Electronic device and method for providing function related to game service, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

An electronic device according to one embodiment may comprise a communication circuit, a memory for storing instructions, and a processor. When the instructions are executed, the processor can: acquire a plurality of screenshot images of a game application from user terminals through the communication circuit; identify one or more screenshot images related to a specific event in the game application from among the plurality of screenshot images; and acquire a composite image including captured player characters (PCs) in the one or more screenshot images, by using a neural network.

Description

Electronic devices, methods and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for providing functions related to game services

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device, a method, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for providing functions related to a game service.

[0002] A common form of online gaming involves multiplayer, where users connect to an online game and play against opponents controlled by other users over a network. A Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), a type of online game, involves thousands or more users connecting to the same game or server over a network, each assuming a role. Within an online game, multiple users can cooperate to achieve a common goal. This goal may include scenarios (also known as boss raids) involving a common target, such as a boss monster.

[0003] Meanwhile, artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology for simulating neural activity of humans (or living organisms), such as perception and / or inference, and can be implemented by hardware, software, or any combination thereof designed to perform computations for simulating neural activity. Based on AI, an electronic device can be provided that automatically detects a subject from an image and / or video, or automatically generates text corresponding to speech recorded in an audio signal.

[0004] The above information may be provided as background art to aid in understanding the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the above is applicable as prior art related to the present disclosure.

[0005] According to one embodiment, an electronic device may include a communication circuit, a memory storing instructions, and a processor. The processor may be configured to obtain a plurality of screenshot images of a game application from user terminals through the communication circuit when the instructions are executed. The processor may be configured to identify one or more screenshot images related to a specific event in the game application among the plurality of screenshot images when the instructions are executed. The processor may be configured to obtain a composite image including player characters (PCs) captured in the one or more screenshot images using a neural network when the instructions are executed.

[0006] According to one embodiment, a user terminal may include a communication circuit, a display, and a processor. The processor may be configured to receive a user input for capturing an execution screen of the game application being displayed through the display after a specific event of the game application occurs. The processor may be configured to transmit a screenshot image of the game application to a server in response to the user input. After transmitting the screenshot image, the processor may be configured to receive, from the server, a composite image representing attendees of the specific event. The processor may be configured to display a screen including the composite image through the display.

[0007] According to one embodiment, a method of an electronic device communicating with user terminals may include an operation of obtaining a plurality of screenshot images of a game application from the user terminals. The method may include an operation of identifying one or more screenshot images related to a specific event within the game application among the plurality of screenshot images. The method may include an operation of obtaining a composite image including player characters (PCs) captured in the one or more screenshot images using a neural network.

[0008] In one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may include instructions. The instructions, when executed by an electronic device, may be configured to cause the electronic device to obtain a plurality of screenshot images of a game application from user terminals via a communication circuit. The instructions, when executed by the electronic device, may be configured to cause the electronic device to identify one or more screenshot images among the plurality of screenshot images that are related to a specific event within the game application. The instructions, when executed by the electronic device, may be configured to cause the electronic device to obtain a composite image including player characters (PCs) captured in the one or more screenshot images using a neural network.

[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary electronic device and user terminal according to one embodiment.

[0010] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary flowchart for explaining the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0011] FIG. 3 illustrates screenshot images according to one embodiment.

[0012] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary screen provided through a user terminal according to one embodiment.

[0013] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 6 is a simplified block diagram of electronic devices according to various embodiments.

[0015] Hereinafter, various embodiments of this document are described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0016] The various embodiments of this document and the terminology used therein are not intended to limit the technology described in this document to a specific embodiment, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and / or substitutes of the embodiment. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar components. The singular expression may include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, expressions such as "A or B", "at least one of A and / or B", "A, B, or C", or "at least one of A, B, and / or C" may include all possible combinations of the items listed together. Expressions such as "first", "second", "first", or "second" may modify the corresponding components regardless of order or importance, and are only used to distinguish one component from another, but do not limit the corresponding components. When it is said that a component (e.g., a first component) is “(functionally or communicatively) connected” or “connected” to another component (e.g., a second component), the component may be directly connected to the other component, or may be connected via another component (e.g., a third component).

[0017] The term "module" as used in this document includes a unit composed of hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be an integral component, or a minimal unit or portion thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, a module may be composed of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary electronic device and user terminals according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1, an electronic device (101) and user terminals (110) according to an embodiment are illustrated. The electronic device (101) and the user terminals (110) may be connected to each other based on a wired and / or wireless network. For example, the wired network may include a network such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), Ethernet, or a combination thereof. The wireless network may include a network such as long term evolution (LTE), 5G new radio (NR), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), Zigbee, near field communication (NFC), Bluetooth, Bluetooth low-energy (BLE), or a combination thereof.

[0019] In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a server of a service provider. The server may include a computer designed to provide server functionality, such as a workstation. The embodiment is not limited thereto, and the server may include a combination of a personal computer and software applications installed on the personal computer. The server may include a group (or cluster) of example workstations and / or personal computers. The server may be configured by the service provider to execute software applications for providing the service over a network, such as the Internet.

[0020] In one embodiment, the service provided by the electronic device (101) may include a community service for supporting various communications between various users. The community service may include at least one of a messaging service, a chatting service, and a forum service. Through the community service, users may exchange messages or information including text, images, videos, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may be a server for providing the community service, or may be another server configured to communicate with a server configured to provide the community service.

