WO2001090841A2

WO2001090841A2 - Advertisement system and method using character nurturing game

Info

Publication number: WO2001090841A2
Application number: PCT/KR2000/001432
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dong-Ho Yoo; Seong-Uk Kim
Original assignee: Ebada.Com Inc.
Priority date: 2000-05-26
Filing date: 2000-12-11
Publication date: 2001-11-29
Also published as: WO2001090841A3; KR20010107290A; AU2027401A

Abstract

Disclosed is an advertisement system using a character nurturing game which comprises a network server for providing information on the character nurturing game and the advertisement products to the user; a database server, accessed to the network server, for storing and managing data of the characters and advertisement products; an application server, accessed to the network server, for displaying varied characteristics of the characters in real-time via data synchronization between the user and the database server, having various data stored in the database server in common between the users, and enabling the users to raise the characters in a community manner between the users; and a mail server, accessed to the network server, for providing bi-directional or inter-multi-user messaging services between the users, and displaying a predetermined message on the character.

Description

Advertisement System and Method Using Character Nurturing Game

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an advertisement system and method using a character nurturing game. More specifically, the present invention relates to an advertisement system and method using a community character nurturing game via data synchronization between a plurality of users accessed via a network.

(b) Description of the Related Art

Recently, networks, especially the Internet have become popularized among many people, and the world wide web (WWW) has also become popularized among many people since the WWW connects information spread all over the world like webs and enables users to easily use the information.

Contents provided via the Internet have gradually become diversified to satisfy web clients, including the fields of games and advertisements.

Services of the advertisement field have a particularly strong impact in television or radio media. Also, in the game field, on-line games are widely used because of their excitement, and particularly since Internet users can receive desired characters and raise the same in character nurturing games such as cyber pet nurturing games, these are very popular.

However, prior character nurturing games can be executed on an on- line web browser or a corresponding off-line application tool, and accordingly, real-world interaction cannot be performed.

Also, prior Internet advertisement services are provided at one time to Internet users as electronic mail or banner formats in an on-line or realtime manner, but this batch transmission method is inefficient, and services that provide advertisements according to the Internet users' interests and ages also have poor proficiency because of the Internet users' bad impressions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an advertisement system and method using a community character nurturing game via data synchronization between a plurality of users accessed via a network.

In one aspect of the present invention, in an advertisement system using a character nurturing game for providing character nurturing game services to users accessed via a network, and enabling the character to use advertisement products provided by a sponsor accessed via the network, an advertisement system using a character nurturing game comprises a network server for providing information on the character nurturing game and the advertisement products to the user; a database server, accessed to the network server, for storing and managing data of the characters and advertisement products; an application server, accessed to the network server, for displaying varied characteristics of the characters in real-time via data synchronization between the user and the database server, having various data stored in the database server in common between the users, and enabling the users to raise the characters in a community manner between the users; and a mail server, accessed to the network server, for providing bi-directional or inter-multi-user messaging services between the users, and displaying a predetermined message on the character.

In another aspect of the present invention, in an advertisement method using a character nurturing game for providing character nurturing game services to users accessed via a network, and enabling the character to use advertisement products provided by a sponsor accessed via the network, an advertisement method using a character nurturing game comprises the steps of: transmitting a proprietary application program to the user so as to install the application program; providing a character to the user; the user nurtuπng the character in an off-line manner; the user accessing via the network, and receiving desired processes among an advertisement product shopping process, a character sending process, a character matching process and a message exchange process; displaying the character's appearance according to characteristics of the character varied according to results of the process; and storing the varied characteristics of the character.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention, and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention:

FIG. 1 shows an example in which an advertisement system using a character nurturing game according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is used;

FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of an advertisement method using a character nurturing game according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of a shopping process of the advertisement method using the character nurturing game of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 shows a flow chart of a character matching process of the advertisement method using the character nurturing game of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the following detailed description, only the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated by the inventor(s) of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modification in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not restrictive.

FIG. 1 shows an example in which an advertisement system using a character nurturing game according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is used. As shown, the advertisement system 10 according to the preferred embodiment is connected to at least one user 30, 40 and 50 and a sponsor

60 via the Internet 20.

The users 30, 40 and 50 and the sponsor 60 comprise personal computers having a built-in Internet only web browser for connecting to the advertisement system 10 via the Internet 20.

