Information processing apparatus

• US 9,669,314 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2011
• 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: Tsuchiya, Akitsugu, Higuchi, Masaki, Koyama, Nobukazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Duckworth, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US13/413,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20120233564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 715772
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/207 for accessing game resources from local storage, e.g. streaming content from DVD
• 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 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/609 for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users

Abstract

A mode setting unit sets either a first mode or a second mode. When the first mode is set, the item information acquiring unit acquires item acquisition information stored in an external server via a communication unit. On the other hand, when the second mode is set, the item information acquiring unit acquires the item acquisition information from a storage. A display processing unit displays on a display unit an item acquisition status using the item acquisition information acquired by the item information acquiring unit.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus which is operated by a user, the apparatus comprising a central processing unit and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing a computer program, which when executed by the central processing unit causes the information processing apparatus to carry out actions, comprising:

setting a display mode as a first mode or a second mode and switching between the first mode and the second mode in response to user instruction;

facilitating communications over a network with an external server;

recording item acquisition information in a recording medium of the information processing apparatus, the item acquisition information including one or more achievements of the user acquired during gameplay of one or more game applications that have been executed on the information processing apparatus;

acquiring item acquisition information of the user, wherein, when the first mode is set, the acquiring step includes acquiring the item acquisition information of the user stored in the external server via the communicating step, which includes;

(i) item acquisition information achieved by the user during gameplay of the one or more game applications on the information processing apparatus, and (ii) item acquisition information achieved by the user during gameplay of the one or more game applications on one or more other information processing apparatus, and wherein, when the second mode is set, the acquiring step includes acquiring the item acquisition information only from the recording medium of the information processing apparatus; and

producing item acquisition status for display using the item acquisition information acquired,

wherein, when the first mode is set, the item acquisition information of the user acquired from the external server via the communication unit is displayed, which includes simultaneously displaying;

(i) the item acquisition information achieved by the user during gameplay of the one or more game applications on the information processing apparatus, and (ii) the item acquisition information achieved by the user during gameplay of the one or more game applications on one or more other information processing apparatus,

wherein, when the second mode is set, the item acquisition information acquired from the recording medium and achieved by the user during gameplay of the one or more game applications on the information processing apparatus is displayed while the information processing apparatus is not in communication with the external server,

wherein an indicator is produced for displaying on the display, the indicator indicating whether the first mode or the second mode is set, and

wherein the indicator is produced as a mode switching button operable by a user.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising recording in the recording medium the item acquisition information acquired from the external server for registering.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein information with which to identify an application that was executed in the past by the information processing apparatus is recorded in the recording medium,

wherein, when the second mode is set as the display mode and when communicating with the external server, the item acquisition information on the application that was executed in the past is acquired from the external server via the communicating step, and

wherein the registering includes recording in the recording medium the item acquisition information acquired.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program, the program for execution on an information processing apparatus which is operated by a user, the program causing the information processing apparatus to carry out actions, comprising:

setting a display mode as a first mode or a second mode and switching between the first mode and the second mode in response to user instruction;

facilitating communications over a network with an external server;

recording item acquisition information in a recording medium of the information processing apparatus, the item acquisition information including one or more achievements of the user acquired during gameplay of one or more game applications that have been executed on the information processing apparatus;

acquiring item acquisition information of the user, wherein, when the first mode is set, the acquiring step includes acquiring the item acquisition information of the user stored in the external server via the communicating step, which includes;

(i) item acquisition information achieved by the user during gameplay of the one or more game applications on the information processing apparatus, and (ii) item acquisition information achieved by the user during gameplay of the one or more game applications on one or more other information processing apparatus, and wherein, when the second mode is set, the acquiring step includes acquiring the item acquisition information only from the recording medium of the information processing apparatus; and

producing item acquisition status for display using the item acquisition information acquired,

wherein, when the first mode is set, the item acquisition information of the user acquired from the external server via the communication unit is displayed, which includes simultaneously displaying;

(i) the item acquisition information achieved by the user during gameplay of the one or more game applications on the information processing apparatus, and (ii) the item acquisition information achieved by the user during gameplay of the one or more game applications on one or more other information processing apparatus,

wherein, when the second mode is set, the item acquisition information acquired from the recording medium and achieved by the user during gameplay of the one or more game applications on the information processing apparatus is displayed while the information processing apparatus is not in communication with the external server,

wherein an indicator is produced for displaying on the display, the indicator indicating whether the first mode or the second mode is set, and

wherein the indicator is produced as a mode switching button operable by a user.

5. A computer comprising a central processing unit and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, operating under the control of a computer program, which causes the computer to operate as an information processing apparatus and to carry out actions, comprising:

setting a display mode as a first mode or a second mode and switching between the first mode and the second mode in response to user instruction;

facilitating communications over a network with an external server;

recording item acquisition information in a recording medium of the information processing apparatus, the item acquisition information including one or more achievements of the user acquired during gameplay of one or more game applications that have been executed on the information processing apparatus;

acquiring item acquisition information of the user, wherein, when the first mode is set, the acquiring step includes acquiring the item acquisition information of the user stored in the external server via the communicating step, which includes;

(i) item acquisition information achieved by the user during gameplay of the one or more game applications on the information processing apparatus, and (ii) item acquisition information achieved by the user during gameplay of the one or more game applications on one or more other information processing apparatus, and wherein, when the second mode is set, the acquiring step includes acquiring the item acquisition information only from the recording medium of the information processing apparatus; and

producing item acquisition status for display using the item acquisition information acquired,

wherein, when the first mode is set, the item acquisition information of the user acquired from the external server via the communication unit is displayed, which includes simultaneously displaying;

(i) the item acquisition information achieved by the user during gameplay of the one or more game applications on the information processing apparatus, and (ii) the item acquisition information achieved by the user during gameplay of the one or more game applications on one or more other information processing apparatus,

wherein, when the second mode is set, the item acquisition information acquired from the recording medium and achieved by the user during gameplay of the one or more game applications on the information processing apparatus is displayed while the information processing apparatus is not in communication with the external server,

wherein an indicator is produced for displaying on the display, the indicator indicating whether the first mode or the second mode is set, and

wherein the indicator is produced as a mode switching button operable by a user.