System and Method for Renting Virtual Articles

Abstract

A system for renting virtual article includes: a renting control unit, configured to rent a virtual article according to a hiring request, and stop renting the virtual article according to a stop-renting request; a monitoring unit, configured to monitor rented condition of the virtual article, and send the stop-renting request to the renting control unit if a stop-renting criterion is met.

1 . A system for renting virtual article, comprising:
 a renting control unit ( 103 ), configured to rent a virtual article according to a hiring request, and stop renting the virtual article according to a stop-renting request;   a monitoring unit ( 101 ), configured to monitor rented condition of the virtual article, and send the stop-renting request to the renting control unit ( 103 ) if a stop-renting criterion is met.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a rental information releasing unit ( 102 ), configured to communicate with the renting control unit ( 103 ) and generate virtual article rental information of the virtual article according to a renting request.   
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a storage unit, configured to store the virtual article rental information generated by the rental information releasing unit ( 102 ); wherein   the renting control unit ( 103 ) is further configured to search and output the virtual article rental information stored in the storage unit according to an inquiring request.   
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a settlement unit ( 104 ), configured to communicate with the renting control unit ( 103 ) and calculate a rent of the virtual article.   
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a verification unit, configured to verify whether a hiring side sending the hiring request meets a hiring criterion included in the virtual article rental information according to a verification instruction sent by the renting control unit ( 103 ), and return a verification result to the renting control unit ( 103 ).   
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual article comprises at least one of a game account and game equipment. 
   
   
       7 . A method for renting virtual article, comprising:
 renting a virtual article according to a hiring request; and   stopping renting the virtual article if a rented condition of the virtual article meets a stop-renting criterion.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the renting the virtual article comprises:
 modifying usage attributes information of the virtual article included in property information of a hiring side sending the hiring request and a renting side renting the virtual article, and sending a renting success message to the hiring side and the renting side respectively when the hiring side meets a hiring criterion included in virtual article rental information of the virtual article.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 calculating a rent of the virtual article, modifying the usage attributes information of the virtual article included in the property information of the hiring side and the renting side, and sending a stop-renting message to the hiring side and the renting side respectively.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the virtual article comprises a game account, and the renting the virtual article according to the hiring request comprises:
 freezing available fund of deposit amount in property information of a hiring side, storing the property information of the hiring side and an old password of the game account in game account rental information, generating a new password for the game account, replacing the old password in the game account information stored in a game database ( 20 ) with the new password, generating and sending a response message to the hiring side, and sending a renting notification to the renting side.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the stopping renting the virtual article comprises:
 calculating a rent of the virtual article, obtaining a calculated result, unfreezing the frozen available fund of in the property information of the hiring side, modifying fund information in the property information of the hiring side and the renting side according to the calculated result, replacing the new password in the game account information with the old password in the game account rental information, deleting information of the hiring side and password in the game account rental information, and sending a stop-renting message to the hiring side and the renting side respectively.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 before renting the virtual article, inquiring the game account rental information and the property information of the hiring side according to the hiring request;   if the hiring side meets a hiring criterion included in the game account rental information, freezing the available fund of deposit amount in the property information of the hiring side; otherwise, returning a rejecting response to the hiring side.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving a login request from a game user during a period that the game account is rented;   inquiring the game account information corresponding to the login request, and determining whether an identifier of the renting side of the game account is equal to an identifier of the game user in the login request;   if the identifier of the renting side of the game account is not equal to the identifier of the game user, searching the game account rental information, and determining whether the identifier of the game user in the login request is equal to an identifier of the hiring side in the game account rental information;   if the identifier of the game user in the login request is equal to the identifier of the hiring side in the game account rental information, allowing the game user to log in, and sending a notification to the renting side to notify that the game account is being used; if the identifier of the game user in the login request is not equal to the identifier of the hiring side in the game account rental information, sending a rejecting response to the game user;   if the identifier of the renting side of the game account is equal to the identifier of the game user, allowing the game user to log in.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the virtual article comprises game equipment, the renting the virtual article according to the hiring request comprises:
 freezing available fund of deposit amount in property information of a hiring side, modifying usage attributes information of the game equipment included in property information of the hiring side and a renting side, returning a response to the hiring side, and sending a renting notification to the renting side.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the stopping renting the virtual article comprises:
 calculating a rent of the game equipment, unfreezing the frozen available fund in the property information of the hiring side, and modifying fund information and the usage attributes information of the game equipment in the property information of the hiring side and the renting side according to a settlement result.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 before renting the virtual article, inquiring game equipment rental information and the property information of the hiring side according to the hiring request;   if the hiring side meets a hiring criterion included in the game equipment rental information, freezing the available fund of deposit amount in the property information of the hiring side; otherwise, returning a rejecting response to the hiring side.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 determining whether an operating request for operating the game equipment sent by the hiring side is legal;   allowing the operating request if the operating request is legal; and   rejecting the operating request if the operating request is illegal.   
   
