Method for displaying chat window applied to network game

• US 8,597,123 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2003
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hiromichi, Kusano, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUFFY, DAVID W
• Application Number:
  US10/390,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20030228909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,912 Days
• Field of Search: 715/751, 715/753, 715758-759, 463 40- 42, 463/30, 345/469.1, 345/472, 345/619, 345/665, 345/668
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/537 for exchanging game data using a messaging service, e.g. e-mail, SMS, MMS
• 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 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Players input their messages in their video game apparatuses and the messages are once collected at a server apparatus, thereafter they are distributed to all video game apparatuses from the game server apparatus. In a display screen of each video game apparatus, a chat window is displayed in order to display messages exchanged between the players on a game screen including a field and characters of the game. The chat window is sequentially enlarged up to a preset maximum number of lines when a new message is received from the game server apparatus. The chat window is sequentially reduced to the preset minimum number of lines when a predetermined time passes without any reception of new message or when the player performs a specific operation.

Claims

1. A network video game system including a server apparatus and a plurality of client apparatuses each connected to said server apparatus via a network, said server apparatus comprising:

a message collector that receives messages input in each of said plurality of client apparatuses and transmitted therefrom; and

a message distributor that distributes messages in accordance with progress of a video game, including the messages received by said message collector, to each of said plurality of client apparatuses via the network; and

each of said plurality of client apparatuses comprising;

a message input device that inputs desired messages in accordance with the progress of the video game according to a video game player'"'"'s operation;

a message transmitter that transmits the messages input from said message input device to said server apparatus via said network to cause said message collector to receive the messages;

a message receiver that receives messages transmitted from said message distributor;

a display device that scrolls and sequentially displays all messages received by said message receiver from the message distributor of the server apparatus in a first window displayed on a video game screen,

wherein each received message from a video game player is identified by displaying a name of an originating video game player adjacent to a corresponding received message from the originating video game player, that displays a current status of each video game player character that is controlled by a client apparatus in a second window displayed on the video game screen, and that does not display a current status of any video game non-player character that is controlled by the server apparatus in the second window displayed on the video game screen,

wherein the first window and the second window are displayed on the video game screen simultaneously beside one another on the bottom portion of the video game screen so as not to overlap one another and so as not to visually obscure the progress of the video game, which includes video game player characters and at least one video game non-character, being displayed on the video game screen, and

wherein the first window displayed on the video game screen only displays messages from game players received by the message receiver;

a time counter that newly starts counting time when the time counter counts a predetermined time and also newly starts counting time when receiving a message by said message receiver;

a window enlarging device that determines whether a current number of display lines for the messages in the first window is less than a preset maximum number in response to reception of a new message by said message receiver and enlarges the first window so as to increase the number of display lines by the number of lines necessary to display the received new message when it is determined that the current number of display lines for the messages in the first window is less than the present maximum number, wherein the window enlarging device can be selectably set to a first setting that displays only active messages in the first window and to a second setting that permits a display of both active messages and previously erased messages in the first window; and

a window reducing device that determines whether the current number of display lines for the messages displayed in the first window is more than a preset minimum number when a predetermined condition is satisfied including a case when the time counter counts the predetermined time and reduces the first window so as to decrease the number of display lines for the messages in the first window by one message or one line when it is determined that the current number of display lines for the messages displayed in the first window is more than a preset minimum number, wherein a reduction time at which the first window is reduced may be delayed while a specific message related to the progress of the video game is displayed.

2. The network game system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of client apparatuses further comprises:

a message holder that holds the messages, which include messages deleted from the first window and which are received by said message receiver; and

a held message display that displays the messages held by said message holder when the video game player inputs a predetermined operation,

wherein said held message display increases the number of display lines in the first window to be larger than the preset maximum value when the messages held by said message holder are displayed.

3. The network game system according to claim 2,

wherein the number of display lines of the message in the first window is increased up to the limit of the height of the display screen.

4. A video game apparatus connected, via a network, to a server apparatus, which is connected to at least one other video game apparatus via the network, said video game apparatus comprising:

a message receiver that receives messages transmitted from the server apparatus via the network in accordance with progress of a video game;

a display device that scrolls and sequentially displays all video game messages received by said message receiver from the server apparatus in a first window displayed on a video game screen, that displays a current status of each video game player character that is controlled by a client apparatus in a second window displayed on the video game screen, and that does not display a current status of any video game non-player character that is controlled by the server apparatus in a the second window displayed on the video game screen,

wherein each received message from a video game player is identified by displaying a name of an originating video game player adjacent to a corresponding received message from the originating video game player,

wherein the first window and the second window are displayed on the video game screen simultaneously beside one another on the bottom portion of the video game screen so as not to overlap one another and so as not to visually obscure the progress of the video game, which includes video game player characters and at least one video game non-character, being displayed on the video game screen, and

