A method for displaying chat rooms based on location information, a user terminal, and a server.

Abstract

To display a chat room in association with a map based on location information and provide an interface for participating in the chat room.SOLUTION: A method for a user terminal displaying a chat room based on location information comprises: displaying a map for a specific geographic area; displaying a first object corresponding to a first chat room in association with the map, the first chat room being associated with first location information, and the first location information and the specific geographic area satisfying a predetermined condition; receiving an input of an interaction with the first object; and displaying information regarding the first chat room.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for displaying a chat room in association with a map based on location information and providing an interface for participating in the chat room. [Background technology]

[0002] With the development of wireless communication technology and the widespread use of smartphones, messenger services that allow users to communicate with various people without restrictions on time or place are now widely available.

[0003] Such messenger services are primarily provided as a way for users to establish friendships with other users and create and / or operate chat rooms based on these friendships. Therefore, in order to create a chat room on a specific theme, users must identify the people who wish to participate in the chat room and create and / or invite them to the chat room.

[0004] However, in some cases, it may be desirable to create a chat room based on location, rather than creating a chat room based on a specific partner, as described above. For example, a chat room for searching for partners to do certain activities with in a specific area, or a chat room for searching for partners to trade secondhand goods or purchase jointly in a specific area.

[0005] When it is desirable to create a chat room based on location, there is a problem that it is difficult to provide a suitable service with a conventional messenger service based on friendships. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, a method is required that can create a chat room based on location and / or provide information therefor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0145684 (December 2, 2021) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a method for displaying a chat room in association with a map based on location information and providing an interface for participating in the chat room.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for displaying objects corresponding to chat rooms in association with a map, in which display conditions reflecting user selections are reflected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The method for displaying a chat room based on location information of the present invention is a method for a user terminal to display a chat room based on location information, and includes the steps of displaying a map for a specific area range, displaying a first object corresponding to a first chat room associated with the map (wherein the first chat room is associated with first location information, and the first location information and the specific area range satisfy a predetermined condition), receiving input of an interaction for the first object, and displaying information about the first chat room.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes a step of identifying a display condition associated with attribute information of a chat room, the display condition being executed before the step of displaying the first object, and the attribute information of the first chat room can satisfy the display condition.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, any one of the at least one attribute information is information about a creator of a chat room, and the display condition may be related to whether the chat room or the creator of the chat room satisfies a predetermined relationship with the user of the user terminal.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined relationship may be any one of a subscription or favorite relationship with the chat room, a friend relationship with the creator in the chat service where the chat room is operated, a relationship of participating in another chat room operated by the chat service with the creator, and a relationship of having a conversation history with the creator in the chat service.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the at least one attribute information includes information regarding at least one of a keyword, a theme, and a type of the chat room, and in the step of identifying the display conditions, condition information regarding at least one of the keyword, the theme, and the type can be acquired.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first location information may include at least one of location coordinate information, address information, area range information, and route information.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the step of displaying the first object may include the step of displaying the first object on the map at a position corresponding to the first position information.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present invention, the step of displaying the first object may display the first object in a predetermined arrangement in an area that is displayed separately from the map.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the step of displaying the information may include the steps of executing a chat application corresponding to a chat service in which the chat room is operated, and displaying a chat window of the chat room through the chat application.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes a step of displaying a second object corresponding to a second chat room in association with the map (wherein the second chat room is associated with second location information, and the second location information and the specific area range satisfy a predetermined condition), and the first object and the second object can be displayed separately according to a predetermined criterion.

[0019] The user terminal for displaying a chat room based on location information of the present invention includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute instructions contained in the memory, the processor being configured to perform each step of the method. Preferably, the processor is configured to perform the steps of displaying a map for a specific geographic area, displaying a first object corresponding to a first chat room associated with the map (wherein the first chat room is associated with first location information, and the first location information and the specific geographic area satisfy a predetermined condition), receiving an interaction input for the first object, and displaying information about the first chat room.

[0020] The method for displaying a chat room based on location information of the present invention is a method for a server to display a chat room based on location information, and includes the steps of: acquiring first location information associated with a first chat room from a first user terminal; providing a map of a specific area range on a second user terminal; if it is determined that the first location information and the specific area range satisfy a predetermined condition, providing information about a first object corresponding to the first chat room and displayed in association with the map on the second user terminal; receiving information based on an interaction with the first object from the second user terminal; allowing a second user of the second user terminal to participate in the first chat room; and providing information about the first chat room to the second user terminal.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes a step of acquiring information provision conditions for a target that receives information about the first chat room through the map from the first user terminal, and the step of providing information about the first object can be performed if it is determined that the second user satisfies the information provision conditions.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first location information relates to a region range, and the size of the region range may be limited by the information provision conditions.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first location information relates to a region range, and the size of the region range may be limited by at least one of the first location information and attribute information of the first chat room.

