KR20250000392A - Methods And Devices For Servicing Online Games - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for a game providing device to provide an online game service is disclosed. The method for providing an online game service includes the steps of obtaining a user input requesting purchase of an item used in at least one game among a plurality of online games, the step of providing exchange points corresponding to the item for which purchase is requested, and the step of providing integrated currency based on the cumulative value of the provided exchange points being greater than or equal to a preset value. The integrated currency is a currency usable in a plurality of online games.

Description

Methods And Devices For Servicing Online Games

The present disclosure relates to a method and device for servicing an online game. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method and device for providing a unified currency usable in a plurality of online games by purchasing an item used in at least one game among a plurality of online games.

With the development of computing devices and network environments, the number of users who enjoy online games, that is, online games, using various wired and wireless communication devices is increasing significantly.

As the number and types of online games increase, users play a variety of online games. However, since items that can be used in certain online games cannot be used in other online games, users can no longer use items from online games that they have played in the past when playing a new online game that they have not played before.

In addition, online game service providers that service multiple online games have had difficulty integrating and utilizing resources such as items from the multiple online games they service.

Therefore, a technology for providing online games that can overcome the problems described above is required.

The present disclosure provides a method and device for providing a unified currency that can be used in a plurality of online games by purchasing an item used in at least one game among a plurality of online games.

A method for providing an online game service by a game providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a step of obtaining a user input requesting purchase of an item used in at least one game among a plurality of online games. In one embodiment, the method may include a step of providing a currency exchange point corresponding to the item for which purchase is requested. In one embodiment, the method may include a step of providing an integrated currency based on a cumulative value of the provided currency exchange points being greater than or equal to a preset value. In one embodiment, the integrated currency may be a currency usable in a plurality of online games.

In one embodiment, the step of providing the redemption points may include the step of identifying whether the item for which the purchase is requested is a purchase target item, and the step of providing the redemption points if the item for which the purchase is requested is identified as a purchase target item. In one embodiment, the purchase target item may include an item that can be sold to a non-player character (NPC) of an online game in which the item for which the purchase is requested is used.

In one embodiment, the step of providing the exchange points may include the step of providing the exchange points based on the value of the item for which the purchase is requested and the exchange value of the currency of the online game in which the purchase is requested for the integrated currency. In one embodiment, the value of the item for which the purchase is requested may be the amount of the currency of the online game in which the purchase is requested for that can be obtained by selling the item for which the purchase is requested to the NPC.

In one embodiment, the step of providing exchange points may include the step of calculating a first exchange point by multiplying the value of the item for which purchase is requested by dividing a preset value by an amount of currency of the online game in which the item for which purchase is requested, corresponding to one value of a unified currency determined according to the exchange value, and the step of providing a second exchange point calculated by multiplying the calculated first exchange point by a weight set for the item for which purchase is requested.

In one embodiment, the step of providing the unified currency may include the step of providing the unified currency in an amount of exchange based on a user input selecting an amount of exchange. In one embodiment, the amount of exchange may be selectable within a quotient of the cumulative value of the provided exchange points divided by a preset value.

In one embodiment, the cumulative value of the provided redemption points may be a value that is provided and accumulated individually for each of the multiple online games.

In one embodiment, the method may include outputting a first user interface representing items of a plurality of online games and obtaining user input requesting purchase of an item through the first user interface.

In one embodiment, the method may include the step of outputting a second user interface indicating a cumulative value of the provided redemption points and a preset value, and a third user interface that is activated when the cumulative value of the provided redemption points is greater than or equal to the preset value. In one embodiment, the method may include the step of outputting a fourth user interface for selecting a redemption amount based on a user input selecting the activated third user interface.

A game providing device for providing an online game service according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a memory storing at least one command and at least one processor executing at least one command stored in the memory. In one embodiment, the at least one processor may execute the at least one command to obtain a user input requesting purchase of an item used in at least one game among a plurality of online games. In one embodiment, the at least one processor may provide exchange points corresponding to the item for which purchase is requested. In one embodiment, the at least one processor may provide integrated currency based on a cumulative value of the provided exchange points being greater than or equal to a preset value. In one embodiment, the integrated currency may be currency usable in a plurality of online games.

In one embodiment, at least one processor can identify whether the item for which a purchase is requested is a purchase target item. In one embodiment, at least one processor can provide redemption points if the item for which a purchase is requested is identified as a purchase target item. In one embodiment, the purchase target item can be an item that can be sold to a Non-Player Character (NPC) of an online game in which the item for which a purchase is requested is used.

In one embodiment, at least one processor may provide exchange points based on the value of the item for which the purchase is requested and the exchange value of the currency of the online game in which the purchase is requested for the integrated currency. In one embodiment, the value of the item for which the purchase is requested may be the amount of currency of the online game in which the purchase is requested that can be obtained by selling the item for which the purchase is requested to the NPC.

In one embodiment, at least one processor can calculate a first exchange point by multiplying the value of the item for which the purchase is requested by the amount of currency of the online game in which the purchase is requested, corresponding to one value of the unified currency determined according to the exchange value, and the value of the item for which the purchase is requested. In one embodiment, at least one processor can provide a second exchange point calculated by multiplying the calculated first exchange point by the weight set for the item for which the purchase is requested.

In one embodiment, at least one processor may provide the unified currency in an amount of currency exchanged based on a user input selecting an amount of currency exchanged. In one embodiment, the amount of currency exchanged may be selectable within a quotient of the cumulative value of the provided currency exchange points divided by a preset value.

In one embodiment, the cumulative value of the provided redemption points may be a value that is provided and accumulated individually for each of the multiple online games.

In one embodiment, at least one processor can output a first user interface representing items of a plurality of online games. In one embodiment, at least one processor can obtain user input requesting purchase of an item via the first user interface.

In one embodiment, the at least one processor can output a second user interface that indicates a cumulative value of the provided redemption points and a preset value, and a third user interface that is activated when the cumulative value of the provided redemption points is greater than or equal to the preset value. In one embodiment, the at least one processor can output a fourth user interface for selecting a redemption amount based on a user input that selects the activated third user interface.

A server providing an online game service according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a memory storing at least one command and at least one processor executing at least one command stored in the memory. In one embodiment, the at least one processor may execute the at least one command to obtain a user input requesting purchase of an item used in at least one game among a plurality of online games. In one embodiment, the at least one processor may provide exchange points corresponding to the item for which purchase is requested. In one embodiment, the at least one processor may provide integrated currency based on a cumulative value of the provided exchange points being greater than or equal to a preset value. In one embodiment, the integrated currency may be a currency usable in a plurality of online games.

A user terminal providing an online game service according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a memory storing at least one command and at least one processor executing at least one command stored in the memory. In one embodiment, the at least one processor may execute the at least one command to obtain a user input requesting purchase of an item used in at least one game among a plurality of online games. In one embodiment, the at least one processor may provide exchange points corresponding to the item for which purchase is requested. In one embodiment, the at least one processor may provide integrated currency based on the cumulative value of the provided exchange points being greater than or equal to a preset value. In one embodiment, the integrated currency may be currency usable in a plurality of online games.

At least one of the methods for providing an online game service according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented as a computer program stored in a medium for execution in combination with hardware.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readable recording medium containing a program for executing at least one of the methods for providing an online game service on a computer may be provided.

Users can obtain integrated goods by utilizing unnecessary items from online games they have played in the past, and use the acquired integrated currency in online games they are currently playing more intensively.

Online game service providers can save on the cost of developing resources required to provide integrated currency services by purchasing items used in multiple online games they are currently servicing and providing integrated currency to users.

FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining a game providing system including a game providing device, a server, and a user terminal according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a method for a game providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to provide a unified currency usable in a plurality of online games.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for a game providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to provide unified currency.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for a game providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to identify whether an item for which a purchase is requested is a purchase target item.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for a game providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to calculate exchange points corresponding to an item for which purchase is requested.
FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C are diagrams illustrating exchange points corresponding to items for which purchase is requested and calculated by a game providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining an exchange user interface, which is a user interface for trading items of a plurality of online games according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a first user interface representing items of a plurality of online games according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a fourth user interface for selecting an exchange amount according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 10 is a drawing for explaining a detailed configuration of a game providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 11 is a drawing for explaining a detailed configuration of a server according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 12 is a drawing for explaining a detailed configuration of a user terminal according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the contents described in the attached drawings. In addition, a method of configuring and using an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the contents described in the attached drawings. The same reference numbers or symbols presented in each drawing represent parts or components that perform substantially the same function.