wherein the first window displayed on the video game screen only displays messages from game players received by the message receiver;

a time counter that newly starts counting time when the time counter counts a predetermined time and also newly starts counting time when receiving a message by said message receiver;

a window enlarging device that determines whether a current number of display lines for the messages in the first window is less than a preset maximum number in response to reception of a new message by said message receiver and enlarges the first window so as to increase the number of display lines by the number of lines necessary to display the received new message when it is determined that the current number of display lines for the messages in the first window is less than the present maximum number, wherein the window enlarging device can be selectably set to a first setting that displays only active messages in the first window, and to a second setting that permits a display of both active messages and previously erased messages in the first window; and

a window reducing device that determines whether the current number of display lines for the messages displayed in the first window is more than a preset minimum number when a predetermined condition is satisfied including a case where the time counter counts the predetermined time and reduces the first window so as to decrease the number of display lines for the messages in the first window by one message or one line when it is determined that the current number of display lines for the messages displayed in the first window is more than a preset minimum number,

wherein a reduction time at which the first window is reduced may be delayed while a specific message related to the progress of the video game is displayed.

5. The video game apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein said predetermined time can be arbitrarily set by the video game player'"'"'s operation.

6. The video game apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the predetermined condition for which the window reducing device reduces the first window includes a case in which the video game player inputs a predetermined operation.

7. The video game apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a display line setting device that arbitrarily sets the number of display lines of the messages in the first window to at least one of the maximum value and minimum value by the video game player'"'"'s operation.

8. The video game apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the minimum value of the number of display lines of the message in the first window is set to 0.

9. The video game apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a message display controller that sequentially deletes the oldest message of all messages displayed in the first window and displays a newly received message in the first window when the number of display lines of the messages in the first window reaches the maximum value and said message receiver receives the new message from the server apparatus.

10. The video game apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a message holder that holds the messages, which include messages deleted from the first window and which are received by said message receiver; and

a held message display device that displays the messages held by said message holder when the video game player inputs a predetermined operation.

11. The video game apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein said held message display device increases the number of display lines in the first window to be larger than the preset maximum value when the messages held by said message holder are displayed.

12. The video game apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the number of display lines of the message in the first window is increased up to the limit of the height of the display screen.

13. The video game apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein said held message display device scrolls and displays the messages in the first window, thereby making it possible to display all messages held by said message holder.

14. A video game apparatus connected, via a network, to a server apparatus, which is connected to at least one other video game apparatus via the network, said video game apparatus comprising:

a memory that stores a network video game program;

a processor that executes the network video game program;

a display device that displays a processing result of the network video game program performed by said processor; and

a communications apparatus that communicates with the server apparatus,

the network video game program causing said processor to execute;

receiving messages transmitted from the server apparatus via the network in accordance with progress of a network video game;

scrolling and sequentially displaying the received messages in a first window displayed on a video game screen, wherein each received message from a video game player is identified by displaying a name of an originating video game player adjacent to a corresponding received message from the originating video game player;

displaying a current status of each video game player character that is controlled by a client apparatus in a second window displayed on the video game screen, and not displaying a current status of any video game non-player character that is controlled by the server apparatus in the second window displayed on the video game screen,

wherein the first window and the second window are displayed on the video game screen simultaneously beside one another on the bottom portion of the video game screen so as not to overlap one another and so as not to visually obscure the progress of the network video game, which includes video game player characters and at least one video game non-character, being displayed on the video game screen, and

wherein the first window displayed on the video game screen only displays messages from game players received by the message receiver;

starting to count time when a time counter counts a predetermined time and also starting to count time when receiving a message by the server apparatus;

determining whether a current number of display lines for the messages in the first window is less than a preset maximum number in response to reception of a new message by said message receiver and enlarges the first window so as to increase the number of display lines by the number of lines necessary to display the received new message when it is determined that the current number of display lines for the messages in the first window is less than the present maximum number, wherein the window enlarging device can be selectably set to a first setting that displays only active messages in the first window, and to a second setting that permits a display of both active messages and previously erased messages in the first window; and

determining whether the current number of display lines for the messages displayed in the first window is more than a preset minimum number when a predetermined condition is satisfied including a case where the time counter counts the predetermined time and reduces the first window so as to decrease the number of display lines for the messages in the first window by one message or one line when it is determined that the current number of display lines for the messages displayed in the first window is more than a preset minimum number, wherein a reduction time at which the first window is reduced may be delayed while a specific message related to the progress of the video game is displayed.

15. The video game apparatus according to claim 14, said video game apparatus further comprising:

a message holder that holds the messages, which include messages deleted from the first window and which are received from the server apparatus; and

a held message display that displays the messages held by said message holder when the video game player inputs a predetermined operation,

wherein said held message display increases the number of display lines in the first window to be larger than the preset maximum value when the messages held by said message holder are displayed.

