[Background Art] In general, real character type visual-audio data signify real character type characters including at least one of motion information, music information, caption information and message information. Details of the real character type visual-audio data are disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 2003-89908, which has been filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on December 10,2003 by applicant of the present invention with the title of"Method for Manufacturing and Displaying Real Character Type Movie and Recorded Medium Including Said Real Character Type Movie and Program for Displaying the Same".

A method of manufacturing the real character type characters, and a motion player or software used for reproducing the real character type characters are disclosed in the above patent application in detail, so they will not be further described below. The following description will be focused on a method of e-mailing the real character type characters through the wired/wireless Internet, a method of providing a streaming service in a web server, and a method and a system for providing a download service for the real character type characters stored in the web server through the wired/wireless Internet.

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a conventional ring tone download

system 200 for a portable mobile phone.

Referring to FIG. 1, the ring tone download system 200 includes a wired/wireless communication network 100, a server 102, a plurality of Internet subscribers 104 connected to the server 102 through computers, and a plurality of mobile communication subscribers 106 connected to the server 102 through portable terminals, such as PDAs.

The server 102 stores various ring tone data including a plurality of music files. The subscribers can download the desired ring tone by accessing the server 102 through the wired/wireless Internet.

That is, the Internet subscribers 104 and mobile communication subscribers 106 using portable terminals, such as PDAs, can download the ring tone by accessing the server 102 including a database having a plurality of ring tone files through the network 100.

In order to receive the ring tone download service, the subscribers must access the server 102 having the various ring tone files through the wired/wireless Internet or a computer communication system. A user having a mobile phone can download the ring tone through a mobile communication system.

FIG 2 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a conventional ring tone download service for a portable mobile phone. First, it is checked whether a user accesses the server 102 (step S300). If it is determined in step S300 that the user accesses the server 102, a list of ring tone files stored in the database of the server 102 is transmitted to the user through the wired/wireless communication network 100 (step S302). Then, it is checked whether the user selects one of ring tone files (step S304). If it is determined in step S304 that the user selects one of the ring tone files, the selected ring tone file is transmitted to the user from the server 102 through the wired/wireless communication network 100 (step S306). Then, it is checked whether the user wants to download the selected ring tone file (step S308). If it is determined in step S308 that the user wants to download the selected ring tone file, the server 102 receives the phone number of the mobile phone from the user through the wired/wireless communication network 100 (step S310) and calls the mobile phone to which the ring tone must be downloaded (step S312). If the mobile phone responds to the call of the server 102, the server 102 transmits the selected ring tone to the mobile phone. When the file

transmission has been completed, the server 102 transmits a transmission completion message to the mobile phone.

FIGS. 1 and 2 have been described in relation to the ring tones of the mobile phone for the purpose of convenience. The conventional ring tone download system 200 may include a plurality of servers 102 having various download contents, such as MP3 music, moving pictures, and characters, in order to provide users with various services. Herein, a mobile communication company, which manages the wired/wireless communication network 100, can fabricate the above contents in cooperation with contents providers (CPs) and service providers (SPs) and can store the above contents in the server 102 in order to allow the subscribers 104 and 106 to use the above contents.

However, although there are various real character type character services, most of such services are provided to the personal computers only.

In addition, although an MP3 download service and a ring tone download service have been provided to users of mobile phones, characters including an image, music and a caption cannot be provided to users of the mobile phones from the server of the CPs or SPs through the wired/wireless Internet. That is, emotional character services cannot be provided to users of the mobile phones.

[Disclosure of the Invention] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems occurring in the prior art, and accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide users with multimedia digital contents, such as real character type characters including at least one of motion information, music information, caption information, and message information.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system capable of allowing users to easily download various real character type characters through a wired/wireless Internet by using portable terminals, such as a computer, a portable terminal, or a PDA.

In order to accomplish the above objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for providing subscribers with a download service of a character including at least one of motion information, music information, caption information and message information by allowing the subscribers to access a server storing the character therein through an Internet or a wired/wireless communication network, the method

comprising the steps of : making the character and storing the character in the server, thereby preparing the download service for the character; allowing the subscribers and to access the server storing the character therein through the Internet or the wired/wireless communication network; displaying a list of the character and a motion player to the subscribers when the subscribers access the server through the Internet or the wired/wireless communication network; and providing the subscribers with the character selected by the subscribers.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, when providing the subscribers with the character selected by the subscribers, user information including a name, an ID and an address of a user is included in the caption information of the selected character in such a manner that the user information is displayed when the character is displayed.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the character includes a motion character representing image information, music information and caption information, a notification character representing a message arrival, a message reception, a program start, a program close, and an e-mail arrival, an image character related to various messengers, and a plug-in character, the image, music, message and caption included in the character are displayed in a background of a computer or a mobile terminal, and the character is provided to the subscribers through a wired Internet or a mobile communication network when the subscribers access the server through mobile communication appliances, such as a portable phone equipped with a CDMA modem.

