Method for representing virtual image on instant messaging tools

• US 20060075053A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tencent Technology Shenzhen Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tencent Technology Shenzhen Company Limited (Tencent Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Xu, Liang, Xia, Lin, Jia, Yan, Mai, Song, Xu, Lin
• Application Number:
  US11/239,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20060075053A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for representing avatar on Instant Messenger, which comprises the following steps: step A: Instant Messenger sends a request for obtaining avatar to avatar picture server; step B: according to the received request for obtaining avatar, avatar picture server obtains corresponding avatar picture from avatar file server, transforms this avatar picture into picture information, and then transmits this picture information to the said Instant Messenger in step A; step C: Instant Messenger displays the avatar picture according to the received picture information. Messaging service function of Instant Messenger is extended in the present invention, and additional incremental capability is increased.

Claims

1. A method for representing virtual image on instant messaging tool, comprising:

step A;

instant messaging tool sending a request for obtaining virtual image to virtual image picture server;

step B;

according to the received request for obtaining virtual image, virtual image picture server obtaining corresponding virtual image pictures form virtual image file server, transforming the virtual image pictures into picture information, and then returning this picture information thereof to the said instant messaging tool in step A;

step C;

instant messaging tool displaying virtual image pictures according to the received picture information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein step A comprising:

Instant messaging tool calling virtual image display logic, sending the said request to virtual image picture server through network communication interface logic of this instant messaging tool.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein step A comprising:

step A1;

instant messaging tool calling virtual image update logic, sending a request for obtaining time stamp when last modifying network virtual image through network communication interface logic of this instant messaging tool;

step A2;

according to the received request, virtual image picture server obtaining time stamp when last modifying the virtual module from virtual image file server through virtual image file access logic and virtual image data and file access module;

step A3;

comparing the local time stamp on instant messaging tool with the time stamp when last modifying network virtual image obtained from virtual image file server, if the said time stamp when last modifying the virtual image is larger than the said local time stamp, executing step A4;

step A4;

instant messaging tool sending the said request for obtaining virtual image to virtual image picture server.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein step A3 comprising:

step A31;

virtual image picture server sending the time stamp when last modifying the virtual image, which is obtained from virtual image file server, to the said instant messaging tool;

step A32;

the said instant messaging tool calling virtual image update logic, comparing the said the time stamp when last modifying the virtual image sent by virtual image picture server with local time stamp of this instant messaging tool, if the time stamp when last modifying the virtual module is larger than the said local time stamp, executing step A4.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein step A3 comprising:

step A31a;

virtual image picture server comparing the time stamp when last modifying the virtual image obtained from virtual image file server with local time stamp of the said instant messaging tool, and transmitting the comparing result to the said instant messaging tool;

step A32a;

instant messaging tool judging the received comparing result, if this comparing result is the time stamp when last modifying the virtual image larger than the said local time stamp, executing step A4.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein step C further comprising:

instant messaging tool obtaining the last modified time stamp of network virtual image, updating local time of this instant messaging tool thereof according to this obtained time stamp.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein prior to the said step A1, instant messaging tool further judging whether virtual image update event is detected, if yes, executing the said step A1.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the said virtual image update event being friend subscriber logging on line or actively requesting to update the virtual image picture.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein the said step A2 further comprising:

virtual image picture server checking whether the request protocol sent by instant messaging tool is legal, if legal, executing the said step A2, otherwise, aborting the current request.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein step B comprising:

step B1;

according to contents of the said request for obtaining virtual image, virtual image picture server obtaining corresponding virtual image picture of binary format from virtual image file server;

step B2;

virtual image picture server transforming the virtual image picture of binary format into picture information, then returning this picture information to the said instant messaging tool.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein step C comprising:

Step C1;

instant messaging tool receiving picture information transmitted by virtual image picture server through network communication interface logic;

Step C2;

instant messaging tool calling virtual image display logic to analyze the received picture information, restoring this picture information to virtual image picture;

Step C3;

instant messaging tool displaying the virtual image picture through virtual image representing module.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

step D;

virtual image editing terminal receiving the virtual picture information input by the subscriber, processing the virtual picture information and then transmitting the processed information to image processing server, image processing server generating corresponding virtual image picture according to the received virtual picture information, and then storing this picture in virtual image file server.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein step D comprising:

step D1;

virtual image editing terminal receiving the virtual picture information input by the subscriber;

step D2;

virtual image editing terminal selecting and/or previewing image component with virtual picture information through virtual image component selector and/or virtual image synthetic preview, then storing the virtual picture information after selection and/or preview operation;

step D3;

virtual image storage interface in virtual image editing terminal transmitting virtual picture information to interface module of Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP);

step D4;

the said interface module integrating relevant subscriber information, virtual picture information as well as each corresponding sub-item into a protocol packet with coding and transmitting this packet to image processing server;

step D5;

image processing server generating corresponding virtual image picture according to contents of the received protocol packet, and storing this virtual image picture in virtual image file server.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein after step D5, further comprising:

step D6;

image processing server returning the stored result to interface module of virtual image editing terminal.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein step B further comprising:

virtual image picture server checking whether the request protocol sent by instant messaging tool is legal, if legal, executing step B, otherwise, aborting the current request.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step A, instant messaging tool sending the said request for obtaining virtual image through protocol packet;

in step B, virtual image picture server returning picture information to the said instant messaging tool through protocol packet;

in step C, instant messaging tool analyzing the received protocol packet, displaying the virtual image picture according to picture information in this protocol packet.

17. The method according to claim 4, wherein in step Al, instant messaging tool sending a request for obtaining the last modified network virtual image time stamp to virtual image picture server through a protocol packet;

in step A2, according to contents of the received protocol packet, virtual image picture server obtaining the last modified network virtual image time stamp from virtual image file server;

in step A31, virtual image picture server transmitting the last modified network virtual image time stamp to the said instant messaging tool through protocol packet;

in step A32, instant messaging tool analyzing the received protocol packet and obtaining the said last modified network virtual image time stamp, and then comparing the said last modified network virtual image time stamp with local time stamp of instant messaging tool;

in step A4, instant messaging tool sending the said request for obtaining virtual image to virtual image picture server through protocol packet.

18. The method according to claim 5, wherein in step A1, instant messaging tool sending the said request for obtaining the last modified network virtual image time stamp to virtual image picture server through protocol packet;

in step A2, according to contents of the received protocol packet, virtual image picture server obtaining the last modified network virtual image time stamp from virtual image file server;

in step A31a, virtual image picture server transmitting the comparing result to the said instant messaging tool through protocol packet;

in step A32a, instant messaging tool obtaining the said comparing result by analyzing the received protocol packet, if this comparing result is the said last modified network virtual image time stamp being larger than the said location time stamp, executing step A4;

in step A4, instant messaging tool sending the said request for obtaining virtual image to virtual image picture server through protocol packet.

19. The method according to claim 4, wherein step C further comprising:

instant messaging tool obtaining the last modified time stamp of network virtual image, updating local time of this instant messaging tool thereof according to this obtained time stamp.

20. The method according to claim 5, wherein step C further comprising:

instant messaging tool obtaining the last modified time stamp of network virtual image, updating local time of this instant messaging tool thereof according to this obtained time stamp.