User management system, user management method, information recording medium and user management program

• US 8,365,251 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): CERVETTI, DAVID GARCIA
• Application Number:
  US12/738,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 726/3, 726/27
• US Class Current: 726/3
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history

Abstract

In order to properly transmit a notification of prompting a user who has not logged in a network communication game or an SNS for a long time to that user, a terminal device (251) of a user management system (201) stores a friend user name, a login user name and a friend user name are reported to a management server device (231) at the time of login, the management server device (231) manages a report received at last for each transmission originator user name in association with a login time. When a login user name is specified as a friend user name in a past report of a friend user name specified in a new report, a login time of the friend user of the new report is notified to the terminal device (251), and when a difference between the login time of the friend user and a current time exceeds a predetermined threshold period, the terminal device (251) transmits an electronic mail of prompting the friend user to log in to a mail address of the friend user managed by the terminal device (251).

Claims

1. A user management system comprising:

a management server device; and

,

a plurality of terminal devices, wherein (a) each of the plurality of terminal devices includes;

a terminal memory unit which stores a user name of a login user using a local terminal device, and which stores a user name of a friend user who is a friend of the login user and a mail address of the friend user in association with each other; and

a login report transmitting unit which transmits a login report, specifying the user name of the login user and the user name of the friend user stored in the terminal memory unit, to the management server device, wherein (b) the management server device includes;

a login report receiving unit which receives the login reports transmitted from each of the plurality of terminal devices;

a server memory unit which stores each of the received login reports in association with a login time;

an acquiring unit which selects one of the stored login reports which is associated with a latest login time for each login user name specified in each login report stored in the server memory unit, and which acquires a user name of a login user specified in, among the selected login reports, a login report satisfying a predetermined friend condition relative to the received login report together with a login time stored in association with that login report;

a login response transmitting unit which transmits a login response, specifying the acquired user name and login time as a user name of a friend user and a login time of the friend user, respectively, to the terminal device which has transmitted the received login report; and

a server updating unit which stores the received login report in the server memory unit in association with a login time which is a current time, wherein (c) each of the plurality of terminal devices further includes;

a login response receiving unit which receives the login response transmitted from the management server device;

an extracting unit which extracts, among user names of friend users specified in the received login response, a user name of a friend user, having a difference between a current time and a login time of the friend user specified in the received login response, the difference exceeding a predetermined threshold period; and

a mail transmitting unit which transmits an electronic mail prompting the friend user to log in to a mail address stored in the terminal memory unit in association with the user name of the extracted friend user,

and wherein a condition that one login report satisfying a predetermined friend condition relative to another login report is a case in which;

(1) a user name of a friend user specified in another login report is specified as a user name of a login user in the one login report; and

(2) a user name of a login user specified in another login report is specified as a user name of a friend user in the one login report.

2. The user management system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of terminal devices further includes:

a terminal updating unit which deletes a user name of a friend user having no login time specified in the received login response and a mail address of the friend user from the terminal memory unit.

3. The user management system according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of terminal devices is configured that:

the terminal memory unit stores a user name of a friend user in association with a final login time of the friend user; and

the terminal updating unit updates a final login time stored in the terminal memory unit in association with a user name of a friend user specified in the received login response with a login time specified in the received login response.

4. The user management system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of terminal devices further includes a mail editing unit which presents a template of an electronic mail of prompting a user to log in to the login user, and allows the login user to edit the electronic mail, and wherein the mail transmitting unit transmits an edited electronic mail.

5. The user management system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of terminal devices is configured that:

the terminal memory unit further stores a mail server name to be used by the login user; and

the mail transmitting unit transmits an electronic mail via a mail server with the stored mail server name.

6. A user management method executed by a management server device and a plurality of terminal devices, wherein the management server device comprises a server memory unit, a login report receiving unit, an acquiring unit, a login response transmitting unit, and a server updating unit, and each of the plurality of terminal devices comprises a terminal memory unit, a login report transmitting unit, a login response receiving unit, an extracting unit, and a mail transmitting unit, and wherein (a) each of the plurality of terminal devices stores a user name of a login user using the local terminal device in the terminal memory unit, and also stores a user name of a friend user, who is a friend of the login user, in the terminal memory unit in association with a mail address, and the user management method includes the steps of:

a login report transmitting step of causing the login report transmitting unit to transmit a login report specifying a user name of the login user and a user name of a friend user stored in the terminal memory unit to the management server device, wherein (b) the management server device stores each of the received login reports in the server memory unit in association with a login time;

a login report receiving step of causing the login report receiving unit to receive the login reports transmitted from each of the plurality of terminal devices;

an acquiring step of causing the acquiring unit to select one of the login reports which is associated with a latest login time for each login user name specified in each login report stored in the server memory unit, and to acquire a user name of a login user specified in, among the selected login reports, a login report satisfying a predetermined friend condition relative to the received login report together with a login time stored in association with that login report;

a login response transmitting step of causing the login response transmitting unit to transmit a login response, specifying the acquired user name and login time as a user name of a friend user and a login time of the friend user, respectively, to the terminal device which has transmitted the received login report; and