[0021] In one embodiment, the service provided by the electronic device (101) may include a game service. The game service may be provided for network-based playing of games such as role-playing games (RPGs), massive multi-user online RPGs (MMORPGs), first-person shooters (FPSs), and / or puzzle games. Through the game service, different subscribers may be connected to each other through a network, and may cooperate or compete. The electronic device (101) may support or execute functions related to the game service (e.g., matching of subscribers, provision of virtual spaces such as battlefields, trading of virtual items such as markets, and / or chatting between subscribers).

[0022] In one embodiment, the subscribers can access the electronic device (101) and / or the services (e.g., community services and / or game services) provided by the electronic device (101) using user terminals (110). For example, the services may be provided by a game application installed on the user terminals (110). The subscribers can access the services by executing the game application. In one embodiment, the community service may be provided through the game application, or may be provided through another application distinct from the game application. For example, the community service may be provided through an application installed on the user terminals (110) in the form of an addition to the game application (e.g., a bundle). For example, the application for providing the community service may be implemented within a web browser application. For example, an application for providing the above community service can be added to the above web browser application in the form of an add-on program or a plug-in program.

[0023] In one embodiment, the user terminals (110) may include a first user terminal (110-1), a second user terminal (110-2), and a third user terminal (110-3). For non-limiting examples, the user terminals (110) may include at least one of a smartphone, a smartpad, a tablet PC, a desktop, a laptop, a portable gaming device dedicated to game services, a gaming console, a smartwatch, and / or a head-mounted device (HMD). In FIG. 1, the first user terminal (110-1) is illustrated as a smartphone, the second user terminal (110-2) as a desktop, and the third user terminal (110-3) as a portable gaming device, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0024] In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may analyze screenshot images transmitted from user terminals (110). Each of the screenshot images is a snapshot of at least a portion of a virtual space (e.g., a virtual space referred to as a battlefield and / or a virtual world) provided by the electronic device (101), and may represent a state of at least a portion of the virtual space at the time when the screenshot image was captured. For example, in the screenshot image, one or more PCs (player characters), at least one NPC (non-player characters), and graphical objects for representing the terrain of the virtual space that were located in at least a portion of the virtual space at the time may be visualized. By analyzing the screenshot images, the electronic device (101) may detect a plurality of PCs associated with a specific event (e.g., PVP (player versus player), and / or PVE (player versus environment) such as a raid) that occurred in the virtual space. A single image representing a plurality of detected PCs can be generated by the electronic device (101) that detected the plurality of PCs and transmitted to at least one of the user terminals (110).

[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary flowchart for explaining the operation of an electronic device according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 illustrates exemplary screenshot images according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary screen provided through a user terminal according to one embodiment.

[0026] The electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 can perform the operations described with reference to FIG. 2. The operations of the electronic device of FIG. 2 can be performed by a processor (e.g., processor (510) of FIG. 5) included in the electronic device (101). In describing the operations of FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 may be referred to together.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 2, in operation (210), according to one embodiment, a processor of an electronic device may obtain multiple screenshot images of a game application. For example, referring to FIG. 3, the processor may obtain multiple screenshot images (310, 320, 330, 340) of a game application from user terminals via a communication circuit (e.g., a communication circuit (525) of FIG. 5).

[0028] In one embodiment, the first screenshot image (310) may include an image captured from the execution screen of a game application controlled by a first user terminal (e.g., the first user terminal (110-1) of FIG. 1). For example, the first screenshot image (310) may include an avatar (311) and a nickname (312) representing the appearance of a PC (player character) controlled by the first user terminal. In addition, the first screenshot image (310) may include an avatar (313) and a nickname (314) representing the appearance of a PC of another user terminal.

[0029] In one embodiment, the second screenshot image (320) may include an image captured from the execution screen of a game application controlled by a second user terminal (e.g., the second user terminal (110-2) of FIG. 1). For example, the second screenshot image (320) may include an avatar (321) and a nickname (322) representing the appearance of a PC controlled by the second user terminal. In addition, the second screenshot image (320) may include an avatar (313) and a nickname (314) representing the appearance of a PC of the other user terminal.

[0030] In one embodiment, the third screenshot image (330) may include an image captured from the execution screen of a game application controlled by a third user terminal (e.g., the third user terminal (110-3) of FIG. 1). For example, the third screenshot image (330) may include an avatar (331) and a nickname (332) representing the appearance of a PC controlled by the third user terminal. In addition, the third screenshot image (330) may include an avatar (321) representing the appearance of the PC of the second user terminal.

[0031] In one embodiment, the fourth screenshot image (340) may include an image captured from the execution screen of a game application controlled by the fourth user terminal. For example, the fourth screenshot image (340) may include an avatar (341) and a nickname (342) representing the appearance of a PC controlled by the fourth user terminal.

[0032] Additionally, the processor may obtain metadata for each of the plurality of screenshot images. The metadata may include at least one of information about the player character (PC) that took the screenshot (e.g., a character identifier, a player group to which the PC belongs, and a user account of the PC), information about the time the screenshot was taken (e.g., a timestamp indicating the timing of the capture, creation, or transmission), information indicating the location within the game where the screenshot was taken (e.g., coordinates and / or a region name), and information about the device that took the screenshot.

[0033] Referring again to FIG. 2, within operation (220), the processor may identify or filter one or more screenshot images, among a plurality of screenshot images, that relate to a specific event within the game application. For example, the processor may classify the plurality of screenshot images into those that relate to the specific event and those that do not. The specific event may include, but is not limited to, the defeat of an in-game boss monster or the successful completion of a boss raid.

[0034] In one embodiment, the metadata may be used, at least in part, to identify screenshot images associated with the particular event.

