Communication device, communication method, and computer usable medium

• US 7,546,536 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Imanishi, Motoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax; Steven P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson; Grant D
• Application Number:
  US10/672,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20040064498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,083 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 715/758, 715/753, 715/757, 715/269, 463/37
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• 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 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• 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: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation

Abstract

A letter string editing unit of a communication device receives an edit instruction for a letter string, and edits a letter string in accordance with the instruction. A decide input reception unit receives a decide instruction for the letter string together with operation strength. When the decide instruction is received, a sending unit sends a sender side message specifying the edited letter string and strength information associated with the operation strength to another communication device. A reception unit receives a receiver side message specifying a letter string to be displayed and strength information from another communication device. A font acquiring unit acquires information of a font having a size pre-associated with the specified strength information. A display image generation unit generates a display image by depicting the specified letter string in accordance with the acquired font information. A display unit displays the generated display image.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a letter string editing unit that receives edit instructions for editing a letter string from a user by pressing keys of a keyboard or buttons of a controller together with an operation strength with which the user presses the keys of the keyboard or the buttons of the controller for inputting the edit instruction, and edits the letter string in accordance with the edit instruction;

a decide input reception unit that receives a decide instruction from the user;

a sending unit that sends a sender side message specifying the edited letter string and strength information specifying the average or the weighed average of the operation strength, the average or the weighted average of the operation strength being dynamically updated every time the user presses any of the keys of the keyboard or the buttons of the controller for inputting the edit instruction, in a case where the decide instruction is received, to another communication device which is communicably connected to said communication device via a computer network;

a reception unit that receives a receiver side message specifying a letter string to be displayed and strength information from another communication device communicably connected to said communication device via the computer network;

a font acquiring unit that acquires font information designating a font having a size which is pre-associated with the average or the weighed average of the operation strength with which the user presses the keys or the buttons for inputting the edit instruction, the average or the weighted average of the operation strength being dynamically updated every time the user presses any of the keys of the keyboard or the buttons of the controller for inputting the edit instruction, and the strength information specified in the receiver side message received from said another communication device, the font information being acquired every time the user presses any of the keys or the buttons or said reception unit receives a receiver side message;

a display image generation unit that generates a display image every time the user presses any key of the keys or the buttons or said reception unit receives a receiver side message, by depicting the letter string to be edited currently with the acquired font for the average or the weighed average of the operation strength and depicting the letter string specified in the receiver side message with the acquired font for the strength information specified in the receiver side message; and

a display unit that displays the generated display image.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a background image acquiring unit that acquires background image information which is pre-associated with the strength information specified in the receiver side message; and

wherein,

said display image generation unit displays the display image by depicting the letter string specified in the receiver side message in accordance with the acquired background image information, and by overlaying the letter string on the acquired background image information.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display time acquiring unit that acquires a display time which is pre-associated with the strength information specified in the receiver side message; and

wherein

said display unit finishes display of the generated display image, when the acquired display time passes after display of the display image is started.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a display position candidate acquiring unit and a display position selection unit, wherein:

said sending unit sends the sender side message in which a user identifier assigned to the user is further specified;

a user identifier is further specified in the receiver side message received by said reception unit;

said display position candidate acquiring unit acquires a plurality of display position candidates which are associated with the user identifier specified in the received receiver side message;

said display position selection unit provisionally displays the display image corresponding to the user identifier specified in the receiver side message, at the respective acquired display position candidates, in order to calculate an overlap area which is occupied together by any already-displayed display image corresponding to a user identifier other than the specified user identifier and by the provisionally-displayed display image at the respective acquired display position candidates, and selects one display position candidate at which the overlap area becomes the smallest of all the overlap areas calculated for the respective acquired display position candidates; and

said display unit displays the display image corresponding to the specified user identifier at the selected display position candidate.

