KR102483373B1 - Apparatus and method for providing item - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an item providing device and an item providing method. According to a first aspect of the present invention, the item providing device manages items allocated to users as items usable in the game, but a lock item management unit for managing lock items in which the state of the allocated items is locked; and an unlocked item management unit that converts at least some of the locked items into an unlocked state and manages the switched unlocked items when the user's access to the game is sensed.

Description

Item providing device and item providing method {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ITEM}

The present invention relates to an item providing device and an item providing method, and more particularly, to an item providing device and an item providing method for inducing a user to access a game while allowing the user to purchase an item at a low price.

As the number of people who enjoy games through video or wired/wireless communication devices such as computers, mobile phones, and PDAs increases, various types of games such as video games, casual games, strategy simulation games, and role-playing games are being developed. These games may be played offline or online.

Among these game elements, items, in particular, are one of the important elements that give interest to users. As a prior art document related to such a game item, there is Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0138871. The prior art document discloses a method of providing interest to a user by enhancing an item.

Game items are important elements of game play, but are often too expensive for users to purchase. Therefore, a user who fails to purchase an item necessary for the game during game play frequently loses interest in the game and stops playing the game.

Therefore, there is a demand for a game providing apparatus and method capable of preventing a user from leaving the game by enabling the user to purchase and enjoy an item without burden.

On the other hand, the above-mentioned background art is technical information that the inventor possessed for derivation of the present invention or acquired in the process of derivation of the present invention, and cannot necessarily be said to be known art disclosed to the general public prior to filing the present invention. .

An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide an item providing device and an item providing method.

As a technical means for achieving the above technical problem, according to the first aspect of the present invention, an item providing device manages an item allocated to a user as an item usable in a game, but the state of the allocated item is locked ( A lock item manager for managing locked items that are locked, and an unlock item manager for converting at least some of the lock items into an unlocked state and managing the switched unlock items when the user's access to the game is detected. can do.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an item providing device provides a method for providing an item, comprising providing at least some of items allocated to a user as a lock item as items usable in a game, the user accessing the game. If this is detected, converting at least some of the locked items into unlocked items, and providing the unlocked item to the user accessing the game.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a computer readable recording medium on which a program for performing a method of providing an item is recorded, wherein the method of providing an item locks at least some of items allocated to a user as available items in a game ( It may include providing a lock item, converting at least some of the lock items into unlock items when the user's access to the game is detected, and providing the unlock item to the user who accesses the game. there is.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a computer program performed by an item providing device and stored in a recording medium to perform a method of providing an item, wherein the method of providing an item is an item allocated to a user as an item available in a game. providing at least some of the lock items as lock items, converting at least some of the lock items into unlock items when the user's access to the game is detected, and providing the unlock item to the user who accesses the game. steps may be included.

According to any one of the above-described problem solving means of the present invention, an embodiment of the present invention may provide an item providing device and an item providing method.

In addition, according to any one of the problem solving means of the present invention, it is possible to propose an item providing device and an item providing method enabling a user to purchase an item at a lower price.

In addition, according to any one of the problem solving means of the present invention, by providing an item with no limit on the receiving period, even if the user does not access for a long time, an item providing device and item that can induce the user to access the game in the future can suggest a way.

And according to any one of the problem solving means of the present invention, the number of items that the user can receive in total does not fluctuate, so that the user's desire to purchase the item is encouraged, and even if the user does not access for a long time, the user's future An item providing device and an item providing method capable of inducing game access may be presented.

The effects obtainable in the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. will be.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an item providing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing an item according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 and 4 are exemplary diagrams for explaining a method of providing an item according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily practice the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. And in order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and similar reference numerals are attached to similar parts throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly connected" but also the case where it is "electrically connected" with another element interposed therebetween. . In addition, when a certain component is said to "include", this means that it may further include other components without excluding other components unless otherwise stated.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

However, prior to explaining this, the meaning of the terms used below is first defined.

