Management of account information in a network game service for mail exchange

• US 7,814,156 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Sasaki, Hideaki, Hirao, Shinji, Obinata, Tadamichi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THUONG
• Application Number:
  US10/960,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20050108342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,195 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/245, 726/4, 726/11, 726/27, 463/41, 463/42
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A terminal operated by a user is connected to a server group, including a management server, a mail server, and a database server, via the Internet. In the database server, current account information, including a mail address of the user for mail exchange is registered. When the user registers a new mail address in the terminal, the new mail address is notified to the mail server and the database server. The database server updates the registered account information and also updates the account information registered in the mail server. The update of the account information in the server group is notified to the terminal. When the update of the account information is notified, the terminal apparatus requests the database server to send the account information. The terminal internally registers the account information sent from the database server in response to the request.

Claims

1. An account information management system, comprising:

a server that provides at least a mail exchange service and a network game service; and

a client terminal connected to said server via a network,

said server comprising;

a network game server processor that provides the network game service, the network game service providing a network game;

a character name memory that stores a character name which a user selects to use and selects to stop using in the network game, the character name being a name of a character used in the network game, said character name memory storing the character name as long as the character name is usable in the network game by the user when the user uses the network game service, regardless of whether the user is currently using the network game service;

a character name deleter that deletes the character name from said character name memory when the user stops using the character name in the network game service;

a server side account information memory that stores account information used for mail exchange by the user, the account information including a character name mail address having the character name which the user uses in the network game;

a change confirmer that periodically confirms whether a change in the account information including the character name mail address occurs;

an account information updater that updates the account information stored in said server side account information memory when the change is confirmed to occur;

an account information transmitter that transmits the account information stored in said server side account information memory to said client terminal via the network; and

a server side mail exchange processor that executes processing for mail exchange with said client terminal based on the account information stored in said server side account information memory,

wherein said account information updater deletes the character name mail address including the character name from said server side account information memory when the character name has been deleted from said character name memory,

said client terminal comprising;

an account information receiver that receives the transmitted account information;

a client side account information memory that stores the received account information; and

a client side mail exchange processor that executes processing for mail exchange with said server based on the account information stored in said client side account information memory.

2. The account information management system according to claim 1, wherein the account information includes a name mail address having a predetermined name used in another service by the user,

wherein the name mail address becomes unavailable when the user stops using the predetermined name,

wherein said change confirmer includes a stop determiner that determines whether use of the predetermined name has stopped, and

wherein said account information updater deletes the name mail address from said server side account information memory when said stop determiner determines that use of the corresponding predetermined name has stopped.

3. The account information management system according to claim 1,

wherein said account information updater updates the account information stored in said server side account information memory when a new mail address is set based on a request from said client terminal,

wherein said server further comprises:

a completion notification transmitter that transmits an update completion page including a predetermined control tag when said account information updater updates the account information, and

wherein said client terminal further comprises;

an address setting requester that requests said server to set a mail address to be included in the account information via the network;

a receiver that receives a plurality of types of pages, the plurality of types of pages including at least one of the update completion page sent from said server, an extended mailing address setting start page, and an extended mailing address setting page;

a control information detector that receives the predetermined control tag, based on user input from predetermined controls on each of the received pages; and

an account information requester that requests said server to transmit the account information when said control information detector detects the predetermined control tag,

wherein said account information transmitter transmits the account information stored in said server side account information memory based on the request from said account information requester.

4. The account information management system according to claim 1, wherein said client terminal further comprises:

an account information requester that requests said server to transmit the account information at a time of logging into one of the mail exchange service and the network game service provided by said server,

wherein said account information transmitter transmits the account information stored in said server side account information memory based on the request from said account information requester.

