatus whose participation statuses are displayed in the hierarchical structure information display section, as a connection destination candidate of its own apparatus in the hierarchical structure;
• and
• a connection section which connects the selected connection destination candidate as an upper layer terminal apparatus.

An information processing method in an information distribution system which includes:

• an information distribution apparatus which distributes contents information via a network;
• a plurality of terminal apparatus which are logically connected, multilayered in a hierarchical structure on the network, with the information distribution apparatus as an apex;
• and a connection management apparatus which manages information on the hierarchical structure, and in which the contents information distributed from the information distribution apparatus is sequentially relayed to a lower layer terminal apparatus by means of a relaying function of the terminal apparatus, the method comprising:
• a step of the connection management apparatus storing the information on the hierarchical structure in a hierarchical structure information storage section;
• a step of the terminal apparatus, when participating in the hierarchical structure, requesting the information on the hierarchical structure from the connection management apparatus;
• a step of the connection management apparatus, in response to the request from the terminal apparatus, retrieving the information on the hierarchical structure from the hierarchical structure information storage section, and transmitting it to the terminal apparatus;
• a step of the terminal apparatus, based on the information on the hierarchical structure acquired from the connection management apparatus, displaying participation statuses in the hierarchical structure of the plurality of terminal apparatus configuring the hierarchical structure in a display section;
• a step of the terminal apparatus selecting at least one terminal apparatus, among the plurality of terminal apparatus whose participation statuses are displayed in the display section, as a connection destination candidate of its own apparatus in the hierarchical structure;
• and
• a step of the terminal apparatus connecting the selected connection destination candidate as an upper layer terminal apparatus.