The advertisement system 10 comprises a web server 100, a mail server 1 10, a database server 120 and an application server 130, and the servers 100 to 130 are connected to the users 30 to 50 and the sponsor 60 via the Internet, but it is also preferable for the mail server 1 10, the database server 120 and the application server 130 to be connected to the Internet 20 via the web server 100.

Information on the users 30 to 50 together with character nurturing processes and character's states from the start to the end of the character nurturing processes is stored in the database server 120. The users' voice information and the character's varied states are animated and displayed via data synchronization between the users 30 to 50, the database server 120 and the application server 130.

After accessing the web server 100 via the Internet 20, the users 30 to 50 buy food, clothes, toys and accessories necessary for nurturing the characters, and receive cyber money when accessing the web server 100 and starting the character nurturing game of the present invention.

Characteristics of the characters are classified as present state characteristics, innate characteristics and acquired characteristics, and for example, the characteristics varied by the products bought by the users at the web server 100 include hunger, stress, joy, cleanness, boredom and fatness. These state characteristics are varied according to time. The sponsor 60 provides advertisements on the products necessary for the character nurturing, advertisement time, character characteristics variation values and prices (cyber money), and the above-noted items and the corresponding advertisement products are stored in the database server 120.

Factors of the character characteristic variations according to the products bought after accessing the web server 100 are transmitted to the users 30 to 50 from the web server 100, and the character animation or the state characteristics are varied. The above-noted description is possible because a basic data flow is executed by the data synchronization with the users 30 to 50 and the servers 100, 1 10 and 130, and this data synchronization is also executed between the users 30 to 50, and accordingly, character data transfers between the users are possible. Therefore, character transfers between the users are performed while maintaining the present state, and state characteristics between the characters influence each other. For example, when the first user 30 lends his character to the second user 40, all the data of the first user such as the character nature, states, growth states and personalities are transmitted to the second user 40, and in this process, the personalities or natures of the characters can influence each other and can be varied.

Also, character matching operations between the users are executed via the real-time data synchronization and an inter-character family is formed, and accordingly, a strong community between the users is generated. When the users 30 to 50 access the web server 100 via the Internet

20, the mail server 1 10 provides a bi-directional messaging service between the users or a messaging service between a plurality of users.

Also, the mail server 1 10 sends predetermined messages to the users 30 to 50 via the application server 130, and at this time, the messages are displayed to the users through the characters.

The characters raised by the users can be either displayed on a predetermined portion of a screen in a fixed manner, or preferably moved on the user's screen in a random or a predetermined manner.

Referring to FIG. 2, an advertisement method using a character nurturing game according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

The users 30 to 50 access the web server 100 via their own web browsers and become members so as to use the services of the advertisement system 10 of the present invention in step S10. At this time, the user can perform the character nurturing game without becoming a member, but since the user can only enjoy the game with some function restriction in this case, it is preferable for the user to become a member to receive the game service of the present invention. In the description of the preferred embodiments, it is assumed that the users 30 and 40 have become members. The first and second users 30 and 40 receive a proprietary application program via the web server 100 and install the same in their computer so as to receive the advertisement service of the present invention in step S20. The proprietary application program enables the users to execute the character nurturing game without using the web browser or an application program's window.

Also, the users 30 and 40 respectively receive desired characters among various characters via the web server 100 in step S30. In the preferred embodiment, the users are assumed to receive identical kinds of characters, but it is also possible to receive different kinds of characters. Hence, the users 30 and 40 raise their characters in an off-line manner after receiving the characters in step S40. At this time, personal information on the users and data on the characters are stored in the database server 120. The characters are moved to random positions and displayed on the users' monitor screens. A control box for receiving control instructions relating to the character nurturing or receiving input signals for accessing the web server 100 so as to buy predetermined products is displayed on the user's monitor screen.

The characters' state characteristics are varied according to time, and when a specific state characteristic reaches a threshold, the character can weaken or die, and therefore the users 30 and 40 must take necessary actions in order for the character not to die while nurturing the character in the off-line manner.

Hence, the users 30 and 40 use icons in the control box displayed on the screen so as to access the application server 130 via the Internet 20 in step S50. When the users access the application server 130, the application server 130 determines what job the access is for in step S60.

In the preferred embodiment, the application server 130 performs a shopping process for buying predetermined products in step S70, sends a predetermined user's character to another user in step S80, matches the characters between the users in step S90 and exchanges messages between the users in step S100.