[0024] The server for displaying chat rooms based on location information of the present invention includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute instructions contained in the memory, wherein the processor is configured to perform each step of the method. Preferably, the processor is configured to perform the steps of acquiring first location information associated with a first chat room from a first user terminal, providing a map of a specific area range on a second user terminal, and, if it is determined that the first location information and the specific area range satisfy a predetermined condition, providing information on a first object corresponding to the first chat room and displayed in association with the map on the second user terminal, receiving information related to an interaction with the first object from the second user terminal, allowing a second user of the second user terminal to participate in the first chat room, and providing information on the first chat room to the second user terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] The method for displaying a chat room based on location information of the present invention has an advantage that it is possible to display a chat room in association with a map based on location information and to provide an interface for participating in the chat room.

[0026] In addition, the method of displaying a chat room based on location information of the present invention has the advantage that it can reflect display conditions that reflect user selections when displaying objects corresponding to the chat room in association with a map. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a network environment according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a user terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a user terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are exemplary screen shots illustrating a process of executing a method for displaying a chat room based on location information in a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are exemplary screen shots illustrating a process of executing a method for displaying a chat room based on location information in a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are exemplary screen shots illustrating a process of executing a method for displaying a chat room based on location information in a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are exemplary screen shots illustrating a process of executing a method for displaying a chat room based on location information in a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 10 is an example screen of a process in which a user terminal executes a method for displaying a chat room based on location information according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a server according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a server according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 10 is a table illustrating criteria for limiting the size of a region range when location information of a chat room relates to region range information, according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the same and / or similar components will be given the same reference numerals regardless of the drawing numbers, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, in describing the embodiments disclosed herein, if a detailed description of related known technology is determined to obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0029] 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 used only to distinguish one component from another.

[0030] A singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0031] In this application, the steps described may be performed in any order except where a specific causal relationship dictates that the steps be performed in the listed order.

[0032] In this application, the terms "comprise" or "have" and the like are intended to specify the presence of any feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof stated in the specification, but should be understood as not precluding the presence or possible addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0033] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a network environment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] The network environment according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 may include a server 10, a first user terminal 20, and a second user terminal 30.

[0036] The server is a device that provides map information and messenger services to the user terminals 30. The user terminals 30, exemplified by the first user terminal 20 and the second user terminal 30, are devices that use the map information and messenger services provided by the server 10.

[0037] The map information service may be a service in which the server 10 provides map information for a specific area requested by a user. The map information service of the present invention is provided to the user terminal 30 via a network, and may provide map information based on the current location of the user terminal 30. Specifically, the map information may include not only geographical information for the corresponding area, but also information on points of interest (POIs) such as transportation information, restaurants (gourmet information), and tourist attractions.

[0038] The messenger service is a service that allows multiple users to send or receive messages between each other through a platform provided by the server 10. Here, a message can be understood to include all transmittable data such as text, photos, videos, audio files, emoticons, etc.

[0039] The network is not limited to a communication method and may include not only a communication method using a communication network (e.g., a mobile communication network, a wired Internet, a wireless Internet, or a broadcasting network) but also a short-range wireless communication.

[0040] The server 10 may be embodied as a computer device or multiple computers that provide instructions, codes, files, content, services, etc. The server 10 may be a server 10 that can communicate with the user terminal 30 via a network and send and receive information.

[0041] The server 10 may include a processor 11 , a memory 12 , and a communication unit 13 .

[0042] The processor 11 controls the overall operation of the memory 12 and the communication unit 13 and can provide a messenger service to the user terminal 30 .

[0043] The memory 12 functions as a storage medium and can store a plurality of application programs run by the server 10, as well as data and instructions for the operation of the server 10. In one embodiment, the memory 12 can store applications related to providing map information and messenger services.

[0044] Such memory 12 may be provided as hardware in the form of various storage devices such as ROM, RAM, flash drive, hard drive, etc., and / or in the form of web storage.

[0045] The communication unit 13 can communicate with the user terminal 30 via a network in a wired or wireless manner.

[0046] The server 10 of the present invention acquires first location information associated with a first chat room from a first user terminal 20, provides a map of a specific area range to a second user terminal 30, and if it is determined that the first location information and the specific area range satisfy a predetermined condition, provides information on a first object corresponding to the first chat room, which is displayed in association with the map on the second user terminal 30. Thereafter, the server 10 receives information on an interaction with the first object from the second user terminal 30, allows the second user to participate in the first chat room, and provides information on the first chat room to the second user terminal 30.

[0047] Here, the server 10 may be divided into a map provider and a chat service provider, depending on the circumstances. The map provider may provide a map and objects corresponding to chat rooms in association with the map. The chat service provider may obtain information associated with the chat rooms and provide information about the chat rooms. The map provider and the chat service provider may be operated by the same entity, or may be operated by different entities that are operationally related to each other.

[0048] Here, the specific area range refers to the geographical range described by the provided map information. Such a specific area range may be determined based on the range of latitude and longitude coordinates corresponding to a location, or the range of an administrative district. Also, such a specific area range may be determined based on the user's current location or the area searched and / or requested by the user. In some cases, the overall area range that the server 10 can provide is determined, and the specific area range may be limited within the overall area range.

