Signal relay method and relay server performing a relay operation between a plurality of first terminals and a second terminal via a network
The present invention has an object to provide a server apparatus capable of accessing a terminal apparatus connected via an IP network to a router from an externally provided terminal apparatus in a simple and firm manner without previously performing complex setting operation. A server apparatus of the present invention is comprised of: a connection information transmitting unit, when specific information of a second terminal apparatus connected via a router to an IP (Internet Protocol) network is received from a first terminal apparatus connected via the IP network to the connection information transmitting unit, which transmits connection information to the first terminal apparatus, the connection information being employed so as to access the second terminal apparatus from the first terminal apparatus; and a relay unit, when the relay unit is accessed from the first terminal apparatus by employing the connection information transmitted by the connection information transmitting unit, which relays the first terminal apparatus to the second terminal apparatus having the specific information.
1. A signal relay method of a relay server for performing a relay operation between a plurality of first terminals and a second terminal via a network, the relay server including a storage section to store relay data from the second terminal, the relay server performing operations comprising:
(a) receiving a request to receive data of the second terminal from a first one of the first terminals;
(b) searching whether or not a second one of the first terminals previously accessed to the second terminal with a result that relay data is currently stored in the storage section;
(c) in step (b), in a case that relay data is not currently stored in the storage section, relaying the request to the second terminal and transmitting data, received from the second terminal relating to the request, to the first one of the first terminals; and
(d) in step (b), in a case that relay data is currently stored in the storage section, transmitting the stored relay data to the first one of the first terminals as a response to the request,
(e) searching whether the second one of the first terminals is accessing to the second terminal when receiving a cut-off request with respect to the second terminal from the first one of the first terminals,
(f) in step (e), in a case that the second one of the first terminals is not accessing to the second terminal, stopping the transmission of the relay data to the first one of the first terminals and transmitting the cut-off request to the second terminal, and
(g) in step (e), in a case that the second one of the first terminals is accessing to the second terminal, stopping the transmission of the relay data to the first one of the first terminals without transmitting the cut-off request to the second terminal.
2. The signal relay method according to claim 1 , wherein in step (c), the relay server keeps the received data from the second terminal after transmitting the received data to the first one of the first terminals.
3. The signal relay method according to claim 1 , wherein when the relay server receives a session establish request from the second terminal, the relay server establishes the session between the relay server and the second terminal based on the session establish request, the session establish request including first specific information of the second terminal.
4. The signal relay method according to claim 3 , wherein the relay server receives second specific information of the second terminal from the first one of the first terminals, and the relay server transmits connection information to the first one of the first terminals for accessing from the first one of the first terminals to the second terminal in a case that the second specific information matches the first specific information.
5. A relay server for performing a relay operation between a plurality of first terminals and a second terminal via a network, the relay server comprising:
(a) a storage section to store relay data from the second terminal,
(b) a receiving section that receives a request to receive data of the second terminal from a first one of the first terminals;
(c) a searching section that searches whether or not a second one of the first terminals previously accessed to the second terminal with a result that relay data is currently stored in the storage section; and
(d) a relay and transmitting section that: in a case that relay data is not currently stored in the storage section, relays the request to the second terminal and transmits data, received from the second terminal relating to the request, to the first one of the first terminals; and in a case that relay data is currently stored in the storage section, transmits the stored relay data to the first one of the first terminals as a response to the request,
wherein the searching section searches whether the second one of the first terminals is accessing to the second terminal when receiving a cut-off request with respect to the second terminal from the first one of the first terminals, and, in a case that the second one of the first terminals is not accessing to the second terminal, the relay and transmitting section stops the transmission of the relay data to the first one of the first terminals and transmits the cut-off request to the second terminal, and, in a case that the second one of the first terminals is accessing to the second terminal, the relay and transmission section stops the transmission of the relay data to the first one of the first terminals without transmitting the cut-off request to the second terminal.
6. The relay server according to claim 5 , wherein the relay and transmitting section keeps the received data from the second terminal after transmitting the received data to the first one of the first terminals.
7. The relay server according to claim 5 , wherein the relay server further comprises a session establishing section, and when the receiving section receives a session establish request from the second terminal, the session establishing section establishes the session between the relay server and the second terminal based on the session establish request, the session establish request including first specific information of the second terminal.
8. The relay server according to claim 7 , wherein the receiving section receives second specific information of the second terminal from the first one of the first terminals, and the relay and transmitting section transmits connection information to the first one of the first terminals for accessing from the first one of the first terminals to the second terminal in a case that the second specific information matches the first specific information.