Messenger service system and control method thereof, and messenger server and control program thereof

• US 20050143105A1
• Filed: 09/28/2004
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dwango Co., Ltd. (Kadokawa Dwango Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Dwango Co., Ltd. (Kadokawa Dwango Corp.)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Yukifumi
• Application Number:
  US10/950,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20050143105A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area

Abstract

There is provided a messenger service system capable of realizing a messenger service in which position information of a user is automatically opened and a burden of care is reduced. The messenger service system includes communication terminals, a messenger server and a database. The area data sets are stored in association with identification data in the database. Each data set includes predetermined area definition data and notation data. If position data and identification data are received from a communication terminal, the server searches for an area data set associated with identification data. If the area data set including a position to be represented by received position data is detected, the server transmits notation data in the area data set to other communication terminals. The communication terminals receive data and display. Thus, the user of a second communication terminal can grasp a position of a first communication terminal.

Claims

1. A messenger service system, comprising:

a plurality of communication terminals;

a messenger server that transmits message data, which is input to one of the communication terminals, to another of the communication terminals; and

a first storage that stores an area data set, having definition data and notation data of an area, in association with identification data,

wherein each communication terminal includes a position acquirer that acquires its own position data and a receiver that receives notation data of the area from the messenger server,

wherein the messenger server searches the first storage for an area data set associated with a first identification data when position data of a first communication terminal and the first identification data are received from the first communication terminal, and

wherein the messenger server transmits notation data of the area in the area data set to a second communication terminal when an area data set, having definition data which includes a position to be represented by the position data, is detected.

2. The messenger service system according to claim 1,

wherein the first communication terminal tries to login to the messenger server using the first identification data, according to an instruction input to the first communication terminal and, when the login is successful, the first communication terminal acquires position data of the first communication terminal and transmits acquired position data to the messenger server, together with the first identification data.

3. The messenger service system according to claim 1,

wherein when the area data set, having definition data which includes the position to be represented by position data, is detected, the messenger server transmits definition data in the area data set to the first communication terminal, and

wherein the first communication terminal repetitively acquires position data of the first communication terminal, and when a position data which represents a position other than an area to be defined by definition data received from the messenger server is acquired, the first communication terminal transmits position data to the messenger server, together with the first identification data.

4. The messenger service system according to claim 1,

wherein each communication terminal comprises a second storage that stores notation data of a user who operates a communication terminal, in association with the identification data,

wherein, when the area data set, having definition data which includes the position to be represented by position data, is detected, the messenger server reads user notation data associated with the first identification data from the second storage, creates data in which user notation data is added to area notation data in the detected area data set, and transmits created data to the second communication terminal, and

wherein the second communication terminal receives and displays created data.

5. The messenger service system according to claim 1,

wherein the respective communication terminals transmit the area data set and the identification data to the messenger server, in response to an input of the area data set to each of the communication terminals, and

wherein the messenger server stores the received area data set of each of the communication terminals in the first storage in association with the identification data received from the same communication terminal.

6. The messenger service system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a list storage that stores, in association with one identification data, at least one identification data list including at least one other identification data,

wherein each communication terminal tries to log in to the messenger server using the identification data, according to an instruction input to the communication terminal,

wherein the second communication terminal is a communication terminal which logs in to the messenger server using the identification data stored in the identification data list associated with the first identification data, and

wherein, when the area data set, having definition data which includes the position to be represented by position data, is detected, the messenger server refers to the identification data list associated with the first identification data, reads at least one identification data stored in the identification data list, and transmits notation data of the area in the area data set to the second communication terminal which logs in to the messenger server using the read identification data.

7. The messenger service system according to claim 1,

wherein, after detecting the area data set, the messenger server transmits notation data of the area in the area data set to the second communication terminal, in response to polling by the second communication terminal.

8. The messenger service system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a list storage that stores, in association with one identification data, at least one identification data list including at least one other identification data,

wherein the second communication terminal transmits second identification data to the messenger server to perform the polling, and

wherein the messenger server searches in the identification data list associated with the second identification data for the first identification data in response to the polling, and, when the first identification data is detected, transmits notation data of the area to the second communication terminal.

9. A messenger server, provided in a messenger service system in which a plurality of communication terminals exchange messages with each other, the messenger server comprising:

a searcher that searches an area data set associated with a first identification data when position data of a first communication terminal and the first identification data are received from the first communication terminal; and

a transmitter that transmits notation data of an area in the area data set to a second communication terminal when an area data set, having definition data which includes a position to be represented by the position data, is detected,

wherein the messenger service system includes a first storage that stores an area data set, having definition data and notation data of an area, in association with the first identification data; and

wherein each communication terminal includes a position acquirer that acquires its own position data and a display that displays notation data when notation data of the area is received from the messenger server.

10. The messenger server according to claim 9,

wherein the transmitter transmits definition data in the area data set to the first communication terminal when an area data set, having definition data which includes a position to be represented by the position data, is detected.

11. The messenger server according to claim 9,

wherein the messenger service system further comprises a second storage that stores, in association with the identification data, notation data of the user who operates the communication terminal, and

wherein the transmitter that transmits notation data to the second communication terminal reads user notation data associated with the first identification data from the second storage, creates data in which user notation data is added to area notation data in the detected area data set, and transmits created data to the second communication terminal when an area data set, having definition data which includes a position to be represented by the position data, is detected.

12. The messenger server according to claim 9,

wherein the area data set is stored in the first storage in association with the identification data when the area data set and the identification data are received from the communication terminal.