[0049] Here, the chat room object (e.g., the first object of the first chat room) may be a graphical user interface (GUI) for displaying the existence of the chat room on a map. The chat room object may be displayed on the map at a location associated with the location information of the chat room. The object may correspond to the corresponding chat room. Thus, a user may enter an interaction with the chat room object, select the corresponding chat room, and / or enter the chat window of the corresponding chat room.

[0050] Here, interaction means that the user operates the input unit of the user terminal 30 and inputs information that reflects the user's selection or intention into the user terminal 30. Therefore, when the server 10 receives information resulting from an interaction, it means that the server 10 receives the information that the user has input into the user terminal 30 and the associated interaction via the network.

[0051] In the present invention, the first user terminal 20 is a terminal device corresponding to the first user, and the second user terminal 30 is a terminal device corresponding to the second user. The first user and the second user are users of the service provided by the server 10, and can correspond to the account information of each user registered in the service provided by the server 10. Hereinafter, when the server 10 provides information or services to the first user and the second user, it can be interpreted as providing information or services to the first user terminal 30 and the second user terminal 30 through the corresponding user account information.

[0052] In the present invention, the roles, qualifications, or privileges of the first and second users are not distinguished from one another, but for ease of explanation, the roles are distinguished and described as follows: In the present invention, the first user opens a chat room and provides location information associated with the chat room, while the second user identifies the corresponding chat room through a map and enters the corresponding chat room. The present invention does not limit the roles, qualifications, or privileges performed by the users or user terminal 30. That is, the first user can also perform the role performed by the second user, and vice versa.

[0053] The first user terminal 20 is a terminal device that requests the server 10 to create a chat room and provides location information associated with the chat room. The first user terminal 20 may include a communication unit 21, an input unit 22, an output unit 23, a memory 24, and a processor 25.

[0054] The communication unit 21 can communicate with the server 10 or other terminals via wired or wireless communication.

[0055] The input unit 22 can receive various information through user operations and input actions, and can be a touch screen module, keyboard, mouse, button, camera, stylus, microphone, etc.

[0056] The first user terminal 20 can receive user interaction input through the input unit 22. An interaction means that the user operates the input unit 22 to input information reflecting the user's selection or intention into the first user terminal 20. For example, the interaction can be touching a touchscreen, clicking a mouse, typing on a keyboard, inputting sound into a microphone, taking an image with a camera, or recognizing the operation of a motion sensor.

[0057] The output unit 23 can output various information. The output unit 23 can be a display device, a speaker, a vibration generator, a tactile generator, etc. In some cases, the output unit 23 can be a device (e.g., a Bluetooth earphone) that is connected to the user terminal via wired or wireless communication (e.g., short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth®) and receives and outputs a signal.

[0058] The memory 24 functions as a storage medium and can store a plurality of application programs run by the user terminal 30, as well as data and instructions for operation of the first user terminal 20. Such memory can be provided as hardware in the form of various storage devices such as ROM, RAM, flash drive, hard drive, etc., and / or in the form of web storage. In one embodiment, the memory 24 can store an application (hereinafter, "application") associated with a messenger service.

[0059] The processor 25 controls the overall operations of the communication unit 21, the input unit 22, the output unit 23, and the memory 24, and can execute applications.

[0060] The second user terminal 30 is a terminal device that is the same as and / or similar to the first user terminal 20. The second user terminal 30 is a terminal device that receives and displays map information provided by the server 10 and displays objects corresponding to chat rooms in association with the map.

[0061] The second user terminal 30 may include a communication unit 31, an input unit 32, an output unit 33, a memory 34, and a processor 35. Each detailed component included in the second user terminal 30 performs substantially the same function as each detailed component included in the first user terminal 20.

[0062] The second user terminal 30 displays a map of a specific area and displays a first object corresponding to the first chat room in association with the map. Here, the first chat room is associated with first location information, and the first location information satisfies a predetermined condition within the specific area. Thereafter, the second user terminal 30 receives an input of an interaction with the first object, enters the first chat room, and displays a chat window for the first chat room.

[0063] Hereinafter, a method for displaying a chat room based on location information in a second user terminal 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 9. In the following description, for convenience, the second user terminal 30 will be referred to as a user terminal 30.

[0064] The steps described below may be performed in any order except where a particular causal relationship requires that the steps be performed in the listed order. However, for the sake of convenience, the following description will be given assuming that the steps are performed in the listed order.

[0065] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the user terminal 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] In step S110, the user terminal 30 displays a map for the specific area range.

[0067] The user terminal 30 can receive map information for a specific area from the server 10. The user terminal 30 can display the map information received from the server 10 through an application or web browser with a map display function installed on the user terminal 30.

[0068] Map information may be limited to a specific area. Typically, the user terminal 30 has a display of a limited size, and the map is displayed through such a display. Therefore, the user terminal 30 displays a map that is limited to the specific area that can be displayed on the display.

[0069] In step S120, the user terminal 30 displays the first object corresponding to the first chat room in association with the map.

[0070] Specifically, the first chat room is associated with first location information, and if the first location information and the specific area range satisfy a predetermined condition, the user terminal 30 displays a first object corresponding to the first chat room.

