INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, STORAGE MEDIUM, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM

• US 20120079039A1
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: IMAI, Daiji
• Granted Patent: US 9,704,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes: application execution means for executing an application program; metadata storage means for storing metadata corresponding to the application program; input means for receiving a message input by a user based on an operation of the user; selection means for selecting the metadata stored by the metadata storage means, in accordance with an operation of the user; transmission means for transmitting the message received by the input means and the metadata selected by the selection means to another information processing apparatus; reception means for receiving a message and metadata corresponding to an application program from said another information processing apparatus; and information output means for outputting the message and the metadata received by the reception means.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus capable of communicating with another information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus comprising:

application execution means for executing an application program;

metadata storage means for storing metadata corresponding to the application program;

input means for receiving a message input by a user based on an operation of the user;

selection means for selecting the metadata stored by the metadata storage means, in accordance with an operation of the user;

transmission means for transmitting the message received by the input means and the metadata selected by the selection means to said another information processing apparatus;

reception means for receiving a message and metadata corresponding to an application program from said another information processing apparatus; and

information output means for outputting the message and the metadata received by the reception means.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

metadata acquisition means for acquiring the metadata from a first storage section or a second storage section having stored therein the application program and the metadata corresponding to the application program, and causing the metadata storage means to store the acquired metadata, the first storage section detachably attached to the information processing apparatus, the second storage section included in the information processing apparatus.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the input means provides to the user an input interface for receiving the message input by the user, and

the selection means provides an operation portion for the user to select the metadata, in the input interface provided by the input means.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

detailed information acquisition means for, based on the metadata received by the reception means, acquiring detailed information about the application program corresponding to the metadata, wherein

the information output means outputs the detailed information acquired by the detailed information acquisition means.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the metadata storage means stores the metadata corresponding to the application program which has already been executed by the application execution means, and

the selection means allows the user to select, in accordance with the operation of the user, the metadata stored by the metadata storage means, the metadata corresponding to the application program which has already been executed by the application execution means.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

execution history storage means for storing an execution history of the application program which has already been executed by the application execution means, wherein

based on the execution history stored by the execution history storage means, the selection means allows the user to select the metadata corresponding to the application program having the execution history.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

when the first storage section is mounted to the information processing apparatus, the metadata acquisition means acquires the metadata stored in the first storage section, and causes the metadata storage means to store the metadata.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the detailed information includes guide information for the user to purchase the application program corresponding to the metadata received by the reception means.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving means for receiving an input provided by the user to the metadata output by the information output means; and

connection means for, when the receiving means has received the input provided by the user, connecting to a server through which the application program corresponding to the metadata is to be purchased.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

based on the metadata output by the information output means, the connection means connects to a site established in the server, on which the application program corresponding to the metadata is to be purchased.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the detailed information includes introduction information for introducing to the user the application program corresponding to the metadata received by the reception means.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the detailed information acquisition means acquires the detailed information from a server.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the guide information guides the user to a purchase operation of the application program corresponding to the metadata received by the reception means, and

the detailed information acquisition means receives and acquires the detailed information from a server,

the information processing apparatus further comprising:

purchase operation reception means for receiving the purchase operation performed by the user in accordance with the guide information;

purchase request transmission means for transmitting to the server a purchase request for the application program of which the purchase operation has been received by the purchase operation reception means; and

application reception means for receiving from the server the application program for which the purchase request has been made.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the guide information guides the user to a purchase operation of the application program corresponding to the metadata received by the reception means, and

the detailed information acquisition means receives and acquires the detailed information from a server,

the information processing apparatus further comprising:

purchase operation reception means for receiving the purchase operation performed by the user in accordance with the guide information;

purchase request transmission means for transmitting to the server a purchase request for the application program of which the purchase operation has been received by the purchase operation reception means;

settlement-related information reception means for receiving, from the server, settlement-related information for guiding the user to an input operation of settlement information;

settlement-related information output means for outputting the settlement-related information;

settlement operation reception means for receiving the input of the settlement information provided by the user in accordance with the guide of the settlement-related information;

settlement information transmission means for transmitting to the server the settlement information received by the settlement operation reception means; and

application reception means for receiving from the server the application program for which the purchase request has been made.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the metadata stored by the metadata storage means includes an icon representing the application program corresponding to the stored metadata, and

the metadata received by the reception means includes an icon representing the application program corresponding to the received metadata.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the metadata stored by the metadata storage means includes a title of the application program corresponding to the stored metadata, and

the metadata received by the reception means includes a title of the application program corresponding to the received metadata.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

transfer means for transferring the message and the metadata received by the reception means to a third information processing apparatus.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

execution state determination means for determining whether or not a state of the application program executed by the application execution means has entered a predetermined state; and

message acquisition means for, when it is determined that the execution state has entered the predetermined state, acquiring a message and the metadata that are related to the application program that is being executed, wherein

the transmission means transmits the message and the metadata acquired by the message acquisition means to said another information processing apparatus.

19. An information processing system capable of communicating with another information processing system, the information processing system comprising:

application execution means for executing an application program;

metadata storage means for storing metadata corresponding to the application program;

input means for receiving a message input by a user based on an operation of the user;

selection means for selecting the metadata stored by the metadata storage means, in accordance with an operation of the user;

transmission means for transmitting the message received by the input means and the metadata selected by the selection means to said another information processing system;

reception means for receiving a message and metadata corresponding to an application program from said another information processing system; and

information output means for outputting the message and the metadata received by the reception means.

20. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon an information processing program executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with another information processing apparatus, the information processing program causing the computer to function as:

application execution means for executing an application program;

metadata storage means for storing metadata corresponding to the application program;

input means for receiving a message input by a user based on an operation of the user;

selection means for selecting the metadata stored by the metadata storage means, in accordance with an operation of the user;

transmission means for transmitting the message received by the input means and the metadata selected by the selection means to said another information processing apparatus;

reception means for receiving a message and metadata corresponding to an application program from said another information processing apparatus; and

information output means for outputting the message and the metadata received by the reception means.

21. An information processing method performed by an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with another information processing apparatus, the information processing method comprising:

an application execution step of executing an application program;

a metadata storage step of storing metadata corresponding to the application program;

an input step of receiving a message input by a user based on an operation of the user;

a selection step of selecting the metadata stored in the metadata storage step, in accordance with an operation of the user;

a transmission step of transmitting the message received in the input step and the metadata selected in the selection step to said another information processing apparatus;

a reception step of receiving a message and metadata corresponding to an application program from said another information processing apparatus; and

an information output step of outputting the message and the metadata received in the reception step.