Hereinafter, an 'item' is a game element used to improve the user's game performance, which at least temporarily improves the game performance of a control target controlled by the user among game objects, or the user's game performance among game objects. At least temporarily degrades the game performance of objects that hinder performance or game objects controlled by the other user, or additionally gives the user a chance to perform a given game, execute a specific action in the game, or exercise special abilities It may be a game object or other game element. Items can be sold within the game, and items can be exchanged, traded, or gifted between users.

In this regard, the item may include an 'unlock item' and a 'lock item'. The unlocked item means an item in a state in which the user receives the item and can use it, and therefore, whether or not to use the unlocked item may be determined according to the user's selection. On the other hand, a lock item refers to an item that is assigned to a user as the user purchases it, but is in a state in which it cannot be used. Hereinafter, an unlocked item is also referred to as an item in an unlocked state, and a locked item is also referred to as an item in a locked state.

In addition to the terms defined above, terms that require explanation are separately explained below.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an item providing device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The item providing device 10 stores various information related to game progress, such as game space information, game scenario information, and game quest information, and detects and records various events occurring in the game to enable time-sequential progress of the game. .

The item providing device 10 may be implemented as an electronic terminal in which a game application is installed. In addition, the item providing device 10 may be implemented as a server-client system, and if the item providing device 10 is implemented as a server-client system, the item providing device 10 is an electronic terminal in which a client for interaction with a user is installed. can include

At this time, the electronic terminal may be implemented as a computer, a portable terminal, a television, a wearable device, or the like that may include an interface capable of interacting with a user. Here, the computer includes, for example, a laptop, desktop, or laptop equipped with a web browser, and the portable terminal is, for example, a wireless communication device that ensures portability and mobility. , PCS(Personal Communication System), PDC(Personal Digital Cellular), PHS(Personal Handyphone System), PDA(Personal Digital Assistant), GSM(Global System for Mobile communications), IMT(International Mobile Telecommunication)-2000, CDMA(Code Division Multiple Access)-2000, W-Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA), Wireless Broadband Internet (Wibro), Smart Phone, Mobile Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), etc. (Handheld)-based wireless communication device may be included. In addition, television may include IPTV (Internet Protocol Television), Internet TV (Internet Television), terrestrial TV, cable TV, and the like. Furthermore, a wearable device is a type of information processing device that can be worn directly on the human body, such as, for example, a watch, glasses, accessories, clothes, shoes, etc. can be connected with

In addition, the server of the server-client system may be implemented as a computing device capable of communicating with an electronic terminal on which a client is installed and through a network N, and may include a storage device capable of storing data or a third server (not shown). ) can also store data.

The item providing device 10 implemented in any one of the above-described electronic terminal or server-client system may include an item trading unit 110, a lock item management unit 120, and an unlocked item management unit 130. can

The item trading unit 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention may induce the user to purchase the item by displaying items including both the unlocked item and the locked item to the user.

Also, the item trading unit 110 may receive an item purchase request from a user.

The item trading unit 110 responds to the item purchase request by deducting the price of the item from the user's holding amount if the user has enough money to purchase the item, and then turns the item requested for purchase into an unlocked item. can be provided to users.

Also, the item trading unit 110 may determine whether the purchase request for the item is an installment purchase request.

At this time, the installment purchase of the item means that at least a part of the items purchased by the user is paid as a lock item.

The item trading unit 110 compares the user's possession amount and the price of the item requested for purchase in order to determine whether the purchase request for the item is an installment purchase request, and as a result of the comparison, the user's possession amount is the purchase request. If the item price is less than the price, the user's purchase request may be determined as an installment purchase request.

In addition, the item trading unit 110 compares the amount of money the user has with the price of the item requested to purchase, and if the amount of money the user has is less than the price of the item requested for purchase, an installment purchase interface may be provided. In addition, when receiving an installment purchase request through the installment purchase interface, the item trading unit 110 may determine the user's purchase request as an installment purchase request.

In this regard, the 'installment purchase interface' is an interface that asks the user whether to proceed with the installment purchase, and provides information on the discounted price of the item requested for purchase, information on the number or type of lock item among the items requested for purchase, and lock item. It may include information about conditions for converting to an unlocked item. At this time, the item trading unit 110 may reset the discounted price information of the item requested to purchase by determining a discount rate according to the amount of money possessed by the user and applying the discount rate to the initially set selling price of the item.