[0035] For example, the processor may identify whether a timestamp (e.g., timing of capture, timing of creation, or timing of transmission) of a screenshot image received from the user terminal is within a specified time range (e.g., 3 minutes) from the time when the specific event occurred. For example, the processor may determine that a screenshot image having the timestamp within the specified time range is related to the event. For example, the processor may determine that a screenshot image having the timestamp outside the specified time range is not related to the event. For example, referring to FIG. 3, the processor may determine that among a plurality of screenshot images (310, 320, 330, 340), screenshot images (310, 320, 330) captured within the specified time range are related to the specific event. For example, the processor may determine that among the plurality of screenshot images (310, 320, 330, 340), screenshot images (310, 320, 330) taken outside the specified time range are not related to the specific event.

[0036] For example, the processor may identify whether the location where the screenshot image received from the user terminal was taken is within the area where the specific event occurred. For example, the processor may determine that the location where the screenshot image was taken is within the area where the specific event occurred if the coordinates where the screenshot was taken are within a specified range from the coordinates where the specific event occurred, the coordinates where the screenshot was taken are included in the area where the specific event occurred, or the area where the screenshot was taken matches the area where the specific event occurred. The processor may determine that the screenshot image where the location where the screenshot was taken is within the area where the specific event occurred is related to the event. The processor may determine that the screenshot image where the location where the screenshot was taken is outside the area where the specific event occurred is not related to the event. For example, referring to FIG. 3, the processor may determine that among the plurality of screenshot images (310, 320, 330, 340), screenshot images (310, 320, 330) taken within an area where the specific event occurred are related to the specific event. For example, the processor may determine that among the plurality of screenshot images (310, 320, 330, 340), a fourth screenshot image (340) taken outside an area where the specific event occurred is not related to the specific event.

[0037] For example, the processor may identify whether the PC that captured the screenshot image received from the user terminal belongs to a player group (e.g., a party or a guild) associated with the event. For example, the processor may detect the specific event. In response to detecting the specific event, the processor may identify the PC associated with the specific event and the player group to which the PC belongs (or is affiliated). For example, the processor may identify the PC that generated the screenshot image and confirm whether the identified PC belongs to the player group associated with the specific event. For example, the processor may identify the player group to which the PC that generated the screenshot image belongs and confirm whether the identified player group matches the player group associated with the specific event. In one embodiment, the processor may determine that a screenshot image captured by a PC that belongs to the player group associated with the specific event is associated with the specific event. For example, referring to FIG. 3, the processor may determine that among a plurality of screenshot images (310, 320, 330, 340), screenshot images (310, 320, 330) taken by a PC belonging to a player group related to the specific event are related to the specific event. For example, the processor may determine that among a plurality of screenshot images (310, 320, 330, 340), a fourth screenshot image (340) taken by a PC not belonging to a player group related to the specific event is not related to the specific event.

[0038] Optionally, operation (220) may be performed at least in part by a neural network trained to analyze or synthesize screenshot images. For example, the neural network may be trained to filter one or more screenshot images among a plurality of input screenshot images that are related to the specific event.

[0039] Although it has been described that within operation (210), the processor acquires a plurality of screenshots and additionally acquires metadata, within operation (220), one or more screenshot images related to the specific event among the plurality of screenshots are identified, it is not limited thereto. For example, before acquiring the plurality of screenshots, the processor may first acquire metadata for each of the plurality of screenshot images.

[0040] In this case, the processor may identify one or more terminals related to the specific event among the user terminals that transmitted the metadata based on the metadata. The processor may receive one or more screenshot images (e.g., one or more screenshots identified in operation 220) from the identified terminals.

[0041] For example, based on the metadata, the processor may identify one or more PCs among the user terminals that transmitted the metadata and that are related to the specific event. The processor may receive one or more screenshot images (e.g., one or more screenshots identified in operation 220) from the identified PCs.

[0042] For example, the processor may identify, based on the metadata, one or more user accounts of the PCs that transmitted the metadata that are related to the specific event. The processor may receive one or more screenshot images (e.g., the one or more screenshots identified in operation 220) from the one or more identified user accounts.

[0043] For example, the processor may identify one or more screenshot images related to the specific event among the plurality of screenshots based on the metadata. For example, the processor may identify metadata related to the specific event among metadata corresponding to each of the plurality of screenshots. The processor may obtain one or more screenshots corresponding to the identified metadata (e.g., the one or more screenshots identified in operation 220). For example, the processor may receive the identified one or more screenshots from the identified one or more user terminals, the identified one or more PCs, or the identified one or more user accounts.

[0044] Referring back to FIG. 2, within operation (230), the processor may obtain an image including PCs captured in one or more screenshot images related to a specific event. For example, the processor may obtain an image (e.g., a composite image) including PCs captured in one or more screenshot images using the neural network trained to analyze or synthesize screenshot images. For example, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the processor may obtain an image (410) including PCs captured in screenshot images (310, 320, 330) determined to be related to the specific event. For example, the image (410) may include an avatar (311) and a nickname (312) of the PC of the first user terminal captured in the first screenshot image (310). Additionally, the image (410) may include an avatar (313) and a nickname (314) of the PC of the other user terminal captured in the first screenshot image (310). Additionally, the image (410) may include an avatar (321) and a nickname (322) of the PC of the second user terminal captured in the second screenshot image (320).

[0045] In one embodiment, the electronic device may use the neural network to obtain an image (410) that is combined with information (412) related to the specific event. The information (412) related to the specific event may include, for example, the timing at which the specific event occurred and a natural language sentence describing the specific event.

