KR20110127434A - Server, system and the method for on-line game patch - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A server for an online game patch, system thereof, and method thereof are provided to solve traffic concentration by controlling the transmission of a patch file in order to proportionally divide traffic. CONSTITUTION: A patch file storage unit(210) stores a patch file. A game provider(220) provides an online game service according to the access request of a user terminal(300). A version confirmation unit(230) confirms the version of an online game. A version comparing unit(240) compares the version of the patch file.

Description

Server, system and the method for on-line game patch

The present invention relates to a server, a system and a method for patching an online game, and more particularly, to an online game patch for transmitting a patch file while a user terminal plays an online game of a previous version of a patch file to be transmitted from a patch server. A server, a system and a method for the same.

A "patch" is an additional package from a supplier that supplements and resolves the problems of software that is already formally distributed, that is, the operating system and various applications. These patches are not only for security, but also to improve the performance of the software in many ways, such as faster execution of applications and memory leak prevention. A patch is a kind of supplemental program that compensates for the vulnerability in the target system. The patch can update the distributed software while maintaining the suitability for the target system.

In particular, in the case of online games, the game may be updated after the distribution or an error may be found and corrected. In such a case, the patch may be updated or the error may be corrected. Patch work is essential for online games, as work continues to increase the degree of completeness through changes to the fun elements of the game and new items.

In the past, patch files were downloaded and installed 1: 1. This is the most stable patch type. However, there is a problem that a lot of network traffic costs and patch time is dependent on the user's network environment.

Another existing patching method is to pack a patch file into small files so that only a specific unit file can be patched. The advantage is that only the modified contents can be patched, but the game developer's point is that additional work using the Pack Library provided by the distributor is required.

Another existing patching method is to extract only the modified part of the patch file in the form of a binary file and patch only the corresponding area. This method has the advantage of reducing the user patch time when a lot of network cost and efficiency is high, but there is a problem that it is difficult to control for each patch, and a separate file must be generated accordingly. There is also the problem of time-consuming patching and increased operating costs.

Another existing patching method is to download only the minimum files necessary to run the game and then download the necessary files one by one after executing the program. In this case, there is an advantage that the entire program package does not need to be installed on the client. However, it is very sensitive to environment variables of the user network, and there is a problem that the game may stop when there are many files to download.

Currently, in the form of patching in real time, a temporary patch traffic crowding occurs after checking, and a user's patch time increases due to real-time download and installation. In addition, the task of the personnel in charge of checking the patch at dawn time is being overburdened, and the current online game trend is increasing, but the existing patch form alone can not solve the problem.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide an online game patch system that can reduce the traffic of the patch server to reduce the operating cost, and can transmit the patch file without affecting the game during game play. have.

Therefore, the patch file is transmitted in advance while the previous version of the online game of the patch file is executed on the current user's terminal, so when the game needs to be executed in the next version, the patch operation can be completed without additional download and the game can be executed. Provides an online game patch system.

The online game patch server according to the present invention for achieving the above object, the patch file storage unit for storing the patch file and the game providing unit for providing an online game service in accordance with the user terminal access request and the user terminal is used A version check unit for checking a version of the online game, a version comparison unit for comparing a version of the online game with a version of a stored patch file, and patch-related information when a version of the online game is earlier than a version of a patch file And a patch file transmission unit for transmitting the patch file to the user terminal executing the online game.

The online game patch system according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a patch server for transmitting a patch file while the user terminal is playing an online game of a previous version of the patch file and during the online game access to the patch server And a user terminal that receives the patch file and executes the patch file received from the patch server.

In addition, the online game patch method according to the present invention for achieving the above object comprises the steps of storing the patch file and providing an online game service in accordance with the access request of the user terminal and of the online game used by the user terminal Checking a version, comparing a version of the online game with a version of a stored patch file, and if the version of the online game is earlier than a version of the patch file, the user who is running the online game according to patch related information. And transmitting the patch file to the terminal.

Also included is a computer readable medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the online game patching method.

According to the server, system and method for an online game patch according to the present invention,

First, the patch server can control the transmission of the patch file to properly divide the traffic to solve the traffic congestion phenomenon.

