Communications system

Abstract

A novel communications system is provided, including a plurality of user terminals capable of communication using a predetermined communication software program and accessible to Internet, and an administrator server on line with Internet, wherein each of the user terminals is capable of transmitting a character message comprising character information for designating a character, action information for designating an action of the character and a text message to another user terminal through Internet via the administrator server with use of the communication software program, while the latter user terminal having received the character message is capable of displaying an image of the character performing the action and the text message on a screen by selecting a motion picture file based on the character information and the action information received using the communication software program and executing the motion picture file.

1 . A communications system, which is configured to allow a terminal of a user utilizing the system to display information on the status of other users previously registered.  
   
   
       2 . The communications system according to  claim 1 , wherein the information on the status of other users is renewed at a predetermined time interval.  
   
   
       3 . The communications system according to  claim 1 , wherein an administrator server is provided which is capable of recording information on the status of a user transmitted from the user as well as of transmitting the information thus recorded to another user in response to a request from the latter user.  
   
   
       4 . A communications system comprising an administrator server acting as an intermediary in communication among users utilizing the communications system, the administrator server having a user information database in which user status information consisting of information on the current status of each of the users is recorded, and a group management database in which information on users belonging to a group of users is recorded on a group basis, wherein the administrator server is configured such that when the user status information is transmitted from a user to the administrator server, the administrator server accesses the user information database to renew the user status of the user recorded therein, and that when a user transmits a request for the user status information on another user to the administrator server, the administrator server accesses the group management database to extract said another user belonging to a group to which the user making the request belongs, then accesses the user information database to search for the user status of said another user and, thereafter, transmits information on the user status of said another user to the user making the request.  
   
   
       5 . The communications system according to  claim 4 , wherein terminals of the users are each capable of transmitting a request for user status information to the administrator server at a predetermined time interval and displaying the user status of another user belonging to a group to which the user transmitting the request belongs on the screen of the terminal transmitting the request based on the user status information transmitted from the administrator server in response to the request.  
   
   
       6 . The communications system according to  claim 5 , wherein the terminals of the users are each capable of transmitting a request for renewal of user status information for latest information to the administrator server at any desired occasion separately from the periodical request for the latest user status information.  
   
   
       7 . The communications system according to  claim 4 , wherein: the user status has two types of attributes including “OnNet” that is an attribute indicative of a state where a user terminal is on-line with Internet while a communication software program of the user terminal is active, and “OffNet” that is an attribute indicative of a state where the user terminal is not in the former state; and when the attribute of the user status is “OnNet”, the user terminal is capable of using instead of “OnNet” a user status item selected from a plurality of previously provided user status items or a user status item arbitrarily created by the user while imparting the same attribute as “OnNet” thereto.  
   
   
       8 . The communications system according to  claim 5 , wherein: the user status has two types of attributes including “OnNet” that is an attribute indicative of a state where a user terminal is on-line with Internet while a communication software program of the user terminal is active, and “OffNet” that is an attribute indicative of a state where the user terminal is not in the former state; and when the attribute of the user status is “OnNet”, the user terminal is capable of using instead of “OnNet” a user status item selected from a plurality of previously provided user status items or a user status item arbitrarily created by the user while imparting the same attribute as “OnNet” thereto.  
   
   
       9 . The communications system according to  claim 6 , wherein: the user status has two types of attributes including “OnNet” that is an attribute indicative of a state where a user terminal is on-line with Internet while a communication software program of the user terminal is active, and “OffNet” that is an attribute indicative of a state where the user terminal is not in the former state; and when the attribute of the user status is “OnNet”, the user terminal is capable of using instead of “OnNet” a user status item selected from a plurality of previously provided user status items or a user status item arbitrarily created by the user while imparting the same attribute as “OnNet” thereto.  
   
   
       10 . A communications system comprising an administrator server acting as an intermediary among users in communication of a character message comprising character information for designating a character, action information for designating an action of the character and a text message, the administrator server being configured to record user status consisting of information on the current status of each of the users.  
   
   
       11 . The communications system according to  claim 10 , wherein: the user status has two types of attributes including “OnNet” that is an attribute indicative of a state where a user terminal is on-line with Internet while a communication software program of the user terminal is active, and “OffNet” that is an attribute indicative of a state where the user terminal is not in the former state; and when the attribute of the user status is “OnNet”, the character message from a transmitting side is transmitted as it is to a receiving side via the administrator server, while when the attribute of the user status is “OffNet”, the administrator server converts the information from the transmitting side into an electronic mail and then transmits the electronic mail to the receiving side.  
   
   
       12 . The communications system according to  claim 11 , wherein the administrator server is configured to convert text information included in the information transmitted from the transmitting side into a body of the electronic mail while converting the character information and the action information into attachments attached to the electronic mail and then transmit the electronic mail with the attachments to the receiving side.  
   
   
       13 . The communications system according to  claim 12 , wherein the user terminal on the receiving side is capable of reconverting the electronic mail with the attachments into the character message in a state before the conversion into the electronic mail.