   
       18 . A computer-readable storage medium having a program recorded thereon, wherein the program makes a computing device operate as:
 means A for renting a virtual article according to a hiring request;   means B for monitoring rented condition of the virtual article, and   means C for stopping renting the virtual article if means B determines that a stop-renting criterion is met.   
   
   
       19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the virtual article comprises a game account, and the means A comprises:
 freezing available fund of deposit amount in property information of a hiring side, storing the property information of the hiring side and an old password of the game account in game account rental information, generating a new password for the game account, replacing the old password in the game account information stored in a game database with the new password, generating and sending a response message to the hiring side, and sending a renting notification to the renting side.   
   
   
       20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the means C comprises:
 calculating a rent of the virtual article, obtaining a calculated result, unfreezing the frozen available fund of in the property information of the hiring side, modifying fund information in the property information of the hiring side and the renting side according to the calculated result, replacing the new password in the game account information with the old password in the game account rental information, deleting information of the hiring side and password in the game account rental information, and sending a stop-renting message to the hiring side and the renting side respectively.   
   
   
       21 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , further comprising means D for:
 before renting the virtual article, inquiring the game account rental information and the property information of the hiring side according to the hiring request;   if the hiring side meets a hiring criterion included in the game account rental information, freezing the available fund of deposit amount in the property information of the hiring side; otherwise, returning a rejecting response to the hiring side.   
   
   
       22 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , further comprising means E for:
 receiving a login request from a game user during a period that the game account is rented;   inquiring the game account information corresponding to the login request, and determining whether an identifier of the renting side of the game account is equal to an identifier of the game user in the login request;   if the identifier of the renting side of the game account is not equal to the identifier of the game user, searching for the game account rental information, and determining whether the identifier of the game user in the login request is equal to an identifier of the hiring side in the game account rental information;   if the identifier of the game user in the login request is equal to the identifier of the hiring side in the game account rental information, allowing the game user to log in, and sending a notification to the renting side to notify that the game account is being used; if the identifier of the game user in the login request is not equal to the identifier of the hiring side in the game account rental information, sending a rejecting response to the game user;   if the identifier of the renting side of the game account is equal to the identifier of the game user, allowing the game user to log in.   
   
   
       23 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the virtual article comprises game equipment, the means A comprises:
 freezing available fund of deposit amount in property information of a hiring side, modifying usage attributes information of the game equipment included in property information of the hiring side and a renting side, returning a response to the hiring side, and sending a renting notification to the renting side.   
   
   
       24 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the means C comprises:
 calculating a rent of the game equipment, unfreezing the frozen available fund in the property information of the hiring side, and modifying fund information and the usage attributes information of the game equipment in the property information of the hiring side and the renting side according to a settlement result.   
   
   
       25 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 23 , further comprising means F for:
 before renting the virtual article, inquiring game equipment rental information and the property information of the hiring side according to the hiring request;   if the hiring side meets a hiring criterion included in the game equipment rental information, freezing the available fund of deposit amount in the property information of the hiring side; otherwise, returning a rejecting response to the hiring side.   
   
   
       26 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 23 , further comprising means G for:
 determining whether an operating request for operating the game equipment sent by the hiring side is legal;   allowing the operating request if the operating request is legal; and   rejecting the operating request if the operating request is illegal.