16. The video game apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the number of display lines of the message in the first window is increased up to the limit of the height of the display screen.

17. A message display controlling method in a network video game executed in a video game apparatus, which is applied to the network video game that advances a game by being connected to a server apparatus via a network, the method comprising:

receiving network video game messages transmitted from the server apparatus via the network in accordance with a progress of a network video game;

scrolling and sequentially displaying the received network video game messages in a first window displayed on a video game screen, wherein each received message from a video game player is identified by displaying a name of an originating video game player adjacent to a corresponding received message from the originating video game player;

displaying a current status of each video game player character that is controlled by a client apparatus in a second window displayed on the video game screen, and not displaying a current status of any video game non-player character that is controlled by the server apparatus in the second window displayed on the video game screen,

wherein the first window and the second window are displayed on the video game screen simultaneously beside one another on the bottom portion of the video game screen so as not to overlap one another and so as not to visually obscure the progress of the network video game, which includes video game player characters and at least one video game non-character, being displayed on the video game screen, and

wherein the first window displayed on the video game screen only displays messages from game players received by the message receiver;

starting to count time when a time counter counts a predetermined time and also starting to count time when receiving a message by the server apparatus;

determining whether a current number of display lines for the messages in the first window is less than a preset maximum number in response to reception of a new message by said message receiver and enlarging the first window so as to increase the number of display lines by the number of lines necessary to display the received new message when it is determined that the current number of display lines for the messages in the first window is less than the present maximum number, wherein the window enlarging device can be selectably set to a first setting that displays only active messages in the first window, and to a second setting that permits a display of both active messages and previously erased messages in the first window; and

determining whether the current number of display lines for the messages displayed in the first window is more than a preset minimum number when a predetermined condition is satisfied including a case where the time counter counts the predetermined time and reducing the first window so as to decrease the number of display lines for the message in the first window by one message or one line when it is determined that the current number of display lines for the messages displayed in the first window is more than a preset minimum number,

wherein a reduction time at which the first window is reduced may be delayed while a specific message related to the progress of the video game is displayed.

18. The message display controlling method according to claim 17, further comprising:

holding messages in a message holder, including messages deleted from the first window and which are received from the server apparatus;

displaying the messages held by the message holder when the video game player inputs a predetermined operation; and

increasing the number of display lines in the first window beyond the preset maximum value, when the messages held by the message holder are displayed.

19. The message display controlling method according to claim 18,

wherein the number of display lines of the message in the first window is increased up to the limit of the height of the display screen.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which a network video game program is recorded, the video game program causing a computer connected, via a network, to a server apparatus, which is connected to at least one other video game apparatus via the network to execute:

receiving network video game messages transmitted from the server apparatus via the network in accordance with progress of a network video game;

scrolling and sequentially displaying the received messages in a first window displayed on a video game screen, wherein each received message from a video game player is identified by displaying a name of an originating video game player adjacent to a corresponding received message from the originating video game player;

displaying a current status of each video game player character that is controlled by a client apparatus in a second window displayed on the video game screen, and not displaying a current status of any video game non-player character that is controlled by the server apparatus in the second window displayed on the video game screen,

wherein the first window and the second window are displayed on the video game screen simultaneously beside one another on the bottom portion of the video game screen so as not to overlap one another and so as not to visually obscure the progress of the network video game, which includes video game player characters and at least one video game non-character, being displayed on the video game screen, and

wherein the first window displayed on the video game screen only displays messages from game players received by the message receiver;

starting to count time when a time counter counts a predetermined time and also starting to count time when receiving a message by the server apparatus;

determining whether a current number of display lines for the messages in the first window is less than a preset maximum number in response to reception of a new message by said message receiver and enlarging the first window so as to increase the number of display lines by the number of lines necessary to display the received new message when it is determined that the current number of display lines for the messages in the first window is less than the present maximum number, wherein the window enlarging device can be selectably set to a first setting that displays only active messages in the first window, and to a second setting that permits a display of both active messages and previously erased messages in the first window; and

determining whether the current number of display lines for the messages displayed in the first window is more than a preset minimum number when a predetermined condition is satisfied including a case where the time counter counts the predetermined time and reducing the first window so as to decrease the number of display lines for the messages in the first window by one message or one line when it is determined that the current number of display lines for the messages displayed in the first window is more than a preset minimum number, wherein a reduction time at which the first window is reduced may be delayed while a specific message related to the progress of the video game is displayed.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, the program further causing the computer to execute:

holding messages in a message holder, including messages deleted from the first window and which are received from the server apparatus;

displaying the messages held by said message holder when the video game player inputs a predetermined operation; and

increasing the number of display lines in the first window beyond the preset maximum value, when the messages held by said message holder are displayed.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 21, the program further causing the computer to execute increasing the number of display lines of the message in the first window up to the limit of the height of the display screen.