[0046] In one embodiment, the neural network may be trained to obtain an image (410) in which the PCs captured in the screenshot images (310, 320, 330) are displayed without duplication. For example, the avatar (321) of the PC of the second user terminal is captured in the second screenshot image (320) and the third screenshot image (330), but the image (410) generated from the neural network may include one avatar (321).

[0047] Referring back to FIG. 2, within operation (240), the processor may transmit the acquired image to a designated user terminal among the user terminals. For example, referring to FIG. 4, the processor may transmit the image (410) to the designated user terminal via the communication circuit. The designated user terminal may be, for example, a user terminal corresponding to a leader or manager of a player group associated with the specific event.

[0048] Although not shown in FIG. 2, the processor may identify, for example, from the neural network, a specific PC (e.g., a PC corresponding to an avatar (313) in FIG. 3) that did not take (or transmit) a screenshot image among the PCs included in the screenshot images related to the specific event. The processor may identify, for another example, from the neural network, a specific PC (e.g., a PC corresponding to an avatar (313) that appears in the screenshot images related to the specific event and did not take screenshot images) that exceeds a threshold number of times. The operation of identifying the specific PC may be performed before operation (240). For a non-limiting example, the operation of identifying the specific PC may be performed substantially simultaneously with operation (220) or operation (230). For example, but not limited to, the act of identifying the particular PC may be performed after act (220) or act (230).

[0049] In one embodiment, the processor may obtain information indicating the specific PC and transmit the information to the designated terminal. For example, but not limited to, the operation of transmitting the information may be performed substantially simultaneously with operation (240).

[0050] Referring to FIG. 4, in one embodiment, the screen (400) may be provided by the designated user terminal. For example, the screen (400) may be displayed through a display included in the designated user terminal. The screen (400) may be provided, for example, through the game service or the community service.

[0051] In one embodiment, the screen (400) may include an image (410) received from the electronic device (101) and objects (422, 424). In one embodiment, the designated user terminal may display one or more objects in the image (410) to determine whether to delete the specific PC based on the information received from the electronic device (101). For a non-limiting example, the one or more objects may include an object (422) including a text element such as 'Add' and an object (424) including a text element such as 'Remove'. For a non-limiting example, the objects (422, 424) may be positioned adjacent to an avatar (313) of the specific PC to indicate to the user which PC is to be deleted or maintained by an input to the objects (422, 424).

[0052] In one embodiment, the screen (400) may include an object (432) for storing an image (410) in a memory included in the specified user terminal, an object (434) for registering the image (410) in the community service, and an object (436) for distributing or sharing the image (410) through the game application and other applications.

[0053] Referring back to FIG. 2, within operation (250), the processor may receive a request for a specific PC from a designated user terminal. For example, after transmitting the information, the processor may receive a request for the specific PC from the designated user terminal. For example, referring to FIG. 4, the user terminal may receive an input to maintain or remove an avatar (313) and a nickname (314) of the specific PC within an image (410). For example, the input may include an input for an object (422) or an input for an object (424). In one embodiment, the designated user terminal may transmit a request to the electronic device (101) to maintain the avatar (313) and nickname (314) of the specific PC in response to the input for the object (422). In one embodiment, the designated user terminal may, in response to an input regarding the object (424), transmit a request to the electronic device (101) to remove the avatar (313) and nickname (314) of the specific PC. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 4 illustrates a case where the specific PC is one, but is not limited thereto. For example, the image (410) may include multiple specific PCs. In such a case, the designated user terminal may transmit one or more requests to the electronic device (101) to individually remove or maintain the multiple specific PCs.

[0054] Referring back to FIG. 2, within operation (260), the processor may obtain a modified image in which a specific PC is removed or maintained based on a request for a specific PC. For example, referring to FIG. 4, the processor may obtain a modified image in which the avatar (313) and nickname (314) of the specific PC are maintained in response to a request by input from an object (422). For example, the processor may obtain a modified image in which the avatar (313) and nickname (314) of the specific PC are removed in response to a request by input from an object (424).

[0055] Referring again to FIG. 2, within operation (270), the processor may transmit the modified image to a designated user terminal. Referring again to FIG. 4, the designated user terminal may provide a screen including the modified image.

[0056] As described above, the electronic device (101) can automatically generate images representing attendees of a specific event based on screenshot images acquired from user terminals. This allows users to easily identify and manage attendees of events such as Boss Raid, and reduces the problem of attendees being missed.

[0057] An exemplary hardware configuration included in an electronic device (101) and one or more programs executed by the hardware configuration to generate an image representing attendees of a specific event are described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0058] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) according to one embodiment. The electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 may include the electronic device (101) of FIG. 5. The operation of the electronic device (101) described with reference to FIG. 5 may be related to the operation of FIG. 2.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 5, according to one embodiment, an electronic device (101) may include at least one of a processor (510), a memory (520), and a communication circuit (525). The processor (510), the memory (520), and the communication circuit (525) may be electrically and / or operably coupled with each other by an electronic component such as a communication bus (502). Hereinafter, operably coupled hardware components may mean that a direct connection or an indirect connection is established between the hardware components, either wired or wireless, such that a second hardware component is controlled by a first hardware component among the hardware components. Although illustrated based on different blocks, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and some of the hardware of FIG. 5 (e.g., at least a portion of the processor (510), the memory (520), and the communication circuit (525)) may be included in a single integrated circuit such as a system on a chip (SoC). The type and / or number of hardware components included in the electronic device (101) is not limited to those illustrated in FIG. 5. For example, the electronic device (101) may include only some of the hardware components illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0060] According to one embodiment, the processor (510) of the electronic device (101) may include a circuit for processing data based on one or more instructions. The circuit for processing data may include, for example, an arithmetic and logic unit (ALU), a floating point unit (FPU), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a central processing unit (CPU), a graphic processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), and / or an application processor (AP). The number of processors (510) may be one or more. For example, the processor (510) may have a multi-core processor structure such as a dual core, a quad core, or a hexa core.