5. The communication device according to claim 4, further comprising a character image position acquiring unit, wherein:

said character image position acquiring unit acquires a character image and a character display position which are associated with the user identifier specified in the receiver side message;

said display position candidate acquiring unit refers to each of a plurality of pairs of directions and distances, and acquires as a display position candidate, a position which is apart from the acquired character display position in a direction in a pair, by a distance in the same pair; and

said display unit further displays the acquired character image at the acquired character display position.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a display position candidate acquiring unit and a display position selection unit, wherein:

said sending unit sends the sender side message in which a user identifier assigned to the user is further specified;

a user identifier is further specified in the receiver side message received by said reception unit;

said display position candidate acquiring unit acquires a plurality of display position candidates which are associated with the user identifier specified in the receiver side message and which are positions in a virtual three-dimensional space;

said display position selection unit calculates “

a smallest value of an angle formed by a vector extending from a predetermined viewpoint to each of the plurality of acquired display position candidates in the virtual three-dimensional space, and by a vector extending from the predetermined viewpoint to a position in the virtual three-dimensional space of any already-displayed display image corresponding to a user identifier other than the user identifier specified in the receiver side message”

, and selects one display position candidate whose calculated smallest value is the largest of all the calculated smallest values; and

said display unit displays a rendered image of the display image corresponding to the specified user identifier, which is arranged at the selected display position candidate in the virtual three-dimensional space, and which is seen from the predetermined viewpoint.

7. The communication device according to claim 6, wherein

in a case where a size when seen from the predetermined viewpoint, of the display image corresponding to the specified user identifier which is arranged at the selected display position candidate in the virtual three-dimensional space, is smaller than a predetermined smallest size, the display unit expands the display image to have a size equal to or larger than the predetermined smallest size.

8. A communication method comprising the steps of:

receiving edit instructions for editing a letter string from a user by pressing keys of the keyboard or the buttons of the controller together with an operation strength with which the user presses the keys of the keyboard or the buttons of the controller for inputting the editing instruction, and editing the letter string in accordance with the edit instruction;

receiving a decide instruction from the user;

sending a sender side message specifying the edited letter string and strength information specifying the average or weighed average of the operation strength, the average or the weighted average of the operation strength being dynamically updated every time the user presses any of the keys of the keyboard or the buttons of the controller for inputting the edit instruction, in a case where the decide instruction is received, to another communication device via a computer network;

receiving a receiver side message specifying a letter string to be displayed and strength information from another communication device via the computer network;

acquiring font information designating a font having a size which is pre-associated with the average or the weighed average of the operation strength with which the user pressed the keys or the buttons for inputting the editing instruction, the average or the weighted average of the operation strength being dynamically updated every time the user presses any of the keys of the keyboard or the buttons of the controller for inputting the edit instruction, and the strength information specified in the receiver side message received from said another communication device, the font information being acquired every time the user presses any of the keys or the buttons or said reception unit receives a receiver side message;

generating a display image every time the user presses any of the keys or the buttons or a receiver side message is received, by depicting the letter string to be edited currently with the acquired font for the average or the weighed average of the operation strength and depicting the letter string specified in the receiver side message with the acquired font for the strength information specified in the receiver side message; and

displaying the generated display image.

9. A computer usable storage medium having a computer program for controlling a computer to function as:

a letter string editing unit that receives edit instructions for editing a letter string from a user by pressing keys of a keyboard or buttons of a controller together with an operation strength with which the user presses the keys of the keyboard or the buttons of the controller for inputting the edit instruction, and edits the letter string in accordance with the edit instruction;

a decide input reception unit that receives a decide instruction from the user;

a sending unit that sends a sender side message specifying the edited letter string and strength information the average or the weighed average of the operation strength, the average or the weighted average of the operation strength being dynamically updated every time the user presses any of the keys of the keyboard or the buttons of the controller for inputting the edit instruction, in a case where the decide instruction is received, to another communication device which is communicably connected to said communication device via a computer network;

a reception unit that receives a receiver side message specifying a letter string to be displayed and strength information from another communication device communicably connected to said communication device via the computer network;

a font acquiring unit that acquires font information designating a font having a size which is pre-associated with the average or the weighed average of the operation strength with which the user pressed the keys or the buttons for inputting the edit instruction, the average or the weighted average of the operation strength being dynamically updated every time the user presses any of the keys of the keyboard or the buttons of the controller for inputting the edit instruction, and the strength information specified in the receiver side message received from said another communication device, the font information being acquired every time the user presses any of the keys or the buttons or said reception unit receives a receiver side message;

a display image generation unit generates a display image every time the user presses any of the keys or the buttons or said reception unit receives a receiver side message, by depicting the letter string to be edited currently with the acquired font for the average or the weighed average of the operation strength and depicting the letter string specified in the receiver side message with the acquired font for the strength information specified in the receiver side message; and

a display unit that displays the generated display image.