Terms including ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as the second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as the first component. The term and/or includes a combination of a plurality of related items or any one of a plurality of related items.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments only and is not intended to limit and/or restrict the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, it should be understood that the terms “comprises” or “has” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

Throughout the specification, when it is said that a part is connected to another part, this includes not only cases where they are directly connected, but also cases where they are electrically connected with another element in between. Also, when it is said that a part includes a certain component, this does not mean that other components are excluded unless specifically stated to the contrary, but that other components can be included. In addition, terms such as "part", "module", etc. described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and this can be implemented by hardware or software, or by a combination of hardware and software.

In the present disclosure below, a character may mean a preset object that a user can control within an online game.

In the present disclosure below, a user account may refer to a personal account required for a user to access an online game (or a game platform server servicing an online game) and play the game. A user may access an online game and play the online game through his or her user account, and within the user account, at least one character created by the user may exist in a form subordinate to the user account, and is not necessarily limited to the examples described above.

In the present disclosure below, the game providing device may be a game server, a user terminal, a game system including the game server and the user terminal, or an independent device, and is not necessarily limited to the examples described above.

In the present disclosure below, the game providing device providing a user interface to a user or outputting a user interface may mean that the user interface is output through an output unit included in the game providing device, the user interface is output through a website managed by the game providing device, or the user interface is output through an electronic device of the user connected to the game providing device, and is not necessarily limited to the examples described above.

In the present disclosure below, the meaning that the server controls the user terminal may mean that the server provides output from the user terminal (all output devices from the user terminal, such as screen display, sound output, vibration output, and lamp lighting) and data for the user terminal to perform a preset operation through communication with the user terminal. Of course, the user terminal may control the output from the user terminal using pre-stored data, and the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the above-described examples.

In the present disclosure below, transmitting and receiving information and data with a user (or a user account) may mean transmitting and receiving information and data with a game providing device corresponding to or linked with the user (or the user account), and is not necessarily limited to the examples described above.

FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining a game providing system including a game providing device, a server, and a user terminal according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

The game providing system (100) of the present disclosure may include a server (170) and at least one user terminal (110 to 160). The server (170) may provide various online activities through a network. The server (170) may provide online activities to at least one user terminal (110 to 160) simultaneously. In one embodiment, the various embodiments of the present disclosure described below may be implemented by the game providing system (100), implemented by the server (170), or implemented by at least one user terminal (110 to 160). In one embodiment, the game providing system (100) implementing the various embodiments of the present disclosure described below or each of the server (170) and at least one user terminal (110 to 160) constituting the game providing system (100) may be referred to as a game providing device.

In one embodiment, the server (170) may include a single server, a collection of servers, a cloud server, etc., but is not limited to the above examples. The server (170) provides various online activities and may include a database that stores data for the online activities. In addition, the server (170) may include a payment server that generates and processes payment events. In addition, the server (170) may include an advertisement operation server that provides advertisements. The payment server or the advertisement operation server may be a separate server from the server (170) and may mediate payment or advertisement provision between the server (170) and at least one user terminal (110 to 160). The server (170) may further include a database (DB) server that stores and manages user data or game data, and the DB server may be a separate server from the server (170).

As described above, the server (170) may be a game providing device. A program for servicing a game may be run on the server (170). The various embodiments of the present disclosure described below may be implemented within a program for servicing a game, or may be implemented through a program separate from the program.

In one embodiment, a network means a connection established (or formed) using any communication method, and may mean a communication network connected via any communication method that transmits and receives data between terminals or between terminals and servers.

In one embodiment, all communication methods may include all communication methods, such as communication via a preset communication standard, preset frequency band, preset protocol, or preset channel. For example, it may include communication methods via Bluetooth, BLE, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, 3G, LTE, ultrasonic waves, etc., and may include short-range communication, long-range communication, wireless communication, and wired communication. Of course, it is not limited to the above examples.

In one embodiment, the short-range communication method may mean a communication method that allows communication only when a device (terminal or server) performing communication is within a preset range, and may include, for example, Bluetooth, NFC, etc. The long-range communication method may mean a communication method that allows communication regardless of the distance between the devices performing communication. For example, the long-range communication method may mean a method that allows communication even when two devices performing communication are at a preset distance or more through a repeater such as an AP, and may include a communication method using a cellular network (3G, LTE) such as SMS or telephone. Of course, it is not limited to the above examples. The meaning of receiving online activities using a network may include the meaning that communication between a server and a terminal can be performed through all communication methods.

In one embodiment, at least one user terminal (110 to 160) may include various electronic devices such as a personal computer (110), a tablet (120), a cellular phone (130), a laptop (140), a smart phone (150), a TV (160), as well as personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable multimedia players (PMPs), navigation, MP3 players, digital cameras, refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, etc., but is not limited to the above examples. As described above, at least one user terminal (110 to 160) may be a game providing device.

In one embodiment, online activities may include online games, portal services, and SNS (Social Network Services), but are not limited to the above examples. In addition, online games may include various genres such as sports, MMORPG, AOS, FPS, TCG, and CCG. In addition, online games may be user-to-user competition games, or user-to-computer (e.g., artificial intelligence) competition games. In addition, they may be construction or decoration games rather than competition games. Of course, they are not limited to the above examples, and there is no limitation on the form of online games.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a method for a game providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to provide a unified currency usable in a plurality of online games.

In one embodiment, a user (201) may associate a user account with multiple online games that the user has played or plans to play. The game providing device may provide the user with management authority for items in the multiple online games that the user currently owns through the user account based on the user input for associating the user account with the multiple online games. Management of items may include actions such as viewing items, trading items with other users, or requesting purchase of items, and is not necessarily limited to the examples described above.

In one embodiment, a user (201) may request a counter (220) to purchase an item used in at least one game among items (210) used in multiple online games. For example, the user (201) may own an 'A' item from a game A, a 'B' item from a game B, and a 'C' item from a game C. In this case, the user (201) may request a counter (220) to purchase at least one item among the 'A' item, the 'B' item, and the 'C' item, and is not necessarily limited to the above-described example.

In one embodiment, when a purchase request for an item is received at the counter (220), the game providing device may perform a purchase of the item requested for purchase by the user (201) through the counter (220). In one embodiment, when the purchase of the item is performed through the counter (220), the game providing device may retrieve the item requested for purchase by the user and provide the user (201) with exchange points corresponding to the retrieved purchased item. In one embodiment, the game providing device may provide the user (201) with unified currency based on the cumulative value of the exchange points provided to the user (201) through the counter (220) being greater than or equal to a preset value. In one embodiment, the counter (220) may perform various operations, functions, and services related to the purchase of the item requested for purchase by the user, such as identifying whether the item requested for purchase is a purchase target item or calculating the exchange points corresponding to the item, and the operations, functions, and services of the counter (220) described herein may be understood as operations, functions, and services performed by the game providing device.

In one embodiment, the unified currency provided to the user (201) may be a currency that can be used in multiple online games. In one embodiment, the user (201) may be provided with various functions and services (230) of multiple online games linked to the user account by using the unified currency that he or she owns. In one embodiment, the game providing device may receive a user input of using the unified currency to be provided with at least one of various functions and/or services (230) of multiple online games from the user (201), and may provide the user with the function and/or service of the online game selected by the user. For example, the user (201) may use the unified currency to purchase item 'X' of game A, pay for a service fee of game B, or exchange it for currency of game C, but is not necessarily limited to the examples described above.

In this way, the game providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can purchase items used in items of a plurality of online games from a user and provide the user with integrated currency usable in a plurality of online games. Accordingly, the user can obtain integrated goods by utilizing unnecessary items of online games played in the past and use the acquired integrated currency in an online game that he or she is currently playing more intensively. In addition, since the online game service provider purchases items used in a plurality of online games that it is currently servicing and provides the integrated currency to the user, the online game service provider can save on the cost of developing resources required to provide an integrated currency provision service.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for a game providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to provide unified currency.