For example, in the case the first user 30 accesses the application server 130 in order to do a shopping process of step S70, the web server 100 displays a web page on the user's web browser in step S710. A function for searching advertisement items is provided to the web page, and the user 30 searches desired items necessary for his character via the web page in step S720. At this time of searching the items, real appearances of the respective items are displayed in detail together with their descriptions. Therefore, the user naturally receives information on the items while searching desired items. After searching desired items, the user 30 pays cyber money for the corresponding items in step S730, and the web server 100 stores information on the characteristics of the purchased items in the database server 120, and the characteristics of the characters of the corresponding user 30 are varied by data synchronization of the application server 130 and the database server 120, and the above-noted variations are displayed on the corresponding user's monitor screen in step S110. That is, when the character of the corresponding user 30 is hungry and makes a face, if the user buys a biscuit of a predetermined company and feeds the character with the biscuit, the character then becomes full and smiles so that the characteristics of the character are varied, and these variations are displayed on the monitor screen. After this, the variations of the corresponding character's characteristics are stored in the database server 120 in step S120.

More detailed description on the shopping process S70 will be provided later. When the first user 30 accesses the application server 130 so as to perform a character sending process S80 for lending his character to another user or caring for the character, the application server 130 displays information on the users who are participating in the character nurturing game via the database server 120 to the first user 30, and the first user selects a desired opponent user to send his character to after watching the information on the displayed users in step S810. At this time, the first user 30 can input predetermined search conditions to search the users. The search conditions include the opponent users' ages, sex, resident areas and hobbies as well as search conditions on the characters raised by the opponent users.

If an opponent user is selected, the first user 30 sends his character to the selected opponent user in step S820.

The application server 130 removes a character display from the first user's monitor screen, and searches the database server 120 to transfer information on the first user's character to the opponent user in step S830.

After the above-noted transfer, the previous character and the first user's character are concurrently displayed on the opponent user's monitor screen. At this time, the characteristics of these characters can be varied by responding to each other, and corresponding results are displayed on the second user's monitor screen by data synchronization in step S110. After this, variations of the characteristics of the characters are stored in the database server 120 in step S120.

For example, when the character of the first user 30 matches well with that of the opponent user, the personalities of the two characters can be moderate or sociable, and when the two characters always fight, they can be harsh.

A detailed description on the character sending process S80 will be provided later.

When the first user 30 receives a child-character and grows the same for a predetermined time period, the user needs to match the character with another one to make a family. When the first user accesses the application server 130 so as to execute a character matching process S90, the application server 130 displays information on the characters of the users who are participating in the character nurturing game to the first user via the database server 120, and the first user 30 selects a desired character in step S810.

After the selection by the first user, the application server 130 executes a match-making process between the first user's character and the opponent user's character in step S920, and accordingly, a new generation character is born through data computation and combination between the characteristics of the characters of the first user 30 and the opponent user, and the new character is transmitted to the character nurturing gamers in step S930. Variations of the characters are displayed on the corresponding monitors via data synchronization in step S1 10, and the corresponding data are stored in the database server 120 in step S120. A detailed description on the character matching process S70 will be provided later.

When the first user 30 accesses the application server 130 so as to execute a message exchange process S100 for exchanging messages with predetermined users, the application server 130 displays information on the users who are participating in the character nurturing game to the first user 30 via the database server 120, and the first user 30 selects a desired user that fits the first user's search conditions in step S1010. At this time, the selected user can be plural. That is, 1 :1 bi-directional message exchanges or message exchanges between a plurality of members are possible.

When the opponent user is selected, the first user 30 exchanges ordinary messages or messages for varying the characteristics of the characters (e.g., data exchange messages such as for receiving cyber money from the opponent user or transmitting the cyber money to the opponent user) with the selected user, and when the characteristics of the characters are varied because of the message exchange process, the variations are displayed on the respective users' monitor screens in step S110, and the corresponding characteristic variation data are stored in the database server 120 in step S120.

Users' advertisement products buying trends as well as the variations of the characteristics of the characters generated while executing the shopping process S70, the character sending process S80, the character matching process S90 and the message exchange process S100 are stored in the database server 120 in order to be used in analyzing the users' buying patterns and surveying the trends.

Referring to FIG. 3, the shopping process S70 will now be described in detail.

The user selects shopping item icons necessary for nurturing the character and varying the characteristics on the user's monitor screen in step S702. When the icons are selected, the user's computer is connected to the web server 100 of the advertisement system 10 via the Internet 20, and the user inputs a member ID and a password to the web server 100 in step S704.

