INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING STORED THEREON INFORMATION PROCESSING PROGRAM

• US 20140215402A1
• Filed: 04/03/2014
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: NAKATA, Satoru, MATSUSHIMA, Yoshihiro, ONOZAWA, Yuki
• Application Number:
  US14/244,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20140215402A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• 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 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point

Abstract

When an information processing apparatus is started, reception of data indicative of presence of a connection point apparatus is attempted. A plurality of objects respectively corresponding to a plurality of application programs is displayed on a display device, and upon reception of an operation performed by a user, an application program corresponding to one of the objects selected by the operation performed by the user is launched. When the data is received, a display form of an object, which relates to a connection application program including a program for executing a procedural step of connecting to the connection point apparatus, is changed.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. An information processing apparatus which is capable of storing a plurality of application programs, comprising:

launcher means for allowing a user to select an application program to be launched from among the plurality of application programs when the information processing apparatus is started, and for launching the selected application program; and

connection point data receiving means for attempting to receive data indicative of presence of a connection point apparatus when the information processing apparatus is started, wherein

the launcher means

displays, on a display device, a plurality of objects respectively corresponding to the plurality of application programs, receives an operation performed by the user, and launches the application program which is selected by the operation and which corresponds to an object among the plurality of objects, and

includes object display form changing means for changing a display form of the object relating to a connection application program, which is the application program including a program for causing the information processing apparatus to execute a procedural step of connecting to the connection point apparatus, when the connection point data receiving means receives the data.

22. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the connection point data receiving means attempts to receive the data indicative of the presence of the connection point apparatus during a time period from when the information processing apparatus has started to when the launcher means has started.

23. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the connection point data receiving means attempts to receive the data indicative of the presence of the connection point apparatus during a time period from when the information processing apparatus has started until before the launcher means becomes capable of receiving the operation performed by the user.

24. The information processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the connection point data receiving means continuously attempts to receive the data indicative of the presence of the connection point apparatus even after the information processing apparatus has started and after the launcher means has become capable of receiving the operation performed by the user.

25. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein

the connection application program is a viewer program for establishing connection to a network via the connection point apparatus, and

the object display form changing means changes the display form of the object relating to the viewer program when the connection point data receiving means receives the data indicative of the presence of the connection point apparatus.

26. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein when the information processing apparatus is started, the connection point data receiving means does not transmit a radio wave therefrom, and receives the data indicative of the presence of the connection point apparatus.

27. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein

the data indicative of the presence of the connection point apparatus at least includes data indicative of an identifier for identifying the connection point apparatus, and

when the connection application program is launched, the launcher means is connected to the connection point apparatus by using the data indicative of the identifier, the data being included in the data received by the connection point data receiving means.

28. The information processing apparatus according to claim 27, wherein

the connection point apparatus is a wireless connection point, and

the identifier is an SSID (Service Set Identifier).

29. The information processing apparatus according to claim 27, wherein

data communicated between the connection point apparatus and the information processing apparatus is encoded with a key,

the data indicative of the presence of the connection point apparatus further includes data indicative of the key for establishing connection to the connection point apparatus, and

when the connection application program is launched, the launcher means is connected to the connection point apparatus, by using the data indicative of the identifier and data indicative of the key which are included in the data received by the connection point data receiving means.

30. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the connection point data receiving means uses a dedicated protocol which is at least mounted to the information processing apparatus and to another apparatus from which the data indicative of the presence of the connection point apparatus is transmitted, and attempts to receive the data.

31. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein

the data indicative of the presence of the connection point apparatus further includes data for specifying a predetermined content, and

when the connection application program is launched, the launcher means obtains the content, which is specified by the data for specifying the predetermined content, via a network.

32. The information processing apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the launcher means obtains an icon relating to the content from a server on the network, displays the icon on the display device so as to prompt the user to select the icon, and obtains, via the network, the content relating to the icon selected by the user.

33. The information processing apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the connection application program is stored in the information processing apparatus in advance.

34. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the connection application program is downloaded via a network and installed in the information processing apparatus.

35. The information processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein in the case where the connection point data receiving means receives the data, changes the display form of the object relating to the connection application program, and then stops receiving the data, the object display form changing means restores the display form of the object relating to the connection application program to a state before the change.

36. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:

connection point data storage means for keeping storing the data received by the connection point data receiving means until the information processing apparatus is shut down; and

reconnection means for attempting to reconnect to the connection point apparatus in accordance with the connection point data stored in the connection point data storage means when connection to the connection point apparatus is established and then interrupted.

37. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the object display form changing means changes the display form of an icon object relating to the connection application program by changing a color of at least a part of a frame of the icon object, when the connection point data receiving means receives the data.

38. The information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the object display form changing means changes the display form of an icon object relating to the connection application program by animating the icon object, when the connection point data receiving means receives the data.

39. An information processing system, comprising:

an information processing apparatus which is capable of storing a plurality of application programs;

a connection point apparatus; and

a connection point data transmitting apparatus for transmitting data indicative of presence of the connection point apparatus, wherein

the information processing apparatus includes;

launcher means for allowing a user to select an application program to be launched from among the plurality of application programs when the information processing apparatus is started, and for launching the selected application program; and

connection point data receiving means for attempting to receive the data indicative of the presence of the connection point apparatus from the connection point data transmitting apparatus when the information processing apparatus is started,

the launcher means

displays, on a display device, a plurality of objects respectively corresponding to the plurality of application programs, receives an operation performed by the user, and launches the application program which is selected by the operation and which corresponds to an object among the plurality of objects, and

includes object display form changing means for changing a display form of the object relating to a connection application program, which is the application program including a program for causing the information processing apparatus to execute a procedural step of connecting to the connection point apparatus, when the connection point data receiving means receives the data.

40. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon an information processing program executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus which is capable of storing a plurality of application programs, the information processing program causes the computer to function as:

launcher means for allowing a user to select an application program to be launched from among the plurality of application programs when the information processing apparatus is started, and for launching the selected application program; and

connection point data receiving means for attempting to receive data indicative of presence of a connection point apparatus when the information processing apparatus is started, wherein

the launcher means

displays, on a display device, a plurality of objects respectively corresponding to the plurality of application programs, receives an operation performed by the user, and launches the application program which is selected by the operation and which corresponds to an object among the plurality of objects, and

includes object display form changing means for changing a display form of the object relating to a connection application program, which is the application program including a program for causing the information processing apparatus to execute a procedural step of connecting to the connection point apparatus, when the connection point data receiving means receives the data.