At step S310, the game providing device can obtain a user input requesting purchase of an item used in at least one game among a plurality of online games. The item that the user requests purchase may be at least one of the items of the plurality of online games that the user currently owns.

In one embodiment, the game providing device can output a first user interface that represents items of a plurality of online games. In one embodiment, the game providing device can obtain a user input requesting purchase of an item through the first user interface. A detailed description of the first user interface will be described again with reference to FIG. 8 below.

In step S320, the game providing device can provide a redemption point corresponding to the item for which purchase is requested. In one embodiment, the game providing device can identify whether the item for which purchase is requested is a purchase target item, and purchase the item identified as the purchase target item. In one embodiment, the item purchased by the game providing device can be retrieved from the user and no longer owned by the user, and the item no longer owned by the user can not appear on the first user interface. In one embodiment, the game providing device can provide a redemption point corresponding to the item for which purchase is requested in return for the purchase of the item. A specific method by which the game providing device identifies whether the item for which purchase is requested is a purchase target item will be described again with reference to FIG. 4 below.

In one embodiment, the game providing device may provide exchange points based on the value of the item for which purchase is requested and the exchange value of the currency of the online game in which the item for which purchase is requested is used for the integrated currency. The exchange value of the currency of the online game in which the item for which purchase is requested is used for the integrated currency. The specific method in which the game providing device provides exchange points will be described again with reference to FIG. 5 below.

In one embodiment, the value of the item for which purchase is requested may mean the amount of currency of the online game in which the item for which purchase is requested is used that can be obtained when the item for which purchase is requested is sold to a Non-Player Character (NPC) of the online game in which the item for which purchase is requested is used. In one embodiment, when the amount of currency of the online game in which the item for which purchase is requested is different for each of a plurality of NPCs purchasing the item, the value may mean an average value of the amounts of currency of the online game in which the item for which purchase is requested is obtained from the plurality of NPCs.

In one embodiment, the exchange value of the currency of the online game in which the purchase of the requested item for the integrated currency is used may mean the amount of the currency of the online game in which the purchase of the requested item is used corresponding to a given integrated currency. In one embodiment, the exchange value of the currency of the online game in which the purchase of the requested item for the integrated currency is used may be identified based on the amount of currency used in real life corresponding to one integrated currency and the price of the currency of the online game in which the purchase of the requested item is used, which is traded between multiple users with the currency used in real life. For example, if one integrated currency, 'Ounce', has a value of 100 Korean Won, and 'Gold', the currency of the online game in which the purchase of the requested item is used, is traded between multiple users at a price of 10,000 Korean Won per 10,000 Gold, the game providing device may identify the amount of 'Gold' corresponding to one 'Ounce' as 1,000 Gold, and is not necessarily limited to the above-described example. In one embodiment, the exchange value of the currency of an online game in which an item for which a purchase request for a unified currency is made is set differently for each of the multiple online games, and may be periodically updated at preset intervals.

In step S330, the game providing device may provide integrated currency based on whether the cumulative value of the provided exchange points is greater than or equal to a preset value. The preset value may mean the minimum value of exchange points required to obtain the integrated currency. In one embodiment, the game providing device may not provide integrated currency if the cumulative value of the exchange points is less than or equal to the preset value, and may provide integrated currency if the cumulative value of the exchange points is greater than or equal to the preset value.

In one embodiment, the game providing device can output a second user interface that indicates an accumulated value of exchange points and a preset value, and a third user interface that is activated when the accumulated value of the provided exchange points is greater than or equal to the preset value. In one embodiment, the game providing device can obtain a user input for exchanging the accumulated exchange points into unified currency through the third user interface, and provide the unified currency to the user. A specific description of the second user interface and the third user interface will be described again with reference to FIG. 8 below.

In one embodiment, the accumulated value of the exchange points may be individually provided and accumulated for each of a plurality of online games. For example, if the game providing device purchases the 'A' item of game A and provides the user with 100 exchange points, purchases the 'B' item of game B and provides the user with 200 exchange points, and purchases the 'C' item of game C and provides the user with 400 exchange points, the game providing device may provide and accumulate 100, 200, and 400 exchange points for game A, game B, and game C, respectively, and is not necessarily limited to the above-described example.

In one embodiment, the accumulated value of the exchange points may be individually provided and accumulated for each of the plurality of servers of the plurality of online games. For example, if the game providing device purchases an item of server a1 of game A and provides the user with 100 exchange points, purchases an item of server a2 of game A and provides the user with 200 exchange points, and purchases an item of server a3 of game A and provides the user with 400 exchange points, the game providing device may provide and accumulate 100, 200, and 400 exchange points for each of server a1, server a2, and server a3 of game A, respectively, and is not necessarily limited to the above-described example.

In one embodiment, the game providing device may provide the unified currency in the amount of the exchange amount based on a user input selecting the amount of the exchange amount. In one embodiment, the amount of the exchange may be selectable within a quotient of the cumulative value of the provided exchange points divided by a preset value.

In one embodiment, the game providing device may output a fourth user interface for selecting a currency exchange amount based on a user input selecting an activated third user interface. A detailed description of the fourth user interface will be described again with reference to FIG. 9 below.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a method for a game providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to identify whether an item requested for purchase is a purchase target item. Since steps S410, S420, and S430 of FIG. 4 correspond to steps S310, S320, and S33 of FIG. 3, redundant description will be omitted.

At step S415, if the game providing device obtains a user input requesting purchase of an item, the game providing device can identify whether the item for which purchase is requested is a purchase target item. In one embodiment, if the item for which purchase is requested is identified as not a purchase target item (S415-N), the game providing device can obtain a new user input requesting purchase of one item from among a plurality of online games (S410). On the other hand, if the item for which purchase is requested is identified as a purchase target item (S415-Y), the game providing device can provide a currency exchange point corresponding to the item for which purchase is requested (S420).

In one embodiment, the item to be purchased may include an item that can be sold to an NPC in an online game in which the item for which purchase is requested is used. In one embodiment, the item to be purchased may include an item that can be sold to an NPC in an online game in which the item for which purchase is requested and an item that cannot be sold. The game providing device may identify the item for which purchase is requested as an item to be purchased if it is an item that can be sold to an NPC, and may identify the item for which purchase is requested as not an item to be purchased if it is an item that cannot be sold to an NPC.

In this way, since the amount of currency that can be obtained by selling an item to an NPC is not fixed for items that cannot be sold to an NPC, the value of the item for which a purchase request has been made must be calculated using other information, which may make it difficult to calculate the absolute value of the item for which a purchase request has been made. On the other hand, for items that can be sold to an NPC, the absolute value of the item for which a purchase request has been made can be easily and accurately calculated based on the amount of online game currency that can be obtained when the item is sold to an NPC.

In one embodiment, the purchase target item may be an online game item in which the amount of online game currency obtainable when the item for which purchase is requested is sold to an NPC of the online game in which the item for which purchase is requested is different for each type of item. In one embodiment, a plurality of online games may include an online game in which the amount of online game currency obtainable when the item is sold to an NPC is the same for all items and an online game in which the amount of online game currency obtainable when the item is sold to an NPC is different for each type of item. In one embodiment, the game providing device may identify an online game item in which the amount of online game currency obtainable when the item for which purchase is requested is the same for all items as not a purchase target item, and may identify an online game item in which the amount of online game currency obtainable when the item for which purchase is requested is different for each type of item as a purchase target item.

In this way, even if the item for which purchase is requested is an item that can be sold to an NPC, if the amount of online game currency that can be obtained by selling the item is the same for all items, the absolute value of the item for which purchase is requested cannot be calculated based on the amount of online game currency that can be obtained when the item for which purchase is requested is sold to an NPC. On the other hand, if the amount of online game currency that can be obtained when the item for which purchase is requested is sold to an NPC differs depending on the type of item, the absolute value of the item for which purchase is requested can be calculated based on the amount of online game currency that can be obtained when the item for which purchase is requested is sold to an NPC.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for calculating exchange points corresponding to an item for which purchase is requested by a game providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Steps S510, S520, and S530 of FIG. 5 may be included in step S320 of FIG. 3 and step S420 of FIG. 4.

