Information delivery method and apparatus for successively transferring information even if the storage unit has insufficient space for storing information from an upstream apparatus

摘要

An information delivery apparatus to be employed within an information network system. A plurality of such apparatuses as part of an information network will successively store and deliver information throughout the network. Each apparatus can store information received from an upstream apparatus and relay that information to a downstream apparatus. If the apparatus has no space in its storage unit to store the information received from the upstream apparatus, the apparatus will record identification data of the information in a table of passed information and when the storage unit thereof has a free space to receive the information, will send a repeat request to the upstream apparatus containing the identification data of the information.