Information processing device, server, and information processing system

• US 8,849,912 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Aonuma, Hiroaki, Miwa, Yasutaka, Kasai, Masayuki, Koyama, Nobukazu
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US13/480,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20120311041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

An acquisition unit acquires presence information of an information processing device of another via server. When the acquisition unit acquires pieces of presence information including the same user account from two or more information processing devices, a status image generation unit generates a status image indicating a status of the user identified by the user account, by referring to the latest presence information. In order to represent the status of the user, the status image generation unit includes a name of an application being run by the user in the status image.

Claims

1. An information processing device controlled by a user, comprising:

a communication unit;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire via the communication unit two or more pieces of presence information including information identifying an application being run in two or more other information processing devices which use a same user account and;

a status image generation unit configured to generate a status image indicating a status of a separate user identified by the user account, by referring to the acquired presence information,

wherein the status image generation unit uses information identifying an application in which the latest status change occurs in the two or more other information processing devices, to generate the status image indicating the status of the separate user,

wherein the presence information includes information indicating one of permission and prohibition of participation in a session of an application being run in at least one of the other information processing devices,

wherein the status image generation unit comprises a second image generation unit configured to generate a status image indicating a status of a single separate user, and

wherein, when the acquisition unit acquires two or more pieces of presence information including the same user account from two or more other information processing devices, the second image generation unit generates an area showing a name of an application by referring to the latest presence information and an area showing a name of an application which allows participation.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein, when the acquisition unit acquires two or more pieces of presence information including the same user account from two or more information processing devices, the status image generation unit generates the status image indicating the status of the separate user identified by the user account, by referring to the latest presence information.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the status image generation unit generates the status image including an application name corresponding to application identification information included in the latest presence information which includes the user account of the separate user, the application name representing the status of the separate user.

4. The information processing device according to claim 3, wherein

the presence information includes information related to a device name of the other information processing device generating the presence information, and

the status image generation unit generates the status image including the application name and the device name both of which represent the status of the separate user.

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

the presence information includes information indicating permission or prohibition of participation in a session of an application being run in the other information processing device, and

the status image generation unit is provided with a participation determination unit configured to refer to the participation permission or prohibition information included in the presence information and determine for each separate user whether an application that allows participation is being run.

6. The information processing device according to claim 5, wherein

the status image generation unit is provided with a first image generation unit configured to generate a status image indicating a status of a plurality of separate users, and

the first image generation unit displays an area showing a status of a first user determined by the participation determination unit to indicate the first user running an application that allows participation, and an area showing a status of a second user determined by the participation determination unit to indicate the second user not running any application that allows participation, using different modes of display.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the status image generation unit comprises a participation determination unit configured to refer to the participation permission or prohibition information included in the presence information and determine whether the application allows participation, and the second image generation unit generates the area showing the name of the application by referring to the latest presence information and the area showing the name of the application which is determined by the participation determination unit as allowing participation.

8. The information processing device according to claim 7, wherein the second image generation unit does not display a name of an application determined by the participation determination unit as not allowing participation.

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

an execution unit configured to execute an application;

a presence information generation unit configured to generate presence information including information identifying an application being run; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit the generated presence information via the communication unit.

10. An information processing device controlled by a user and connected to a plurality of other information processing devices controlled by other users via a server on a network, at least one of the other users controlling two or more information processing devices using a same user account, the device comprising:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire two or more pieces of presence information including information identifying an application being run in two or more of the information processing devices which use the same user account;

a first image generation unit configured to generate a first status image indicating a status of a plurality of other users, and

a second image generation unit configured to generate, when one of the other users is selected in the first status image, a second status image indicating a status of the selected user,

wherein the first image generation unit uses information identifying an application in which the latest change occurs in the other information processing devices so as to generate the first status image for each of the other users,

wherein the presence information includes information indicating one of permission and prohibition of participation in a session of an application being run in at least one of the information processing devices, and

wherein, when the acquisition unit acquires two or more pieces of presence information including the same user account from two or more of the information processing devices, the second image generation unit generates an area showing a name of an application by referring to the latest presence information and an area showing a name of an application which allows participation.

11. An information processing system configured to include a plurality of information processing devices,

wherein each information processing device comprises:

a communication unit;

an execution unit configured to execute an application;

a presence information generation unit configured to generate presence information including information identifying an application being executed;

a transmission unit configured to transmit the generated presence information via the communication unit;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire via the communication unit two or more pieces of presence information including information identifying an application being run in two or more other information processing devices which use a same user account and;

a status image generation unit configured to generate a status image indicating a status of a separate user identified by the user account, by referring to the acquired presence information,

wherein the status image generation unit uses information identifying an application in which the latest status change occurs in the two or more other information processing devices, to generate the status image indicating the status of the separate user

wherein the presence information includes information indicating one of permission and prohibition of participation in a session of an application being run in at least one of the information processing devices,

wherein the status image generation unit comprises a second image generation unit configured to generate a status image indicating a status of a single separate user, and

wherein, when the acquisition unit acquires two or more pieces of presence information including the same user account from two or more information processing devices, the second image generation unit generates an area showing a name of an application by referring to the latest presence information and an area showing a name of an application which allows participation.

12. A computer program that is embedded on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, comprising:

a module configured to acquire two or more pieces of presence information including information identifying an application being run in two or more information processing devices connected to a network by using a same user account; and

a module configured to generate a status image indicating a status of a user identified by the user account by referring to the acquired presence information,

wherein the module to generate the status image uses information identifying an application in which the latest status change occurs in the two or more information processing devices, to generate the status image indicating the status of the user identified by the user account,

wherein the presence information includes information indicating one of permission and prohibition of participation in a session of an application being run in at least one of the information processing devices,

wherein the module configured to generate is configured to generate a status image indicating a status of a single separate user, and

wherein, when the module configured to acquire acquires two or more pieces of presence information including the same user account from two or more information processing devices, the module configured to generate generates an area showing a name of an application by referring to the latest presence information and an area showing a name of an application which allows participation.

13. A server comprising:

a communication unit;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire via the communication unit two or more pieces of presence information including information identifying an application being run in two or more information processing devices which use a same user account;

a data generation unit configured to generate status image generation data for generating a status image indicating a status of a user by referring to the acquired presence information,

wherein the data generation unit uses information identifying an application in which the latest status change occurs in the two or more information processing devices, to generate the status image generation data for generating the status image indicating the status of the user identified by the user account,

wherein the presence information includes information indicating one of permission and prohibition of participation in a session of an application being run in at least one of the information processing devices,

wherein the data generation unit is configured to generate status image generation data for generating a status image indicating a status of a single separate user, and

wherein, when the acquisition unit acquires two or more pieces of presence information including the same user account from two or more information processing devices, the second image generation unit generates an area showing a name of an application by referring to the latest presence information and an area showing a name of an application which allows participation.