[0061] According to one embodiment, the memory (520) of the electronic device (101) may include a circuit for storing data and / or instructions input and / or output to the processor (510). The memory (520) may include, for example, a volatile memory such as a random-access memory (RAM) and / or a non-volatile memory such as a read-only memory (ROM). The volatile memory may include, for example, at least one of a dynamic RAM (DRAM), a static RAM (SRAM), a cache RAM, and a pseudo SRAM (PSRAM). The non-volatile memory may include, for example, at least one of a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable PROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), a flash memory, a hard disk, a compact disc, a solid state drive (SSD), and an embedded multimedia card (eMMC).

[0062] A communication circuit (525) of an electronic device (101) according to one embodiment may include hardware for supporting transmission and / or reception of electrical signals between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., user terminals (110) of FIG. 1). The communication circuit (525) may include, for example, at least one of a modem (MODEM), an antenna, and an optical / electronic (O / E) converter. The communication circuit (525) may support transmission and / or reception of electrical signals based on various types of protocols, such as Ethernet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), near field communication (NFC), Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy (BLE), ZigBee, long term evolution (LTE), fifth generation (5G), new radio (NR), sixth generation (6G), and / or above-6G.

[0063] According to one embodiment, one or more instructions (or commands) representing operations and / or actions to be performed on data by the processor (510) may be stored within the memory (520) of the electronic device (101). A set of one or more instructions may be referred to as firmware, an operating system, a process, a routine, a sub-routine, and / or a software application (hereinafter, “application”). For example, the electronic device (101) and / or the processor (510) may perform at least one of the operations of FIG. 2 when a set of a plurality of instructions distributed in the form of an operating system, firmware, a driver, and / or an application is executed. Hereinafter, the fact that an application is installed in an electronic device (101) may mean that one or more instructions provided in the form of an application are stored in the memory (520) of the electronic device (101), and that the one or more applications are stored in a format executable by the processor (510) of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a file having an extension specified by the operating system of the electronic device (101)).

[0064] Referring to FIG. 5, applications installed in the memory (520) of the electronic device (101) are illustrated based on different blocks. The server application (530) may include instructions for providing a game service and / or a community service. Based on the execution of the server application (530), the processor (510) may store or manage a game DB (550) and / or a community DB (560) in the memory (520) as a database for the game service and / or the community service. Based on the execution of the server application (530), the processor (510) may provide a screen related to the game service and / or the community service and / or information required to display the screen to a user terminal (e.g., the user terminals (110) of FIG. 1) connected to the electronic device (101).

[0065] In one embodiment, a database, such as a game DB (550) and / or a community DB (560), may include a set of systematized information to be shared, exchanged, transmitted, or received between software applications (e.g., a server application (530) and / or an image analyzer (540)) executed by a processor (510) and / or user terminals (e.g., user terminals (110) of FIG. 1) and an electronic device (101). In the set of information, different pieces of information may be combined with each other based on units such as types, columns, records, and / or tables. The combination of information may be used to add, delete, update, and search information within the database.

[0066] In one embodiment, the processor (510) of the electronic device (101) may manage information related to a game service using a game database (550). The information related to the game service may include information related to a PC and / or a user registered for the game service. For example, an account ID, a nickname of the PC, one or more virtual items that appear to be owned by the PC, and / or game money corresponding to the PC may be stored in the game database (550). In one embodiment, the processor (510) of the electronic device (101) may manage information related to a community service using a community database (560).

[0067] According to one embodiment, an image analyzer (540) executed by a processor (510) of an electronic device (101) may include instructions for automatically generating an image (e.g., an image (410) of FIG. 4) to be provided through the game service and / or the community service. As a neural network for automatically generating the image, an image generation model (545) may be provided as a part (or bundle) of the image analyzer (540).

[0068] Referring to FIG. 5, an image generation model (545) driven based on the execution of an image analyzer (540) may store a set of parameters for generating an image. The parameters may be used for multiple calculations for simulating a neural network. For example, the image generation model (545) may include multiple parameters related to a neural network having a structure based on an encoder and a decoder, such as a transformer. For example, the image generation model (545) may include multiple parameters for driving a neural network such as BERT (bidirectional encoder representations from transformers) and / or GPT (generative pre-trained transformer). The image generation model (545) may include an LLM (large language model) for processing natural language based on massive parameters. The embodiment is not limited thereto, and the image generation model (545) may include parameters for driving a neural network such as a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a feedforward neural network (FNN), and / or a long short-term memory (LSTM).

[0069] According to one embodiment, the processor (510) of the electronic device (101) may identify one or more screenshot images related to a specific event among a plurality of screenshot images received from user terminals. For example, the processor (510) of the electronic device (101) may identify, classify, or select the one or more screenshot images related to the specific event based on the execution of the image analyzer (540).

[0070] According to one embodiment, the processor (510) of the electronic device (101) may identify or select PCs included in the one or more screenshot images based on the execution of the image analyzer (540). According to one embodiment, the processor (510) of the electronic device (101) may include the selected PCs (e.g., PCs corresponding to the avatars (311, 313, 321, 331) of FIG. 4, respectively) based on the execution of the image analyzer (540).

