Client system, message exchanging method, and recording medium

• US 7,130,884 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2001
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushi Kaisha Square ENIX
• Inventors: Maehiro, Kazutoyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Assistant Examiner(s): NAWAZ, ASAD M
• Application Number:
  US09/821,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20020062350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 709202-207, 709/217, 709/219, 709/248, 715/758, 715/764, 715/761, 719315-316, 463/29, 463 42- 43
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• 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 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• 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 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

A message exchanging method enables simple interactions between two users during message exchanges and enables one-to-one interactions to shift to interactions between three or more users. Upon receiving a message from a third person while two users are exchanging messages using a messenger, a client machine requests a server to open a chat room. The client that connects to a chat room activates a chat application using the messenger to allow the users to engage in a chat.

Claims

1. A client system in a message exchanging system, the message exchanging system comprising a plurality of client systems and at least one server system connected together via a communications network, the server system authenticating each user of said plurality of client systems and accumulating and distributing messages, said plurality of client systems exchanging messages via said server system, the client system comprising:

a first message exchanging application that is limited to one-to-one message exchanges with a first client system of said plurality of client systems via a first interface;

a second message exchanging application that enables simultaneous message exchanges with at least one additional second client systems of said plurality of client systems via a second interface; and

a message exchange switching system that switches between the first interface of said first message exchanging application and the second interface of said second message exchanging application, in response to an action by a user of the client system when said client system receives a message from said second client system while said first message exchanging application is exchanging messages with said first client system, to enable message exchanges with said first and at least one additional second client systems.

2. The client system according to claim 1, wherein said message exchange switching system sets in said server system an environment for allowing said second message exchanging application to exchange messages when said message exchange switching system switches from said first message exchanging application to said second message exchange switching application.

3. The client system according to claim 2, wherein said first message exchanging application displays exchanged transmitted and received messages in one display screen in the order of transmissions and receptions.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a button displaying system that displays a button in response to interruption of the one-to-one message exchanging by the second client system, selecting the button by the user enabling the switching system.

4. A message exchanging method for a client system in a message exchanging system comprising a plurality of client systems and at least one server system connected together via a communications network, the server system authenticating each user of said plurality of client systems and accumulating and distributing messages, said plurality of client systems exchanging messages via said server system, the method comprising:

enabling, via a first interface, one-to-one message exchanges with a first client system of said plurality of client systems, the first interface being limited to one-to-one message exchanges;

enabling, via a second interface, simultaneous message exchanges with at least one other second client system of said plurality of client systems; and

switching between the first interface of one-to-one message exchanging and the second interface of simultaneous message exchanging, in response to an action by a user of the client system when a message is received from said second client system while exchanging messages with said first client system, to enable message exchanges with said first and second client systems.

5. The message exchanging method for a client system according to claim 4, wherein said switching sets in said server system an environment for allowing exchanging of messages when said switching switches.

6. The message exchanging method for a client system according to claim 5, further comprising displaying exchanged transmitted and received messages in one display screen in the order of transmissions and receptions.

17. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying a button in response to interruption of the one-to-one message exchanging by the second client system, selecting the button by the user enabling the switching.

7. A message exchanging method for a message exchanging system comprising a plurality of client systems and at least one server system connected together via a communications network, the server system authenticating each user of said plurality of client systems and accumulating and distributing messages, said plurality of client systems exchanging messages via said server system, the method comprising:

enabling, via a first interface, one-to-one message exchanges with a first client system of said plurality of client systems, the first interface being limited to one-to-one message exchanges;

enabling, via a second interface, simultaneous message exchanges with at least one other second client system of said plurality of client systems; and

switching between the first interface of one-to-one message exchanging and the second interface of simultaneous message exchanging, in response to a user action when a message is received from said second client system while exchanging messages with said first client system, to enable message exchanges with said first and second client systems.

8. The message exchanging method according to claim 7, wherein said switching sets in said server system an environment for allowing exchanging messages when said switching switches.

9. The message exchanging method according to claim 8, further comprising displaying exchanged transmitted and received messages in one display screen in the order of transmissions and receptions.

18. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying a button in response to interruption of the one-to-one message exchanging by the second client system, selecting the button by the user enabling the switching.

10. A computer-readable recording medium for a client system in a message exchanging system, the recording medium having a message exchanging program recorded therein as to be executable, the message exchanging system comprising a plurality of client systems and at least one server system connected together via a communications network, the server system authenticating each user of said plurality of client systems and accumulating and distributing messages, said plurality of client systems exchanging messages via said server system, the program comprising;

a first message exchange having a first interface containing an instruction that enables one-to-one message exchanges with a first client system of said plurality of client systems, the first interface being limited to one-to-one message exchanges;

a second message exchange having a second interface containing an instruction that enables simultaneous message exchanges with at least one other second client system of said plurality of client systems;

and a message exchange switching instruction that switches between the first interface of said first message exchange and the second interface of said second message exchange, in response to an action by a user of the client system when a message is received from said second client system while said first message exchange is exchanging messages with said first client system, to enable message exchanges with said first and second client systems.

11. The recording medium of claim 10, wherein said message exchange switching instruction sets in said server system an environment for allowing said second message exchange to exchange messages when said message exchange switching switches from said first message exchange to said second message exchange.

12. The recording medium according to claim 11, wherein said first message exchange displays exchanged transmitted and received messages in one display screen in the order of transmissions and receptions.

19. The medium of claim 10, further comprising a button display that displays a button in response to interruption of the one-to-one message exchanging by the second client system, selecting the button by the user enabling the message exchange switching.

13. A program product of a message exchanging method for a client system in a message exchanging system comprising a plurality of client systems and at least one server system connected together via a communications network, the server system authenticating each user of said plurality of client systems and accumulating and distributing messages, said plurality of client systems exchanging messages via said server system, the program product comprising:

a first message exchange having a first interface that enables one-to-one message exchanges with a first client system of said plurality of client systems, the first interface being limited to one-to-one message exchange;

a second message exchange having a second interface that enables simultaneous message exchanges with at least one other second client system of said plurality of client systems; and

a message exchange switching that switches between the first interface of said first message exchange and the second interface of said second message exchange, in response to an action by a user of the client system when a message is received from said second client system while said first message exchange is exchanging messages with said first client system, to enable message exchanges with said first and second client systems.

14. The program product according to claim 13, wherein said message exchange switching sets in said server system an environment for allowing said second message exchange to exchange messages if said message exchange switching switches from said first message exchange to said second message exchange.

15. The program product according to claim 14, wherein said first message exchanges displays exchanged transmitted and received messages in one display screen in the order of transmissions and receptions.

20. The program product of claim 13, further comprising a button display that displays a button in response to interruption of the one-to-one message exchanging by the second client system, selecting the button by the user enabling the message exchange switching.