User-name switching method on network game

• US 7,654,902 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Matsuno, Yasumi, Maehiro, Kazutoyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall; Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US10/107,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20020160837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,868 Days
• Field of Search: 463 40- 42, 463/25
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• 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: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A terminal receives service provided by a server while using any one of a group of user-names stored in the server for each user and while using a character associated with the user-name. When a character currently in use is switched to another character according to a user instruction, the terminal compares a user-name associated with the switched character with a user-name currently in use. When the compared user-name is different from the user-name currently in use, the terminal switches the user-name on the terminal side to a user-name associated with the switched character, and transmits information, indicating the user-name associated with the switched character, to the server.

Claims

1. A user-name switching method in which a video game terminal connected to a video game server switches a user-name when receiving a video game service provided by said video game server while using one of a plurality of user-names stored in said video game server for each user and while using a video game character associated with said user-name, said user-name switching method comprising:

switching the video game character currently in use to another video game character according to a user instruction;

comparing a user-name associated with the other video game character with the user-name currently being used to receive said video game service, at least two video game characters being associated with the currently used user-name;

switching the user-name, which is held by said video game terminal and is currently used, to the user-name associated with said other video game character when said user-name associated with the other video game character is different from the user-name currently in use;

maintaining the currently used user-name when the user-name associated with the other video game character is the same as the currently used user-name; and

transmitting information, indicating the user-name associated with said other video game character, to said video game server when said other user-name is different from the user-name currently in use.

2. The user-name switching method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining information, indicating the plurality of user-names of the user of said video game terminal stored in said video game server and the user-name currently in use among said plurality of user-names, from said video game server; and

holding said obtained information, indicating the plurality of user-names and the user-name currently in use, in said video game terminal.

3. The user-name switching method according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of user-names are stored in said video game server and associated with an identifier used by said video game terminal to log into said video name server.

4. The user-name switching method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the user-name associated with the other video game character on a display device when said other user-name is different from the user-name currently in use.

5. The user-name switching method according to claim 1 in which information indicating the video game character currently in use is stored in said video game server and associated with the user-name currently in use, said method further comprising:

transmitting information indicating the other video game character to said video game server when the video game character is switched so as to switch information indicating the video game character, which information is stored in said video game server and is currently in use.

6. A video game terminal, which receives a video game service provided by a video game server while using one of a plurality of user-names stored in said video game server for each user and while using a video game character associated with said user-name, said video game terminal comprising:

a character switching system that switches the video game character currently in use to another video game character according to a user instruction;

a comparator that compares a user-name associated with the video game character switched by said character switching system with the user-name currently being used to receive said video game service, at least two video game characters being associated with the currently used user-name;

a user-name switching system that switches the user-name, which is held by said video game terminal and is currently used, to a user-name associated with said other video game character when said user-name associated with the other video game character is different from the user-name currently in use, and maintains the currently used user-name when the user-name associated with the other video game character is the same as the currently used user-name; and

a transmitter that transmits information, indicating the user-name associated with said other video game character, to said video game server when said other user-name is different from the user-name currently in use.

7. The video game terminal according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of user-names are stored in said video game server and associated with an identifier that said video game terminal uses to log into said video game server.

8. The video game terminal according to claim 6, further comprising:

a display controller that causes a display device to display the user-name associated with the other video game character when said other user-name is different from the user-name currently in use.

9. A video game terminal, which receives a video game service provided by a video game server while using one of a plurality of user-names stored in said video game server for each user and while using a video game character associated with said user-name, said video game terminal comprising:

storage that stores a program for causing the video game terminal to switch the video game character currently in use to another video game character according to a user instruction, compare a user-name associated with the other video game character with the user-name currently being used to receive said video game service, at least two video game characters being associated with the currently used user-name, switch the user-name, which is held by said video game terminal and is currently used, to a user-name associated with said other video game character when said user-name associated with the other video game character is different from the user-name currently in use, maintain the currently used user-name when the user-name associated with the other video game character is the same as the currently used user-name, and transmit information, indicating the user-name associated with said other video game character, to said video game server when said other user-name is different from the user-name currently in use; and

a processor that executes the program stored in said storage.

10. A user-name switching system comprising:

a video game server that stores a plurality of user-names; and

a video game terminal connected to said video game server, said video game terminal receiving a video game service provided by said video game server while using one of a plurality of user-names stored in said video game server and while using a video game character associated with said user-name,

wherein said video game terminal executes a program stored in storage so as to switch the video game character currently in use to another video game character according to a user instruction;

compare a user-name associated with the other video game character with the user-name currently being used to receive said video game service, at least two video game characters being associated with the currently used user- name;

switch the user-name, which is held by said video game terminal and is currently used, to a user-name associated with said other video game character;

maintain the currently used user-name when the user-name associated with the other video game character is the same as the currently used user-name; and

transmit information, indicating the user-name associated with said other video game character, to said video game server when said other user-name is different from the user-name currently in use; and

said video game server switches the user-name currently in use among the plurality of user-names stored according to information indicating the user-name sent from said video game terminal.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having a program recorded thereon to control a video game terminal connected to a video game server to receive a video game service provided by said video game server while using one a plurality of user-names stored in said video game server for each user and while using a video game character associated with said user-name, said program comprising:

switching the video game character currently in use to another video game character according to a user instruction;

comparing a user-name associated with the other video game character with the user-name currently being used to receive said video game service, at least two video game characters being associated with the currently used user-name;

switching the user-name, which is held by said video game terminal and is currently used, to a user-name associated with said other video game character when said user-name associated with the other video game character is different from the user-name currently in use;

maintaining the currently used user-name when the user-name associated with the other video game character is the same as the currently used user-name; and

transmitting information, indicating the user-name associated with said other video game character, to said video game server when said other user-name is different from the user-name currently in use.

12. The program according to claim 11, further comprising:

displaying the user-name associated with the other video game character on a display device when said other user-name is different from the user-name currently in use.

13. A program, the code of which is converted into a signal and superimposed on a carrier wave, and which controls a video game terminal connected to a video game server to receive a video game service provided by said video game server while using one of a plurality of user-names stored in said video game server for each user and while using a video game character associated with said user-name, said program comprising:

switching the video game character currently in use to another video game character according to a user instruction;

comparing a user-name associated with the other video game character with the user-name currently being used to receive said video game service, at least two video game characters being associated with the currently used user-name;

switching the user-name, which is held by said video game terminal and is currently used, to a user-name associated with said other video game character when said user-name associated with the other video game character is different from the user-name currently in use;

maintaining the currently used user-name when the user-name associated with the other video game character is the same as the currently used user-name; and

transmitting information, indicating the user-name associated with said other video game character, to said video game server when said other user-name is different from the user-name currently in use.