Instant messenger server and method for supporting on-line game and storage media having program source thereof

• US 20020160838A1
• Filed: 04/16/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gravity Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gravity Incorporated
• Inventors: Kim, Hak-Kyu
• Application Number:
  US10/123,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20020160838A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• 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: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services

Abstract

Disclosed is an instant messenger server and method for supporting on-line game, and storage medium having an instant messenger program source thereof. The instant messenger server supports for transferring messages between a player and an opponent player by a request from the main player logged in when an instant messenger program is loaded on a player'"'"'s computer and the instant messenger program is executed. The instant messenger server includes at least one on-line game content, and supports for the on-line game to be executed automatically, and for the main player logged in to play the on-line game with the opponent player when the main player logged in retrieves opponent players to play with the on-line game, proposes opponent player matching with retrieved condition to play the on-line game, and receives an approval signal from the opponent player. The player can play the on-line game quickly by a very convenient method in which the player can search for the opponent player to play the on-line game together without using servers of commercial Internet PC facilities and lobby servers of other online games. Also, the player can easily trade in-game items by retrieving without visiting other website or message board related to games.

Claims

1. An instant messenger server for supporting on-line games, when an instant messenger program is loaded on a player'"'"'s computer and the instant messenger program is executed, the instant messenger server supports for transferring messages between a player and an opponent player by a request from the main player logged in, wherein the instant messenger server:

includes at least one on-line game content; and

supports for the on-line game to be executed automatically, and for the main player logged in to play the on-line game with the opponent player when the main player logged in retrieves opponent players to play with the on-line game, proposes opponent player matching with retrieved condition to play the on-line game, and receives an approval signal from the opponent player.

2. An instant messenger server of claim 1, wherein the instant messenger server support for the main player to exchange an in-game item acquired from the on-line game with the other players.

3. An instant messenger server of claim 1 or 2, wherein the instant messenger server comprising:

a login server for verifying whether a main player trying to login is a member;

a database server, which includes member information and content information, for supporting for the on-line game to be executed;

a main server for transferring messages between a computer of the main player logged in and the opponent player'"'"'s computer by a request for chat from the main player logged in; and

a lobby server for managing a list of members being in chat groups and participating in the chat groups.

4. An instant messenger server of claim 3, wherein the database server comprising:

a member database for including player information registered as a member;

a content database for including at least one game content;

a retrieval-supporting module for searching the member database for an opponent player matching with the retrieval condition and showing the searched opponent player to the main player when the main player inputs the retrieval condition for the opponent player to play with; and

a content-executing support module for judging whether the on-line game program is installed in the main player'"'"'s computer and the opponent player'"'"'s computer when a game-play control signal is received, and, if the on-line game program is not installed, for automatically searching the content database for a corresponding game program and downloading the on-line game program into the main player'"'"'s or the opponent player'"'"'s computer.

5. An instant messenger server of claim 4, wherein the instant messenger server stores information including the acquired in-game item and the result of game into the member database when the on-line game is come to an end between the main player and the opponent player.

6. An instant messenger server of claim 4, wherein the player information included in the member database further comprising information about an in-game item owned by the players;

and the database server further comprising an in-game item-trading supporting module for intermediating the trade of in-game item.

7. An instant messenger server of claim 6, wherein the in-game item-trading supporting module

transmitting a message suggesting a trade of the in-game item to at least one opponent player selected by the main player when a main player retrieves and selects the opponent player in order to trade the in-game item, transmitting a trade condition to the opponent player when the opponent player wants to continue trading, and support for trading of in-game item between the main player and the opponent player when the main player selects the opponent player corresponding to the trade condition.

8. An instant messenger server of claim 4, wherein the retrieval-supporting module providing the opponent player with a message window requesting for a game when the main player select a game name and the opponent player to play with among the opponent players matching the retrieval condition, the message window including a reject or approval button by which the opponent player is able to reject or approve the request for a game.