[0071] The first chat room is associated with first location information. The first location information may be any one of attribute information associated with the first chat room. The first location information associated with the first chat room may be information determined by the user terminal 20 that created the first chat room and provided to the server 10.

[0072] The first location information may be one of various types associated with a location, for example, the first location information may be at least one of location coordinate information based on latitude and longitude, address information, area range information, and route information.

[0073] For example, if the first location information is a location coordinate, the first location information may be set in the form of latitude and longitude coordinates, such as (37.3957122, 127.1105181). Also, if the first location information is information about a region range, the first location information may be set as a region range within a radius of 2.0 km centered at (37.3957122, 127.1105181).

[0074] The first object may be displayed when the first location information and the specific area range satisfy a predetermined condition. The predetermined condition may be determined in various ways. For example, if the first location information is location coordinates, the predetermined condition may relate to whether the first location information is within the specific area range. In some cases, satisfying the predetermined condition may include not only the first location information being within the specific area range but also the first location information being within a predetermined adjacent area. In addition, if the first location information is an area range, the predetermined condition may relate to the extent to which the area range corresponding to the first location information overlaps with the specific area range.

[0075] The first object corresponds to the first chat room and may display related information such as the characteristics or attributes of the first chat room. For example, the first object may display at least one of the creator of the first chat room, the type of the first chat room, and the theme of the first chat room. In some cases, the first object may correspond to the first chat room and may only display simple keywords or the like without displaying related information such as the characteristics or attributes of the first chat room. In such cases, when a user enters an interaction with the first object, related information about the first chat room corresponding to the first object may be additionally displayed.

[0076] In step S120, the first object can be displayed simultaneously with the map in step S110, or optionally at the user's request for a separate display.

[0077] For example, an interface that allows a user to select a point of interest on a map may be displayed. An object corresponding to a chat room may be treated as a point of interest and displayed in one of the above-described interfaces. Specifically, such interfaces may include, for example, restaurants, cafes, bakeries, etc., and such interfaces may include an interface that displays "nearby chat rooms," etc.

[0078] For example, if a user inputs an interaction to select an interface that displays "food" from among such interfaces, points of interest corresponding to the characteristic "food" can be displayed on the map. Also, if a user inputs an interaction to select an interface that displays "surrounding chat rooms" from among such interfaces, objects corresponding to chat rooms that meet the location information conditions can be displayed on the map.

[0079] In step S130, the user terminal 30 receives an input of an interaction with the first object.

[0080] An interaction with a first object may include an interaction divided into multiple steps. For example, when a first interaction with a first object is input, detailed information and additional information about the first chat room corresponding to the first object may be displayed. Such additional information may include an interface such as "Join a chat room." A second interaction with such an interface such as "Join a chat room" may be additionally input.

[0081] In step S140, the user terminal 30 executes a chat application corresponding to the chat service in which the chat room is operated.

[0082] A chat room can have various operation methods. For example, a chat room can be operated by a chat application. In some cases, a chat room can be operated based on a web browser. In some cases, a chat service can be supported by a map application that provides map information.

[0083] In the following description, it is assumed that the chat room is operated by a chat application corresponding to the chat service, but this does not mean that the present invention excludes other methods for operating a chat room.

[0084] If the previous steps (S110, S120, S130) are performed in an application that displays a map, step S140 after step S130 is performed can be performed by converting to a chat application.

[0085] If a chat application is installed on the user terminal 30, the chat application will be executed, and if the chat application is not installed, a path to install the chat application can be connected.

[0086] If the user is logged in to the chat application on the user terminal 30 with a user account, the subsequent step S150 can be executed, but if the user is not logged in, a page instructing the user to log in may be displayed.

[0087] In step S150, the user terminal 30 displays information about the chat room through the chat application.

[0088] In step S140, the chat application is executed, and once login with the user account is completed, the user enters the first chat room. If the user needs additional permissions or settings to enter the first chat room, a guide for obtaining or entering such permissions or settings may be displayed.

[0089] Here, the chat room information may be a chat window of the chat room. The chat window refers to a chat window where a user can enter the first chat room and receive and / or send messages. The chat window may include a message display section where messages are displayed and a message input section where messages can be input. In some cases, information related to the chat room may be provided in step S150 instead of the chat window of the chat room.

[0090] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of a user terminal 30 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0091] Of the steps shown in the flowchart of Figure 3, only steps S119 and S121 are different from those shown in Figure 2, and the remaining steps are substantially the same as those described above with reference to Figure 2. For ease of explanation, when describing the operation of the user terminal 30 with reference to Figure 3, the differences from those described above with reference to Figure 2 will be mainly described.

[0092] In step S119, user terminal 30 identifies the display conditions associated with the attribute information of the chat room. Step S119 is preferably executed before an object corresponding to the chat room is displayed on user terminal 30.

[0093] In some cases, multiple chat rooms that meet the location information conditions exist within a specific area, and multiple objects corresponding to the chat rooms may be displayed in association with a map. In such cases, an excessive number of objects may be displayed, and two or more objects may overlap each other. Furthermore, a user may wish to display only objects corresponding to chat rooms that meet the desired display conditions in association with a map. In such cases, the user terminal 30 may display only objects corresponding to some of the chat rooms that meet the display conditions in association with a map.