[0071] According to one embodiment, the processor (510) of the electronic device (101) may store the image generated by the image generation model (545) in the memory (520) to provide the image generated by the image generation model (545) as at least one of a game service or a community service. The image may be stored in the game DB (550) and / or the community DB (560). The image stored in the game DB (550) and / or the community DB (560) may be transmitted to a user terminal (e.g., the designated user terminal) connected to the electronic device (101) via the communication circuit (525).

[0072] FIG. 6 is a simplified block diagram of electronic devices (e.g., electronic device (101) and user terminals (110)) according to various embodiments. The electronic device (101) of FIG. 6 may be an example of the electronic device (101) described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. Referring to FIG. 6, examples of the user terminals (110) of FIG. 1 include a desktop (110-2) and / or a smartphone (110-1).

[0073] Referring to FIG. 6, an electronic device (600) may include the electronic device (101) and / or the desktop (110-2) of FIG. 1. The electronic device (600) may include a processor (602), a memory (604), a storage device (606), a high-speed controller (608) (e.g., a northbridge, a Main Controller Hub (MCH)), and a low-speed controller (612) (e.g., a southbridge, an I / O controller hub (ICH)). Within the electronic device (600), each of the processor (602), the memory (604), the storage device (606), the high-speed controller (608), and the low-speed controller (612) may be interconnected using various buses.

[0074] For example, the processor (602) may process instructions for execution within the electronic device (600) to display graphical information for a graphical user interface (GUI) on an external input / output device, such as a display (616) connected to a high-speed controller (608). The instructions may be contained within the memory (604) or the storage device (606). The instructions, when executed by the processor (602), may cause the electronic device (600) to perform one or more of the operations described above. According to embodiments, the processor (602) may be configured with a plurality of processors, including a communication processor and a graphical processing unit (GPU).

[0075] For example, the memory (604) may store information within the electronic device (600). For example, the memory (604) may be a volatile memory unit or units. For another example, the memory (604) may be a non-volatile memory unit or units. For another example, the memory (604) may be another form of computer-readable media, such as a magnetic or optical disk.

[0076] For example, the storage device (606) can provide mass storage space to the electronic device (600). For example, the storage device (606) can be a computer-readable medium, such as a hard disk device, an optical disk device, flash memory, a solid-state memory device, or an array of devices within a storage area network (SAN).

[0077] For example, the high-speed controller (608) may manage bandwidth-intensive operations for the electronic device (600), while the low-speed controller (612) may manage low-bandwidth intensive operations for the electronic device (600). For example, the high-speed controller (608) may be coupled to memory (604) and to a display (616) via a GPU or accelerator, while the low-speed controller (612) may be coupled to storage (606) and various communication ports (e.g., universal serial bus (USB), Bluetooth, Ethernet, wireless Ethernet) for communicating with external electronic devices (e.g., a keyboard, a transducer, a scanner, or a network device (e.g., a switch or router)).

[0078] The electronic device (650) may be an example of a smartphone (110-1). The electronic device (650) may include a processor (652), a memory (664), an input / output device such as a display (654) (e.g., an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display or other suitable display), a communication interface (666), and a transceiver (668). Each of the processor (652), the memory (664), the input / output device, the communication interface (666), and the transceiver (668) may be interconnected using various buses.

[0079] For example, the processor (652) may process instructions contained in the memory (664) to display graphical information for a GUI on the input / output device. The instructions, when executed by the processor (652), may cause the electronic device (650) to perform one or more of the operations described above. For example, the processor (652) may interact with a user through a display interface (656) coupled with a display (654) and a control interface (658). For example, the display interface (656) may include circuitry for driving the display (654) to provide visual information to the user, and the control interface (658) may include circuitry for receiving commands received from the user and converting the commands for providing them to the processor (652). According to embodiments, the processor (652) may be implemented as a chipset of chips including analog and digital processors.

[0080] For example, the memory (664) may store information within the electronic device (650). For example, the memory (664) may include at least one of one or more volatile memory units, one or more non-volatile memory units, or a computer-readable medium.

[0081] For example, the communication interface (666) may perform wireless communication between the electronic device (650) and an external electronic device through various communication techniques, such as a cellular communication technique, a Wi-Fi communication technique, an NFC technique, or a Bluetooth communication technique, based on interworking with the processor (652). For example, the communication interface (666) may be coupled with a transceiver (668) to perform the wireless communication. For example, the communication interface (666) may be further coupled with a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiving module (670) to obtain location information of the electronic device (650).

[0082] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an electronic device as described above may include a communication circuit, a memory storing instructions, and a processor. The processor may be configured to obtain a plurality of screenshot images of a game application from user terminals through the communication circuit when the instructions are executed. The processor may be configured to identify one or more screenshot images related to a specific event in the game application among the plurality of screenshot images when the instructions are executed. The processor may be configured to obtain a composite image including player characters (PCs) captured in the one or more screenshot images using a neural network when the instructions are executed.

[0083] For example, the processor may be configured to transmit the composite image to a designated user terminal among the user terminals when the instructions are executed.

[0084] For example, the processor may be configured to, when the instructions are executed, obtain information indicating a particular PC among the PCs that did not capture one or more of the screenshot images. The processor may be configured to, when the instructions are executed, transmit the information to the designated user terminal.