9. An instant messenger server of claim 8, wherein content-executing support module further comprising a pay-content payment support module, the pay-content payment supports module providing a pay-content information showing that the game content should be paid when the on-line game which the main player and the opponent player want to play is the pay-content and the opponent player clicks the approval button, and requests the main player or the opponent player for the payment

10. An instant messenger server of claim 9, wherein the pay-content payment supports module supports for the main player to pay with cyber money when the main player to utilize a pay-content has the cyber money.

11. An instant messenger server of claim 4, wherein the database server receives event content from at least one gift-content server and storing the event content into the content database, and the database server further comprises an event-managing module for supporting for the main player to be provided with a gift by a lottery when the main player participates in an event of the event advertisement region included in a predetermined region of the instant messenger.

12. An instant messenger server of claim 11, wherein the event is a gift event through a quiz, and a gift event through a questionnaire.

14. An on-line game supporting method of claim 13, the method further comprises the step of 3) supporting a trade of an in-game item possessed by the main player.

15. An on-line game supporting method of claim 13, wherein the step 1) includes the steps of 1-1) verifying whether a player trying to login is a member, and 1-2) being input the retrieval condition for retrieving the opponent player to play with the on-line game from the verified player, and providing a retrieved result, which is a result of searching the member database for an opponent player matching with the retrieval condition, to the player computer.

17. An on-line game supporting method of claim 16, wherein the step 2) includes the step of 2-4) storing information including the acquired in-game item and the result of the on-line game into the member database when the on-line game has come to an end between the main player and the opponent player.

18. An on-line game supporting method of claim 16, wherein player information stored in the member database further comprises information about an in-game item possessed by the main player, and the step 3) includes the steps of 3-1) transmitting a message suggesting a trade of the in-game item to at least one opponent player selected by a main player, 3-2) transmitting a trade condition to the opponent player when the opponent player who received the message wants to continue trading, and 3-3) supporting for trading of in-game item between the main player and the opponent player when the main player finally selects the opponent player corresponding to the trade condition.

19. An on-line game supporting method of claim 16, wherein the step 1-2) includes the step of 1-2a) providing the opponent player selected by the main player with a message window requesting a game, the message window including a reject or approval button by which the opponent player is able to reject or approve the request for a game.

20. An on-line game supporting method of claim 19, wherein the step 2-3) includes the step of 2-3a) providing pay-content information showing that the game content should be paid when the on-line game which the main player and the opponent player want to play is the pay-content, and 2-3b) requesting the main player or the opponent player for the payment

21. An on-line game supporting method of claim 20, wherein the step 2-3b) supports a main player to pay with cyber money when the main player utilizing the pay-content has the cyber money.

22. An on-line game supporting method of claim 13, wherein the on-line game supporting method further comprising the step of 4) support for the main player to be provided with a gift by a lottery when the main player participates in an event of the event advertisement region included in a predetermined region of the instant messenger, the event advertisement is provided from the content database which receives a event content from at least one gift-content server and stores the event content therein.

23. An on-line game supporting method of claim 13, wherein the event is a gift event through a quiz, and a gift event through a questionnaire.

25. A recorded medium saving a program for supporting an on-line game through an instant messenger of claim 24, the program further comprises the step of c) supporting for a trade of an in-game item possessed by the main player.

26. A recorded medium saving a program for supporting an on-line game through an instant messenger of claim 24, wherein the step A) includes the steps of A-1) verifying whether a main player trying to login is a member, and A-2) being input the retrieval condition for retrieving the opponent player to play with the on-line game from the verified player, and providing a retrieved result, which is a result of searching the member database for an opponent player matching with the retrieval condition, to the player computer.

28. A recorded medium saving a program for supporting an on-line game through an instant messenger of claim 27, wherein the step B) includes the steps of B-4) storing information including the acquired in-game item and the result of the on-line game into the member database when the on-line game has come to an end between the main player and the opponent player.