Second, operating costs can be reduced by reducing traffic on patch servers.

Third, since the patch file is transmitted during the online game of the previous version of the patch file on the user terminal, when the patch file needs to be executed, the patch file can be executed immediately without receiving the patch file, thereby providing convenience to the user. .

Fourth, since the patch server manages the patch file transmission status separately, the patch file execution date can be predicted from the user terminal, and version management of the online game becomes easy.

Fifth, it is possible to patch at a much faster speed than the existing patch speed.

1 is a functional block diagram of an online game patch system,
2A is an embodiment of an online game patch system,
Figure 2b is a view showing the effect according to the embodiment of the online game patch system of Figure 2a,
3 is an embodiment of using the patch-related information in the patch server,
4 is a flowchart of an embodiment of an online game patching method.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to this, terms or words used in the present specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to the common or dictionary meanings, and the inventors should properly explain the concept of terms in order to best explain their own invention. Based on the principle that it can be defined, it should be interpreted as meaning and concept corresponding to the technical idea of the present invention.

Therefore, the embodiments described in the specification and the drawings shown in the drawings are only one of the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical idea of the present invention, various modifications that can be replaced at the time of the present application It should be understood that there may be equivalents and variations.

1 is a functional block diagram of an online game patch system, which will be described with reference to the drawings.

The online game patch system includes a patch DB 100, a patch server 200, and a user terminal 300. The patch server 200 includes a network (including all networks of various types such as a telephone network, the Internet, and a wireless communication network). A plurality of user terminal 300 is connected through. In FIG. 1, only one user terminal 300 is illustrated, but a plurality of user terminals 300 may be connected.

First, the patch server 200 transmits a patch file while the user terminal 300 plays an online game of a previous version of the patch file, and the patch file storage unit 210, the game provider unit 220, and a version check unit. 230, a version comparison unit 240, and a patch file transmission unit 250.

The patch file storage unit 210 stores a patch file, and the patch file may have a different configuration according to system information of the user terminal 300.

In some cases, the patch file may need to consider a system environment (OS, graphics card, CPU speed, etc.) of the user terminal 300. In such a case, a patch file suitable for each system environment should be created, and a patch file suitable for each system environment should be installed. In order to install a patch file suitable for each system environment, the patch server 200 receives system environment information from the user terminal 300 and transmits a different patch file according to the system environment information, or at the patch server 200. Regardless of the system environment of the user terminal 300, if a patch file is collectively transmitted to the user terminal 300, the user terminal 300 may select and install a patch file suitable for its system environment.

In general, the distribution method of the patch file is collectively distributed without considering the system information of the user terminal 300 when the patch file is transmitted from the patch server 200, and the system information is transmitted from the user terminal 300 when the patch file is executed. Select and run the correct patch file. However, in this case, the size of the patch file is increased, so that the efficiency of the patch file may be increased by changing the configuration of the patch file according to the system information of the user terminal 300.

The game providing unit 220 provides an online game service according to a connection request of the user terminal 300, and while the game providing unit 220 is driven, the patch file transmitting unit 250 to be described below is a patch file. Send it.

The version checker 230 checks the version of the online game being used by the user terminal 300. The online game used by the user terminal 300 should determine whether a version upgrade is possible due to the execution of a patch file. In addition, since the type of the patch file is determined according to the version of the online game used by the user terminal 300, and whether the patch file is transmitted or not, the patch server 200 determines the version of the online game of the user terminal 300. You need to check the information about.

The version comparison unit 240 compares the version of the online game checked by the version checker 230 with the version of the stored patch file. Since the patch file is transmitted only when the version of the online game is earlier than the version of the patch file, a comparison with the version of the patch file is required.

The patch file transmission unit 250 is the user terminal running the online game according to the patch-related information, when the version of the online game is a version older than the version of the patch file, as a result of the comparison of the version comparison unit 240 The patch file is transmitted to 300. Therefore, even if the patch file does not exist, there is no effect on the online game execution on the current user terminal 300.

The patch-related information includes a patch including at least one of information of a patch file, a start date of transmitting a patch file, a distribution period, a transmission schedule, a transmission rate of a patch file, whether a patch operation is completed, information on a status of a patch file transmission, and a patch version. Related information.