[0085] For example, the processor may be configured to, when the instructions are executed, obtain information indicating a specific PC among the PCs whose number of appearances in one or more of the screenshot images satisfies a preset condition. The processor may be configured to, when the instructions are executed, transmit the information to the designated user terminal.

[0086] For example, the processor may be configured to receive a request for the specific PC from the designated user terminal after transmitting the information when the instructions are executed. The processor may be configured to obtain a modified image in which the specific PC is maintained or removed from the composite image based on the request when the instructions are executed. The processor may be configured to transmit the modified image to the designated user terminal when the instructions are executed.

[0087] For example, the processor may be configured to, when the instructions are executed, use the neural network to identify one or more of the plurality of screenshot images that are related to the specific event.

[0088] For example, the processor may be configured to, when the instructions are executed, determine whether the timestamp of the screenshot image is within a specified time range from the time the specific event occurred. The processor may be configured to, when the instructions are executed, determine that a screenshot image having the timestamp within the specified time range is related to the specific event.

[0089] For example, the processor may be configured to, when the instructions are executed, identify whether the location where the screenshot image was taken is within an area where the specific event occurred. The processor may be configured to, when the instructions are executed, determine that a screenshot image whose location is within an area where the specific event occurred is related to the specific event.

[0090] For example, the processor may be configured to, when the instructions are executed, identify whether the PC that captured the screenshot image belongs to a player group associated with the specific event. The processor may be configured to, when the instructions are executed, determine that a screenshot image captured by a PC belonging to the player group is associated with the specific event.

[0091] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a user terminal as described above may include a communication circuit, a display, and a processor. The processor may be configured to receive a user input for capturing an execution screen of the game application being displayed through the display after a specific event of the game application occurs. The processor may be configured to transmit a screenshot image of the game application to a server in response to the user input. After transmitting the screenshot image, the processor may be configured to receive, from the server, a composite image representing attendees of the specific event. The processor may be configured to display a screen including the composite image through the display.

[0092] For example, the processor may be configured to display an object within the screen for removing a specific PC (player character) from among the PCs included in the composite image.

[0093] For example, the processor may be configured to, after receiving an input for the object, display a screen including a modified image in which the specific PC has been deleted from the composite image through the display.

[0094] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method of an electronic device communicating with user terminals as described above may include an operation of obtaining a plurality of screenshot images of a game application from the user terminals. The method may include an operation of identifying one or more screenshot images related to a specific event within the game application among the plurality of screenshot images. The method may include an operation of obtaining a composite image including player characters (PCs) captured in the one or more screenshot images using a neural network.

[0095] For example, the method may include an operation of transmitting the composite image to a designated user terminal among the user terminals.

[0096] For example, the method may include an operation of obtaining information indicating a specific PC among the PCs that did not capture one or more of the screenshot images. The method may include an operation of transmitting the information to the designated user terminal.

[0097] For example, the method may include, after transmitting the information, receiving a request for the specific PC from the designated user terminal. The method may include, based on the request, obtaining a modified image in which the specific PC is maintained or removed from the composite image. The method may include transmitting the modified image to the designated user terminal.

[0098] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described above may include instructions. The instructions, when executed by an electronic device, may be configured to cause the electronic device to obtain a plurality of screenshot images of a game application from user terminals via a communication circuit. The instructions, when executed by the electronic device, may be configured to cause the electronic device to identify one or more screenshot images among the plurality of screenshot images that are related to a specific event within the game application. The instructions, when executed by the electronic device, may be configured to cause the electronic device to obtain a composite image including player characters (PCs) captured in the one or more screenshot images using a neural network.

[0099] For example, the instructions, when executed by the electronic device, may be configured to cause the electronic device to transmit the composite image to a designated user terminal among the user terminals.

[0100] For example, the instructions, when executed by the electronic device, may be configured to cause the electronic device to obtain information indicating a particular PC among the PCs that did not capture one or more of the screenshot images. The instructions, when executed by the electronic device, may be configured to cause the electronic device to transmit the information to the designated user terminal.

[0101] For example, the instructions, when executed by the electronic device, may be configured to cause the electronic device to receive a request for the specific PC from the designated user terminal after transmitting the information. The instructions, when executed by the electronic device, may be configured to cause the electronic device to obtain a modified image in which the specific PC is maintained or removed from the composite image based on the request. The instructions, when executed by the electronic device, may be configured to cause the electronic device to transmit the modified image to the designated user terminal.

[0102] The devices described above may be implemented as hardware components, software components, and / or a combination of hardware components and software components. For example, the devices and components described in the embodiments may be implemented using one or more general-purpose computers or special-purpose computers, such as a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic unit (PLU), a microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing instructions and responding to them. The processing device may execute an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications running on the operating system. The processing device may also access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to the execution of the software. For ease of understanding, the processing device is sometimes described as being used alone; however, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the processing device may include multiple processing elements and / or multiple types of processing elements. For example, a processing unit may include multiple processors, or a processor and a controller. Other processing configurations, such as parallel processors, are also possible.

[0103] Software may include a computer program, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more of these, which may configure a processing device to perform a desired operation or may independently or collectively command the processing device. The software and / or data may be embodied in any type of machine, component, physical device, computer storage medium, or device for interpretation by the processing device or for providing instructions or data to the processing device. The software may also be distributed over networked computer systems and stored or executed in a distributed manner. The software and data may be stored on one or more computer-readable recording media.

