Storage medium having stored therein information processing program, information processing apparatus, information processing method and information processing system

• US 8,958,829 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2011
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Kuwahara, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gu, Andy
• Application Number:
  US13/163,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20120157129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 455/457
• US Class Current: 455/457
• 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 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• 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 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Provided is an information processing system which facilitates data communication between an information processing apparatus and another apparatus. Position data indicative of a position, at which the information processing apparatus which makes up the information processing system automatically performs short-distance wireless communication, is transmitted to a server. The server accumulates and stores the position indicated by the position data transmitted from each information processing apparatus. The position data accumulated and stored at the server is transmitted to an information processing apparatus when the server receives the request therefrom.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses, each of which includes a processing system that includes at least one processor; and

a server apparatus communicable with the plurality of information processing apparatuses, the server apparatus including a server processing system that includes at least one processor,

wherein each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses comprises;

a position information acquisition unit configured to repeatedly acquire a location of the information processing apparatus;

a wireless communication unit configured to repeatedly search for another information processing apparatus that is within a short-distance wireless communication range to automatically establish a wireless connection therewith and automatically perform communication with the other information processing apparatus, as a communication partner, with which the wireless connection is established; and

a communication information transmission unit configured to;

identify the location acquired by the position information acquisition unit when the communication is performed by the wireless communication unit, and

transmit, in response to performance of the communication over the short-distance wireless communication range with the communication partner, the identified location to the server apparatus as a communication position of the information processing apparatus, the server apparatus comprises;

a record information generation unit configured to generate record information, based on the respective communication positions transmitted by the communication information transmission unit of the plurality of information processing apparatuses, the record information indicating respective records of the communication performed by the plurality of information processing apparatuses; and

a record information transmission unit configured to transmit the record information generated by the record information generation unit to the information processing apparatus,

wherein each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses further comprises a record information output unit configured to output the record information transmitted by the record information transmission unit of the server apparatus,

wherein position information acquisition unit determines the location of the information processing apparatus independently of performed short-distance wireless communications.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the record information output unit is further configured to output the communication positions indicated by the record information to a display device.

3. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the record information output unit is configured to output a current location acquired by the position information acquisition unit and the communication positions indicated by the record information to the display device.

4. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the record information output unit is configured to output a map indicative of distribution of the communication positions indicated by the record information to the display device as a distribution map.

5. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein the distribution map includes a map, in which respective images of the communication positions indicated by the record information are superimposed on a map image.

6. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein, among the communication positions indicated by the record information, the communication positions that satisfy a predetermined positional relationship are grouped and the distribution map includes a map with a region formed of the grouped communication positions.

7. The information processing system according to claim 6, wherein the distribution map includes a superimposed image of a center position of the region formed of the grouped communication positions.

8. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein the distribution map includes a superimposed indicator for dividing the map into predetermined regions.

9. The information processing system according to claim 8, wherein, based on the communication positions indicated by the record information, the record information output unit is further configured to calculate a density of the communication positions included in each of the predetermined regions into which the map is divided based on the indicator,

wherein the distribution map includes a map with predetermined regions classified by color depending on a calculation result.

10. The information processing system according to claim 8, wherein the distribution map includes a map, on which the indicator a fineness of which is adjusted according to the density of the communication positions included in each of the predetermined regions into which the map is divided based on the indicator.

11. The information processing system according to claim 10, wherein, based on the communication positions indicated by the record information, the record information output unit is further configured to calculate the density of the communication positions included in each of the predetermined regions into which the map is divided based on the indicator, and, if the calculated density of the communication positions in each of the respective predetermined regions is greater than a predetermined threshold value, the record information output unit is configured to output a map, on which an indicator for more finely dividing the predetermined regions is superimposed, to the display device for display as the distribution map.

12. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the record information output unit is further configured to calculate a communication count which is obtained by counting the communication positions indicated by the record information in each of respective predetermined regions, and outputs a map indicative of distribution of the communication counts counted for each predetermined region to a display device as a distribution map.

13. The information processing system according to claim 12, wherein the record information output unit is further configured to output a map in which the predetermined regions into which the map is divided based on an indicator are classified by color according to the communication counts counted for respective predetermined regions, to the display device as the distribution map.

14. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the record information output unit is further configured to output a list of respective names of regions that include the communication positions indicated by the record information, to a display device.

15. The information processing system according to claim 14, wherein the record information output unit is further configured to extract the regions that include the communication positions indicated by the record information from among regions of a map divided by a predetermined method and output a list of respective names of the extracted regions to the display device.

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

the communication information transmission unit is further configured to transmit to the server apparatus time information regarding time associated with the communication position at which the communication is performed by the wireless communication unit, together with the communication position, and

the record information generation unit is further configured to generate the record information which indicates, as the respective records of the communication, the respective communication positions of the plurality of information processing apparatuses transmitted by the communication information transmission unit of each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses and the time information associated with the respective communication positions.

17. The information processing system according to claim 16, wherein the record information output unit is further configured to output the communication positions, which are associated with the time information within a predetermined time period and are included in a predetermined region, to a display device.

18. The information processing system according to claim 17, wherein, among the communication positions indicated by the record information, the record information output unit is further configured to count the communication positions, which are associated with the time information within a time period designated by a user and are included in a region specified by the user, as communication count, and output transition of the communication count within the time period to the display device.

19. The information processing system according to claim 18, wherein the record information output unit is further configured to output a result obtained by predicting, based on the communication positions and time information indicated by the record information, the transition of the communication count in the region specified by the user within the time period designated by the user, to the display device.

20. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the communication information transmission unit is further configured to transmit, to the server apparatus, program information indicative of a program which handles information communicated by the wireless communication unit, together with the communication position at which the communication is performed by the wireless communication unit,

the record information generation unit is configured to generate the record information, based on the program information and communication position transmitted by the communication information transmission unit of each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses, the record information indicating the respective communication positions of the plurality of information processing apparatuses in association with the program indicated by the program information.

21. The information processing system according to claim 20, wherein the record information output unit is further configured to output the communication positions associated with the program information of a program selected by a user to a display device.

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

the communication information transmission unit is further configured to transmit, to the server apparatus, user information indicative of a user of the information processing apparatus with which the communication is performed by the wireless communication unit, together with the communication position at which the communication is performed by the wireless communication unit,

the record information generation unit is further configured to generate the record information, based on the communication position and user information transmitted by the communication information transmission unit of each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses, the record information indicating the respective communication positions of the plurality of information processing apparatuses in association with the user information, as the respective records of the communication performed by the plurality of information processing apparatuses.

23. The information processing system according to claim 22, wherein the record information output unit is further configured to output the communication position associated with the user information indicative of a user previously registered with a respective information processing apparatus, based on the communication position and user information indicated by the record information transmitted by the record information transmission unit, to a display device.

24. The information processing system according to claim 22, wherein the server apparatus further comprises:

a communication information reception unit configured to receive the communication position and user information together transmitted by the communication information transmission unit of each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses; and

a count unit configured to count a number of the communication positions which are received by the communication information reception unit within a predetermined time period for each user information transmitted together with the communication position.

25. An information processing apparatus communicable with another apparatus, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to;

communicate via short-distance wireless communication with another computing device; and

search for other computing devices that are within a communication range of the short-distance wireless communication to automatically establish a wireless connection therewith; and

a processing system that includes at least one processor, the processing system configured to;

acquire positional information of the information processing apparatus;

transmit the acquired positional information to a remote server computer system in response to short-distance wireless communication transmissions from the wireless transceiver;

receive, from the remote server computer system, positional information that corresponds to reported positions of a plurality of other computing devices where the position of at least one of the plurality of other computing devices is outside the communication range of the short-distance wireless communication of the computing apparatus, where the received position information corresponds to locations where the plurality of other computing devices perform short-distance wireless communications; and

generate a display in accordance with the received positional information that corresponds to positions of the plurality of other computing devices,

wherein the positional information of the information processing apparatus is determined without using short-distance wireless communications.

