U.S. Pat. No. 6,880,168

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1shows an example of a system configuration for providing an electronic conference opening according to the present invention. The Internet101has a server of an ISP, video game machine103aand103b, and general-purpose components104aand104bconnected thereto.

The ISP servers102include an authentication server111for managing accounts to authenticate users, a content server112for providing services for allowing users to listen to and view contents such as sounds or videos, a message server113for providing environments for chats or messengers, a mail server114for providing electronic mail services, a profile server115for managing users' profiles, and game servers116aand116bfor providing game environments. All these servers are connected to the ISP server via a LAN117.

With this configuration, a user accesses the authentication server111from the video game machine103aor103bor the general-purpose computer104aor104bvia the Internet101, to have the user authenticated. The servers102transmit a menu screen to the authenticated user. The user selects one of services displayed on the menu screen to connect the video game machine103aor103bor the general-purpose computer104aor104bto one of the groups of servers depending on the service, so that the user can receive the service.

FIG. 2shows an example of the electronic conference opening of the present invention. A user who desires to open a chat, here the chairman, creates a message201for opening a chat, on the video game machine103a. When this message is sent, a chat opening request signal202is transmitted to the message server113. The latter transmits a setup signal203for opening the desired chat room to a database in the group of servers and returns a chat opening response signal204to the user. The opening of a chat refers to an operation performed by the message server113to set a specified area in the database and grant accesses only to particular users, that is, chat guests.

Upon receiving the chat opening response signal204, the user's video game machine103adisplays a chat room setup list screen205showing how the chat room is set and prompting the user to enter the chat room newly set by the user. The user can enter (join) the chat room by transmitting an enter room signal206to the database. “an enter room signal ” is a synonym of “an access request signal”. The entry to a chat room refers to an operation of having the user's access checked by the group of message servers113to access a predetermined area of the database.

Further, a message207for invitation to the chat which is transmitted to the chat guests is displayed based on the created message201, and an invitation signal208is transmitted to all the guests. The video game machine103bof an expected guest receiving the invitation signal208displays a screen209prompting the guest to enter the chat room, and the expected guest can join the chat by transmitting a enter room signal210to the database. At this time, an invitation answer signal211indicating that the guest accepts the chairman's invitation is transmitted from the expected guest to the chairman. The invitation to a chat refers to an operation of granting a guest access to an opened chat room and prompting the guest to join the chat.

FIG. 3shows an example of a message for opening a chat in the electronic conference opening according to the present invention. This corresponds to the chat opening message201shown in FIG.2and is created and transmitted to the message server113by the chairman. The contents of the chat opening message201request the message server113to open the chat room and to transmit the invitation message to the expected guests.

The chat opening message201has a category301indicative of a type of message, a message title302and a text box303that are required to transmit the invitation message to the expected guests. The message201also has input fields for a chat name304and a chat password305which are required to request the group of message servers113to open the chat room. “a chat password” is a synonym of “a code number”.

FIGS. 4A and 4Bshow examples of a chat opening data signal format in the electronic conference opening of the present invention.FIG. 4Acorresponds to the chat opening request signal202shown inFIG. 2, andFIG. 4Bcorresponds to the chat opening response signal204shown in FIG.2.

When the chairman creates the chat opening message201shown in FIG.3and gives an instruction to transmit this message, the video game machine103acreates and transmits the chat opening request signal202to the message server113. The video game machine103asets a user name401, a user ID402, and a user password403of the chairman which have already been registered, obtains a chat name412and a chat password from the contents of the chat opening message201, and generates and transmits a “chat opening request” command411.

Upon receiving the chat opening request signal202, the message server113opens a chat room in the database, that is, secures a predetermined area, and determines a chat ID. Upon finishing the opening operation, the message server113creates and transmits the chat opening response signal204to the video game machine103a. The contents of the chat opening response signal204include the user name401, the user ID402, the chat name412and chat password413derived from the chat opening response421, which correspond to the contents of the chat opening request signal202, as well as the chat ID422and the message423. The chat ID422corresponds to the chat name412and the chat password413corresponds to an access for entering the chat room, i.e., accessing the predetermined area of the database.

