E-MAIL COMMUNITY SYSTEM FOR A NETWORK GAME AND PROGRAM THEREFOR

• US 20090132930A1
• Filed: 07/21/2004
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha KOEI
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha KOEI
• Inventors: Erikawa, Ai, Kawada, Katsutoshi, Ueno, Shozo
• Application Number:
  US11/572,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132930A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality

Abstract

[Problems to be Solved] The object of the present invention is to permit usage of a character name in a network game for safe free communication with each other in cooperation of the e-mail between inside and outside the game without disclosure of the outside-mail address, which is privacy information. To this end, the present invention is characterized by a step of associating a character name with an Internet e-mail address and recording them in the dedicated server, and a step wherein when the terminal equipment of a mail source is connected to the game, an inside-game mail from the mail source using a character name is received and a character name of a destination is acquired, thereafter if the destination is not playing the game at present and the Internet e-mail address has been registered, then an arrival message is transmitted as the Internet e-mail addressed to the Internet e-mail address and thereafter the inside-game mail is converted to a WEB mail format to perform an external e-mail transmission by a WEB mail addressed to the game character name as required by the destination.

Claims

1. An e-mail community system for a network game comprising a multi-participant network game which proceeds by intensively administrating a virtual space shared by a dedicated server and a plurality of items of terminal equipment usig transmission/reception between a dedicated server and terminal equipment,

in which the network game proceeds by players on terminal equipment operating characters of each user displayed in the virtual space, a character of the player on one terminal equipment being able to communicate with characters operated by other users on their terminal equipment, comprising means for performing

a step whereby when the terminal equipment of a mail source is connected to the game, an inside-the-game mail from the mail source using a character name is received and a character name of a destination is acquired, so that thereafter if the destination is currently playing the game, then an internal e-mail by the inside-the-game mail is transmitted as required by the destination, whereas if the destination is not currently playing the game, then the inside-the-game mail is converted into a Web mail format to perform an external e-mail transmission by a Web mail addressed to the character name.

2. The e-mail community system for a network game according to claim 1 comprising means for performing

a step of associating a character name with an Internet e-mail address of a player on the terminal equipment and recording the association in a dedicated server;

and

a step whereby when the terminal equipment of a mail source is connected to the game, an inside-the-game mail from the mail source using a character name is received and a character name of a destination is acquired, so that thereafter if the destination is currently playing the game, then an internal e-mail by the inside-the-game mail is transmitted as required by the destination, whereas if the destination is not currently playing the game and the Internet e-mail address has been registered, then an Internet e-mail is used to transmit an arrival message addressed to the Internet e-mail address corresponding to the character name and so that thereafter the inside-the-game mail is converted to a Web mail format to perform an external e-mail transmission by a Web mail addressed to the game character name as required by the destination.

3. The e-mail community system for a network game according to claim 1 comprising means for performing

a step whereby when the terminal equipment of a mail source is connected to a Web page, a Web mail from the mail source using a character name is received and the Web mail is converted into an inside-the-game mail format and a character name of a destination is acquired, so that thereafter if the destination is currently playing the game, then an internal e-mail by the inside-the-game mail is transmitted as required by its destination, whereas if the destination is not currently playing the game, then the inside-the-game mail is converted to a Web mail format to perform an external e-mail transmission by a Web mail addressed to the game character name.

4. The e-mail community system for a network game according to claim 1 further comprising means for performing

a step of associating a character name with an Internet e-mail address of a player on the terminal equipment and recording the association in a dedicated server;

and

a step whereby when the terminal equipment of a mail source is connected to a Web page, a Web mail message using a character name is received and Web mail is converted into an inside-the-game mail format and a character name of a destination is acquired, so that thereafter if the destination is currently playing the game, then an internal e-mail by the inside-the-game mail is transmitted as required by the destination, whereas if the destination is not currently playing the game and the Internet e-mail address has been registered, then an Internet e-mail is used to transmit an arrival message addressed to the Internet e-mail address corresponding to the character name and so that thereafter the inside-the-game mail is converted to a Web mail format to perform an external e-mail transmission by a Web mail addressed to the game character name as required by the destination.

5. A program for an e-mail community system for a network

game comprising a multi-participant network game which proceeds by intensively administrating a virtual space shared by a dedicated server and a plurality of items of terminal equipment using transmission/reception between a dedicated server and terminal equipment,

in which the network game proceeds by players on terminal equipment operating characters of each user displayed in the virtual space, a character of the player on one terminal equipment being able to communicate with characters operated by other users on their terminal equipment, comprising means for performing, the program functioning as

means whereby when the terminal equipment of a mail source is connected to the game, an inside-the-game mail from the mail source using a character name is received and a character name of a destination is acquired, so that thereafter if the destination is currently playing the game, then an internal e-mail by the inside-the-game mail is transmitted as required by the destination, whereas if the destination is not currently playing the game, then inside-the-game mail is converted into a Web mail to perform an external e-mail transmission by a Web mail addressed to the game character name.

6. The program for an e-mail community system for a network game according to claim 5, whereby the program further functions as:

means for associating a character name with an Internet e-mail address of a player on the terminal equipment and recording the association in a dedicated server; and

means whereby when the terminal equipment of a mail source is connected to the game, an inside-the-game mail from the mail source using a character name is received and a character name of a destination is acquired, so that thereafter if the destination is currently playing the game, then an internal e-mail by the inside-the-game mail is transmitted as required by the destination, whereas if the destination is not currently playing the game and the Internet e-mail address has been registered, then an Internet e-mail is used to transmit an arrival message addressed to the Internet e-mail address corresponding to the character name and so that thereafter the inside-the-game mail is converted to a Web mail format to perform an external e-mail transmission by a Web mail addressed to the game character name as required by the destination.

7. The program for an e-mail community system for a network game according to claim 5, whereby the program further functions as:

means whereby when the terminal equipment of a mail source is connected to a Web page, a Web mail message using a character name is received and Web mail is converted into a inside-the-game mail format and a character name of a destination is acquired, so that thereafter if the destination is currently playing the game, then an internal e-mail by the inside-the-game mail is transmitted as required by the destination, whereas if the destination is not currently playing the game, then the inside-the-game mail is converted to a Web mail format to perform an external e-mail transmission by a Web mail addressed to the game character name.

8. The program for an e-mail community system for a network game according to claim 5, whereby the program further functions as:

means for associating a character name with an Internet e-mail address of a player on the terminal equipment and recording the association in a dedicated server; and

means whereby when the terminal equipment of a mail source is connected to a Web page, a Web mail from the mail source using a character name is received and the Web mail is converted into an inside-the-game mail format and a character name of a destination is acquired, so that thereafter if the destination is currently playing the game, then an internal e-mail by the inside-the-game mail is transmitted as required by the destination, whereas if the destination is not currently playing the game and the Internet e-mail address has been registered, then an Internet e-mail is used to transmit an arrival message addressed to the Internet e-mail address corresponding to the character name and so that thereafter the inside-the-game mail is converted to a Web mail format to perform an external e-mail transmission by a Web mail addressed to the game character name as required by the destination.

9. A computer-readable storage medium on which the program of claim 5 is recorded.

10. A computer-readable storage medium on which the program according to claim 6 is recorded.

11. A computer-readable storage medium on which the program according to claim 7 is recorded.

12. A computer-readable storage medium on which the program according to claim 8 is recorded.