At step S510, the game providing device can calculate the first exchange point by multiplying the value of the item for which purchase is requested by the amount of currency of the online game in which the item for which purchase is requested, corresponding to one value of the unified currency determined according to the exchange value, divided by the preset value.

For example, if the preset value is 1,000,000, and the amount of currency of the online game in which the purchase is requested corresponding to one value of the unified currency determined according to the exchange value is 100,000, and the value of the item for which the purchase is requested is 10, then the first exchange point may be calculated as 100, which is the value obtained by dividing 100,000, the amount of currency of the online game in which the purchase is requested corresponding to one value of the unified currency, by the value of 10, which is the value of the item for which the purchase is requested. However, it is not necessarily limited to the above-described example.

In one embodiment, the preset value may be determined based on the exchange value of the currency of the online game in which the purchase of the requested item for the integrated currency is used. In one embodiment, the preset value may be decreased as the exchange value of the currency of the online game in which the purchase of the requested item for the integrated currency is high, and may be increased as the exchange value of the currency of the online game in which the purchase of the requested item for the integrated currency is low. Here, a high exchange value may mean that the amount of the currency of the online game corresponding to one integrated currency is small, and a low exchange value may mean that the amount of the currency of the online game corresponding to one integrated currency is large. In other words, the game providing device may determine the preset value based on the exchange value of the currency of the online game in which the purchase of the requested item is used, so that even if the value of the requested item for the purchase is low, the exchange points corresponding to the requested item for the purchase may be provided as a value that the user can more clearly recognize in relation to the preset value.

At step S520, the game providing device can provide second exchange points calculated by multiplying the calculated first exchange points by a weight set for the item for which purchase is requested.

In one embodiment, weights for calculating the second exchange points for each of the items of the plurality of online games may be preset. For example, weights may be set to 1.0 for items of game A, and weights may be set to 1.5 for items of game B. As another example, weights may be set to 1.0 for item 'X' of game A, and weights may be set to 1.5 for item 'Y' of game A. However, the foregoing examples are not necessarily limited thereto.

In one embodiment, the weight preset for each of the items of the plurality of online games may be a value randomly determined by drawing within a preset range. For example, for the 'X' item of game A, the weight may be randomly set by drawing between values 1 and 2, and the drawing may be performed when a user input requesting the purchase of the 'X' item of game A is obtained. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described example.

In one embodiment, weights for calculating the second exchange points for each of the items of the plurality of online games may not be set. In this case, the game providing device may provide the first exchange points calculated by performing step S510 without performing step S520.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C are drawings for explaining exchange points corresponding to items for which purchase is requested, calculated by a game providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The exchange points calculated by the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C refer to first exchange points calculated in step S510 for convenience of explanation of the invention, and if a weight for calculating second exchange points is set for each of a plurality of items for which purchase is requested, the second exchange points may be calculated and provided based on the set weights. In addition, the NPC selling price illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C refers to the amount of currency of an online game in which the item that can be obtained when the item for which purchase is requested is sold to an NPC, and the exchange rate refers to the amount of currency of an online game in which the item for which purchase is requested is used, corresponding to the value of one 'ounce', which is a unified currency, and the minimum exchange points may refer to the minimum accumulated value of exchange points for providing the unified currency.

Referring to FIG. 6a, when the game providing device obtains a user input requesting the purchase of item X of game A (611), when the game providing device obtains a user input requesting the purchase of item Y of game B (612), and when the game providing device obtains a user input requesting the purchase of item Z of game C (613), the game providing device may calculate and provide exchange points corresponding to the items whose purchase is requested as follows.

In one embodiment, when the game providing device obtains a user input requesting the purchase of item X of game A (611), the game providing device may provide the exchange points corresponding to item X of game A by calculating 10,000, which is the value obtained by dividing the minimum exchange points, 100,000, by the exchange rate, 10,000, and multiplying it by the NPC selling price, 1,000.

In one embodiment, when the game providing device obtains a user input requesting purchase of item Y of game B (612), the game providing device may provide the exchange points corresponding to item Y of game B by calculating 100, which is the value obtained by multiplying 0.1, which is the value obtained by dividing the minimum exchange points, 100,000, by the exchange rate, 1,000,000, by the NPC selling price, 1,000.

In one embodiment, when the game providing device obtains a user input requesting the purchase of item Z of game C (613), the game providing device may provide the exchange points corresponding to item Z of game C by calculating 20,000, which is the value obtained by dividing the minimum exchange points, 100,000, by the exchange rate, 5,000, and multiplying 20 by the NPC selling price, 1,000.

In this way, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when calculating exchange points corresponding to different items, the game providing device can calculate the exchange points corresponding to the items whose purchase is requested by considering different exchange rates of each of the plurality of online games even when the minimum exchange points and the exchange rates are both the same. Accordingly, the game providing device can provide the exchange points corresponding to the items whose purchase is requested by reflecting the absolute value of the items whose purchase is requested for the unified currency among the plurality of online games as the exchange points corresponding to the items whose purchase is requested.

Referring to FIG. 6b, when the game providing device obtains a user input requesting purchase of item X of game A when the minimum exchange points are 100,000 (621), when the game providing device obtains a user input requesting purchase of item X of game A when the minimum exchange points are 100,000 (622), and when the game providing device obtains a user input requesting purchase of item X of game A when the minimum exchange points are 100,000 (623), the game providing device may calculate and provide exchange points corresponding to the items whose purchases are requested as follows.

In one embodiment, when the game providing device obtains a user input requesting a purchase of item X of game A when the minimum exchange points are 100,000 (621), the exchange points corresponding to item X of game A may be provided by calculating 10,000, which is the value obtained by dividing the minimum exchange points, 100,000, by the exchange rate of 10,000, and multiplying it by the NPC selling price of 1,000. In this case, the ratio of the minimum exchange points to the exchange points corresponding to item X of game A may be 0.1.

In one embodiment, when the game providing device obtains a user input requesting a purchase of item X of game A when the minimum exchange points are 100,000 (622), the exchange points corresponding to item X of game A may be provided by calculating 1,000, which is 1,000, which is the value obtained by dividing the minimum exchange points, 10,000, by the exchange rate of 10,000, and multiplying it by the NPC selling price of 1,000. In this case, the ratio of the minimum exchange points to the exchange points corresponding to item X of game A may be 0.1.

In one embodiment, when the game providing device obtains a user input requesting a purchase of item X of game A when the minimum exchange points are 100,000 (623), the exchange points corresponding to item X of game A may be provided by calculating 100,000, which is the value obtained by dividing the minimum exchange points, 1,000,000, by the exchange rate of 10,000, and multiplying it by the NPC selling price of 1,000. In this case, the ratio of the minimum exchange points to the exchange points corresponding to item X of game A may be 0.1.

In this way, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when calculating exchange points corresponding to the same item, the game providing device can calculate the exchange points so that the ratio of the minimum exchange points to the exchange points corresponding to the item for which purchase is requested is the same even when the minimum exchange points are set differently. Accordingly, the game providing device can provide exchange points that equally reflect the absolute value of the item for which purchase is requested in terms of the unified currency as the exchange points corresponding to the item for which purchase is requested for the same item.

Referring to FIG. 6c, when the game providing device obtains a user input requesting purchase of item X of game A when the exchange rate is 10,000 (631), when it obtains a user input requesting purchase of item X of game A when the exchange rate is 20,000 (632), and when it obtains a user input requesting purchase of item X of game A when the exchange rate is 5,000 (633), the game providing device may calculate and provide exchange points corresponding to the requested purchase items as follows.

In one embodiment, when the game providing device obtains a user input requesting a purchase of item X of game A when the exchange rate is 10,000 (631), the game providing device may provide the exchange points corresponding to item X of game A by calculating the value of 10,000, which is the minimum exchange points, 100,000, divided by the exchange rate of 10,000, multiplied by the NPC selling price of 1,000. In this case, the ratio of the minimum exchange points to the exchange points corresponding to item X of game A may be 0.1.