5. The account information management system according to claim 4, wherein the account information stored in said server side account information memory comprises first time information indicating a first date and a first time when the account information was last updated in said server side account information memory,

wherein the account information stored in said client side account information memory comprises second time information indicating a second date and a second time when the account information was last updated in said client side account information memory,

wherein said client terminal further comprises:

a time information obtainer that obtains the first time information included in the account information stored in said server side account information memory via the network at the time of logging into the one of the mail exchange service and the network game service provided by said server; and

a time information determiner that determines whether the obtained first time information is the same as the second time information included in the account information stored in said client side account information memory, and

wherein said account information requester requests said server to transmit the account information stored in said server side account information memory when the obtained first time information is different from the included second time information.

6. The account information management system according to claim 5, wherein said client terminal further comprises a determiner that determines whether the account information corresponding to the user, who logs in, is stored in said client side account information memory at the time of logging into the one of the mail exchange service and the network game service provided by said server, and

wherein said account information transmission requester requests said server to transmit the account information when it is determined that the account information corresponding to the user, who logs in, is not stored.

7. The account information management system according to claim 6, wherein the account information includes user identification information,

wherein said client terminal further comprises a user information inputter that inputs identification information of the user, who logs in, at the time of logging into the service provided by said server, and

wherein said determiner determines whether the input identification information is stored in said client side account information memory.

8. The account information management system according to claim 1, wherein the account information comprises an SMTP server name and its port number, and a POP server name and its port number.

9. An account information management server connected to a client terminal operated by a user via a network, comprising:

a game server processor that provides a network game service, the network game service providing a network game;

a character name memory that stores a character name which a user selects to use and selects to stop using in the network game, the character name being a name of a character used in the network game, said character name memory storing the character name as long as the character name is usable in the network game by the user when the user uses the network game service, regardless of whether the user is currently using the network game service;

a character name deleter that deletes the character name from said character name memory when the user stops using the character name in the network game;

an account information memory that stores account information used for mail exchange, the account information including a character name mail address having the character name which the user uses in the network game;

an account information transmitter that transmits the stored account information to the client terminal via the network;

a mail exchange processor that executes mail exchange with the client terminal based on the stored account information,

a change confirmer that periodically confirms whether a change in the account information occurs; and

an account information updater that updates the account information stored in said account information memory when the change is confirmed,

wherein said account information updater deletes the character name mail address including the character name from said server side account information memory when the character name has been deleted from said character name memory.

10. The account information management server according to claim 9, wherein the account information comprises a name mail address having a predetermined name used in another service by the user,

wherein the name mail address becomes unavailable when the user stops using the predetermined name,

wherein said change confirmer includes a stop determiner that determines whether the use of the predetermined name has stopped, and

wherein said account information updater deletes the name mail address from said account information memory when said stop determiner determines that the use of the corresponding predetermined name is stopped.

11. The account information management server according to claim 9, further comprising:

an account information updater that updates the account information stored in said account information memory when a new mail address is set based on a request from the client terminal; and

a completion notification transmitter that transmits an update completion page comprising a predetermined control tag to the client terminal via the network when said account information updater updates the account information,

wherein the predetermined control tag is based on user input from predetermined controls on pages sent to the client terminal, and

wherein said account information transmitter transmits the account information stored in said account information memory based on a request sent from the client terminal, which receives the predetermined control tag.

12. The account information management server according to claim 9, wherein said account information transmitter transmits the account information based on a request from the client terminal which logs into a service provided by said server.

13. The account information management server according to claim 9, wherein the account information includes an SMTP server name and its port number, and a POP server name and its port number.

14. An account information management server connected via a network to a client terminal for offering use by a user, comprising:

a program memory that stores a program;

a data memory that stores data;

a processor that executes the program and provides at least a mail exchange service and a network game service, the network game service providing a network game; and

a communications apparatus that performs communications processing with the client terminal,

wherein said data memory comprises an account information memory that stores account information used for mail exchange by the user, including a character name mail address having a character name which the user uses in the network game, and

wherein the program causes said processor to execute;

managing and storing the character name which the user selects to use and selects to stop using in the network game, the character name being a name of a character used in the network game, the managing and storing being for as long as the character name is usable in the network game by the user when the user uses the network game service, regardless of whether the user is currently using the network game service;

deleting the character name from said character name memory when the user stops using the character name in the network game;

periodically confirming whether a change in the account information of the user including the character name mail address occurs;

updating the account information stored in said server side account information memory when the change is confirmed to occur;

deleting the character name mail address including the character name from said server side account information memory when the character name has been deleted from said character name memory;

managing current account information in the account information memory;

transmitting the managed account information to the client terminal via the network; and

performing processing for the mail exchange service with the client terminal based on the managed account information.