 For example, when the patch file transmission unit 250 operates according to the patch related information, when a new patch file is stored in the patch file storage unit 210, a start date and distribution period for transmitting the patch file And patch-related information including the transmission schedule and the like is stored in the patch DB (100). The patch distribution period is fluidly operated according to variables such as game size, patch capacity, number of users, etc. The patch file transmitting unit 250 collectively transmits the speed of transmitting the patch in order not to affect the resources and performance of the user terminal 300. Manage by enemy. Since the setting is usually about 100MB per minute, for example, when a user terminal 300 using a game of about 60 minutes is patched at a speed of 10MB per minute, a patch file of 600MB can be transmitted. Accordingly, the patch file transmitter 250 manages and transmits patch related information including a distribution period, a transmission schedule, a transmission speed, etc. in consideration of a network state of a region to which the user terminal 300 to which the patch file is to be transmitted belongs.

In addition, in the case of transmitting the patch file according to the present invention, the patch file may not be transmitted in one connection because the patch file is transmitted little by little during the game. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the transmission status of the patch file so that only the part which cannot be installed at the next access can be transmitted, and the installation status information of the current patch file of the user terminal 300 should also exist.

Therefore, the patch information transmission status information of the patch-related information for this can be stored and managed through the patch DB 100 in the patch server 200, or the user terminal 300 for the online game patch server 200 At the same time as the access to the current patch version and transmission status information is automatically sent to the patch server 200, or when the patch server 200 requests the transmission status information to the user terminal 300 may be sent.

In addition, the patch-related information may be configured such that the traffic of the patch server 200 is less than or equal to a certain value in order to facilitate the transmission of the patch file. When the user terminal 300 accesses the patch server 200 for the game, the patch file is transmitted. However, even when there are too many game users, the traffic of the patch server 200 may be excessively increased. Therefore, a specific value is specified for the traffic of the patch server 200 in the patch-related information, and when the traffic of the patch server 200 becomes equal to or more than a specific value, the transmission of some user terminals 300 is stopped. Traffic can be controlled through methods. The specific value of the traffic can be set by the operator of the patch server 200 as desired, and the method of adjusting the traffic is various in addition to the method of stopping the transmission of the patch file for some user terminal 300 as described above The method can be used.

3 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of using the patch-related information in the patch server 200.

Meanwhile, FIG. 2A is an embodiment of the online game patch system, and FIG. 2B is a view illustrating an effect according to the embodiment of the online game patch system of FIG. 2A, with reference to the drawings. Explain.

First, referring to FIG. 2A, an online game patch generally means to check a previous version of an online game based on a current state and patch a next version. Thus, V1 and V2 mean the old version and V3 is the current valid version. Therefore, the existing patch system refers to a system that checks the system and patches it to V3 when the online game versions of the user terminal 300 are V1 and V2. However, the patch system according to the present invention is a system capable of pre-patching the next version that does not affect the user game version other than the currently valid V3 patch. These are V4 and V5, and only the patch work is done in advance in the user's environment, and the game actually runs with the live version V3. Accordingly, V4 and V5 described as "Background Download" in the drawing mean that the game is transmitted to the user terminal through the patch file transmission unit 250 when the game is executed without being affected. Therefore, when it is necessary to run the actual V4 version of the game in Figure 2b has already downloaded the patch file while running the V3 version of the game, it is possible to immediately run the V4 version of the game without having to download a separate patch file. Therefore, the traffic congestion phenomenon to the patch server 200 is significantly reduced because it is not necessary to download the patch file when starting the V4 version of the game.

In addition, when the patch file transmission unit 250 transmits the patch file, the patch file may have a different transmission size according to the online game access pattern of the user terminal 300. The online game access pattern means that the user terminal 300 analyzes the data using at least one of an average time of accessing the patch server 200 and an average use time of the online game.