In one embodiment, when the game providing device obtains a user input requesting a purchase of item X of game A when the exchange rate is 20,000 (632), the game providing device may provide the exchange points corresponding to item X of game A by calculating the minimum exchange points, 100,000, by the exchange rate of 20,000, which is 5,000 multiplied by the NPC selling price of 1,000. In this case, the ratio of the minimum exchange points to the exchange points corresponding to item X of game A may be 0.05.

In one embodiment, when the game providing device obtains a user input requesting a purchase of item X of game A when the exchange rate is 5,000 (633), the game providing device may provide the exchange points corresponding to item X of game A by calculating the value of 20,000, which is the minimum exchange points, 100,000, divided by the exchange rate of 5,000, and multiplying the value by the NPC selling price of 1,000. In this case, the ratio of the minimum exchange points to the exchange points corresponding to item X of game A may be 0.2.

In this way, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the game providing device calculates the exchange points corresponding to the same item, if the exchange rates are different, the game providing device can calculate the exchange points corresponding to the item for which the purchase is requested by taking the exchange rates into consideration. Accordingly, even if the value of the currency used in an online game in which the purchase of the item requested for unified currency is used changes over time and the absolute value of the item for which the purchase is requested changes, the game providing device can provide the exchange points corresponding to the item for which the purchase is requested by reflecting the changed value of the item for which the purchase is requested.

FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining an exchange user interface, which is a user interface for trading items of a plurality of online games according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 7, the exchange user interface (700) may include a transaction list button (710), a sales registration button (720), a transaction history button (730), an item storage button (740), and a counter button (750) that may be selected by a user.

In one embodiment, the game providing device can output a user interface (not shown) showing a list of items of a plurality of online games registered by another user for sale and prices of the registered plurality of items based on a user input of selecting a transaction list button (710). In one embodiment, the game providing device can deduct a unified currency corresponding to the price from a unified currency owned by the user based on obtaining a user input of purchasing one of the registered items through the outputted user interface (not shown), and change the ownership of the item from the other user who registered the item to the user. In one embodiment, the game providing device can display the items purchased by the user through a first user interface that is output based on a user input of selecting an item storage button (740).

In one embodiment, the game providing device can output a user interface (not shown) for selling items of multiple online games owned by the user to another user based on a user input of selecting a sale registration button (720). In one embodiment, the game providing device can register the sale of an item selected by the user based on obtaining a user input of selecting an item and setting a price of the item through the output user interface (not shown). In one embodiment, the game providing device can display an item registered for sale by the user on a user interface (not shown) output based on a user input of selecting a transaction list button (710). In one embodiment, when an item registered for sale is sold to another user, the game providing device can change the ownership of the sold item from the user to the other user who purchased the item, and add integrated currency corresponding to the sale price to the integrated currency owned by the user.

In one embodiment, the game providing device may output a user interface (not shown) showing a list and prices of items that the user has sold to or purchased from other users based on a user input selecting a transaction history button (730). The user may check the items that the user has purchased from or sold to other users through the output interface (not shown).

In one embodiment, the game providing device may output a first user interface showing items of multiple online games owned by the user based on a user input selecting an item storage button (740). A detailed description of the first user interface will be described again with reference to FIG. 8 below.

In one embodiment, the game providing device may output a second user interface that indicates a cumulative value of provided exchange points and a preset value based on a user input of selecting a counter button (750), and a third user interface that is activated when the cumulative value of provided exchange points is greater than or equal to the preset value. A specific description of the second user interface and the third user interface will be described again with reference to FIG. 9 below.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a first user interface showing items of a plurality of online games according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The first user interface (800) illustrated in FIG. 8 may be output based on a user input selecting the item storage button (740) of FIG. 7, and is not necessarily limited to the example described above.

Referring to FIG. 8, the game providing device may output a first user interface (800) that indicates items of a plurality of online games owned by a user. In one embodiment, the first user interface (800) may indicate a plurality of items owned by a character selected by the user among characters of each of a plurality of online games linked to a user account. For example, if a user selects a game called 'Mabinogi' among a plurality of online games through the first user interface (800) and selects a character with an ID of 'abcde1' of the 'Wolf' server, the first user interface (800) may indicate a plurality of items currently owned by a character with an ID of 'abcde1' of the 'Wolf' server of the 'Mabinogi' game, but is not necessarily limited to the above-described example. In one embodiment, the first user interface (800) may indicate information about integrated currency currently owned by the user. For example, the first user interface (800) may include an image and/or text indicating that the unified currency currently owned by the user is 'Ounces' and that the number of 'Ounces' is 4,478,577, but is not necessarily limited to the examples described above.

In one embodiment, the game providing device may output an item detail view interface (810) indicating a description of the selected item based on obtaining a user input for selecting one of a plurality of items displayed on the first user interface (800). In one embodiment, the item detail view user interface (810) may include an image and/or text indicating information about the item, such as the quantity, ability, and grade of the item selected by the user. In one embodiment, the item detail view user interface (810) may include a purchase button (811) for requesting purchase of the selected item, and a sale registration button (812) for requesting sale of the selected item. In one embodiment, the game providing device may output a user interface (not shown) for selling the selected item to another user based on obtaining a user input for selecting the sale registration button (812), which may correspond to a user interface (not shown) output based on a user input for selecting the sale registration button (812) of FIG. 7. In one embodiment, the game providing device may output a purchase execution user interface (820) for requesting purchase of a selected item based on user input selecting a purchase button (811).

In one embodiment, the purchase execution user interface (820) may include a user interface (821) indicating a redemption point corresponding to the item for which a purchase is requested. In one embodiment, if the redemption point corresponding to the item for which a purchase is requested is a second redemption point calculated by multiplying the item for which a purchase is requested by a weight set in step S520 of FIG. 5, a user interface (822) indicating information indicating how much the second redemption point has increased compared to the first redemption point calculated in step S510 may be included in the purchase execution user interface (820).

In one embodiment, the purchase execution user interface (820) may include a second user interface (823) that indicates a cumulative value of the provided exchange points and a preset value. The cumulative value of the provided exchange points refers to the exchange points that the user currently owns, and when the exchange points are provided based on a purchase request for an item, the provided exchange points may be updated to a value added thereto. In one embodiment, the purchase execution user interface (820) may include a third user interface (824) that is activated when the cumulative value of the provided exchange points is greater than or equal to the preset value. The third user interface (824) may be deactivated and not selectable by the user when the cumulative value of the provided exchange points is less than the preset value, and may be activated and selectable by the user when the cumulative value of the provided exchange points is greater than or equal to the preset value.

In one embodiment, the purchase execution user interface (820) may include a purchase execution confirmation button (825), and the game providing device may obtain a user input of selecting the purchase execution confirmation button (825) as a user input requesting purchase of a selected item. In one embodiment, when the game providing device obtains a user input of selecting the purchase execution confirmation button (825), the game providing device may provide a redemption point corresponding to the selected item, and output a purchase result user interface (830) indicating the provided redemption point.

In one embodiment, the purchase result user interface (830) may include a second user interface (823) that displays a cumulative value of the provided exchange points plus the exchange points corresponding to the item for which purchase has been requested and a preset value, and a third user interface (824) that is activated when the cumulative value of the provided exchange points is greater than or equal to the preset value.

In this way, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, during the process of purchasing an item, the user can more easily and intuitively determine the cumulative value of the exchange points he or she currently owns and how much more exchange points are needed to obtain the unified currency through the second user interface and the third user interface, and decide whether or not to purchase the item.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a fourth user interface for selecting a currency exchange amount according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The counter user interface (900) illustrated in FIG. 9 may be output based on the game providing device obtaining a user input for selecting the counter button (750) of FIG. 7, and is not necessarily limited to the example described above. In addition, the fourth user interface (910) illustrated in FIG. 9 may be output based on the game providing device obtaining a user input for selecting the activated third user interface (824) of FIG. 8, and is not necessarily limited to the example described above.

