Patent Application
20110131404
The present invention claims priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0118755, filed on Dec. 2, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a technique for visualizing game packet data; and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for visualizing game packet data, which is capable of capturing transmitted packets, extracting visualization-related data from the packets and visualizing the extracted data.
As is well known, computer games have evolved from conventional games which could be independently executed on Personal Computers (PCs) into online games which enable users to access game servers over various types of communication networks, such as the Internet and mobile communication networks, and enjoy the games along with other users.
Such online games are advantageous in that users can always use the games regardless of time or space because the games are played in a virtual space and in that the creativity of game developers can be reflected in the games. For example, there are a variety of contents and types of online games, as follows: first-person shooting games which can each be played by a single user, board games such as Go-Stop or poker games, racing games, Role Playing Games (RPGs) in which a user plays a specific role, and Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) in which a plurality of game users participates and plays a game at the same time.
In general, when a user uses an online game service, the user must register as a member with the game service system which provides a corresponding game service. The member registration is chiefly performed via the website of a game service provider. When a user registers as a member, he or she sets an ID and a password, that is, authentication information, and uses the ID and the password as login information when he or she accesses a game server later on.
Furthermore, the user downloads and installs a game client application capable of executing the online game on his or her computer, and, when he or she wants to play the game, executes the installed game client application and logs in to the corresponding game server by inputting his or her ID and password, thereby starting to play the game.
Meanwhile, in an online game, a game client terminal extracts visualization information based on game packets entering from the game server and realizes visualization on a screen. Such visualization pertains to the game rendering field because visualization is performed on game screens based on game packets generated between a game server and a game client application, and the searching of game errors based on visualized information and the correction of a game server and a client application based on the found game errors pertains to the game quality guarantee field.
However, up to the present time, a game client terminal has had various limitations in the manipulation of a camera when performing a visualization function. The visualization supported by a game client prevents a camera from entering under the ground, limits the locations of a camera and a main character to within a predetermined distance, and causes the inconvenience of checking an object hidden by a building after turning around the building.
Due to these problems, a typical game developer removes the above-described camera limitations from a separate client version at the developmental stage, and imposes the removed camera limitation on a marketed client program again at the development completion stage, so that there is a problem with the visualization of data.
In view of the above, the present invention provides an apparatus and method for visualizing game packet data which is capable of visualizing the location and attribute information of objects used to detect data errors using packet information.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for visualizing game packet data, including: a packet capturing unit for capturing game packet data transmitted and received during a game service; a decryption unit for decrypting the captured game packet data; a packet filtering unit for extracting packet data having a valid protocol ID from the game packet data and extracting visualization data from the extracted packet data; a virtual map creation unit for creating a virtual map using the extracted visualization data; and a visualization unit for displaying the visualization data in the created virtual map.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for visualizing game packet data, including: capturing game packet data transmitted and received during a game service; decrypting the captured game packet data; extracting packet data having a valid protocol ID from the game packet data; extracting visualization data from the extracted packet data; creating a virtual map using the extracted visualization data; and displaying the visualization data in the created virtual map.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the present invention is configured to extract visualization information on the basis of game packet data exchanged between the game service server and the game client terminal and visualize the visualization information on a screen, and is applied to a general-purpose server/client game service using a packet protocol definition file and a decryption algorithm, so that it is possible to easily perform debugging for packet data errors and to reduce the game development period and cost.
Further, the present invention is configured such that a game packet data visualization apparatus captures game packet data between a game service server and a game client terminal, decrypts game packet data, extracts game packet data having a valid protocol ID, creates visualization data by extracting the location and attribute information of the game packet data, creates a virtual map using the extracted location information of the visualization data, and displays the visualization data in a virtual map in the form of a 3D or 2D screen, thereby solving the problems of the conventional art using the above-described technical means.
The objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof.
Referring to
The game client terminal 200 installs the game client application transmitted from the game service server 100, inputs and transmits member registration information using the game client application, and uses a game service on the basis of game packet data transmitted from the game service server 100.
Further, the game packet data visualization apparatus 300 captures game packet data exchanged between the game service server 100 and the game client terminal 200, decrypts the captured game packet data, extracts game packet data having a valid protocol ID from the decrypted game packet data, extracts only packet data, i.e., visualization data including location and attribute information necessary for visualization data from the game packet data having a valid protocol ID, creates a virtual map using the location information of the extracted visualization data, and displays the visualization data in the created virtual map in the form of a 3D or 2D screen.
Accordingly, by capturing game packet data between the game service server and the game client terminal, extracting visualization data by performing decryption and filtering, and creating a virtual map using the location information of the extracted visualization data, and displaying the visualization data in the created virtual map in the form of a 3D or 2D screen, the visualization data can be extracted from the game packet data and can be displayed effectively.
Referring to
Thereafter, the decryption unit 304 decrypts the captured game packet data. That is, the decryption unit 304 creates third game packet data by decrypting the second game packet data created by the packet capturing unit 302. Such decryption may be performed using a decryption algorithm which is provided in script form, such as Lua script form, or in plug-in form. If captured game packet data has not been encrypted, decryption does not need to be performed.
Thereafter, the packet filtering unit 306 extracts a game packet having a valid protocol ID from a continuous protocol list regarding game packet data, extracts game visualization-related data from the game packet having a valid protocol ID, creates fourth game packet data by extracting only packet data including a protocol ID necessary for visualization from the third game packet data decrypted by the decryption unit 304, and creates fifth game packet data, visualization data, by extracting the location and attribute information of an object (e.g., an object name, a HP/MP gauge, a location value, etc.) from the fourth game packet data. The packet filtering unit 306, as shown in
Furthermore, the virtual map creation unit 308 creates a virtual map by extracting location information from the fifth game packet data, i.e., visualization data created by the packet filtering unit 306.
Thereafter, the visualization unit 310 performs visualization and display in the form of a 3D screen or a 2D screen using visualization data and virtual map data.
Accordingly, by capturing game packet data between the game service server and the game client terminal, extracting visualization data by performing decryption and filtering, and creating a virtual map using the location information of the extracted visualization data, and displaying the visualization data in the created virtual map in the form of a 3D or 2D screen, the visualization data can be extracted from the game packet data and can be displayed effectively.
Referring to
As an example,
Further, the decryption unit 304 creates third game packet data by decrypting the second game packet data created by the packet capturing unit 302 in step S406. Such decryption may be performed using a decryption algorithm which is provided in script form, such as Lua script form, or in plug-in form. If captured game packet data has not been encrypted, decryption does not need to be performed. Through this process, second game packet data, such as that shown in
Thereafter, the packet filtering unit 306 creates fourth game packet data by extracting only packet data including a protocol ID necessary for visualization from the third game packet data decrypted by the decryption unit 304, and creates fifth game packet data, i.e., visualization data by extracting, e.g., an object name, a HP/MP gauge and a location value from the fourth game packet data in step S408.
As an example, fourth game packet data, such as that shown in
The fifth game packet data may be represented as shown in
Furthermore, the virtual map creation unit 308 extracts location information from the fifth game packet data, i.e., visualization data and creates a virtual map in step S410.
Thereafter, the visualization unit 310 performs visualization and display using visualization data and virtual map data in the form of a 3D or 2D screen in step S412.
Accordingly, by capturing game packet data between the game service server and the game client terminal, extracting visualization data by performing decryption and filtering, and creating a virtual map using the location information of the extracted visualization data, and displaying the visualization data in the created virtual map in the form of a 3D or 2D screen, the visualization data can be extracted from the game packet data and can be displayed effectively.
While the invention has been shown and described with respect to the embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2009-0118755 | Dec 2009 | KR | national |
