INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM RELATING TO CONTENT DISTRIBUTION, STORAGE MEDIUM FOR STORING PROGRAM DIRECTED THERETO, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE

• US 20100192173A1
• Filed: 06/26/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Beppu, Yusuke, Mizuki, Kiyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,199,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score

Abstract

A CPU shows animation in which an introduction character appears. In succession, the CPU has a profile of the introduction character displayed. Thereafter, the CPU has a substance of a content displayed, based on a title or the like included in motion picture information downloaded from a distribution server. Namely, the CPU causes a monitor to display the introduction character (a character object) based on obtained character information and outputs information for introducing a specific content in association with the introduction character (the character object) based on obtained content information.

Claims

1. An information processing system, comprising:

at least one server; and

an information processing device connected to said server so that data can be communicated therewith,

said server including

a first storage unit for storing a specific content,

a second storage unit for storing character information defining a character object,

a third storage unit for storing information for introducing said specific content, and

a transmission unit for transmitting said character information and said information for introducing said specific content to said information processing device in association with each other, and

said information processing device including

an obtaining unit for obtaining said character information and said information for introducing said specific content from said server,

an output unit for outputting the character object based on obtained said character information and obtained said information for introducing the content in association with each other, and

a reproduction unit for reproducing said specific content in response to a user'"'"'s operation.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

said information processing device further includes a fourth storage unit for storing user character information defining a user character object set in accordance with a user'"'"'s operation, and

said output unit is adapted to output the user character object based on the user character information stored in said fourth storage unit and the character object based on the character information obtained from said server in an identical screen.

3. An information processing system, comprising:

first and second information processing devices,

said first information processing device including

a first storage unit for storing character information defining a character object,

a first reproduction unit for reproducing a content,

a generation unit for generating introduction information for introducing the content in response to a user'"'"'s operation, and

a transmission unit for transmitting said character information and said introduction information to the second information processing device in association with each other, and

said second information processing device including

a reception unit for receiving said character information and said introduction information from said first information processing device,

an output unit for outputting the character object based on received said character information and received said introduction information in association with each other, and

a second reproduction unit for reproducing the content brought in correspondence with said introduction information.

4. The information processing system according to claim 3, further comprising a server, wherein

said server includes a second storage unit for storing character information and introduction information of a specific content,

said reception unit of said second information processing device is adapted to receive said character information and said introduction information from said first information processing device and to receive said character information and said introduction information from said server, and

said output unit of said second information processing device is further adapted to output the character object based on the character information received from said server and the introduction information of the specific content received from said server, in association with each other.

5. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein

said reception unit of said second information processing device is adapted to effectively receive the introduction information only when a sender of said introduction information is the first information processing device registered in advance as a communication destination.

6. A storage medium for storing a program, said program causing a computer representing an information processing device to perform;

an obtaining step of obtaining character information brought in correspondence with a specific content and introduction information of said specific content;

an output step of outputting a character object based on obtained said character information and obtained said introduction information in association with each other; and

a reproduction step of reproducing said specific content.

7. The storage medium according to claim 6, wherein

said reproduction step includes the step of obtaining and reproducing said specific content from a server capable of distributing a content, which is connected to said information processing device so that data can be communicated therewith.

8. The storage medium according to claim 6, wherein

said program further causes said computer to perform a first determination step of determining whether a first prescribed condition is satisfied, and

said output step includes the step of outputting said character object when it is determined that said first prescribed condition is satisfied.

9. The storage medium according to claim 8, wherein

said first determination step includes a first time counting step of counting time, and

said output step includes the step of outputting said character object when the time is counted up to a first prescribed time in said first time counting step.

10. The storage medium according to claim 8, wherein

said program further causes said computer to perform a second determination step of determining whether a second prescribed condition is satisfied, after it is determined that said first prescribed condition is satisfied, and

said output step includes the steps of

maintaining output of said character object after it is determined that said first prescribed condition is satisfied, and

ceasing output of said character object when it is determined that said second prescribed condition is satisfied.

11. The storage medium according to claim 10, wherein

said second determination step includes a second time counting step of counting time, and

said output step includes the step of ceasing output of said character object when the time is counted up to a second prescribed time in said second time counting step.

12. The storage medium according to claim 6, wherein

said computer is connected to said server through a network,

said server stores said character information and the introduction information describing a substance of each content, and

said obtaining step includes the step of obtaining said character information present in said server and said introduction information brought in correspondence with said character information from said server.

13. The storage medium according to claim 12, wherein

said introduction information includes identification information for designating said specific content, and

said reproduction step includes the step of obtaining the content designated based on said identification information by accessing said server.

14. The storage medium according to claim 6, wherein

said program further causes said computer to perform

a selection screen output step of outputting a selection screen for accepting input of selection as to consent to reproduction of introduced said specific content, and

said reproduction step includes the step of starting reproduction of said specific content when consent to reproduction is selected in said selection screen.

15. The storage medium according to claim 6, wherein

said computer is configured to be able to interact with a storage device,

said program further causes said computer to perform

a registration step of storing user character information for outputting a user character object set in accordance with a user'"'"'s operation in said storage device,

a generation step of generating said character information including information for outputting said user character object in accordance with the user'"'"'s operation, and

a transmission step of transmitting generated said character information to another information processing device, and

said obtaining step includes the step of obtaining said character information from another information processing device.

16. The storage medium according to claim 15, wherein

said output step includes the step of outputting a character object substantially identical to the user character object output by said another information processing device, based on said character information received from said another information processing device.

17. The storage medium according to claim 15, wherein

said output step includes the step of outputting the user character object based on the user character information stored in said storage device of said information processing device itself and the character object based on said character information received from said another information processing device in an identical screen.

18. The storage medium according to claim 6, wherein

said character information includes information designating a behavior of a corresponding character object, and

said output step includes the step of changing animation of the output character object based on the information designating the behavior included in said character information.

19. The storage medium according to claim 6, wherein

said character information includes profile information on a character object of interest, and

said output step includes the step of further outputting information for introducing the character object itself in association with said character object.

20. An information processing device, comprising:

an obtaining unit for obtaining character information brought in correspondence with a specific content and introduction information of said specific content;

an output unit for outputting a character object based on obtained said character information and obtained said introduction information in association with each other; and

a reproduction unit for reproducing said specific content.