For example, if the user terminal 300 accesses the patch server 200 in the night time zone and the connection frequency is high, and the connection maintenance time is about 3-4 hours at the time of connection, the packet (patch In order to transfer a file, the size of a transmission unit divided by a certain size unit) may be made larger. However, if the connection frequency is high during the daytime period, but the connection holding time is about 30 minutes to 1 hour when the connection is made, sending a large packet may cause the transmission to fail.

On the other hand, the user terminal 300 is a communication device that can be connected to the patch server 200 via a network, for example, a variety of communication devices such as a wired telephone, a wireless communication terminal, a computer, a TV that can be connected to the Internet can be used. . Therefore, the user terminal 300 can be connected to the patch server 200 conveniently and quickly by using a PC communication, the Internet, a wireless Internet, a telephone network. The user terminal 300 includes a patch manager 310 and a game execution unit 330.

The game execution unit 330 automatically drives the patch manager 310 when the user terminal 300 executes a game.

On the other hand, the patch manager 310 receives a patch file from the patch server 200 while the online game is running, and executes the patch file to perform a patch operation when the patch file is completed.

When the online game is executed, the patch manager 310 checks the status of the patch file received in the previous execution of the online game and informs the patch server 200. The previous time refers to a past time point of accessing the patch server 200 to play an online game. The previous time point refers to a connection time point at which the patch file was last received, not just before the previous connection. it means.

As a result of checking the received status of the patch file, if the patch file transmission is not completed, the patch file of the portion not received from the patch server 200 is subsequently received and separated from the game in the "Background Download" method described above. Download the patch file. However, if online game execution is the first time, the patch manager 310 creates a folder in the user terminal 300 and sets a folder to receive a patch file. The folder is a storage space for receiving patch files by accessing the patch server 200, and a game developer or an operator can set a folder creation location. When the patch manager 310 is executed, the folder is located and the folder is found. Create a folder.

In addition, if the patch file transmission is completed as a result of checking the received status of the patch file, a patch operation is executed to execute the patch file. When performing the patching operation, after checking the system information of the user terminal 300, a patch file suitable for the user terminal 300 may be selected to execute the patch file. In the distribution method of the patch file, the patch server 200 distributes the patch file without considering the system specification of the user terminal 300 when transmitting the patch file, and the system specification is executed by the user terminal 300 when executing the patch file. This feature is useful when you need to select and run a patch file that matches your needs. In addition, when the patch file is executed, the patch file may be automatically executed when the patch file is completed, or the patch file may be executed with the approval of the user of the user terminal 300.

Meanwhile, the user terminal 300 in which the patch file is transmitted but the patch file is not executed, the user terminal 300 does not go through the process of downloading the patch file from the patch server 200 and executing the patch file again. It executes the patch file stored in the patch and immediately enters the game. However, since the patch files transmitted to the user terminal 300 are basically executed when all of the patch files are transmitted to the user terminal 300, the state in which the patch file is completed but the patch file has not been executed as described above. It's an unusual situation, such as the sudden end of an online game.

In addition, when executing the patch file in the patch manager 310, the speed is significantly improved by using the "move" command. Normally, the "copy" command is used. In the case of the "copy" command, the I / O of the hard disk "read / write" (Input / Output) is generated. However, the "move" command only slightly changes the file's location in the OS kernel, so I / O of "read / write" on the hard disk does not occur. Accordingly, the general user can feel a significant speedup.

The online game patch method may further include storing a patch file, providing an online game service according to a connection request of the user terminal 300, and using a version of the online game used by the user terminal 300. Checking and comparing the version of the online game with the version of the stored patch file; and if the version of the online game is earlier than the version of the patch file, the user terminal executing the online game according to patch-related information ( 300) transmitting the patch file.

The patch file transmitted to the user terminal 300 is executed when all transmissions to the user terminal 300 are completed. The operation or method to be executed is the same as described in the online game patch system. In addition, the patch file may be configured differently according to the system information of the user terminal 300, the patch-related information is the same as described in the online game patch system.

Figure 4 is a flow chart of the online game patch method is an embodiment of a method for an online game patch.

