Patent ID: 8332499

Claim:
A virtual space management system, comprising: a plurality of space management servers for respectively managing a plurality of partial spaces obtained by dividing a virtual space; and a communication control server for relaying communication between at least one of the plurality of space management servers and a user terminal, wherein: a first of the plurality of space management servers comprises user transition control means operating to: (i) execute a process relating to a transition in which a position in the virtual space associated with the user terminal transitions from inside a first partial space which is managed by the first space management server to inside a second partial space which is managed by a second of the plurality of space management servers, (ii) notify the communication control server and the second space management server of an initiation of the transition from the first partial space to the second partial space; the communication control server comprises connection destination management means operating, in response to the notification of the initiation of the transition from the first partial space to the second partial space: (i) to maintain communication connection with the user terminal during execution of the process relating to the transition even after receiving the notification of the initiation of the transition, and (ii) to buffer information received from the user terminal and not forward such information to the first or second space management servers; the second space management server comprises a user transition control means operating to notify the communication control server of completion of the process relating to the transition; and the connection destination management means operates, in response to the notification of the completion of the process relating to the transition: (i) to transmit the buffered information from the user terminal to the second space management server, and (ii) to change the transmission destination of the data received from the user terminal to the second space management server.