[0094] The display conditions associated with the attribute information of a chat room can be set based on various criteria. Specifically, the display conditions may relate to whether the creator of the chat room and the user of the user terminal 30 satisfy a predetermined relationship. Here, the predetermined relationship may be, for example, one of a friend relationship in the chat service where the chat room is operated, a relationship of participating together in another chat room operated by the chat service, or a relationship of having a conversation history in the chat service.

[0095] For example, a user can input setting information into the user terminal 30 so that only objects corresponding to chat rooms opened by users who are friends in the chat service are displayed. Also, for example, a user can input setting information into the user terminal 30 so that objects corresponding to all chat rooms are displayed by the creator of another chat room, regardless of the relationship with the user of the user terminal 30. In some cases, such setting information may not be input by the user but may be provided by the operator of the service.

[0096] In addition, the display condition may be related to whether the chat room itself satisfies a predetermined relationship with the user of the user terminal 30. A user can form a relationship with a chat room by subscribing to the chat room, joining, setting it as a favorite, or adding it to a list. For example, if a chat room is a chat room for advertising or promotional purposes (e.g., KakaoTalk Channel (registered trademark)), the user can add the chat room to their list of chat rooms. In this case, the chat room and the user can satisfy the above-mentioned predetermined relationship.

[0097] In step S121, the user terminal 30 displays a first object corresponding to the first chat room in association with a map. Here, the first chat room corresponding to the displayed first object is limited to the first chat room whose attribute information satisfies the display conditions. If there is another chat room that satisfies the predetermined conditions for location information and the display conditions, the object corresponding to that chat room can be displayed.

[0098] After step S121, step S119 is executed again to change the display conditions, and in this case, step S121 is executed again to display the objects for the chat room that meet the display conditions.

[0099] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the user terminal 30 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0100] Of the steps shown in the flowchart of Figure 4, only steps S122, S160, and S170 are different from those shown in Figure 2, and the remaining steps are substantially the same as those described above with reference to Figure 2. For ease of explanation, when describing the operation of the user terminal 30 with reference to Figure 4, the following description will focus on the differences from those described above with reference to Figure 2.

[0101] In step S122, the user terminal 30 displays a second object corresponding to the second chat room in association with the map.

[0102] Although step S120 and step S122 are described in FIG. 4 as being performed sequentially, step S120 and step S122 may be performed simultaneously in some cases.

[0103] By performing steps S120 and S122, a plurality of objects are displayed in association with the map. The present invention includes displaying more than one object in association with the map.

[0104] In this way, when multiple objects are displayed in association with a map for a specific area, the objects may be displayed in excess of one another, or two or more objects may be displayed overlapping each other. Also, a user may wish to display only objects corresponding to chat rooms that meet the desired display conditions in association with the map. To this end, the following steps S160 and S170 can be performed.

[0105] In step S160, the user terminal 30 acquires information about the filtering conditions or priorities of the chat rooms.

[0106] The filtering conditions for a chat room can be set based on various information associated with the chat room, such as the creator of the chat room, eligibility to participate, type, description, theme, or participation period.

[0107] For example, chat room filtering conditions can be set based on the chat room type. In the present invention, chat room types displayed based on location information can include, for example, chat room types associated with sales and joint purchases, chat room types associated with finding friends to do certain activities with, or chat room types associated with advertising / public relations (e.g., KakaoTalk Channel (registered trademark)). In step S160, the user terminal 30 can provide a filtering selection function that allows the user to select at least one of the multiple chat room types.

[0108] Chat room priorities can be set based on various information associated with the chat room, such as the user's relationship to the chat room creator, the length of time the room is available for participation, or the user's distance from the current location.

[0109] For example, chat room priorities can be set based on the distance of the location information associated with the chat room from the user's current location. In this case, in step S170, the multiple chat rooms can be sorted and displayed in order of proximity to the user's current location.

[0110] In step S170, the user terminal 30 displays the first object and the second object separately according to a predetermined criterion.

[0111] Here, the predetermined criteria may be filtering conditions, which may be used to selectively display only objects that satisfy some filtering conditions, and / or may be arranged and displayed in a predetermined order based on priority.

[0112] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9, exemplary screen images of a process in which the user terminal 30 executes a method for displaying a chat room based on location information according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0113] 5 is an example screen showing a map and objects corresponding to chat rooms displayed on the user terminal 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 illustrates a screen resulting from execution of step S120 of FIG.

[0114] 5, a map 501 of a specific area is displayed on the display of the user terminal 30. A plurality of interfaces are displayed that allow the user to select points of interest to display on the map 501. Among the plurality of interfaces, an interface 503 that displays "Nearby chat rooms" is selected.

[0115] A first object 510 corresponding to the first chat room and a second object 520 corresponding to the second chat room are displayed in association with a map according to the selection result of the interface 503. The first object 510 and the second object 520 may be displayed at positions corresponding to the location information associated with each chat room.

[0116] The first object 510 and the second object 520 can display information associated with the attribute information of each chat room. For example, the first object can display the main theme, creator, exposure target, available participation dates, and interface for joining the chat room.