First, when the patch server is requested to play a game from the user terminal (S1), the patch server receives patch related information including system information and transmission status information from the user terminal (S2). The patch-related information also includes information obtained from the user terminal as described above. It is determined whether the transmission of the latest patch file is completed on the basis of the received patch related information (S3). When the latest patch file is not completed, the user terminal transmits the patch based on the received patch related information. The patch file is transmitted during the online game of the previous version of the file (S4). In addition, if the transmission of the latest patch file is completed (S3), the user terminal completes the patch operation when the game is executed (S5) and executes the game (S6).

It also includes a computer readable medium recording a program for executing the online game patch method of the present invention.

As described above, although the present invention has been described by way of limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto and is intended by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Of course, various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of equivalents of the claims to be described.

Patch 100 DB 200 Patch Server
210 Patch file storage 220 Game provider
230 Version Verification 240 Version Comparison
250 Patch File Transfer Unit 300 User Terminal
Patch Manager 330

Claims (16)

Patch file storage unit for storing the patch file;
A game provider for providing an online game service according to a connection request of a user terminal;
A version checking unit for checking a version of the online game being used by the user terminal;
A version comparing unit comparing a version of the online game with a version of the stored patch file; And
If the version of the online game is earlier than the version of the patch file, the patch file transmission unit for transmitting the patch file to the user terminal running the online game according to the patch-related information; Online game patch server comprising a. The method of claim 1,
The patch file transmission unit,
And the transmission size of the patch file is changed according to the online game access pattern of the user terminal. A patch server transmitting a patch file while the user terminal plays an online game of a previous version of the patch file; And
And a user terminal that receives a patch file while executing an online game by accessing the patch server, and executes a patch file received from the patch server. The method of claim 3,
The patch server,
Patch file storage unit for storing the patch file;
A game provider for providing an online game service according to a connection request of a user terminal;
A version checking unit for checking a version of the online game being used by the user terminal;
A version comparison unit comparing a version of the online game with a version of a stored patch file; And
If the version of the online game is earlier than the version of the patch file, the patch file transmission unit for transmitting the patch file to the user terminal running the online game according to the patch-related information; Online game comprising a Patch system. The method of claim 3,
The user terminal,
A patch manager that receives a patch file from the patch server while executing an online game and executes the patch file when the patch file is completed; And
And a game execution unit for executing an online game and simultaneously driving the patch manager. 6. The method of claim 5,
The patch manager,
And after checking the system information of the user terminal, selecting a patch file suitable for the user terminal and executing the patch file. 6. The method of claim 5,
The patch manager,
And when the online game is executed, confirms a status of receiving a patch file in a previous execution of the online game and informs the patch server. 6. The method of claim 5,
The patch manager,
On-line game patch system, characterized in that the patch file is automatically executed when the transmission of the patch file is completed or the patch file is executed with the approval of the user of the user terminal. Storing the patch file;
Providing an online game service according to a connection request of a user terminal;
Checking a version of the online game being used by the user terminal;
Comparing a version of the online game with a version of a stored patch file; And
If the version of the online game is earlier than the version of the patch file, transmitting the patch file to the user terminal running the online game according to the patch related information. The method of claim 9,
The patch file transmitted to the user terminal,
On-line game patch method, characterized in that executed when all the transmission to the user terminal is completed. The method of claim 9,
The patch file,
The online game patch method, characterized in that the configuration is changed according to the system information of the user terminal. The method of claim 9,
The patch related information,
An online game comprising at least one of information of a patch file, a start date of transmitting a patch file, a distribution period, a transmission schedule, a transfer rate of a patch file, whether a patch operation is completed, information on the status of a patch file, and a patch version. Patch method. The method of claim 12,
The patch related information,
The online game patch method, characterized in that the traffic is configured to be below a certain value. The method of claim 9,
The step of transmitting the patch file,
And the transmission size of the patch file is changed according to the online game access pattern of the user terminal. The method of claim 14,
The online game connection pattern of the user terminal,
And analyzing at least one of an average time of the user terminal accessing the patch server and an average use time of the online game. Storing the patch file;
Providing an online game service according to a connection request of a user terminal;
Checking a version of the online game being used by the user terminal;
Comparing a version of the online game with a version of a stored patch file; And
If the version of the online game is earlier than the version of the patch file, transmitting the patch file to the user terminal running the online game according to the patch related information; media.

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