In order to accomplish the above objects, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a download service system for a character, the download service system comprising: a 2D character including motion information and at least one of music information, caption information and message information; a database for storing a meta file having information required for combining and displaying the motion information, music information, message information and caption information included in the 2D character; a server connected to an Internet or a wired/wireless communication network so as to provide subscribers with a download service when the subscribers access the server through the Internet or the wired/wireless communication network; and a motion player for displaying the character including a motion character, a notification character and a plug-

in character in a background of a computer or a notebook while synchronizing the character with image, music and caption information when the subscribers download the character from the server of a contents provider or a service provider.

[Effect of the Invention] According to a method and a system of the present invention, image and music files are created by means of a composer, and a caption is created by means of a caption player. In addition, the image and music files and the caption are stored in a server of a contents provider or a service provider in order to provide image, music and caption information to a web site providing a download service. Users having their own IDs and passwords can download a motion player and real character type characters including the image, music, caption and message information so that the users can view the real character type characters displayed on a background of a computer in real time.

The motion player can display various real character type characters including image, music and caption information, such as motion characters, notification characters, and plug-in characters.

[Brief Description of the Drawings] The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: FIG 1 is a view illustrating a conventional ring tone download system for a mobile phone; FIG 2 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a conventional ring tone download service for a mobile phone; FIG. 3 is a block view illustrating the structure of a server of a contents provider in which various real character type characters are stored for a download service according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG 4 is a view illustrating a screen image, in which real character type characters are displayed by means of a motion player while being synchronized with each other in real time; FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a structure of a download service system

for downloading real character type characters from a server of a contents provider or a service provider according to one embodiment of the present invention; and FIG 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing a download service of real character type characters according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to accompanying drawings. The preferred embodiments are for illustrative purpose only.

FIG 3 is a block view illustrating the structure of a server of a contents provider in which various real character type characters are stored for a download service according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG 4 is a view illustrating a screen image, in which real character type characters are displayed by means of a motion player while being synchronized with each other in real time, FIG 5 is a view illustrating a structure of a download service system for downloading real character type characters from a server of a contents provider or a service provider according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing a download service of real character type characters according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG 3, a server 110 of a contents provider (CP) includes a plurality of real character type characters 70 (hereinafter, simply referred to as characters) and a motion player 12 for reproducing the characters.

The character 70 includes at least one of audio information, such as MP3 music data which are motion chips extracted from a moving picture (for example, a singer who dances while singing) by means of a composer 7, and caption information 11 created by means of a caption player 8 based on the character 70. In addition, the character 70 further includes a meta file, which is required for making and reproducing motion information, audio information, caption information and message information included in the character 70. Herein, the meta file includes clip information of the motion information, synchronization information and user information. The characters 70 are made as shown in Table 1. As can be understood from Table 1, the characters 70 can be displayed based on motion information only.

Table 1 Data Extension Contents Description name name Motion VMC-Motion Info Displayed independently from clip-Sync Info below two files -Area Info -Caption link Info - MP3 link info Caption VSC-Caption Info Caption information of XML -Caption Sync Info MP3 MP#-MP3 music

The motion information (motion clip) can be made through a bitmap masking scheme or an alpha channel scheme.

The bitmap masking scheme includes various functions of extracting a dynamic object from image data covered with a mask, forming an actual area of the dynamic object per each frame in the form of data, making VMP format data capable of storing area data and motion data, and VMP window rendering. According to the bitmap scheme, a masking area is extracted from an image based on an index color so as to form an actual display area per each frame in the form of data, and converts the motion information into a reproducible image file format.

The alpha channel scheme includes various functions of combining 24-bit RGB image data with 8-bit alpha image data, forming the actual area of the dynamic object in the form of data per each frame, making VMP format data capable of containing area data and character data therein, 32-bit image window rendering, anti-aliasing, and storing two images in mutually different channels in order to make the characters displayed in the computer.

The motion player 12 is dedicated software or a player for reproducing the characters 70, which have been made through the above schemes.

Herein, the server 110 of the contents provider further includes a

caption player 8 so as to use a messenger function based on the characters 70.

As shown in FIG 5, Internet subscribers 104 (clients) may access the server 110 of the contents provider through the wired Internet in order to download the desired characters 70, the motion player 12 or the caption player 8. In addition, the mobile communication subscribers 106 may access the server 110 of the contents provider through the wireless Internet in order to download the desired characters 70 and the motion player 12.

Preferably, the motion player 12 for reproducing the characters 70 is installed in the computer or the portable mobile phone of a user simultaneously with the download thereof. However, it is also possible to install the motion player 12 in the computer or the portable mobile phone of the user after the download.

When the subscribers 104 and 106 access the server 110 of the CP, a membership registration, a membership authorization through a login procedure, or a service charge payment procedure can be carried out.