26. An information processing method used in an information processing apparatus communicable with another apparatus, the method comprising:

repeatedly acquiring a location of the information processing apparatus;

repeatedly searching for another apparatus that is within a short-distance wireless communication range to automatically establish a wireless connection therewith and automatically perform communication with the other apparatus, as a communication partner, with which the wireless connection is established;

transmitting, to a server apparatus and in response to performance of the communication over the short-distance wireless communication range with the communication partner, the acquired location, as a communication position of the information processing apparatus; and

outputting record information, which is generated by the server apparatus, based on the communication position of a plurality of information processing apparatuses, as information indicative of a record of the communication performed in a range wider than the short-distance wireless communication range of one of the information processing apparatuses by each information processing apparatus,

wherein the acquired positional information of the information processing apparatus is determined without using short-distance wireless communications.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program that is executable by a computer of an information processing apparatus communicable with another apparatus, the information processing program comprising instructions that are, when executed by the computer, configured to:

repeatedly acquire a location of the information processing apparatus;

repeatedly search for another apparatus that is within a short-distance wireless communication range to automatically establish a wireless connection therewith and automatically perform short-distance wireless communication with the other apparatus, as a communication partner, with which the wireless connection is established;

identify the acquired location of the information processing apparatus when wireless communication is performed;

transmit the identified location, as a communication position of the information processing apparatus, to a server apparatus in response to the performed short-distance wireless communication with the communication partner; and

output record information, which is generated by the server apparatus based on the transmitted communication position of the information processing apparatus, as information indicative of a record of the communication performed by the information processing apparatus,

wherein the acquired positional information of the information processing apparatus is determined without using short-distance wireless communications.

28. A server apparatus communicable with a plurality of information processing apparatuses, the server apparatus comprising:

a communication information reception unit configured to receive, from each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses, a location as a communication position, at which each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses repeatedly searches for another apparatus that is within a short-distance wireless communication range to automatically establish a wireless connection therewith and automatically perform communication with the other apparatus, as a communication partner, with which the wireless connection is established, the location from each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses being sent in response to the automatically performed communication over the short-distance wireless communication range with the communication partner;

a record information generation unit, using a processor of the server apparatus, configured to generate record information, based on the communication positions received by the communication information reception unit, the record information indicating respective records of the communication performed by the plurality of information processing apparatuses; and

a record information transmission unit configured to transmit the record information generated by the record information generation unit to the information processing apparatus,

wherein the acquired positional information of the information processing apparatus is determined independently of performed short-distance wireless communications.

29. An information processing method used in a server apparatus communicable with a plurality of information processing apparatuses, the information processing method comprising:

receiving, from each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses, a location as a communication position, at which each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses repeatedly searches for another apparatus that is within a short-distance wireless communication range to automatically establish a wireless connection therewith and automatically perform communication with the other apparatus, as a communication partner, with which the wireless connection is established, the location from each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses being sent in response to the automatically performed communication over the short-distance wireless communication range with the communication partner;

generating record information, based on the received communication positions, the record information indicating respective records of the communication performed by the plurality of information processing apparatuses; and

transmitting the generated record information to the information processing apparatus,

wherein the acquired positional information of the information processing apparatus is determined independently of performed short-distance wireless communications.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program that is executable by a computer of a server apparatus communicable with a plurality of information processing apparatuses, the information processing program comprising instructions that are, when executed by the computer, configured to:

receive, from each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses, a location as a communication position, at which each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses repeatedly searches for another apparatus that is within a short-distance wireless communication range to automatically establish a wireless connection therewith and automatically perform communication with the other apparatus, as a communication partner, with which the wireless connection is established, the location from each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses being sent in response to the automatically performed communication over the short-distance wireless communication range with the communication partner;

generate record information based on the received communication positions, the record information indicating respective records of the communication performed by the plurality of information processing apparatuses; and

transmit the generated record information to the information processing apparatus,

wherein the acquired positional information of the information processing apparatus is determined independently of performed short-distance wireless communications.