[0117] 6 and 7 are exemplary screens showing a map 501 and objects corresponding to chat rooms on a user terminal 30 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figures 6 and 7 show screens resulting from the execution of step S121 of Figure 3.

[0118] The user terminal 3 can identify display conditions 610, 710 associated with the attribute information of the chat room. Specifically, the display conditions 610, 710 may relate to whether the creator of the chat room has a predetermined relationship with the user of the user terminal 30.

[0119] 6, the display condition 610 is selected to be the case where the creator of the chat room is a friend of the user on the chat service. As a result, an object 620 corresponding to a chat room created by a user who is a friend of the user on the chat service is displayed in FIG.

[0120] Referring to Figure 7, the display condition 710 is set to display all chat rooms described regardless of whether the chat room creator has a specific relationship with the user. As a result, in addition to the object 620 displayed in Figure 6, Figure 7 can display objects 720 and 730 corresponding to all chat rooms whose location information associated with the chat room satisfies the condition for a specific area range.

[0121] 8 is an example screen displaying a map 501 and objects corresponding to chat rooms on a user terminal 30 according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 illustrates a result screen displayed after step S170 of FIG. 4 is executed.

[0122] Referring to Figure 8, the filtering conditions for chat rooms can be set based on the type of chat room. Specifically, Figure 8 shows chat room types including an overall type 801, a joint purchasing / sales type 802, a chat room for finding friends to join (Let's join together) 803, and an advertising / public relations type 804, and among these, the chat room for finding friends to join (Let's join together) 803 is selected as a filtering condition.

[0123] As a result, a chat room for finding friends to join (Let's join) 803 is selected from among the multiple chat rooms, and the corresponding objects 810, 820 are displayed in a predetermined arrangement manner. Specifically, the objects 810, 820 corresponding to the multiple chat rooms that satisfy the filtering conditions are displayed in order of priority based on the distance 805 from the user's current location.

[0124] 9 is an example screen showing a chat window of a chat room displayed on a user terminal 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 illustrates a screen resulting from execution of step S150 of FIG. 2. Specifically, FIG. 9 illustrates a screen resulting from execution of an interaction with the "Join Chat Room" interface of object 810 of FIG. 8.

[0125] 9, a chat room screen 901 can be displayed through a chat application corresponding to a chat service in which the chat room is operated. The chat window 901 can include a message display section 910 where a message is displayed and a message input section 910 where a message can be entered. When a user enters a chat room, information about the corresponding chat room based on location information can be displayed through the message display section of the chat window.

[0126] Hereinafter, a method for displaying a chat room based on location information by the server 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0127] 10 to 11, the method by which the server 10 displays a chat room based on location information will be described, and some of the same content as that described in the method by which the user terminal 30 displays a chat room based on location information will be omitted.

[0128] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the server 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0129] In step S210, the server 10 acquires first location information associated with the first chat room from the first user terminal 20.

[0130] The first user terminal 20 may request the server 10 to open a first chat room and provide first location information associated with the first chat room. In some cases, the first user terminal 20 may create a first chat room through a request to create a location-based chat room that is different from a general chat room and is exposed to other users through a map by associating it with location information.

[0131] The first location information may be one of various types associated with a location, for example, the first location information may be at least one of location coordinate information based on latitude and longitude, address information, area range information, and route information.

[0132] If the first location information relates to information about a region, the size of the region may be limited by various factors. Specifically, the size of the region may be limited by the location information, information provision conditions (described later), and chat room attribute information. This will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 12 below.

[0133] In step S220, the server 10 provides a map of the specific area range to the second user terminal 30. Step S220 corresponds to step S110 described above.

[0134] In step S230, the server 10 determines whether the first location information and the specific area range satisfy a predetermined condition.

[0135] The server 10 may determine whether the predetermined condition is satisfied by various methods. For example, if the first location information is location coordinates, the server 10 may determine whether the first location information is included within a specific area range and then determine whether the predetermined condition is satisfied. In addition, the server 10 may determine that the predetermined condition is satisfied not only when the first location information is included within the specific area range, but also when the first location information is included within a predetermined adjacent area range. In addition, if the first location information is an area range, the server 10 may determine to what extent the area range corresponding to the first location information overlaps with the specific area range and then determine whether the predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0136] In step S240, the server provides information on the first object corresponding to the first chat room, which is displayed in association with the map, to the second user terminal 30. Step S240 is executed when it is determined in the previous step S230 that the predetermined condition is met. Step S240 corresponds to step S120 described above.

[0137] Although not shown in the drawings, if the predetermined conditions are not met in step S230, the server 10 does not provide information about the first object corresponding to the first chat room to the second user terminal 30. If the specific area range for which the map is provided is changed in the future at the request of the second user terminal 30, step S230 will be modified again, and if the predetermined conditions are met in this case, step S240 will be executed.

[0138] In step S250, the server 10 receives an interaction with the first object from the second user terminal 30. Step S250 corresponds to step S130 described above.