As described above, when the user pays the finally determined selling price of the item, the item trading unit 110 may store the item requested for purchase in the user's account. At this time, if the user's purchase request is an installment purchase request, the item trading unit 110 may set at least some of the items determined to be allocated to the user as locked items, and set the remaining items as unlocked items and store them in the user's account. . In addition, the item trading unit 110 may also set a condition for converting a locked item into an unlocked item.

Meanwhile, the lock item management unit 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention manages lock items assigned to users.

The lock item management unit 120 may manage lock items until all lock items assigned to the user are converted into unlock items.

In addition, the lock item management unit 120 may display a lock item that can be converted into an unlock item to the user whenever it detects a user's connection or periodically, and induces the user to access the game through the display. .

Meanwhile, the unlock item management unit 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention manages unlock items assigned to users.

The unlock item management unit 130 may continuously monitor the user's access to the game, and when detecting the user's access to the game, may convert at least some of the locked items into unlocked items.

At this time, the unlock item management unit 130 may convert a predetermined number or type of lock items into unlock items, or convert the number of lock items determined according to the user's game access time or game access location into unlock items, Alternatively, a lock item of a type determined according to the user's game access time or game access location may be converted into an unlock item.

Also, the unlocked item management unit 130 may monitor the user's access to the game at a predetermined cycle. For example, the unlocked item management unit 130 may monitor whether a user accesses a game on a daily basis, and thus, even if a user accesses the game twice or more during the day, the unlocked item can be converted into an unlocked item only once. there is.

In addition, the unlocked item management unit 130 may display information about the unlocked item converted from the locked item when the user accesses the game, thereby giving fun to the game access and inducing the user to continuously access the game.

Meanwhile, FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of providing an item according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The item providing method according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes steps processed time-sequentially in the item providing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 . Therefore, even if the contents are omitted below, the above description of the item providing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 can also be applied to the item providing method according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 .

FIG. 2 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 . 2 is an exemplary diagram for explaining a method of providing an item according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows an example of a game screen displayed through a screen of an electronic terminal in which the method of providing an item is implemented.

As the user receives a purchase request for an item, the item providing device 10 may receive the item purchase request (S210).

At this time, the item providing device 10 may determine whether the purchase request for the item is an installment purchase (S220).

For example, the item providing device 10 may provide the user with an installment purchase interface, and through the installment purchase interface, it may be confirmed that the user's purchase request is an installment purchase request. To this end, the item providing device 10 may reset the price of the item requested for purchase by applying a discount rate to the initially set selling price. Also, for example, the item providing device 10 may determine that the user's purchase request is an installment purchase request based on the user's holding amount and the purchase requested item's price.

That is, the item providing device 10 compares the amount of money the user has and the price of the item requested for purchase, and if the amount of money of the user is less than the amount of the item requested for purchase, it is determined that the user has no purchasing power for the requested item to be purchased. , The user's installment purchase may be induced by directly determining the user's item purchase request as an installment purchase request, or by providing an installment purchase interface in response to the user's item purchase request. Through this, it is possible to inspire the user's desire to purchase items that were not purchased due to the high price.

Meanwhile, if it is determined that the user's purchase request is not an installment purchase request and the user's purchase request can be purchased with the user's holding amount, the item providing apparatus 10 may approve the user's purchase and complete the sale. In addition, all items purchased by the user may be set as unlocked items (S230), and the unlocked items may be provided to the user (S270).

On the other hand, if it is determined that the user's purchase request is an installment purchase request and the user has the amount for the installment purchase, the item providing apparatus 10 may approve the user's purchase and complete the sale. In addition, the item providing device 10 may provide at least some of the items requested for purchase as lock items (S240). Therefore, some of the items requested for purchase are provided as unlocked items, and the user can proceed with the game using the unlocked items.

