Information processing apparatus, information processing method, service providing system, and computer program thereof

• US 20020054094A1
• Filed: 08/07/2001
• Published: 05/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsuda, Satoru
• Granted Patent: US 7,058,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An invention allowing the exchange of community cards within a virtual space by an easy operation. A display screen shown on the display section of the user terminal device is composed of a virtual space display for displaying three-dimensional objects in a virtual space, and a list window of belongings displayed by the user'"'"'s own community cards. The user can move freely within the virtual space while referring to the virtual space display, and when conversing with other users within the virtual space and the user wants to let another user participate in the community the user himself belongs to, the user can present community cards corresponding to the avatar, to a user for newly participating in the community, by drag-and-drop of any of the community cards on the avatar.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for exchanging information with other information processing apparatuses over a network, said apparatus comprising:

first record control means for controlling the recording of information relating to a community composed of a plurality of users;

second record control means for controlling the recording of information relating to said plurality of users;

first generation means for generating a first set of information corresponding to a virtual space capable of being utilized by said plurality of users using said other information processing apparatuses;

second generation means for generating a second set of information corresponding to an information list showing said community a first user participates in, from information relating to said plurality of users with its recording controlled by said second generation means;

first output control means for controlling the output to said other information processing apparatuses, of said first set of information generated by said first generation means, and said second set of information generated by said second generation means, and

input control means for controlling the input from said other information processing apparatuses, of a fourth set of information showing the operation by a said first user for giving a third set of information showing a specified community to a second user, from among a second set of information generated by said second generation means, within said virtual space generated by said first generation means;

wherein;

said first record control means controls the recording of information relating to said community shown by said third set of information, on the basis of said fourth set of information with inputs controlled by said input control means, and

said second record control means controls the recording of information relating to said first user and said second user, on the basis of said fourth set of information with inputs controlled by said input control means.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the virtual space, when said first user has given said third set of information to said second user, both said first user and said second user can become members of the community shown in the third set of information.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said first user is a controller of said community shown with said third set of information, said first user can make said second user a member of the community by giving said second user said third set of information within the virtual space.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said first user has given said third set of information to said second user in the virtual space,

said first user loses said third set of information, and is no longer a community member shown in said third set of information, and

said second user receives said third set of information and becomes a community member shown in said third set of information.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising third generation means to generate for each user, a fifth set of information available to the user and corresponding to a virtual space for exclusive use by the user;

second output control means for controlling output of said fifth set of information generated by said third generation means, to said other information processing apparatuses;

wherein said second set of information is contained in said fifth set of information generated by said third generation means.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said second set of information is image information corresponding to said community, and can be displayed on other information processing apparatuses within said exclusive user virtual space output by the second output control means.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the size of said image information changes according to the number of members participating in the corresponding community.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when said user is the owner of specified said community, said image information corresponding to specified said community is displayed separately for distinguishing said image information from said image information corresponding to other said communities.

9. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus for exchanging information with other information processing apparatuses over a network, said method comprising:

a first recording control step for controlling the recording of information relating to said community composed of said plurality of users;

a second recording control step for controlling the recording of information relating to said plurality of users;

a first generation step for generating a first set of information corresponding to a virtual space utilizable by a plurality of said users using other said information processing apparatuses;

a second generation step for generating a second set of information corresponding to information on a table showing said community participated in by said first user, from information relating to a plurality of said users whose recording is controlled by the processing in said second recording control step;

an output control step for controlling the output to said other information processing apparatuses, of said first set of information generated by processing in said first generation step, and said second set of information generated by processing in said second generation step;

an input control step for controlling the input from said other information processing apparatuses, of a fourth set of information showing the operation by a said first user for giving a third set of information showing a specified community to a second user, from among said second set of information generated by said second generation means, within said virtual space generated by the processing in said first generation step, wherein

said first recording control step controls the recording of information relating to said community shown by said third set of information, on the basis of said fourth set of information with inputs controlled by said input control means and,

said second recording control step controls the recording of information relating to said first user and said second user, on the basis of said fourth set of information with inputs controlled by the processing in said input control step.

10. An information processing computer program for exchanging information with other information processing apparatuses over a network, said computer program comprising:

a first recording control step for controlling the recording of information relating to said community composed of said plurality of users;

a second recording control step for controlling the recording of information relating to said plurality of users;

a first generation step for generating a first set of information corresponding to a virtual space utilizable by a plurality of said users using other said information processing apparatuses;

a second generation step for generating a second set of information corresponding to information on a table showing said community participated in by said first user, from information relating to a plurality of said users whose recording is controlled by the processing in said second recording control step;

an output control step for controlling the output to said other information processing apparatuses, of said first set of information generated by processing in said first generation step, and said second set of information generated by processing in said second generation step; and

an input control step for controlling the input from said other information processing apparatuses, of a fourth set of information showing the operation by a said first user for giving a third set of information showing a specified community to a second user, from among said second set of information generated by said second generation means, within said virtual space generated by the processing in said first generation step;

wherein

said first recording control step controls the recording of information relating to said community shown by said third set of information, on the basis of said fourth set of information with inputs controlled by said input control means, and

said second recording control step controls the recording of information relating to said first user and said second user, on the basis of said fourth set of information with inputs controlled by the processing in said input control step.

11. A service providing system which comprises a first information processing apparatus for exchanging information with other information processing apparatuses over a network, and a second information processing apparatus possessed by a user,

said first information processing apparatus comprising:

first record control means for controlling the recording of information relating to a community composed of a plurality of users;

second record control means for controlling the recording of information relating to said plurality of users;

first generation means for generating a first set of information corresponding to a virtual space capable of being utilized by said plurality of users using said other information processing apparatuses;

second generation means for generating a second set of information corresponding to an information list showing said community a first user participates in, from information relating to said plurality of users with recording controlled by said second generation means;

first output control means for controlling the output to said second set of information processing apparatus, of said first set of information generated from said first generation means, and said second set of information generated by said second generation means;

first input control means for controlling the input from said second set of information processing apparatus, of a fourth set of information showing the operation by said first user for giving a third set of information showing a specified community to a second user, from among a second set of information generated by said second generation means, within said virtual space generated by said first generation means;

wherein

said first record control means controls the recording of information relating to said community shown by said third set of information, on the basis of said fourth set of information with inputs controlled by said first input control means, and

said second record control means controls the recording of information relating to said first user and said second user, on the basis of said fourth set of information with inputs controlled by said first input control means, and

said second information processing apparatus comprising;

second input control means for controlling the input of said first set of information and said second set of information with outputs controlled by said first output control means;

display control means for controlling the display of said first set of information and said second set of information with outputs controlled by said second input control means;

third input control means for controlling the input of said fourth set of information showing the operation for supplying to said second user said third set of information showing a specified community from among said second set of information within said virtual space showing said first set of information, and said third set of information was supplied by said first user after referring to said first set of information and said second set of information whose display is controlled by said display control means; and

second output control means for controlling the output to said first set of information processing apparatus, of said fourth set of information with inputs controlled by said third input control means.