[0139] In step S260, the server 10 allows the second user to participate in the first chat room. To this end, the server 10 may request the second user terminal 30 to log in to the chat application and set personal information, etc.

[0140] In step S270, the server 10 provides information about the first chat room to the second user terminal 30. Here, the information about the first chat room may be a chat window of the first chat room. Step S270 corresponds to step S150 described above.

[0141] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0142] Of the steps shown in the flowchart of Figure 11, only steps S211 and S231 are different from those shown in Figure 10, and the remaining steps are substantially the same as those described above with reference to Figure 10. For ease of explanation, the operation of the server 10 will be described with reference to Figure 11, focusing on the differences from those described above with reference to Figure 10.

[0143] In step S211, the server 10 acquires information provision conditions for a target that will receive information about the first chat room through a map from the first user terminal 20. The first user can set the information provision conditions and determine to which other users the chat room he or she has opened will be exposed through the map.

[0144] The information provision conditions may be determined based on the relationship with the first user on the chat service. For example, the information provision conditions may be that the other party is a friend of the first user on the chat service, that the other party participates in a specific chat room with the first user on the chat service, or that the other party has a conversation history with the first user on the chat service. This allows the chat room opened by the first user to be exposed only to a limited number of people according to the user's intention, rather than being exposed to an unspecified number of people.

[0145] In step S231, the server 10 determines whether the second user satisfies the information provision conditions. Only when the server 10 determines in step S231 that the second user satisfies the information provision conditions, the subsequent step S240 is executed.

[0146] Although not shown in the drawings, if the second user does not satisfy the information provision conditions in step S231, the server 10 does not provide information on the first object corresponding to the first chat room to the second user terminal 30. If the information provision conditions change in the first user terminal 20 and / or the relationship between the first user and the second user changes in the future, and the second user now satisfies the information provision conditions, step S231 is modified again, and if the predetermined conditions are satisfied, step S240 is executed.

[0147] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 12, an example of a process in which the server 10 executes a method for displaying a chat room based on location information according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0148] If the location information of the chat room is information about a region, the first user terminal 20 can determine the region by inputting information about the center position and radius of the region in which the first object corresponding to the first chat room can be displayed. For example, the first user terminal 20 can set the location information of the first chat room as a region within a radius of 2.0 km centered on (37.3957122, 127.1105181). In this case, the server 10 can compare the region of the chat room with a specific region on a map provided to the second user, and if a predetermined condition is met, the second user terminal 30 can display the first object corresponding to the first chat room.

[0149] A first user who wants to expose a chat room to other users may set the area range of the chat room too broadly to expose the chat room information to more users, but in this case, the other user (second user) may experience inconvenience such as difficulty in identifying the desired chat room information because too much chat room information is displayed in association with a map of the specific area range. Therefore, to solve this problem, the server 10 needs to limit the maximum size of the area range that can be set when the location information of the chat room relates to area range information.

[0150] 12 is a table illustrating criteria for limiting the maximum size of a region range that can be set by the server 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention when the location information of a chat room relates to region range information. Referring to FIG. 12, if the information provision condition is "open only to friends," the theme of the chat room is "related to sales and joint purchases," and the location is "downtown," the first user can only set the region range of the chat room within 1.0 km of the center location.

[0151] 12, when the location information of a chat room is related to area range information, the maximum allowable radius of the area range that can be set can be limited by various factors. Specifically, the maximum allowable radius of the area range that can be set can be limited by the information provision conditions, the theme of the chat room, and the location category.

[0152] For example, even if the chat room has the same theme of "sales and joint purchasing" and is located in the same "downtown area," if the information provision condition is "open to friends only," the maximum allowable radius 1201 of the area range that can be set is 1.0 km, while if the information provision condition is "open to anyone," the maximum allowable radius 1202 of the area range that can be set is even narrower at 0.5 km. This is because the chat room is exposed to an unspecified number of people, and this is to limit exposure to too many people.

[0153] For example, even if the information provision conditions and chat room theme are all the same, the maximum allowable radius of the area range that can be set may vary depending on whether the location is "downtown" or "outside the city." Specifically, the maximum allowable radius of the area range that can be set may be narrower when the location is "downtown" than when it is "outside the city." This reflects the difference between a "downtown" location that is typically exposed to more users and a "outside the city" location that is typically exposed to fewer users.

[0154] Also, even if the information provision conditions and location classification are all the same, the maximum allowable radius of the area range that can be set may vary depending on the theme of the chat room. For example, if the theme of the chat room is "Finding friends to hang out with," the maximum allowable radius of the area range that can be set may be wider than if the theme is "Advertising / PR." This is based on the purpose of the chat room and the usefulness of the information.

[0155] The technical features disclosed in each embodiment of the present invention are not limited to the corresponding embodiment, and as long as they are not mutually incompatible, the technical features disclosed in each embodiment can be combined and applied to different embodiments.

[0156] Therefore, although each embodiment will be described focusing on its respective technical features, as long as the technical features are not mutually exclusive, they can be combined and applied.