In relation to this, as shown in FIG. 3, the total amount required to purchase 5 items 'A' 310 is 50 won, whereas the total amount required to purchase 10 item 'B' 320 is 200 won. If , the user can purchase item 'A' (310) within the range of the amount held by the user, but cannot purchase item 'B' (320).

At this time, if the user requests purchase of the item 'A' 310, the item providing device 10 may approve the purchase. Accordingly, the item providing device 10 sets all 10 items 'A' as unlocked items, can be provided to users

However, when requesting the purchase of item 'B' 320, the item providing device 10 may not approve the purchase.

In addition, the item providing device 10 may determine whether the user purchases the item 'B' in installments. To this end, an installment purchase interface displaying conditions (for example, a price for installment purchase, etc.) for purchasing item 'B' in installments may be provided to the user, and if the user accepts the conditions, the item providing device ( 10) may determine the purchase request of item 'B' as an installment purchase request. For example, while presenting the sale amount of item 'B' at 100 won with a 50% discount, 8 out of 10 items are provided as lock items, and 2 lock items can be converted to unlock items every time the user accesses it. It is possible to inform the user that there is an item 'B' so that the user can purchase the item 'B'. If the user purchases item 'B' at a discounted amount, the item providing device 10 provides 10 items 'B', but 8 of the 10 item 'B' are locked items and 2 items are unlocked. can be provided with

Thereafter, the item providing device 10 may monitor whether the user accesses the game, and detects the connection when the user accesses the game (S250).

Upon detecting the user's access to the game, the item providing device 10 may convert at least some of the locked items into unlocked items and provide them (S260 and S270).

For example, as the user accesses the game, two of the eight locked items are converted into unlocked items, and the user can play the game using a total of four 'B' items. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 4 , the item providing device 10 may display the user's possessed items 410 including both locked and unlocked items, and unlocked items 420 that the user can immediately use in the game. can display

In addition, the remaining 6 'B' items, excluding available items among the total 'B' items possessed by the user, can be divided and provided each time the user accesses the game in the future. To this end, the item providing device 10 may also provide an interface 400 for displaying the number of lock items to be converted into unlock items when the user accesses the game.

Until the unlock item is exhausted, the item set as the unlock item may be converted into a lock item whenever the user accesses the game.

According to the item providing method according to an embodiment of the present invention, the total number of items allocated to the user according to item purchase does not change, so if the user has not accessed the game for a long time, unless all the lock items are exhausted, There is no choice but to have a lock item that can be converted into an unlock item. Therefore, the item providing device 10 periodically reminds the user that there is a lock item that can be converted into an unlocked item or every time the user accesses the game, thereby inducing a user who has left the game for a long period of time to reconnect. .

The term '~unit' used in this embodiment means software or a hardware component such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or ASIC, and '~unit' performs certain roles. However, '~ part' is not limited to software or hardware. '~bu' may be configured to be in an addressable storage medium and may be configured to reproduce one or more processors. Therefore, as an example, '~unit' refers to components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, processes, functions, properties, and procedures. , subroutines, segments of program patent code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables.

Functions provided within components and '~units' may be combined into smaller numbers of components and '~units' or separated from additional components and '~units'.

In addition, components and '~units' may be implemented to play one or more CPUs in a device or a secure multimedia card.

The item providing method according to the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 2 may be implemented in the form of a recording medium including instructions executable by a computer, such as program modules executed by a computer. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. Also, computer readable media may include both computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Communication media typically includes computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave, or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery media.

In addition, the item providing method according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented as a computer program (or computer program product) including instructions executable by a computer. A computer program includes programmable machine instructions processed by a processor and may be implemented in a high-level programming language, object-oriented programming language, assembly language, or machine language. . Also, the computer program may be recorded on a tangible computer-readable recording medium (eg, a memory, a hard disk, a magnetic/optical medium, or a solid-state drive (SSD)).

Therefore, the item providing method according to an embodiment of the present invention can be implemented by executing the computer program as described above by a computing device. A computing device may include at least some of a processor, a memory, a storage device, a high-speed interface connected to the memory and a high-speed expansion port, and a low-speed interface connected to a low-speed bus and a storage device. Each of these components are connected to each other using various buses and may be mounted on a common motherboard or mounted in any other suitable manner.

