Chat application for video game machine

• US 6,880,168 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2001
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Maehiro, Kazutoyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/820,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20020061779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/203, 725/86, 725/96, 725/97, 363/1, 363/42, 363/43
• US Class Current: 725/97
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/32 using local area network [LAN] connections
• 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 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• 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 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/404 characterized by a local network connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• 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 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• 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: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties

Abstract

The present invention allows users to open and join a chat by means of a simple procedure from a video game machine, the present invention includes creating an opening message for opening an electronic conference and creating an opening request signal for setting an area in a database, based on the opening message. Also included is transmitting the opening request signal to the database and creating an invitation message prompting particular users to join the electronic conference, based on the opening message. Finally, the present invention further includes transmitting the invitation signal to the particular users.

Claims

1. A method for opening an electronic conference by sending a request for an area to be set on a database, the request being sent to a server from a user'"'"'s terminal, and the request being sent in order to hold said electronic conference using said area, the method comprising:

creating and transmitting to said server an opening request signal for setting said area;

receiving an opening response signal comprising opening information indicating that said area has been set in said database based on said opening request signal;

creating an invitation signal comprising said opening information contained in the opening response signal; and

transmitting said invitation signal to users being invited to hold said electronic conference using said area.

2. The method for opening an electronic conference according to claim 1, further comprising, creating an access request signal comprising said opening information contained in said opening response signal, in order to access said area of said database;

and

transmitting said access request signal to said server.

3. The method for opening an electronic conference according to claim 2, wherein said opening information comprises an ID for allowing said server to identify said area of said database, and the access request signal comprises said ID.

4. The method for opening an electronic conference according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining said opening information contained in said invitation signal;

creating an access request signal comprising said opening information, in order to access said area of said database; and

transmitting said access request signal to said server.

5. The method for opening an electronic conference according to claim 4, wherein said opening information comprises an ID for allowing said server to identify said area of said database,

wherein the creating the invitation signal further comprises adding said ID to said invitation signal and

wherein the creating the access signal further comprises adding said ID to said access request signal.

6. The method for opening an electronic conference according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input of an opening message comprising setup information for setting said area;

storing said opening message in a storage section; and

adding said setup information stored in said storage section to said invitation signal.

7. The method for opening an electronic conference according to claim 6, wherein said setup information comprises at least one of a name of said electronic conference and a code number for accessing said area of said database.

8. The method for opening an electronic conference according to claim 6, further comprising:

creating an access request signal comprising said setup information stored in said storage section in order to access said area of said database; and

transmitting said access request signal to said server.

9. The method for opening an electronic conference according to claim 8, wherein said setup information comprises at least one of a name of said electronic conference and a code number for accessing said area of said database.

10. The method for opening an electronic conference according to claim 6, further comprising:

obtaining said setup information contained in said invitation signal;

creating an access request signal comprising said setup information, in order to access said area of said database; and

transmitting said access request signal to said server.

11. The method for opening an electronic conference according to claim 10, wherein said setup information comprises at least one of a name of said electronic conference and a code number for accessing said area of said database.

12. An apparatus for opening an electronic conference by sending a request for an area to be set on a database to a server, the request being sent in order to hold said electronic conference using this area, the apparatus comprising:

an opening request signal transmitter that creates and transmits an opening request signal for setting said area to said server,

a receiver that receives an opening response signal comprising opening information indicating that said area has been set in said database based on said opening request signal;

an invitation signal source that creates an invitation signal comprising said opening information contained in said opening request signal received by said receiver; and

an invitation signal transmitter that transmits said invitation signal created by said invitation signal source, to users being invited to hold said electronic conference using said area.

13. The apparatus for opening an electronic conference according to claim 12, further comprising an access request signal source that creates an access request signal comprising said opening information contained in said opening response signal received by said receiver, in order to access said area of said database;

and

an access request signal transmitter that transmits said access request signal to said server.

14. The apparatus for opening an electronic conference according to claim 13, wherein said opening information comprises an ID for allowing said server to identify said area of said database and said access request signal source adds said ID to said access request signal.

15. The apparatus for opening an electronic conference according to claim 12, further comprising an opening information retriever that obtains said opening information contained in said invitation signal;

an access request signal source that creates an access request signal comprising said open information obtained by said opening information retriever, in order to access said area of said database; and

an access request signal transmitter that transmits said access request signal to said server.

