Patent ID: 8308560

Claim:
A network system for enabling chat among a plurality of information processing apparatuses via a network, wherein each information processing apparatus comprises: chatting partner specifying circuitry configured to specify an information processing apparatus of a chat partner, a message transmitter and receiver configured to transmit and receive a message between a user's own information processing apparatus and said information processing apparatus of the chat partner specified by said chatting partner specifying circuitry, character arranging circuitry configured to arrange a character corresponding to said user's own information processing apparatus and a partner character corresponding to said information processing apparatus of the chat partner within a virtual space, image generating circuitry configured to generate an image obtained by viewing said virtual space from an arbitrary position, direction calculating circuitry configured to calculate a direction from said character to said partner character, index generating circuitry configured to generate an index which indicates the direction calculated by said direction calculating circuitry, partner character determining circuitry configured to determine whether said partner character is included in a predetermined range defined within said virtual space, transmission and reception determining circuitry configured to determine whether a message is being transmitted or received by said message transmitter and receiver, and display outputting circuitry configured to output the image generated by said image generating circuitry to a display, wherein said display outputting circuitry outputs the index generated by said index generating circuitry to said display in a predetermined manner when said partner character determining circuitry determines that said partner character is not included in said predetermined range, and said transmission and reception determining circuitry determines that a message is being transmitted or received.