In one embodiment, the counter user interface (900) may include a second user interface (823-1, 823-2, 823-3, 823-4) that indicates an accumulated value of exchange points provided for each of a plurality of servers within a game selected by a user among a plurality of online games and a preset value, and a third user interface (824-1, 824-2, 824-3, 824-4) that is activated when the accumulated value of the provided exchange points is greater than or equal to the preset value. In one embodiment, the game providing device may output a fourth user interface (910) for selecting an exchange amount based on a user input that selects the activated third user interface (824).

In one embodiment, the game providing device may obtain a user input for selecting an exchange amount (911) through the fourth user interface (910). The exchange amount (911) means the number of unified currencies that the user wishes to obtain by using the exchange points that he or she currently owns, and may be selectable within a quotient equal to or less than a cumulative value of the provided exchange points divided by a preset value. For example, if the cumulative value of the provided exchange points is 123,456,789 and the preset value is 1,000,000, the exchange amount (911) may be selectable within a quotient of 123 calculated by dividing 123,456,789 by 1,000,000, but is not necessarily limited to the above-described example.

In one embodiment, the fourth user interface (910) may include an exchange button (912) for executing an exchange for a selected exchange amount, and the game providing device may provide unified currency for the exchange amount (911) based on a user input selecting the exchange button (912), and output a second user interface (823) indicating an accumulated value of exchange points from which exchange points corresponding to the unified currency for the provided exchange amount (911) have been deducted and a preset value.

In this way, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a user can more easily exchange the exchange points he or she owns into unified currency through the fourth user interface, and check the remaining exchange points according to the exchange result.

FIG. 10 is a drawing for explaining a detailed configuration of a game providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The game providing device (1000) of FIG. 10 may correspond to the game providing device (200) of FIG. 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, the game providing device (1000) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one processor (1010), an output unit (1030), a memory (1050), a user input unit (1070), and a communication unit (1090). However, not all of the components illustrated in FIG. 10 are essential components of the game providing device (1000). The game providing device (1000) may be implemented with more components than the components illustrated in FIG. 10, or may be implemented with fewer components than the components illustrated in FIG. 10. The game providing device (1000) may be a user terminal, a server, a game network system, or a separate device.

In one embodiment, at least one processor (1010) typically controls the overall operation of the game providing device (1000). For example, at least one processor (1010) may control the overall operation of the output unit (1030), the memory (1050), the user input unit (1070), and the communication unit (1090) by executing a program stored in the memory (1050). At least one processor (1010) may control the operation of the game providing device (1000) in this specification by controlling the output unit (1030), the memory (1050), the user input unit (1070), and the communication unit (1090).

In one embodiment, at least one processor (1010) can obtain a user input requesting a purchase of an item used in at least one game among a plurality of online games. In one embodiment, at least one processor (1010) can provide a currency point corresponding to the item for which a purchase is requested. In one embodiment, at least one processor (1010) can provide a unified currency based on a cumulative value of the provided currency points being greater than or equal to a preset value. In one embodiment, the unified currency can be a currency usable in the plurality of online games.

In one embodiment, at least one processor (1010) can identify whether the item for which a purchase is requested is a purchase target item. In one embodiment, at least one processor (1010) can provide exchange points if the item for which a purchase is requested is identified as a purchase target item. In one embodiment, the purchase target item can be an item that can be sold to a non-player character (NPC) of an online game in which the item for which a purchase is requested is used.

In one embodiment, at least one processor (1010) may provide exchange points based on the value of the item for which a purchase is requested and the exchange value of the currency of the online game in which the purchase is requested for the integrated currency. In one embodiment, the value of the item for which a purchase is requested may be the amount of currency of the online game in which the purchase is requested for that can be obtained by selling the item for which a purchase is requested to the NPC.

In one embodiment, at least one processor (1010) can calculate a first exchange point by multiplying a value of the item for which purchase is requested by dividing a preset value by an amount of currency of the online game in which the item for which purchase is requested, corresponding to one value of the unified currency determined according to the exchange value. In one embodiment, at least one processor (1010) can provide a second exchange point calculated by multiplying the calculated first exchange point by a weight set for the item for which purchase is requested.

In one embodiment, at least one processor (1010) may provide the unified currency in an amount of currency exchanged based on a user input selecting an amount of currency exchanged. In one embodiment, the amount of currency exchanged may be selectable within a quotient of the cumulative value of the provided currency exchange points divided by a preset value.

In one embodiment, the cumulative value of the provided redemption points may be a value that is provided and accumulated individually for each of the multiple online games.

In one embodiment, at least one processor (1010) can output a first user interface representing items of a plurality of online games. In one embodiment, at least one processor (1010) can obtain a user input requesting purchase of an item through the first user interface.

In one embodiment, at least one processor (1010) can output a second user interface indicating a cumulative value of the provided exchange points and a preset value, and a third user interface that is activated when the cumulative value of the provided exchange points is greater than or equal to the preset value. In one embodiment, at least one processor (1010) can output a fourth user interface for selecting an exchange amount based on a user input selecting the activated third user interface.

The output unit (1030) can display and output information processed in the game providing device (1000). The output unit (1030) can output a game screen including graphic interfaces under the control of at least one processor (1010).

In one embodiment, the output unit (1030) may output at least one of a first user interface for displaying items of a plurality of online games under the control of at least one processor (1010), a second user interface for displaying an accumulated value of provided exchange points and the preset value, a third user interface that is activated when the accumulated value of the provided exchange points is greater than or equal to the preset value, and a fourth user interface for selecting the exchange amount based on a user input selecting the activated third user interface. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described example, and the output unit (1030) may output various user interfaces necessary for the game providing device (1000) to perform a method for providing an online game service according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

The memory (1050) can store a program for processing and controlling at least one processor (1010), and can also store data input to or output from the game providing device (1000).

In one embodiment, at least one processor (1010) may execute a method for a game providing device (1000) to provide an online game service using a program stored in a memory (1050).

In one embodiment, the memory (1050) may include user account information, information about items of a plurality of online games linked to the user account, information about the value of items of the plurality of online games, information about the exchange value of currencies of the plurality of online games for a unified currency, information about the cumulative value of exchange points provided to the user, information necessary to identify whether an item requested for purchase is a purchase target item, and the like. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described example, and the memory (1050) may include various information necessary for the game providing device (1000) to perform a method of providing an online game service according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

In one embodiment, the memory (1050) may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, an SD or XD memory, etc.), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read-Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. In one embodiment, the programs stored in the memory (1050) may be classified into a plurality of modules according to their functions.

The user input unit (1070) refers to a means for a user to input data for controlling the game providing device (1000). For example, the user input unit (1070) may include devices capable of receiving various forms of user input, such as a keyboard, physical buttons, mouse, joystick, touch screen, touch pad, camera, or microphone.

In one embodiment, the user input unit (1070) may receive, under the control of at least one processor (1010), a user input requesting the purchase of an item used in at least one game among a plurality of online games, a user input selecting an exchange amount, a user input selecting an activated third user interface, and the like. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described example, and the user input unit (1070) may receive, under the control of at least one processor (1010), various user input signals necessary for the game providing device (1000) to perform an online game providing method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

The communication unit (1090) can perform communication with an external device under the control of at least one processor (1010). For example, the communication unit (1090) can perform communication with an external device such as a payment server or an authentication server under the control of at least one processor (1010). In addition, the communication unit (1090) can obtain various user inputs necessary for providing a method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure through communication with an external interface.

In one embodiment, the communication unit (1090) may receive, from an external electronic device under the control of at least one processor (1010), a user input requesting purchase of an item used in at least one game among a plurality of online games, a user input selecting an exchange amount, a user input selecting an activated third user interface, and the like. In one embodiment, the communication unit (1090) may receive, from an external electronic device under the control of at least one processor (1010), user account information, information about items of a plurality of online games linked to a user account, information about the value of items of a plurality of online games, information about the exchange value of currencies of a plurality of online games for a unified currency, information about an accumulated value of exchange points provided to a user, information necessary to identify whether an item requested for purchase is a purchase target item, and the like. However, it is not necessarily limited to the above-described examples, and the user input unit (1070) may transmit various information necessary for the game providing device (1000) to perform a method of providing an online game service according to various embodiments of the present disclosure to an external electronic device or receive such information from an external electronic device under the control of at least one processor (1010).