16. The apparatus for opening an electronic conference according to claim 15, wherein said opening information comprises an ID for allowing said server to identify said area of said database, and

wherein said invitation signal source adds said ID to said invitation signal and said access request signal source adds said ID to said access request signal.

17. The apparatus for opening an electronic conference according to claim 12, further comprising:

a message input device that receives an input of an opening message comprising setup information for setting said area, and

a storage that stores said opening message,

wherein said invitation signal source adds said setup information stored in said storage to said invitation signal.

18. The apparatus for opening an electronic conference according to claim 17, wherein said setup information comprises at least one of a name of said electronic conference and a code number for accessing said area of said database.

19. The apparatus for opening an electronic conference according to claim 17, further comprising:

an access request signal source for creating an access request signal comprising said setup information stored in said storage in order to access said area of said database; and

an access request signal transmitter that transmits said access request signal to said server.

20. The apparatus for opening an electronic conference according to claim 19, wherein said setup information comprises at least one of a name of said electronic conference and a code number for accessing said area of said database.

21. The apparatus for opening an electronic conference according to claim 17, further comprising a setup information retriever that obtains said setup information contained in said invitation signal;

an access request signal source that creates an access request signal comprising said setup information obtained by said setup information retriever, in order to access said area of said database; and

an access request signal transmitter that transmits said access request signal to said server.

22. The apparatus for opening an electronic conference according to claim 17, wherein said setup information comprises at least one of a name of said electronic conference and a code number for accessing said area of said database.

23. A recording medium having a program recorded thereon for controlling an apparatus for opening an electronic conference by sending a request for an area to be set on a database to a server, the request being sent in order to hold said electronic conference using the area, the recording medium being readable by a computer and storing a program for allowing the computer to execute:

creating and transmitting to said server an opening request signal for setting said area;

receiving an opening response signal comprising opening information indicating that said area has been set in said database based on said opening request signal;

creating an invitation signal comprising said opening information contained in said opening response signal; and

transmitting said invitation signal, to guests invited to said electronic conference using said area.

24. The recording medium according to 23, further comprising:

creating an access request signal comprising said opening information contained in said opening response signal, in order to access said area of said database; and

transmitting said access request signal to said server.

25. The recording medium according to 24, wherein said opening information comprises an ID for allowing said server to identify said area of said database and said ID is added to said access request signal.

26. The recording medium according to 23, further comprising:

obtaining said opening information contained in said invitation signal;

creating an access request signal comprising said opening information, in order to access said area of said database; and

transmitting said access request signal to said server.

27. The recording medium according to 26, wherein said opening information comprises an ID for allowing said server to identify said area of said database, and

wherein said ID is added to said invitation signal, and adding said ID is added to said access request signal.

28. The recording medium according to 23, further comprising:

receiving an input of an opening message comprising setup information for setting said area;

storing said opening message in a storage section; and

adding said setup information stored in said storage section to said invitation signal.

29. The recording medium according to 28, wherein said setup information comprises at least one of a name of said electronic conference and a code number for accessing said area of said database.

30. The recording medium according to 28, further comprising:

creating an access request signal comprising said setup information stored in said storage section in order to access said area of said database; and

transmitting said access request signal to said server.

31. The recording medium according to 30, wherein said setup information comprises at least one of a name of said electronic conference and a code number for accessing said area of said database.

32. The recording medium according to 28, further comprising:

obtaining said setup information contained in said invitation signal;

creating an access request signal comprising said setup information, in order to access said area of said database; and

transmitting said access request signal to said server.

33. The recording medium according to 32, wherein said setup information comprises at least one of a name of said electronic conference and a code number for accessing said area of said database.

34. A program for controlling an apparatus for opening an electronic conference by sending a request for an area set on a database to a server, the request being sent in order to hold said electronic conference using this area, the program allowing said computer to execute:

creating and transmitting to said server an opening request signal for setting said area;

receiving an opening response signal comprising opening information indicating that said area has been set in said database based on said opening request signal;

creating an invitation signal comprising said opening information contained in said opening response signal; and

transmitting said invitation signal, to users holding said electronic conference using said area.