System and method for online fan meeting

• US 9,276,882 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NHN Corporation
• Original Assignee: NHN Corporation
• Inventors: Jung, Sungwon, Choi, YeongMin, Kang, Ho Sung, Jeong, Seok Hyun, Oh, Bohyun, Mok, KyungTae
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US13/793,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20140149522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

Provided are a system and a method for an online fan meeting. The online chat method among a first user and a plurality of second users, includes granting a bilateral chat right to a first group of users selected from the second users for participating in an online chat with the first user, authorizing an online chat communication among the first user and the first group based on the bilateral chat right, and broadcasting the online chat communication to a second group of users selected from the second users. The second group is granted with a unilateral chat right.

Claims

1. An online chat method that uses a processor to provide an online communication among a first user terminal and a plurality of second user terminals, the method comprising:

granting, using the processor, a bilateral chat right to a first group of user terminals selected from the second user terminals for participating in an online chat with the first user terminal;

authorizing an online chat communication among the first user terminal and the first group of user terminals based on the bilateral chat right;

establishing the online chat communication;

broadcasting the online chat communication to a second group of user terminals selected from the second user terminals, the second group of user terminals being granted with a unilateral chat right;

receiving a first chat message from the first user terminal and a second chat message from a user terminal among the first group of user terminals;

transmitting the first chat message to the first group of user terminals and the second group of user terminals and transmitting the second chat message to the first user terminal and the second group of user terminals;

providing a message check count for the first chat message and the second chat message including,

determining, in real time, a number of user terminals reading the first chat message or the second chat message among the first user terminal and the first group of user terminals,

determining, in real time, a current session count, and

updating and transmitting the message check count to the first user terminal and the first group of user terminals if a ratio of the number of user terminals to the current session count is higher than or equal to a threshold level.

2. The online chat method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting information about the online chat communication with the first user terminal to the second user terminals, the information comprising a time period for the online chat communication;

receiving requests for the online chat communication with the first user terminal from the second user terminals;

selecting the first group of user terminals from among the second user terminals based on one or more selection criteria; and

providing an online chat room for temporal communication among the first user terminal and the first group of user terminals, the first user terminal and the first group of user terminals being granted with the bilateral chat right to send and receive messages in the online chat room.

3. The online chat method of claim 2, wherein the temporal communication among the first user terminal and the first group of user terminals is configured to be available during a desired time period.

4. The online chat method of claim 1, wherein the second group of user terminals corresponds to the remaining user terminals of the second user terminals after selecting the first group of user terminals from the second user terminals.

5. The online chat method of claim 1, wherein the unilateral chat right corresponds to a right to receive messages communicated among the first user terminal and the first group of user terminals, the second group of user terminals being prohibited from sending messages to the first user terminal and the first group of user terminals.

6. The online chat method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a desired number of user terminals as the first group of user terminals from among the second user terminals based on a random selection or a first-come, first-served basis.

7. The online chat method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more user terminals satisfying a set condition as the first group of user terminals from among the second user terminals.

8. The online chat method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to participate as a member of the first group of user terminals or a request to participate as a member of the second group of user terminals from the second user terminals; and

determining the first group of user terminals and the second group of user terminals based on the requests received from the second user terminals.

9. The online chat method of claim 1, further comprising:

authorizing terminals of the first group of user terminals to send messages to the first user terminal by sending an identifier.

10. The online chat method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the message check count comprises verifying the message check count for the first user terminal and the first group of user terminals without considering the second group of user terminals.

11. The online chat method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining identification of the first user terminal; and

granting a bilateral chat right to the first user terminal if the identification of the first user terminal is authenticated.

12. An online chat system to provide an online chat communication among a first user terminal and a plurality of second user terminals, the system comprising:

a storage device;

a server module stored on the storage device and configured to cause a server to grant a bilateral chat right to a first group of user terminals selected from the second user terminals for participating in an online chat with the first user terminal, and configured to authorize and establish an online chat communication among the first user terminal and the first group of user terminals based on the bilateral chat right,

the server module including,

a message receiver configured to cause the server to receive chat messages from the first user terminal and the first group of user terminals, the message receiver configured to cause the server to receive a first chat message from the first user terminal and to receive a second chat message from a user terminal among the first group of user terminals, and

a message broadcaster configured to cause the server to transmit the chat messages to a second group of user terminals selected from the second user terminals, the second group of user terminals being granted with a unilateral chat right, the message broadcaster configured to cause the server to transmit the first chat message to the first group of user terminals and the second group of user terminals and to cause the server to transmit the second chat message to the first user terminal and the second group of user terminals,

wherein the message receiver is further configured to cause the server to provide a message check count for the first chat message and the second chat message, and

wherein the message receiver is further configured to cause the server to determine a number of user terminals reading the first chat message or the second chat message among the first user terminal and the first group of second user terminals and a current session count in real time, and to update the message check count if a ratio of the number of user terminals to the current session count is higher than or equal to a preset level.

13. The online chat system of claim 12, wherein the server module is further configured to determine a desired number of user terminals as the first group of user terminals from among the second user terminals and the remaining user terminals of the second user terminals as the second group of user terminals based on a random selection or a first-come, first-served basis.

14. The online chat system of claim 12, wherein the server module is further configured to determine one or more user terminals satisfying a set condition as the first group of user terminals from among the second user terminals and the remaining user terminals of the second user terminals as the second group of user terminals.

15. The online chat system of claim 12, wherein the server module is further configured to receive a request to participate as a member of the first group of user terminals or a request to participate as a member of the second group of user terminals from the second user terminals, and configured to determine the first group of user terminals and the second group of user terminals based on the requests received from the second user terminals.

16. The online chat system of claim 12, wherein the server module is further configured to authorize terminals of the first group of user terminals to send messages to the first user terminal by sending an identifier.

17. The online chat system of claim 12, wherein the message receiver is further configured to verify a message check count for the first user terminal and the first group of user terminals without considering the second group of user terminals.

18. A method that uses a processor to participate in an online chat communication with a first user terminal, the method comprising:

transmitting, from a plurality of second user terminals, a request for participating in an online chat communication with the first user terminal to the processor;

receiving, at a selected one of the second user terminals, a chat participation right for the online chat communication in response to the request;

establishing, using the processor, a bilateral chat communication or a unilateral chat communication between the first user terminal and at least one of the second user terminals based on a type of the chat participation right;

executing an online chat application;

activating a message sending function of the online chat application to send a message to the first user terminal if the type of the chat participation right corresponds to a bilateral chat right, the bilateral chat right comprising a right to send and receive messages to and from the first user terminal;

determining a number of user terminals reading the chat messages among the first user terminal and the second user terminals;

determining, in real time, a current session count; and

updating a message check count if a ratio of the number of user terminals to the current session count is higher than or equal to a preset level.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving notification information for notifying the online chat communication with the first user terminal, the notification information comprising time information for performing the online chat communication and/or the notification information being associated with a time period for receiving the request.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

displaying a number of applicants applied for the online chat communication with the first user terminal and a desired number of a first group of user terminals selected from among the applicants, the first group of user terminals being authorized for the bilateral chat communication; and

displaying information of the first group of user terminals comprising profiles of the first group of user terminals and messages sent by the first group of user terminals.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the bilateral chat communication is configured to be available during a desired time period, and the bilateral chat communication comprises at least one of a text message sending function, an image sending function, a voice call function, and a video call function.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting a request to participate in the bilateral chat communication or a request to participate in the unilateral chat communication, the unilateral chat communication being prohibited from sending messages to the first user terminal.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium comprising an executable program for instructing a computer, when executed by the computer, to perform the method of claim 18.