Information processing device, server, and information processing system

• US 9,433,869 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Aonuma, Hiroaki, Miwa, Yasutaka, Kasai, Masayuki, Koyama, Nobukazu
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US14/469,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20150012595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 presence information through a first user account of a network service, the presence information including;

(i) at least one name of at least one application manipulated by a second user of two or more information processing devices through a second user account of the network service, (ii) respective names the two or more information processing devices of the second user, and (iii) a name of the second user;

a status image generation unit configured to generate status images indicating a state of the at least one application, including;

(a) the name of the at least one application; and

(b) the respective names of the two or more information processing devices,

wherein the status image generation unit is further configured to facilitate the status images to be displayed to the user on a display device of the information processing device.

2. An information processing device as described in claim 1, wherein:

the status image generation unit generates a status image indicating a status of a separate user;

the status image generating unit displays in the status image a name of an application which can be participated in by another user, other than the separate user whose status is being displayed, via reference to the presence information indicating a permission for participation in a session of the application, and does not display in the status image a name of an application which cannot be participated in by the another user via reference to the presence information indicating a prohibition for participation in a session of the application.

3. An information processing device as described in claim 1, 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.

4. An information processing system, comprising:

a server; and

an information processing device, comprising;

a communication unit;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire via the communication unit presence information through a first user account of a network service, the presence information including;

(i) at least one name of at least one application manipulated by a second user of two or more information processing devices through a second user account of the network service, (ii) respective names the two or more information processing devices of the second user, and (iii) a name of the second user; and

a status image generation unit configured to generate status images indicating a state of the at least one application, including;

(a) the name of the at least one application; and

(b) the respective names of the two or more information processing devices,

wherein the status image generation unit is further configured to facilitate the status images to be displayed to the user on a display device of the information processing device.

5. A non-transitory, computer readable storage medium containing a computer program, which when executed by a microprocessor system carries out actions, comprising:

communicating over a network;

acquiring, via the communication unit, presence information through a first user account of a network service, the presence information including;

(i) at least one name of at least one application manipulated by a second user of two or more information processing devices through a second user account of the network service, (ii) respective names the two or more information processing devices of the second user, and (iii) a name of the second user; and

generating status images indicating a state of the at least one application, including;

(a) the name of the at least one application; and

(b) the respective names of the two or more information processing devices,

wherein the status image generation unit is further configured to facilitate the status images to be displayed to the user on a display device of the information processing device.