The web server 100 searches the database server 120 to confirm whether the user is a member, and when there are buying characteristics on the user, receives the characteristics in step S706. At this time, when the user is not a member, the user can use the shopping process S70 after a member registration process. This membership registration process will not be described since the process is identical with the prior art.

The web server 100 displays a web page in the user's web browser in order to search shopping items in step S710, and the user searches the shopping items via the web page in step S720. At this time, the shopping items, advertisement periods of the corresponding items, variation values of the characters' characteristics, and selling prices (cyber money) are provided by the sponsor 60 and stored in the database server 120.

When the user searches the shopping items, images and descriptions of the corresponding items are provided.

Hence, the user searches precisely displayed shopping items and selects his desired items in step S730.

When the user selects the items, a real picture of the item is displayed, and copy provided by the sponsor and a detailed description of the item are attached. Since the characteristics variations and selling prices according to the products are clearly stated in the product description, the user can easily understand the product contents, and accordingly, an effective one-to-one marketing can be done.

After this, when the user further desires to buy another product in ^• step S740, the steps S720 and S730 are repeated.

If the user does not desire to buy any more products and expresses a product buy completion, the web server 100 generates characteristics values of the items selected by the user and transmits the values to the user in step S750. The user receives the values from the web server 100 and stores the same in the user's database. At this time, the stored data include the data corresponding to the products bought via the shopping process and an amount of remaining cyber money excluding the cyber money paid for the selling price of the products. The web server 100 displays the products bought by the user on the user's character, or displays the characteristics variations in step S110. For example, when the user buys a pair of shoes of a predetermined sponsor 60, the web server 100 displays the user's character wearing the corresponding shoes, and when the user buys food to feed the character, the character smiles or shows its fullness in the face, thereby displaying product buying results.

After this, the web server 100 stores varied characteristics and user information varied according to shopping process results in the database server 120 in step S 120.

The characters' present state, innate and acquired characteristics can be varied by the user as time passes, and especially the present state characteristics, via the shopping process S70. The sponsor 60 generates products advertisement during the shopping process S70 for variations of the characteristics, and when a user buys the advertisement product, the corresponding advertisement product is displayed on the character, thereby enhancing the advertisement impact.

When the user watches a predetermined advertisement for a long time during the shopping process S70, makes the character memorize ad copy provided by the sponsor, that is, displays the character as if it is memorizing the ad copy on the user's monitor screen, or the character uses many advertisement products, the characteristic of the character's intelligence can be improved.

In order to vary the characters' characteristics, the web server 100 of the advertisement system 10 generates events for testing the characters' intelligence, selects the characters of high or improved intelligence, and provides predetermined cyber money to the character holders.

Since the advertisements are directly linked to the game as noted above, advertisement impacts approaching one-to-one marketing can be obtained.

Referring to FIG. 4, the character matching process S90 will^' now be described in detail.

When the character has grown up during a predetermined time frame, a match-making process becomes possible, and it is assumed that the match-making process is executed by a selection of a female character holder.

The female character holder notices information on his character on a match-making board in the web server 12 in step S902. At this time, the character's information displays the character's color, personality characteristics and position as text.

The male character holder also searches female characters from the. match-making board that displays the female character information in step S910, and selects a desired female character in step S910'.

If the female character displayed on the match-making board is not selected by the male character holder and a predetermined time has passed in step S912, the web server 100 varies the characteristics of the female character into a worse state in step S914 and stores the varied characteristics data in the database server 120.

Since a maximum of five male character holders can select a single female character, the web server 100 displays the characteristics and graphic images of the male characters that select the corresponding female character to the monitor screen of the female character holder in step S916. After this, the web server 100 enables one-to-one chatting or multiple-user chatting between the female character holder and all the male character holders in order to exchange information and good impression degrees and in order for the male and female characters to interact and cavort on the monitor screen and display good impression degrees in step S918.

Accordingly, the female character holder selects a desired male character as a partner in step S920.

At this time, the characteristics of the unselected male characters remain unchanged or become worse and are then returned to the original holders, and the varied characteristics are stored in the database server 120.

When the partner character is selected, the web server 100 computes and combines the characteristics values and color of the corresponding male and female characters in step S920' and creates a new-born character in step S930.

The new-born character can be immediately transmitted to the parent character holders, but in the preferred embodiment, the newborn character is stored in the database server 120, and after a predetermined time passes by, the newborn character is transmitted to the parent characters and then is raised in step S940.