13. A method of controlling a messenger service system which includes a plurality of communication terminals, a messenger server that transmits message data, input to one communication terminal, to another communication terminal, and a first storage that stores an area data set, including definition data and notation data of a predetermined area, in association with identification data, the method comprising:

searching the first storage for an area data set associated with a first identification data when position data of a first communication terminal and the first identification data are received from the first communication terminal; and

transmitting notation data of the area in the area data set to a second communication terminal when an area data set, having definition data which includes a position to be represented by the position data, is detected,

wherein each communication terminal includes a position acquirer that acquires its own position and a display that displays notation data when notation data of the area is received from the messenger server.

14. A program for controlling a messenger server, provided in a messenger service system in which a plurality of communication terminals exchange messages with each other, the program comprising:

a searching code segment that searches a first storage for an area data set associated with a first identification data when position data of a first communication terminal and the first identification data are received from the first communication terminal; and

a transmitting code segment that transmits notation data of an area in an area data set to a second communication terminal when an area data set, having definition data which includes a position to be represented by the position data, is detected,

wherein an area data set includes definition data and notation data of a predetermined area, and

wherein each communication terminal includes a position acquirer that acquires its own position data and a display that displays notation data of an area that includes its own position when notation data of the area is received from the messenger server.

15. A messenger service system, comprising:

a plurality of communication terminals;

a messenger server that transmits message data, which is input to one communication terminal, to another communication terminal; and

a first storage that stores an area data set, having definition data and notation data of an area, in association with identification data,

wherein each communication terminal includes a position acquirer that acquires its own position data, a display that displays notation data when notation data is received from the messenger server, and a second storage,

wherein a first communication terminal acquires its own position data, reads an area data set associated with a first identification data from the first storage, stores the read area data set in the second storage, searches the second storage for an area data set having definition data which includes a position to be represented by its own position data, and transmits the first identification data and notation data of an area in the area data set to the messenger server when the area data set is detected in the second storage, and

wherein the messenger server receives the first identification data and the notation data of the area from the first communication terminal and transmits the first identification data and the notation data of the area to a second communication terminal.

16. The messenger service system according to claim 15,

wherein the first communication terminal tries to log in to the messenger server using the first identification data, according to an instruction input to the first communication terminal, and, when the login is successful, acquires its own position data.

17. The messenger service system according to claim 15,

wherein, after detecting the area data set, having definition data which includes the position to be represented by its own position data, the first communication terminal repetitively acquires its own position data, and, when the position data represents a position outside the area defined by definition data in the detected area data set, searches the second storage for an area data set having definition data which includes the position to be represented by acquired position data, and then, when the area data set is detected, transmits notation data of an area in the area data set to the messenger service system again, together with the first identification data, and

wherein the messenger server receives notation data of the area transmitted again and the first identification data from the first communication terminal and transmits them to the second communication terminal.

18. The messenger service system according to claim 15,

wherein each communication terminal further comprises a third storage that stores notation data of a user who operates the communication terminal, in association with the identification data,

wherein, when the area data set, having definition data which includes the position to be represented by its own position data, is detected, the first communication terminal reads user notation data associated with the first identification data from the third storage, creates data in which user notation data is added to area notation data in the detected area data set, and transmits created data to the messenger server,

wherein the messenger server transmits created data to the second communication terminal, and

wherein the second communication terminal receives and displays created data.

19. The messenger service system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a management server for managing data input and output to the first storage,

wherein each communication terminal transmits the area data set and the identification data to the management server in response to an input of the area data set to the communication terminal, and

wherein the management server stores the area data set received from the communication terminal in the first storage, in association with the identification data received from the same communication terminal.

20. The messenger service system according to claim 15, further comprising:

a list storage that stores, in association with one identification data, at least one identification data list including at least one other identification data,

wherein each communication terminal tries to login to the messenger server using the identification data in response to an input of an instruction to the communication terminal,

wherein the second communication terminal is a communication terminal which logs in to the messenger server using identification data stored in the identification data list associated with the first identification data,

wherein, when notation data of the area and the first identification data are received from the first communication terminal, the messenger server refers to the identification data list associated with the first identification data, reads at least one identification data stored in the identification data list, and transmits notation data of the area in the area data set to the second communication terminal which logs in to the messenger server using the read identification data.

21. The messenger service system according to claim 15,

wherein, after receiving notation data of the area and the first identification data from the first communication terminal, the messenger server transmits notation data of the area received from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal, in response to polling by the second communication terminal.

22. The messenger service system according to claim 21, further comprising:

a list storage that stores, in association with one identification data, at least one identification data list including at least one other identification data,

wherein the second communication terminal transmits second identification data from the messenger server to perform the polling,

wherein the messenger server searches the identification data list associated with the second identification data for the first identification data, in response to the polling, and, when the first identification data is detected, transmits notation data of the area received from the first communication terminal to the second communication terminal.

23. A method of controlling a messenger service system which includes a plurality of communication terminals, a messenger server that transmits message data, input to one communication terminal, to another communication terminal, and a first storage that stores an area data set, including definition data and notation data of a predetermined area, in association with identification data, the method comprising:

acquiring position data of a first communication terminal, reading an area data set associated with a first identification data from the first storage, and storing the read area data set in the second storage;

searching the second storage for an area data set having definition data which includes a position to be represented by the position data of the first communication terminal;

transmitting the first identification data and notation data of the area in an area data set to the messenger server when the area data set is detected,

wherein the acquiring, the reading, the storing and the searching are performed by the first communication terminal;

wherein the messenger server receives notation data of the area and the first identification data from the first communication terminal and transmits the received notation data of the area and the first identification data to the second communication terminal, and

wherein each communication terminal includes a position acquirer that acquires its own position, a display that displays notation data when notation data of the area s received from the messenger server, and a second storage.