In one embodiment, the method of providing an online game service by the game providing device (1000) may be performed by the game providing device (1000), or may be performed by a server or a user terminal. In addition, at least one configuration included in the game providing device (1000) may perform various embodiments described in the preceding drawings 1 to 9.

In addition, the method by which the game providing device (1000) provides an online game service may be performed individually or together by the game providing device (1000), the server, and the user terminal. The configuration of the server and the user terminal is described in more detail in FIGS. 11 and 12 below.

FIG. 11 is a drawing for explaining a detailed configuration of a server according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, a server (1100) according to various embodiments may include at least one processor (1110), a communication unit (1130), and a memory (1150). However, not all of the components illustrated in FIG. 11 are essential components of the server (1100). The server (1100) may be implemented with more components than the components illustrated in FIG. 11, or may be implemented with fewer components than the components illustrated in FIG. 11.

In one embodiment, at least one processor (1110) typically controls the overall operation of the server (1100). For example, at least one processor (1110) may control the overall operation of the communication unit (1130) and the memory (1150) by executing a program stored in the memory (1150). At least one processor (1110) may control the operation of the server (1100) in this specification by controlling the communication unit (1130) and the memory (1150).

In one embodiment, at least one processor (1110) can obtain a user input requesting purchase of an item used in at least one game among a plurality of online games. In one embodiment, at least one processor (1110) can provide a currency point corresponding to the item for which purchase is requested. In one embodiment, at least one processor (1110) can provide a unified currency based on the cumulative value of the provided currency points being greater than or equal to a preset value. In one embodiment, the unified currency can be a currency usable in the plurality of online games.

In one embodiment, the detailed operation of at least one processor (1110) may correspond to the operation of at least one processor (1010) of the game providing device (1000) described in FIG. 10, and therefore, a description of the overlapping content is omitted.

The communication unit (1130) can provide a query to the user terminal (1200) and receive response information to the query under the control of at least one processor (1110). In one embodiment, the communication unit (1130) can transmit and receive data with the user terminal (1200), and the data transmitted and received with the user terminal (1200) can include control data for controlling the user terminal (1200) or a program included in the user terminal (1200).

The memory (1150) can store a program for processing and controlling at least one processor (1110), and can also store data input to or output from the server (1100). In one embodiment, the memory (1150) can store online game related information.

In one embodiment, at least one processor (1110) may execute a method for a server (1100) to provide an online game service using a program stored in a memory (1150).

In one embodiment, the memory (1150) may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, an SD or XD memory, etc.), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read-Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. In one embodiment, the programs stored in the memory (1150) may be classified into a plurality of modules according to their functions.

In one embodiment, the information stored in the memory (1150) may correspond to the information stored in the memory (1050) of the game providing device (1000) described in FIG. 10, and therefore, a detailed description thereof is omitted.

In one embodiment, the method by which the game providing device provides an online game service may be performed separately by the server (1100) and the user terminal (1200), may be performed individually by the server (1100) and the user terminal (1200), or may be performed by the game providing device (1000).

FIG. 12 is a drawing for explaining a detailed configuration of a user terminal according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 12, a user terminal (1200) according to various embodiments may include at least one processor (1210), an output unit (1230), a memory (1250), a user input unit (1270), and a communication unit (1290). However, not all of the components illustrated in FIG. 12 are essential components of the user terminal (1200). The user terminal (1200) may be implemented with more components than the components illustrated in FIG. 12, or the user terminal (1200) may be implemented with fewer components than the components illustrated in FIG. 12.

At least one processor (1210) typically controls the overall operation of the user terminal (1200). For example, at least one processor (1210) may control the output unit (1220), the memory (1250), the user input unit (1270), and the communication unit (1290) by executing a program stored in the memory (1250). At least one processor (1210) may control the operation of the user terminal (1200) in this specification by controlling the output unit (1220), the memory (1250), the user input unit (1270), and the communication unit (1290).

In one embodiment, at least one processor (1210) can obtain a user input requesting purchase of an item used in at least one game among a plurality of online games. In one embodiment, at least one processor (1210) can provide a currency point corresponding to the item for which purchase is requested. In one embodiment, at least one processor (1210) can provide a unified currency based on the cumulative value of the provided currency points being greater than or equal to a preset value. In one embodiment, the unified currency can be a currency usable in the plurality of online games.

In one embodiment, the operation of at least one processor (1210) may correspond to the operation of at least one processor (1010) of the game providing device (1000) described in FIG. 10, and therefore, description of overlapping content is omitted.

The output unit (1230) can display and output information processed in the user terminal (1200). The output unit (1230) can include at least one of a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, a 2D display, and an electrophoretic display. When the output unit (1230) and the touchpad form a layer structure to form a touch screen, the output unit (1230) can be used as an input device in addition to an output device. In addition, the output unit (1230) can include an LED lamp, a vibration motor, a speaker, a flash, etc., but is not limited to examples.

In one embodiment, the output unit (1230) can output a game screen including graphic interfaces under the control of at least one processor (1210). The output unit (1230) can output a notification about game information in the form of an image, video, sound, vibration, lamp, etc.

In one embodiment, the output unit (1230) may correspond to the operation of the output unit (1030) of the game providing device (1000) described in FIG. 10, and therefore, a detailed description is omitted.

The memory (1250) can store a program for processing and controlling at least one processor (1210), and can also store data input to or output from a user terminal (1200).

In one embodiment, at least one processor (1210) can execute a method for providing an online game service to a user terminal (1200) using a program stored in a memory (1250).

In one embodiment, the memory (1250) may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, an SD or XD memory, etc.), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read-Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. In addition, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, programs stored in the memory (1250) may be classified into a plurality of modules according to their functions.

In one embodiment, the information stored in the memory (1250) may correspond to the information stored in the memory (1050) of the game providing device (1000) described in FIG. 10, so a detailed description is omitted.

In one embodiment, the user input unit (1270) may include various interfaces. For example, the user input unit (1270) may include various interfaces such as a key pad, a dome switch, a voice input interface, a fingerprint input interface, a touch input interface (contact electrostatic capacitance type, pressure resistive film type, infrared detection type, surface ultrasonic conduction type, integral tension measurement type, piezo effect type, etc.), a camera, a jog wheel, a jog switch, and various sensors such as an acceleration sensor, a position sensor, a temperature sensor, and a light sensor may also be linked to the user interface. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the user input unit (1270) may include a device that supports various inputs.

In one embodiment, the operation of the user input unit (1270) may correspond to the operation of the user input unit (1070) of the game providing device (1000) described in FIG. 10, and therefore, a detailed description is omitted.

The communication unit (1290) can provide a query to the server (1100) and receive response information to the query under the control of at least one processor (1210). In one embodiment, the communication unit (1290) can transmit and receive data with the server (1100), and the data transmitted and received with the server (1100) can include control data for controlling the user terminal (1200) or a program included in the user terminal (1200).

In one embodiment, the communication unit (1290) may include, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication unit, a near field communication unit, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an infrared (IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication unit, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication unit, an UWB (ultra wideband) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, etc.

In one embodiment, the communication unit (1290) transmits and receives a wireless signal with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. Here, the wireless signal may include various forms of data according to transmission and reception of a voice call signal, a video call signal, or a text/multimedia message.

In one embodiment, the operation of the communication unit (1290) may correspond to the operation of the communication unit (1090) of the game providing device (1000) described in FIG. 10, and therefore, a detailed description is omitted.

The devices described above may be implemented as hardware components, software components, and/or a combination of hardware components and software components. For example, the devices and components described in the embodiments may be implemented using one or more general-purpose computers or special-purpose computers, such as, for example, a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic unit (PLU), a microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing instructions and responding to them. The processing device may execute an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications running on the operating system. In addition, the processing device may access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to the execution of the software. For ease of understanding, the processing device is sometimes described as being used alone, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that the processing device may include multiple processing elements and/or multiple types of processing elements. For example, the processing device may include multiple processors, or a processor and a controller. Other processing configurations, such as parallel processors, are also possible.