Hence, a family between the characters is configured via the character matching process S90 and then stored in the database server 120, and since the family configuration is displayed to the users, a community of strong response between the users can be formed.

Regarding advertisements, very effective advertisements are generated such as advertisements while the character holders buy the products in the shopping process S70, advertisements in which the purchased products are displayed through the characters, advertisements generated when the character puts on the advertisement products and is delivered to another character holder via the character sending process S80, and advertisements generated when the character puts on the advertisement products and is matched with a partner via the character matching process S90.

Also, since the character is not displayed on a predetermined web browser or within an application window but can be moved on the whole area of the user's monitor screen, the advertisement impacts are greatly improved. Further, the manager of the advertisement system 10 can vary the characters' characteristics by performing events on the notice board of the web server 100, providing predetermined cyber money to the characters selected at the events, etc.

Accordingly, the more the character nurturing game varies, the more the advertisement impacts increase in effectiveness.

According to the present invention, the problems of limitation of the conventional nurturing games and limitation of the network advertisement methods can be greatly enhanced through the characteristics of the games and the network.

Also, the present invention provides amusement to the user caused by the character nurturing process, creates a community of strong responses between the users, improves advertisement recognition of the products provided by the sponsor, and provides effective one-to-one marketing services.

While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. In an advertisement system using a character nurturing game for providing character nurturing game services to users accessed via a network, and enabling the character to use advertisement products provided by a sponsor accessed via the network, an advertisement system using a character nurturing game, comprising: a network server for providing information on the character nurturing game and the advertisement products to the user; a database server, accessed to the network server, for storing and managing data of the characters and advertisement products; an application server, accessed to the network server, for displaying varied characteristics of the characters in real-time via data synchronization between the user and the database server, having various data stored in the database server in common between the users, and enabling the users to raise the characters in a community manner between the users; and a mail server, accessed to the network server, for providing bidirectional or inter-multi-user messaging services between the users, and displaying a predetermined message on the character.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the process of nurturing the characters in a community manner comprises a process for sending a character of a first user to a second user, and a process for making a match between the first and second users' characters.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the character's characteristics comprise present state characteristics, innate characteristics and acquired characteristics.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the present state characteristics become worse as time passes by, and become better as the user buys the advertisement product via the network server and uses the same on the character.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the character puts on the advertisement product and freely moves about on the user's display screen.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein when sending the first user's character to the second user, information including the present state characteristics of the first user's character is identically transmitted to the second user.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first and second users' characters influence each other and their characteristics are varied.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein when the first and second users' characters match each other, a new-born character is generated based on the characteristics of the first and second users' respective characteristics, and the new-born character is transmitted to the first and second users who are holders of the parents characters, and a predetermined family is formed.

9. In an advertisement method using a character nurturing game for providing character nurturing game services to users accessed via a network, and enabling the character to use advertisement products provided by a sponsor accessed via the network, an advertisement method using a character nurturing game, comprising the steps of: transmitting a proprietary application program to the user so as to install the application program; providing a character to the user; the user nurturing the character in an off-line manner; the user accessing via the network, and receiving desired processes among an advertisement product shopping process, a character sending process, a character matching process and a message exchange process; displaying the character's appearance according to characteristics of the character varied according to results of the process; and storing the varied characteristics of the character.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the advertisement product shopping process comprises steps of: displaying advertisement items to the user; searching and selecting the user's desired product from the displayed advertisement products; varying the character's characteristics according to characteristics values of the selected advertisement product, and displaying the varied character; and storing the character's varied characteristics.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the characteristics values of the advertisement product are provided by a sponsor.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the character sending process comprises steps of: a first character user searching and selecting an opponent user to send the first user's character; identically transferring the characteristics of the first character to the selected opponent user; displaying a second character according to varied characteristics; and storing the varied character characteristics.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the character matching process comprises steps of: the first character user searching and selecting an opponent character; computing and combining data of characteristics values of the first character and the opponent character; generating a newborn character via the data computation and combination; respectively transmitting the newborn character to the first character user and the selected opponent character user; displaying the character according to the varied characteristics; and storing the varied character characteristics.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the message exchange process comprises steps of: searching and selecting an opponent user who has conditions desired by the first character user; the first character user and the selected opponent user exchanging predetermined messages including character related messages; displaying the character, the characteristics of the character being varied according to the message exchanges; and storing the varied characteristics of the character.

15. A recording medium for storing a program of the advertisement method according to claims 9 through 14.