a server updating step of causing the server updating unit to store the received login report in the server memory unit in association with a login time which is a current time, wherein (c) at each of the plurality of terminal devices, the user management method further includes the steps of;

a login response receiving step of causing the login response receiving unit to receive the login response transmitted from the management server device;

an extracting step of causing the extracting unit to extract, among user names of friend users specified in the received login response, a user name of a friend user, having a difference between a current time and a login time of the friend user specified in the received login response, the difference exceeding a predetermined threshold period; and

a mail transmitting step of causing the mail transmitting unit to transmit an electronic mail prompting the friend user to log in to a mail address stored in the terminal memory unit in association with the user name of the extracted friend user,

and wherein a condition that one login report satisfying a predetermined friend condition relative to another login report is a case in which;

(1) a user name of a friend user specified in another login report is specified as a user name of a login user in the one login report; and

(2) a user name of a login user specified in another login report is specified as a user name of a friend user in the one login report.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable information recording medium storing a user management program including a management server device program for allowing a computer for a management server device to function as the management server device and also a terminal device program for allowing a plurality of computers to function as computer for each of a plurality of terminal devices, wherein

(a) the terminal device program allows each of the plurality of terminal device computers to function as:

a terminal memory unit which stores a user name of a login user using a local terminal device, and which stores a user name of a friend user, who is a friend of the login user, and a mail address of the friend user in association with each other; and

a login report transmitting unit which transmits a login report, specifying the user name of the login user and the user name of the friend user stored in the terminal memory unit, to the management server device,

(b) the management server device program allows the management server device computer to function as;

a login report receiving unit which receives the login reports transmitted from each of the plurality of terminal devices;

a server memory unit which stores each of the received a login reports in association with a login time;

an acquiring unit which selects one of the received login reports which is associated with a latest login time for each login user name specified in each login report stored in the server memory unit, and which acquires a user name of a login user specified in, among the selected login reports, a login report satisfying a predetermined friend condition relative to the received login report together with a login time stored in association with that login report;

a login response transmitting unit which transmits a login response, specifying the acquired user name and login time as a user name of a friend user and a login time of the friend user, respectively, to the terminal device which has transmitted the received login report; and

a server updating unit which stores the received login report in the server memory unit in association with a login time which is a current time,

(c) the terminal device program allows each of the plurality of terminal device computers to further function as;

a login response receiving unit which receives the login response transmitted from the management server device;

an extracting unit which extracts, among user names of friend users specified in the received login response, a user name of a friend user, having a difference between a current time and a login time of the friend user specified in the received login response, the difference exceeding a predetermined threshold period; and

a mail transmitting unit which transmits an electronic mail of prompting the friend user to log in to a mail address stored in the terminal memory unit in association with the user name of the extracted friend user,

and wherein a condition that one login report satisfying a predetermined friend condition relative to another login report is a case in which;

(1) a user name of a friend user specified in another login report is specified as a user name of a login user in the one login report; and

(2) a user name of a login user specified in another login report is specified as a user name of a friend user in the one login report.

8. A user management program including a management server device program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium for allowing a computer for a management server device to function as the management server device and a terminal device program for allowing a plurality of computers to function as a plurality of terminal devices

wherein (a) the terminal device program allows each of the plurality of terminal device computers to function as:

a terminal memory unit which stores a user name of a login user using a local terminal device, and which stores a user name of a friend user, who is a friend of the login user and a mail address of the friend user in association with each other; and

a login report transmitting unit which transmits a login report, specifying the user name of the login user and the user name of the friend user stored in the terminal memory unit, to the management server device,

(b) the management server device program allows the management server device computer to function as;

a login report receiving unit which receives the login reports transmitted from each of the plurality of terminal devices;

a server memory unit which stores each of the received login reports in association with a login time;

an acquiring unit which selects one of the stored login reports which is associated with a latest login time for each login user name specified in each login report stored in the server memory unit, and which acquires a user name of a login user specified in, among the selected login reports, a login report satisfying a predetermined friend condition relative to the received login report together with a login time stored in association with that login report;

a login response transmitting unit which transmits a login response, specifying the acquired user name and login time as a user name of a friend user and a login time of the friend user, respectively, to the terminal device which has transmitted the received login report; and

a server updating unit which stores the received login report in the server memory unit in association with a login time which is a current time,

(c) the terminal device program allows each of the plurality of terminal device computers to further function as;

a login response receiving unit which receives a login response transmitted from the management server device;

an extracting unit which extracts, among user names of friend users specified in the received login response, a user name of a friend user, having a difference between a current time and a login time of the friend user specified in the received login response, the difference exceeding a predetermined threshold period; and

a mail transmitting unit which transmits an electronic mail of prompting the friend user to log in to a mail address stored in the terminal memory unit in association with the user name of the extracted friend user,

and wherein a condition that one login report satisfying a predetermined friend condition relative to another login report is a case in which;

(1) a user name of a friend user specified in another login report is specified as a user name of a login user in the one login report; and

(2) a user name of a login user specified in another login report is specified as a user name of a friend user in the one login report.