Method for providing location information of game character by operating with messenger server and system thereof

• US 8,425,327 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NHN Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: NHN Corporation
• Inventors: Bae, Soo Na, Kim, Hyo Joon
• Primary Examiner(s): Pandya, Sunit
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rowland, Steve
• Application Number:
  US13/239,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20120009998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 463 30- 32, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and an online game system for providing position information of a game character in an online game, and more particularly, to a method and an online game system for providing position information of a game character in an online game by interworking with a predetermined messenger server.

Claims

1. A method using a processor, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first client messenger of a first user, a request for position information of a second character of a second user, using a game server comprising the processor via a network, wherein a memory, coupled to the processor, is configured to store position information of a plurality of game characters, the game characters comprising a first character of the first user and the second character of the second user;

transmitting the request to a second client messenger of the second user, wherein the first client messenger and the second client messenger are coupled to an instant messenger server via the network;

receiving the position information of the second character via the second client messenger, wherein the position information comprising at least one of text data, map data, or text data and map data; and

determining whether the received position information is text data or graphical data,

wherein the position information is outputted according to the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting comprises:

determining whether the second user accesses the instant messaging server via a messenger client; and

transmitting the request for the position information of the second character to the second client messenger according to the determination.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the instant messaging server and the game server are coupled to a map database which stores static data associated with a multi-player game, and the instant messaging server fetches dynamic data associated with the multi-player game from the game server in order to synchronize data of the instant messaging server with data of the game server.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether a search permit flag for the position information of the second character of the second user is set up with reference to a database of the instant messaging server; and

transmitting a search impossibility message in response to detection of the search permit flag not being set up.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the request from the second client messenger of the second user to a game module of the second user;

searching for the position information; and

transmitting the position information searched from the game module of the second user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a response corresponding to the request is a text form or a graphic user interface form;

searching whether a predetermined map data being stored in a memory of a terminal of the first user in receipt of the position information of the map data associated with a graphic user interface form, wherein a request for the map data is transmitted to a messenger client and

the position information of the map data transmitted from the messenger client of the first user is outputted according to the determination.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of determining further comprises determining whether the response corresponding to the request is a text form or a map data form which is associated with the graphic user interface form, the text form or the map data form being outputted by the game module of the first user according to a selection by the first user.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the second client messenger of the second user receives the position information of the second user from a game module of the second user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling the position information of the second user by the first client messenger of the first user.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a computer executable program, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the following steps:

receiving, from a first client messenger of a first user, a request for position information of a second character of a second user, using a game server comprising the processor via a network, wherein a memory, coupled to the processor, is configured to store position information of a plurality of game characters, the game characters comprising a first character of the first user and the second character of the second user;

transmitting the request to a second client messenger of the second user, wherein the first client messenger and the second client messenger are coupled to an instant messenger server via the network;

receiving the position information of the second character via the second client messenger, wherein the position information comprising at least one of text data, map data, or text data and map data; and

determining whether the received position information is text data or graphical data,

wherein the position information is outputted according to the determination.