Method for displaying chat window applied to network game

• US 9,597,601 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2013
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hiromichi, Kusano, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUFFY, DAVID W
• Application Number:
  US14/069,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20140057718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 463/30, 463 40- 42, 715/751, 715/758, 715/759
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 video game apparatus connected, via a network, to a server apparatus, the server apparatus being connected to at least one other video game apparatus via the network, the video game apparatus comprising:

a receiver that receives a message distributed from the server apparatus via the network;

a provider that provides a chat window for displaying the message on a display screen in a case where the receiver receives the message; and

a display device that displays a video game on the display screen and the message received by the receiver in the chat window,

wherein when the video game apparatus receives a message from the at least one other video game apparatus via the server apparatus in a state that the chat window is not provided, the chat window is provided in an area of the display screen,

wherein the chat window is deleted, and is not provided in the area of the display screen until the video game apparatus receives a message from the server apparatus, and

wherein an oldest message may be selectively retained in the chat window instead of being deleted by chat window reduction processing, the chat window reduction processing sequentially deleting the oldest messages from the chat window when the oldest message is not a specific message identified with high importance, the chat window reduction processing deleting the second oldest message from the chat window when the oldest message is a specific message identified with high importance.

2. The video game apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the provider erases the chat window when a predetermined condition is satisfied after the receiver receives the message.

3. The video game apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the predetermined condition includes a condition that a predetermined time is elapsed since the receiver receives the message.

4. The video game apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the predetermined time can be set arbitrarily by a player'"'"'s operation.

5. The video game apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the receiver receives the message distributed in accordance with progress of a video game.

6. The video game apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the provider provides the chat window having a size according to a player'"'"'s operation on the display screen.

7. The video game apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the provider provides the chat window, in which message of the number of display lines according to a player'"'"'s operation can be displayed, on the display screen.

8. The video game apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the provider erases the chat window in a case where the number of display lines is 0.

9. The video game apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display device sequentially deletes the oldest message of all messages displayed in the chat window and displays a newly received message in the chat window when the number of display lines of the message in the chat window reaches the maximum value and the receiver receives the newly received message from the server apparatus.

10. The video game apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a holder that holds the messages received by the receiver,

wherein the display device enlarges the chat window when the messages held by the holder are displayed.

11. The video game apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the display device scrolls and displays the held messages in the enlarged chat window.

12. The video game apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the display device displays the messages of the number of display lines more than the number of display lines before the enlargement in the enlarged chat window.

13. The video game apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the provider maximizes a size of the chat window in a case where a predetermined operation by a player is received, and

wherein the display device adds and displays the held messages in a case where the chat window is enlarged.

14. The video game apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the display device scrolls and displays the held messages in response to a player'"'"'s operation.

15. The video game apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the receiver receives a message corresponding to an event that occurs in a video game.

16. The video game apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein the event is an event that is generated by an operation of a player character.

17. The video game apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a time counter that counts a time; and

a window reducing device that reduces or erases the chat window in a case where the time counter counts a predetermined time.

18. The video game apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the time counter starts counting a new time when receiving a message by the receiver.

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

receiving a message distributed from the server apparatus via the network;

providing a chat window for displaying the message on a display screen in a case where the message is received; and

displaying a video game on the display screen and the received message in the chat window,

wherein when the video game apparatus receives a message from the at least one other video game apparatus via the server apparatus in a state that the chat window is not provided, the chat window is provided in an area of the display screen,

wherein the chat window is deleted, and is not provided in the area of the display screen until the video game apparatus receives a message from the server apparatus, and

wherein an oldest message may be selectively retained in the chat window instead of being deleted by chat window reduction processing, the chat window reduction processing sequentially deleting the oldest messages from the chat window when the oldest message is not a specific message identified with high importance, the chat window reduction processing deleting the second oldest message from the chat window when the oldest message is a specific message identified with high importance.

20. A network game system comprising a server apparatus and a plurality of client apparatuses each connected to the server apparatus via a network, comprising:

a distributor that distributes a message, transmitted from any one the plurality of client apparatuses, to at least one other of the plurality of client apparatuses;

a receiver that receives the message distributed via the network by the distributor;

a provider that provides a chat window for displaying the message on a display screen in a case where the receiver receives the distributed message; and

a display device that displays a video game on the display screen and the message received by the receiver in the chat window,

wherein when the video game apparatus receives a message from the at least one other video game apparatus via the server apparatus in a state that the chat window is not provided, the chat window is provided in an area of the display screen,

wherein the chat window is deleted, and is not provided in the area of the display screen until the video game apparatus receives a message from the server apparatus, and

wherein an oldest message may be selectively retained in the chat window instead of being deleted by chat window reduction processing, the chat window reduction processing sequentially deleting the oldest messages from the chat window when the oldest message is not a specific message identified with high importance, the chat window reduction processing deleting the second oldest message from the chat window when the oldest message is a specific message identified with high importance.