Here, the processor may process commands within the computing device, for example, to display graphic information for providing a GUI (Graphic User Interface) on an external input/output device, such as a display connected to a high-speed interface. Examples include instructions stored in memory or storage devices. As another example, multiple processors and/or multiple buses may be used along with multiple memories and memory types as appropriate. Also, the processor may be implemented as a chipset comprising chips including a plurality of independent analog and/or digital processors.

Memory also stores information within the computing device. In one example, the memory may consist of a volatile memory unit or a collection thereof. As another example, the memory may be composed of a non-volatile memory unit or a collection thereof. Memory may also be another form of computer readable medium, such as, for example, a magnetic or optical disk.

Also, the storage device may provide a large amount of storage space to the computing device. A storage device may be a computer-readable medium or a component that includes such a medium, and may include, for example, devices in a storage area network (SAN) or other components, such as a floppy disk device, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, or a tape device, flash memory, or other semiconductor memory device or device array of the like.

The above description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes, and those skilled in the art can understand that it can be easily modified into other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. will be. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not limiting. For example, each component described as a single type may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present invention is indicated by the following claims rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and equivalent concepts should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

10: Item providing device
110: item trading unit 120: lock item management unit
130: Unlock item management department

Claims (14)

a lock item management unit that manages items allocated to the user by purchasing the user among items available in the game, and manages lock items in which the state of the allocated item is locked; and
and an unlocked item management unit that converts at least some of the locked items into an unlocked state and manages the switched unlocked items when the user's access to the game is detected. According to claim 1,
When receiving a purchase request for an item available in the game, determining whether the purchase request is an installment purchase request, and if the purchase request is an installment purchase request, setting at least some of the requested purchase items as lock items. Item providing device further comprising a trading unit. According to claim 2,
The item trading department,
An item providing device that determines whether the purchase request is an installment purchase request based on the amount of money possessed by the user. According to claim 2,
The item trading unit additionally,
An item providing device that resets the price of the item requested for purchase by applying a discount rate to an initially set selling price. According to claim 1,
The unlock item management unit additionally,
An item providing device that displays an unlocked item converted from a locked item to the user when the user's access to the game is detected. According to claim 1,
The lock item management unit additionally,
An item providing device that displays a lock item that can be converted into an unlock item to the user when detecting the user's access to the game or periodically. As a method for an item providing device to provide an item,
providing at least some of the items allocated to the user by the user's purchase among items available in the game as lock items;
converting at least some of the locked items into unlocked items when the user's access to the game is detected; and
An item providing method comprising providing an unlocked item to a user who accesses the game. According to claim 7,
receiving an item purchase request;
determining whether the item purchase request is an installment purchase request; and
The method of providing an item, further comprising allocating the requested purchase item to the user, and setting at least some of the purchase requested items as lock items, when the sale of the item is completed according to the installment purchase request. According to claim 8,
The step of determining whether the installment purchase request is,
comparing an amount of money possessed by the user and a price of the item requested to be purchased; and
and determining that the user's purchase request is an installment purchase request if the amount of money owned by the user is less than the price of the item requested for purchase as a result of the comparison. According to claim 8,
The step of determining whether the installment purchase request is,
comparing an amount of money possessed by the user and a price of the item requested to be purchased;
providing an installment purchase interface to the user when the amount of money owned by the user is less than the price of the item requested for purchase as a result of the comparison; and
and determining the user's purchase request as an installment purchase request when receiving an installment purchase request through the installment purchase interface. According to claim 8,
The step of determining whether the installment purchase request is,
and resetting the price of the item requested for purchase by applying a discount rate to an initially set selling price. According to claim 7,
The step of converting to the unlocked item is
The method of providing an item further comprising the step of displaying the unlocked item converted from a locked item to the user when the user's access to the game is detected. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for performing the method according to claim 7 is recorded. A computer program executed by an item providing device and stored in a recording medium to perform the method according to claim 7.

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