The software may include a computer program, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more of these, which may configure a processing device to perform a desired operation or may, independently or collectively, command the processing device. The software and/or data may be permanently or temporarily embodied in any type of machine, component, physical device, virtual equipment, computer storage medium or device, or transmitted signal waves, for interpretation by the processing device or for providing instructions or data to the processing device. The software may also be distributed over network-connected computer systems, and stored or executed in a distributed manner. The software and data may be stored on one or more computer-readable recording media.

The method according to the embodiment may be implemented in the form of program commands that can be executed through various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program commands, data files, data structures, etc., alone or in combination. The program commands recorded on the medium may be those specially designed and configured for the embodiment or may be those known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program commands such as ROMs, RAMs, flash memories, etc. Examples of the program commands include not only machine language codes generated by a compiler but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc. The above-mentioned hardware devices may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the embodiment, and vice versa.

The computer-readable recording medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, the term 'non-transitory storage medium' means a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and this term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently in the storage medium and cases where data is stored temporarily. For example, the 'non-transitory storage medium' may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.

According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a commodity. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a computer-readable recording medium, or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through an application store or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a part of the computer program product (e.g., a downloadable app) may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a computer-readable recording medium, such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, a server of an application store, or an intermediary server.

Although the embodiments have been described above by way of limited examples and drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations from the above description. For example, appropriate results can be achieved even if the described techniques are performed in a different order than the described method, and/or components of the described system, structure, device, circuit, etc. are combined or combined in a different form than the described method, or are replaced or substituted by other components or equivalents.

Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims are also included in the scope of the claims described below.

Claims (20)

In a method for a game providing device to provide an online game service,
A step of obtaining user input requesting purchase of an item used in at least one game among a plurality of online games;
A step of providing a redemption point corresponding to the item for which the purchase is requested; and
A step of providing integrated currency based on the cumulative value of the exchange points provided above being greater than or equal to a preset value;
The above unified currency is,
A method, wherein the currency is available for use in the above multiple online games. In the first paragraph,
The steps for providing the above exchange points are:
A step for identifying whether the item for which the purchase is requested is an item to be purchased; and
If the item for which the purchase is requested is identified as an item to be purchased, a step of providing the exchange points is included;
The above items to be purchased are:
A method comprising an item that can be sold to a non-player character (NPC) of an online game in which the item for which the purchase is requested is used. In the second paragraph,
The steps for providing the above exchange points are:
A step of providing the exchange points based on the value of the item for which the purchase is requested and the exchange value of the currency of the online game in which the item for which the purchase is requested is used for the integrated currency;
The value of the item for which the above purchase is requested is,
A method wherein the amount of currency of the online game in which the item for which the purchase was requested is used is obtainable when the item for which the purchase was requested is sold to the NPC. In the third paragraph,
The steps for providing the above exchange points are:
A step of calculating a first exchange point by multiplying the value of the item for which purchase is requested by dividing the above preset value by the amount of currency of the online game in which the item for which purchase is requested is used corresponding to one value of the integrated currency determined according to the exchange value;
A method comprising: providing a second exchange point calculated by multiplying the calculated first exchange point by a weight set for the item for which purchase is requested; In the first paragraph,
The steps for providing the above integrated currency are:
A step of providing the unified currency in the amount of the exchange amount based on a user input selecting the amount of the exchange amount;
The above exchange amount is,
A method that can be selected within the range of the quotient obtained by dividing the accumulated value of the exchange points provided above by the above preset value. In the first paragraph,
The cumulative value of the exchange points provided above is:
A method in which a value is individually provided and accumulated for each of the above multiple online games. In the first paragraph,
A step of outputting a first user interface representing items of the above plurality of online games; and
A method comprising: obtaining a user input requesting purchase of the item via the first user interface; In paragraph 5,
A step of outputting a second user interface that indicates the cumulative value of the provided exchange points and the preset value, and a third user interface that is activated when the cumulative value of the provided exchange points is greater than or equal to the preset value; and
A method comprising: outputting a fourth user interface for selecting the exchange amount based on a user input selecting the activated third user interface; In a game providing device that provides online game services,
a memory storing at least one instruction; and
At least one processor for executing at least one instruction stored in the memory;
The at least one processor executes the at least one instruction,
Obtaining user input requesting purchase of an item used in at least one of a plurality of online games,
Provides exchange points corresponding to the items for which the above purchase is requested,
Provides integrated currency based on the cumulative value of the exchange points provided above being greater than or equal to a preset value;
The above unified currency is,
A game providing device, which is a currency usable in the above multiple online games. In Article 9,
At least one processor of the above,
Identify whether the item for which the purchase is requested is an item to be purchased,
If the item for which the above purchase request is made is identified as an item to be purchased, the above exchange points will be provided.
The above items to be purchased are:
A game providing device, which is an item that can be sold to a non-player character (NPC) of an online game in which the above purchase request is made. In Article 10,
At least one processor of the above,
The exchange points are provided based on the value of the item for which the purchase is requested and the exchange value of the currency of the online game in which the item for which the purchase is requested is used for the integrated currency.
The value of the item for which the above purchase is requested is,
A game providing device, which is the amount of currency in an online game in which the item for which the purchase was requested is used, that can be obtained when the item for which the purchase was requested is sold to the NPC. In Article 11,
At least one processor of the above,
The first exchange point is calculated by multiplying the value of the item for which the purchase is requested by the amount of currency of the online game in which the item for which the purchase is requested, divided by the value of the above preset value corresponding to one value of the above integrated currency determined according to the above exchange value, and
A game providing device that provides second exchange points calculated by multiplying the first exchange points calculated above by a weight set for the item for which purchase is requested. In Article 9,
At least one processor of the above,
Provides the unified currency in the amount of said exchange based on the user input selecting the amount of exchange;
The above exchange amount is,
A game providing device that allows selection within the range of the quotient obtained by dividing the cumulative value of the exchange points provided above by the above preset value. In Article 9,
The cumulative value of the exchange points provided above is:
A game providing device, which provides a value that is accumulated and individually provided for each of the above multiple online games. In Article 11,
At least one processor of the above,
Outputting a first user interface representing items of the above multiple online games,
A game providing device that obtains user input requesting purchase of the item through the first user interface. In Article 13,
At least one processor of the above,
Outputting a second user interface that displays the cumulative value of the provided exchange points and the preset value, and a third user interface that is activated when the cumulative value of the provided exchange points is greater than or equal to the preset value,
A game providing device that outputs a fourth user interface for selecting the amount of currency exchange based on a user input selecting the activated third user interface. For servers that provide online game services,
a memory storing at least one instruction; and
At least one processor for executing at least one instruction stored in the memory;
The at least one processor executes the at least one instruction,
Obtaining user input requesting purchase of an item used in at least one of a plurality of online games,
Provides exchange points corresponding to the items for which the above purchase is requested,
Provides integrated currency based on the cumulative value of the exchange points provided above being greater than or equal to a preset value;
The above unified currency is,
A server that is a currency usable in the above multiple online games. For user terminals that provide online game services,
a memory storing at least one instruction; and
At least one processor for executing at least one instruction stored in the memory;
The at least one processor executes the at least one instruction,
Obtaining user input requesting purchase of an item used in at least one of a plurality of online games,
Provides exchange points corresponding to the items for which the above purchase is requested,
Provides integrated currency based on the cumulative value of the exchange points provided above being greater than or equal to a preset value;
The above unified currency is,
A user terminal that is a currency usable in the above multiple online games. A step of obtaining user input requesting purchase of an item used in at least one game among a plurality of online games;
A step of providing a redemption point corresponding to the item for which the purchase is requested; and
A step of providing integrated currency based on the cumulative value of the exchange points provided above being greater than or equal to a preset value;
The above unified currency is,
A computer program stored on a medium for executing a method of providing an online game service by a game providing device, which is a currency usable in the above multiple online games, in combination with hardware. A step of obtaining user input requesting purchase of an item used in at least one game among a plurality of online games;
A step of providing a redemption point corresponding to the item for which the purchase is requested; and
A step of providing integrated currency based on the cumulative value of the exchange points provided above being greater than or equal to a preset value;
The above unified currency is,
A computer-readable recording medium containing a program for executing on a computer a method for providing an online game service by a game providing device, which is a currency usable in the above-mentioned multiple online games.

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