15. The account information management server according to claim 14, wherein the program further causes said processor to execute:

updating the managed account information when a new mail address is set based on a request from the client terminal; and

transmitting an update completion page comprising a predetermined control tag via the network when the managed account information is updated,

wherein the predetermined control tag is based on user input from predetermined controls on pages sent to the client terminal.

16. The account information management server according to claim 14, wherein the program further causes said processor to transmit account information of the user corresponding to a login request when the login request to one of the mail exchange service and the network game service provided by said server is received from the client terminal.

17. An account information managing method executed between a server and a client terminal connected to the server via a network, the server providing at least a mail exchange service and a network game service, the network game service providing a network game, the account information management method comprising:

managing and storing, in a character name memory, a plurality of character names which users select to use and select to stop using in the network game, the plurality of character names being names of characters used in the network game, the managing and storing being for as long as the plurality of character names are usable in the network game by the users when the users use the network game service, regardless of whether the users are currently using the network game service;

storing, in an account information memory, account information used for mail exchange for each of the users, the account information of each of the users including a character name mail address including one of the plurality of character names which each of the users use in the network game;

deleting a corresponding one of the plurality of character names of one of the users from the character name memory when the one of the users stops using the corresponding one of the plurality of character names in the network game;

periodically confirming whether a change in the account information of the one of the users, including the character name mail address of the one of the users, occurs;

updating the account information, stored in the account information memory, of the one of the users when the change is confirmed to occur;

deleting the character name mail address including the corresponding one of the plurality of character names of the one of the users from the account information memory when the corresponding one of the plurality of character names of the one of the users has been deleted from the character name memory;

managing current account information for the users, which is used for mail exchange by the users, in the server;

transmitting the managed current account information from the server to the client terminal via the network;

storing the current account information transmitted from the server to the client terminal, including the character mail addresses having the plurality of character names which the users use in the network game service, in the client terminal; and

performing processing for mail exchange between the server and the client terminal based on the current account information managed in the server and the current account information stored in the client terminal.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium tangibly embodying a program that, when executed by a computer that provides at least a mail exchange service and a network game service, includes a character name memory and an account information memory, and is connected to a client terminal via a network, causes the computer to execute:

managing and storing, in the character name memory, a plurality of character names which users select to use and select to stop using in a network game provided by the network game service, the plurality of character names being names of characters used in the network game, the managing and storing the plurality of character names being for as long as the plurality of character names are usable in the network game by the users when the users use the network game service, regardless of whether the users are currently using the network game service;

storing, in the account information memory, account information used for mail exchange for each of the users, the account information of each of the users including a character name mail address including one of the plurality of character names which each of the users uses in the network game;

deleting a corresponding one of the plurality of character names of one of the users from the character name memory when the one of the users stops using the corresponding one of the plurality of character names in the network game;

periodically confirming whether a change in the account information of the one of the users, including the character name mail address of the one of the users, occurs;

updating the account information, stored in the account information memory, of the one of the users when the change is confirmed to occur;

deleting the character name mail address including the corresponding one of the plurality of character names of the one of the users from the account information memory when the corresponding one of the plurality of character names of the one of the users has been deleted from the character name memory;

managing current account information for the users, which is used for mail exchange by the users, in a predetermined area of a data memory;

transmitting the managed current account information to the client terminal via the network; and

performing processing for the mail exchange service with the client terminal based on the managed current account information.