After that, the server 110 of the CP may provide the subscribers 104 and 106, who have been authorized or have paid the service charge, with the motion player download service or the characters 70 including the motion chip 9, audio information 10, the caption information 11 and the meta file 6 through the wired/wireless communication network.

FIG 4 is a view illustrating a screen image, in which downloaded characters are displayed by means of the motion player while being synchronized with each other in real time. The motion clip, audio information (MP3 music) and caption information downloaded from the server 110 of the CP are synchronized with the character in real time and displayed by means of the motion player.

That is, the character 70 including three information files of the motion clip 9, audio information (MP3 music) 10 and caption information 11 is displayed in the background of the user's computer by means of the motion player 12 while synchronizing the three information files with the character along a music time line in real time according to the meta file 6.

In other word, the motion clip, audio information (MP3 music), message information and caption information are synchronized with the character including the meta file, thereby displaying the character having one of the motion clip, audio information (MP3 music), message information and

caption information in the background of the computer with a predetermined size.

FIG 5 is a view illustrating a structure of a download service system 400 for downloading the characters from a server of the CP or the SP according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The download service system 400 according to the present invention includes the character 70, the motion player 12 and a database 13. Since the character 70 and the motion player 12 have been already described with reference to FIG. 3, the following description will be focused on the database 13.

The server 110 of the CP provides the database 13 capable of storing various multimedia contents in order to allow the subscribers 104 and 106, who have downloaded the characters 70 and the motion player 12, to install the characters 70 and the motion player 12 in the background of the computer or notebook in such a manner that the subscribers 104 and 106 can use the motion characters, notification characters and plug-in characters.

The database 13 includes a user table for providing membership information including an ID and a password of members for authorization, a group table including a group ID, a group name and a group creation date for a character unit group, a group relay table including a user ID, a group ID, and a grade for the group in which the user is included, and a message table including a message ID, a user ID, a group ID, a creation date, an expire date, a subject and contents.

According to the present invention, multimedia digital contents including a 2D character representing a predetermined part of a moving picture, a motion character representing MP3 music, a real time message and the caption, a notification character representing a message arrival, a message reception, a program start, a program close, and an e-mail arrival, an image character related to various messengers, and a plug-in character displayed when playing a WinAmp are simultaneously displayed in the background of the user's computer even if the user is in the process of performing other computer works.

FIG 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing a download service of the characters according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The method for providing users with the download service of the characters through the Internet or the wired/wireless communication network is as follows.

First, the CP or the SP makes the character including at least one of motion information, music information, message information and caption information and a meta file having information required for combining and displaying the motion information, music information, message information and caption information by using the composer 7 and the caption player 8 and stores the character in the server 110, thereby preparing the download service for the character (step S 1).

Then, the subscribers 104 and 106 access the server 110 storing the characters 70 therein through the wired/wireless communication network (step S2). At this time, the database 13 performs the authorization procedure for the subscribers 104 and 106.

In addition, the server 110 displays the list of the characters and the motion player for the subscribers (step S3).

After the character including the image, music and caption information has been stored in the database 13 of the server 110 of the CP or the SP, the subscribers access the web site of the server 110 of the CP and the SP by using their own ID and the password. Then, the subscribers search the list including the image, music and caption information and the meta file and click a predetermined character so as to download the motion player 12. After that, the subscribers download the character including the image, music and caption information and the meta file by accessing the server 110 of the CP or the SP.

Thereafter, the character including the image, music, message and caption information representing the motion character, the notification character, and the plug-in character is displayed in the background of the computer in real time together with the meta file 6 by means of the motion player 12 (step S4).

At this time, the caption information of the character may include user's information, such as a user's name, a user's ID and a user's address. In this case, the user's information is also displayed when the character including the user's information is displayed.

The subscribers can download the meta file 6 and the character 70

including the motion clip 9, audio information (MP3 music data) 10, the caption information 11 and the message in the computer or the notebook through the wired Internet or the wireless LAN connected to the Ethernet. In addition, it is possible to provide the image, music and caption download service to the portable mobile communication appliances, such as a Pocket- PC, an HPC (handheld PC), and a PDA, in which a wireless LAN card connected to the Ethernet or the CDMA modem is installed, through the mobile communication network, such as IMT-2000.

[Industrial Applicability] As can be seen from the foregoing, the motion clip, which is an image created by the composer, is stored in the database of the server of the CP and the SP together with the caption information, music information and the message information. Accordingly, the download service of the present invention is applicable for various fields, such as education, adult, entertainment, and software plug-in fields. In addition, the download service of the present invention can be used for a 2D character download service, a voice and music download service, a download service for the words of a song, an event and a text, a leisure download service, an entertainment contents download service, an education contents download service, an advertisement download service, a cultural information download service, and a character contents download service.

While this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment and the drawings, but, on the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and variations within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.