29. A recorded medium saving a program for supporting an on-line game through an instant messenger of claim 25, wherein a player information stored in the member database further comprising an information about an in-game item possessed by the main player, and the step C) includes the steps of C-1) transmitting a message suggesting a trade of the in-game item to at least one opponent player selected by a main player, C-2) transmitting a trade condition to the opponent player when the opponent player who received the message wants to continue trading, and C-3) supporting for trading of in-game item between the main player and the opponent player when the main player finally selects the opponent player corresponding to the trade condition.

30. A recorded medium saving a program for supporting an on-line game through an instant messenger of claim 27, wherein the step A-2) includes the steps of A-2a) providing the opponent player selected by the main player with a message window requesting for a game, the message window including a reject or approval button by which the opponent player is able to reject or approve the request for a game.

31. A recorded medium saving a program for supporting an on-line game through an instant messenger of claim 30, wherein the step B-3) includes the steps of B-3a) providing a pay-content information showing that the game content should be paid when the on-line game which the main player and the opponent player want to play is the pay-content, and B-3b) requesting the main player or the opponent player for the payment.

32. A recorded medium saving a program for supporting an on-line game through an instant messenger of claim 31, wherein the step B) supports for a main player to pay with a cyber money when the main player to utilize the pay-content has the cyber money.

33. A recorded medium saving a program for supporting an on-line game through an instant messenger of claim 24, wherein the program further comprises the step of D) supporting for the main player to be provided with a gift by a lottery when the main player participates in an event of the event advertisement region included in a predetermined region of the instant messenger, the event advertisement is provided from the content database which receives a event content from at least one gift-content server and stores the event content therein.

34. A recorded medium saving a program for supporting an on-line game through an instant messenger of claim 33, wherein the event is a gift event through a quiz, and a gift event through a questionnaire.

13. An on-line game supporting method for supporting a main player, who connects an on-line game server and requests for the on-line game, to play the requested on-line game, the on-line game supporting method comprising the steps of:

1) retrieving an opponent player matching a retrieval condition and providing a retrieval result to the main player when the main player inputs the retrieval condition for the opponent player to play with; and

2) transmitting a game-playing request signal to the opponent player matching with the retrieved condition, and supporting the main player and the opponent player to play the on-line game together when receiving an approval signal from the opponent player.

16. An on-line game supporting method according to any one of claims 13-15, wherein the step 2) includes the steps of 2-1) transmitting a game-playing request signal to a selected opponent player when the main player selects one of the retrieved result, 2-2) judging whether an on-line game program is installed in the main player'"'"'s computer and the opponent player'"'"'s computer when an approval signal for the game-playing request signal is received, and 2-3) after the judgment of step 2-2), if the on-line game program is not installed, automatically searching a content database for a corresponding on-line game program and downloading the on-line game program into the main player'"'"'s or the opponent player'"'"'s computer.

24. A recorded medium saving a program for supporting an on-line game through an instant messenger, the program supports a main player, who connects an online game server and requests for the on-line game, to play the requested on-line game, and the program executing the steps of:

A) retrieving an opponent player matching a retrieval condition and providing retrieval result to the main player when the main player inputs the retrieval condition for the opponent player to play with; and

B) transmitting a game-playing request signal to the opponent player matching with the retrieved condition, and supporting the main player and the opponent player to play the on-line game together when receiving an approval signal from the opponent player.

27. A recorded medium saving a program for supporting an on-line game through an instant messenger according to any one of claims 24-26, wherein the step B) includes the steps of B-1) transmitting a game-playing request signal to a selected opponent player when the main player selects one of the retrieved result, B-2) judging whether an on-line game program is installed in the main player'"'"'s computer and the opponent player'"'"'s computer when an approval signal for the game-playing request signal is received, and B-3) after the judgment of step B-2), if the on-line game program is not installed, automatically searching a content database for a corresponding on-line game program and downloading the on-line game program into the main player'"'"'s or the opponent player'"'"'s computer.