31. An information processing system comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses; and

a server apparatus communicable with the plurality of information processing apparatuses,

wherein each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses comprises;

a position information acquisition unit configured to repeatedly acquire a location of the information processing apparatus;

a wireless communication unit configured to repeatedly search for another apparatus that is within a short-distance wireless communication range to automatically establish a wireless connection therewith and automatically perform communication with the other apparatus, as a communication partner, with which the wireless connection is established; and

a communication acceptance information transmission unit configured to transmit, to the server apparatus and in response to performance of the communication over the short-distance wireless communication range with the communication partner, communication acceptance information indicative of a state where the communication by the wireless communication unit is acceptable, together with the acquired location,

wherein the server apparatus comprises;

a communication acceptable information transmission unit configured to transmit to each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses a latest location of the information processing apparatus capable of accepting the communication by the wireless communication unit, the latest location being transmitted based on the communication acceptance information transmitted by the communication acceptance information transmission unit of each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses,

wherein each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses further comprises an output unit configured to output the latest location transmitted by the communication acceptable information transmission unit,

wherein the acquired positional information of the information processing apparatus is determined independently of performed short-distance wireless communications.

32. An information processing system comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses; and

a server apparatus communicable with the plurality of information processing apparatuses,

wherein each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses comprises;

a position information acquisition unit for repeatedly acquiring a location of the information processing apparatus;

a wireless communication unit for repeatedly searching for another apparatus that is within a short-distance wireless communication range to automatically establish a wireless connection therewith and automatically perform communication with the other apparatus, as a communication partner, with which the wireless connection is established; and

a communication information transmission unit for transmitting to the server apparatus the location acquired by the position information acquisition unit in response to performance of the communication over the short-distance wireless communication range with the communication partner, as a communication position of the information processing apparatus,

the server apparatus comprises;

a communication information storage unit for accumulating and storing the communication position transmitted by the communication information transmission unit of each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses;

a generation unit for generating the communication positions accumulated by the communication information storage unit as output information to be output by each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses; and

an output information transmission unit for transmitting the output information generated by the generation unit to each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses,

wherein each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses further comprises an output unit for outputting the output information transmitted by the output information transmission unit,

wherein the positional information of the information processing apparatus is determined independently of performed short-distance wireless communications.

33. An information processing system comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses; and

a server apparatus communicable with the plurality of information processing apparatuses,

wherein each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses comprises;

a positional unit configured to acquire a location of the respective information processing apparatus;

a wireless communication device configured to repeatedly search for another apparatus that is within a short-distance wireless communication range to automatically establish a wireless connection therewith and automatically perform communication with the other apparatus, as a communication partner, with which the wireless connection is established; and

a communication information transmitter configured to transmit, to the server apparatus and in response to performance of the communication over the short-distance wireless communication range with the communication partner, as a communication position, either one of the acquired location of the respective information processing apparatus when the communication is performed by the wireless communication device and an acquired location of the communication partner,

the server apparatus comprises;

at least one processor configured to generate record information, based on the respective transmitted communication positions of the plurality of information processing apparatuses, the record information indicating respective records of the communication performed by the plurality of information processing apparatuses; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the generated record information to the information processing apparatus,

wherein each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses further comprises at least one processor configured to output the transmitted record information,

wherein the acquired positional information of the information processing apparatus is determined independently of performed short-distance wireless communications.

34. An information processing system comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses; and

a server apparatus communicable with the plurality of information processing apparatuses,

wherein each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses comprises at least one processor configured to;

acquire a location of the respective information processing apparatus;

repeatedly search, via a wireless transmitter, for another apparatus that is within a short-distance wireless communication range and which has necessary information to be transmitted/received, to automatically establish a wireless connection therewith and automatically transmit/receive the necessary information to/from the other apparatus, as a communication partner, with which the wireless connection is established, and

transmit, to the server apparatus, the acquired location in response to transmission/reception of the necessary information to/from the other apparatus over the short-distance wireless communication range with the communication partner, the acquired location transmitted as a communication position of the information processing apparatus,

wherein the server apparatus comprises a processing system that includes at least one processor, the processing system configured to;

generate record information, based on the respective transmitted communication positions of the plurality of information processing apparatuses, the record information indicating respective records of communications performed by the plurality of information processing apparatuses, and

transmit the generated record information to the information processing apparatus,

wherein the at least one processor of each of the plurality of information processing apparatuses is further configured to output the record information transmitted by the server apparatus,

wherein the acquired positional information of the information processing apparatus is determined independently of performed short-distance wireless communications.