[0157] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and variations are possible from the viewpoint of those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be determined not only by the claims of this specification but also by equivalents of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0158] 10: Server 20: First user terminal 30: Second user terminal

Claims

1. A method for displaying a chat room based on location information in a user terminal, comprising: displaying a map for a particular geographic area; Identifying a display condition associated with attribute information of the first chat room; When the user of the user terminal satisfies the display condition, displaying a first object corresponding to the first chat room in association with the map (wherein the first chat room is associated with first location information, and the first location information and the specific area range satisfy a predetermined condition); receiving an input of an interaction with the first object; displaying information about the first chat room; the attribute information is information about a creator of the first chat room, A method in which the display condition is determined to be met if the first chat room satisfies a predetermined relationship with the user of the user terminal (wherein the relationship is formed by the user of the user terminal performing any one of subscribing to, joining, setting as a favorite, or adding to a list for the chat room), or if the creator of the first chat room satisfies a predetermined relationship with the user of the user terminal.

2. 10. The method of claim 1, The attribute information of the first chat room satisfies the display condition.

3. 3. The method of claim 2, The display condition relates to whether the first chat room or a creator of the first chat room satisfies a predetermined relationship with the user of the user terminal.

4. 4. The method of claim 3, The predetermined relationship is A method in which the relationship is one of a subscription or favorite relationship with the first chat room, a friend relationship with the creator on the chat service on which the first chat room is operated, a relationship of participating together in another chat room operated on the chat service with the creator, and a relationship of having a conversation history with the creator on the chat service.

5. 3. The method of claim 2, At least one of the attribute information includes information regarding at least one of a keyword, a theme, and a type of the first chat room, The method wherein the step of identifying the display conditions includes obtaining condition information related to at least one of the keywords, themes, and types.

6. 10. The method of claim 1, The method, wherein the first location information includes at least one of location coordinate information, address information, area range information, and route information.

7. 10. The method of claim 1, The step of displaying the first object includes: The method includes displaying the first object on the map at a position corresponding to the first location information.

8. 10. The method of claim 1, In the step of displaying the first object, a method for displaying the first object in a predetermined arrangement in an area displayed on the same screen as the map, the first object being separated from the map;

9. 10. The method of claim 1, Executing a chat application corresponding to a chat service in which the chat room is operated; and displaying a chat window for the chat room through the chat application.

10. 10. The method of claim 1, The method further includes a step of displaying a second object corresponding to a second chat room in association with the map (wherein the second chat room is associated with second location information, and the second location information and the specific area range satisfy a predetermined condition); The method, wherein the first object and the second object are displayed separately according to a predetermined criterion.

11. A user terminal that displays a chat room based on location information, Memory and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute instructions contained in the memory; A user terminal, wherein the processor is configured to perform the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A computer program stored on a medium for causing a computer to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 in combination with hardware.

13. A method for displaying chat rooms based on location information by a server, comprising: acquiring first location information associated with the first chat room from the first user terminal; providing a map of a specific area to a second user terminal; Identifying a display condition associated with attribute information of the first chat room; If the first location information and the specific area range satisfy a predetermined condition and the user of the second user terminal satisfies the display condition, providing the second user terminal with information about a first object corresponding to the first chat room in association with the map; receiving information resulting from an interaction with the first object from the second user terminal; allowing a second user of the second user terminal to participate in the first chat room; providing information about the first chat room to the second user terminal; the attribute information is information about a creator of the first chat room, The display condition is determined to be satisfied if the first chat room satisfies a predetermined relationship with the user of the second user terminal (wherein the relationship is formed by the user of the second user terminal performing any one of subscribing to, joining, setting as a favorite, and adding to a list for the chat room), or if the creator of the first chat room satisfies a predetermined relationship with the user of the second user terminal; method.

14. 14. The method of claim 13, The method further includes acquiring, from the first user terminal through the map, an information provision condition for a target that receives information about the first chat room; The method, wherein the step of providing information about the first object is executed when it is determined that the second user satisfies the information providing condition.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, the first location information is related to a geographical area; The size of the area range is limited by the information provision conditions.

16. The method of claim 13, the first location information is related to a geographical area; The size of the area range is limited by at least one of the first location information and attribute information of the first chat room.

17. A server that displays chat rooms based on location information, Memory and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute instructions contained in the memory; A server, wherein the processor is configured to perform the steps of the method according to any one of claims 13 to 16.

18. A method for displaying a chat room based on location information in a user terminal, comprising: displaying a map for a particular geographic area; Displaying a first object corresponding to a first chat room in association with the map (wherein the first chat room is associated with first location information, and the first location information and the specific area range satisfy a predetermined condition); receiving an input of an interaction with the first object; displaying information about the first chat room; the first location information includes information about a region range; the area range includes a maximum allowable range determined according to attribute information of the first chat room, the maximum allowable range is a range centered on the first object corresponding to the first chat room, and is a range in which display of the first object is allowable; When the range specified by the maximum allowable range and the specific area range overlap by a predetermined degree or more, it is determined that the first location information and the specific area range satisfy a predetermined condition. method.

19. 20. The method of claim 18, The attribute information includes at least one of a disclosure range, a theme, and a location classification that are distinguished depending on a relationship with a creator of the first chat room.

Images