[0104] The method according to the embodiment may be implemented in the form of program commands that can be executed through various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. In this case, the medium may be one that continuously stores a computer-executable program or one that temporarily stores it for execution or download. In addition, the medium may be various recording means or storage means in the form of a single or multiple hardware combinations, and is not limited to a medium directly connected to a computer system, but may also be distributed over a network. Examples of the medium may include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and those configured to store program commands, including ROM, RAM, and flash memory. In addition, examples of other media may include recording media or storage media managed by app stores that distribute applications, sites that supply or distribute various software, servers, etc.

[0105] Although the embodiments described above have been described by way of limited examples and drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made based on the above teachings. For example, appropriate results can still be achieved even if the described techniques are performed in a different order than described, and / or components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, etc. are combined or combined in a different manner than described, or are replaced or substituted with other components or equivalents.

[0106] Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims also fall within the scope of the claims described below.

Claims

1. In electronic devices, communication circuit; memory that stores instructions; and Contains a processor, The above processor, when the above instructions are executed: Through the above communication circuit, multiple screen shot images of a game application are obtained from user terminals, Identifying one or more screenshot images related to a specific event within the game application among the plurality of screenshot images; configured to obtain a synthetic image including PCs (player characters) captured in one or more of the above screenshot images using a neural network; Electronic devices.

2. In claim 1, The above processor, when the above instructions are executed: configured to transmit the above composite image to a designated user terminal among the user terminals, Electronic devices.

3. In claim 2, The above processor, when the above instructions are executed: Obtain information indicating a specific PC among the above PCs that did not capture one or more of the above screenshot images, configured to transmit the above information to the above designated user terminal, Electronic devices.

4. In claim 2, The above processor, when the above instructions are executed: Obtain information indicating a specific PC whose number of appearances in one or more of the above screenshot images satisfies a preset condition among the above PCs, configured to transmit the above information to the above designated user terminal, Electronic devices.

5. In claim 3 or claim 4, The above processor, when the above instructions are executed: After transmitting the above information, a request for the specific PC is received from the designated user terminal, Based on the above request, the specific PC is maintained in the above composite image, or a modified image is obtained by removing the same, configured to transmit the above modified image to the above designated user terminal, Electronic devices.

6. In claim 1, The above processor, when the above instructions are executed: Using the neural network, configured to identify one or more screenshot images related to the specific event among the plurality of screenshot images, Electronic devices.

7. In claim 1 or claim 6, The above processor, when the above instructions are executed: Identify whether the timestamp of the above screenshot image is within a specified time range from the time the specific event occurred, configured to determine a screenshot image whose timestamp falls within the specified time range as being related to the specific event; Electronic devices.

8. In claim 1 or claim 6, The above processor, when the above instructions are executed: Identify whether the location where the above screenshot image was taken is within the area where the specific event occurred, configured to determine that the screenshot image corresponding to the location within the area where the specific event occurred is related to the specific event; Electronic devices.

9. In claim 1 or claim 6, The above processor, when the above instructions are executed: Identify whether the PC that took the above screenshot image belongs to the player group related to the above specific event, configured to determine that a screenshot image taken by a PC belonging to the above player group is related to the above specific event; Electronic devices.

10. In the user terminal, communication circuit; display; and Contains a processor, The above processor: After a specific event of the game application occurs, a user input is received to capture the execution screen of the game application being displayed through the display; In response to said user input, transmitting a screenshot image of said game application to a server; After transmitting the above screenshot image, receiving a composite image representing the attendees of the specific event from the server; and configured to display a screen including the above composite image through the display; User terminal.

11. In claim 10, The above processor: An object configured to remove a specific PC (player character) from among the PCs (player characters) included in the composite image from the composite image is displayed on the screen. User terminal.

12. In claim 11, The above processor, After receiving an input for said object, a screen including a modified image in which said specific PC is deleted from said composite image is displayed through said display. User terminal.

13. A method of an electronic device communicating with user terminals, An action of obtaining multiple screen shot images of a game application from the above user terminals; An operation of identifying one or more screenshot images related to a specific event within the game application among the plurality of screenshot images; and An operation of obtaining a composite image including PCs (player characters) captured in one or more of said screenshot images using a neural network, method.

14. In claim 13, The above method, Including an action of transmitting the above composite image to a designated user terminal among the user terminals, method.

15. In claim 14, The above method, An operation of obtaining information indicating a specific PC among the above PCs that did not capture one or more of the above screenshot images; and An operation including transmitting the above information to the specified user terminal, method.

16. In claim 15, The above method, After transmitting the above information, an action of receiving a request for the specific PC from the designated user terminal; An operation of obtaining a modified image, wherein said specific PC is maintained or removed from said composite image based on said request; and Including an action of transmitting the modified image to the specified user terminal, method.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by an electronic device, cause the electronic device to: Obtaining multiple screen shot images of a game application from user terminals through a communication circuit, Identifying one or more screenshot images related to a specific event within the game application among the plurality of screenshot images; configured to obtain a synthetic image including PCs (player characters) captured in one or more of the above screenshot images using a neural network; A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

18. In claim 17, The above instructions, when executed by an electronic device, cause the electronic device to: configured to transmit the above composite image to a designated user terminal among the user terminals, A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

19. In claim 17, The above instructions, when executed by an electronic device, cause the electronic device to: Obtain information indicating a specific PC among the above PCs that did not capture one or more of the above screenshot images, configured to transmit the above information to the above designated user terminal, A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

20. In claim 19, The above instructions, when executed by an electronic device, cause the electronic device to: After transmitting the above information, a request for the specific PC is received from the designated user terminal, Based on the above request, the specific PC is maintained in the above composite image, or a modified image is obtained by removing the same, configured to transmit the above modified image to the above designated user terminal, A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

Images