FIG. 5shows an example of a chat room setup list screen in the electronic conference opening according to the present invention. The chat room setup list screen205displays a list501showing currently open chat rooms. The list also displays the chat room opened by the chairman. Further, a selection screen502is also displayed, which prompts the chairman to enter the chat room. When the chairman selects “Enter Room”, the video game machine103aends all the other applications, activates a chat application, and enters the chat room. When the chairman selects “See you later”, the database of the group of message servers113leave the chat room set up.

FIG. 6shows an example of a data signal format for entering a chat room in the electronic conference opening according to the present invention. This signal data format corresponds to the enter room signals206and210shown in FIG.2. Here, the enter room signal206will be explained. When the chairman selects “Enter Room” in the selection screen502shown inFIG. 5, the video game machine103acreates and transmits the enter room signal206to the database of the message server113. The video game machine103asets the user name401, user ID402, and user password403of the chairman which have already been registered. An “Enter Room” command601is generated by obtaining the chat name412and the chat password413from the contents of the chat opening message201and obtaining the chat ID422from the contents of the chat opening response signal204shown in FIG.4B.

FIG. 7shows an example of a message for invitation to a chat in the electronic conference opening of the present invention. This corresponds to the invitation message207shown in FIG.2and is created by the video game machine103abased on the chat opening message201created by the chairman. The invitation message207differs from the chat opening message201shown inFIG. 3in that the chat name304input through the chat opening message201is displayed as a room name701in the invitation message207. The chat password305will be described later.

FIG. 8shows an example of a data signal format for invitation to a chat in the electronic conference opening according to the present invention. This corresponds to the invitation message208shown in FIG.2and is created by the video game machine103abased on the invitation message207. The video game machine103asets the user name401and user ID402of the chairman which have already been registered. An “invitation” command801is generated by obtaining the chat name304and the chat password305from the contents of the chat opening message201and obtaining the chat ID422from the contents of the chat opening response signal204shown in FIG.4B.

The chat password413is set by obtaining it from the chat password305of the chat opening message201but is not displayed in the invitation message207shown in FIG.7. The chat ID422is also not displayed. Upon receiving the invitation message207, the video game machine103bdisplays the screen209prompting the guest to enter the chat room and creates the Enter Room signal210shown in FIG.2. The screen209prompting the guest to enter the chat room also does not display the chat password413or the chat ID422. That is, the chat password413and the chat ID422are recognized by the video game machines103aand104bduring the exchange of the signals but are not communicated to the guests through the screen. When cumbersome procedures required to set a chat are thus omitted, users can open and join a chat by means of a simple procedure from a video game machine.

FIG. 9shows an example of a video game machine having the electronic conference opening ability according to the present invention. The video game machine103has a CPU911for controlling the entire machine, a ROM912storing game programs and a program for the electronic conference opening according to the present invention, a RAM913as a temporary storage area, and an Application Specific IC (ASIC)914for processing images, which are connected together via a bus915.

A CD-ROM drive916for loading the game programs and the program for the electronic conference opening according to the present invention, from a CD-ROM storing these program is connected to the bus915, a serial interface917connected to the game controller901, a video interface918connected to a TV monitor902, and a communications interface919for connecting to the Internet101are also connected to the bus915.

Of course, the present invention is achieved by causing the video game machine or general-purpose computer to read and execute software program code from the storage medium storing the program code, the software implementing the electronic conference opening of the present invention. The storage medium for supplying the program code may include, for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a photo-electromagnetic disk, an optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a non-volatile memory card, and a ROM.

The electronic conference opening of the present invention is also applicable not only to standalone general-purpose computers but also to a client server system includes a group of computers.

The present invention has been described in detail with respect to preferred embodiments, and it will now be apparent from the foregoing to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. It is the intention, therefore, in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit of the invention.