JP2001070656A - System and method for displaying imaginary world - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system for a game offering different enjoyment than usual. SOLUTION: A system 10 is provided for displaying the displacement of a present position in an actual world obtained by a portable telephone of a GPS 51, PHS 52 or CDMA type, as the displacement in an imaginary world including a maze. The system thus realizes new entertainment with the combination of a conventional/unconventional game system using position information with actual position information, and establishes enjoyable exercise with the actual movement of a walker.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a system for controlling a computer based on position information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a method or means for acquiring information on a user's current location, a satellite positioning system such as a GPS that receives radio waves from a plurality of satellites and performs radio wave positioning, and a mobile communication base station such as a PHS are identified. A system for obtaining information on the current location of the user from the position of the base station is known. Several systems have been disclosed in which a portable information terminal is equipped with a system for acquiring the information on the current location, and the information on the current location is transmitted to a server via a computer network. For example, JP-A-8
No. -322091 discloses that information including the current location of a news gathering terminal is transferred to an electronic newspaper server via a network as a news gathering support system. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-336238 discloses that information indicating the current location is transmitted from a portable terminal to a server, and based on the transmitted information,
It is disclosed that map data around the position and related information are transmitted to a mobile terminal.

A navigation device for playing a game using a means for detecting a current position is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 9-11437.
No. 0. This navigation device displays a map including the current location, and executes an event when the current location reaches an event occurrence point set on the map.

[0004]

As described above, information indicating the current position of the user is now easily available, and various services or entertainments may be provided using the information. I have. Therefore, the present invention
Its purpose is to provide new recreation using its own location information, that is, the current location. Games that can be advanced using information on the current location include:
As described above, navigation on a map of a navigation device, orienteering using a personal navigation device, and the like have been considered. There isn't much that can be turned into a game. Therefore, in the present invention,
Further, it aims to provide a system or an application capable of providing a new game.

[0005]

At present, a wide variety of portable game machines are commercially available. Of these game machines, in a maze or block breaking, a virtual world arranged by walls etc. is displayed, and the pointing device such as directional key buttons, joystick etc. moves the virtual world to advance the game It has become. Therefore, in the present invention, the movement and movement of the current position, which can be obtained by GPS or the like, that is, the displacement can be displayed as a movement (displacement) in a virtual world, so that a new sense can be obtained using a portable terminal or the like. The game is going to be fun. That is, in the system for displaying a virtual world according to the present invention, a means for displaying a virtual world (hereinafter, a virtual world) and a displacement of a current position (hereinafter, a virtual world) of a terminal capable of acquiring its own current position in the real world are described. , A means for converting the actual displacement) into a displacement in the virtual world (hereinafter referred to as a virtual displacement) for display. Further, a method for displaying a virtual world according to the present invention is characterized by including a step of displaying a virtual world and a step of converting an actual displacement into a virtual displacement and displaying the same.

There is a system for processing by reflecting the relative movement amount of a finger or a part of a body on a screen. For example, a mouse that is a pointing device is one of them. However, there is no method that reflects the displacement of the current position obtained by the terminal held by the user, for example, the movement of the coordinates on the map in the virtual world. Therefore, in the system and method for displaying a virtual world according to the present invention, the user actually moves the current position,
That is, unless the user moves his / her body to such an extent that a significant difference can be obtained by means of acquiring the current location such as GPS, the intention of the user cannot be reflected in the virtual world. Therefore, despite playing the maze game displayed on the device,
Exercise similar to actually walking in the maze is required, and a game different in taste from a conventional game that can be performed without moving one step can be provided. In addition, since the user actually moves, it is possible to provide a game that can use or enjoy various things at the destination.

For example, in the current GPS single positioning, a movement of about several tens of meters is required as an actual displacement depending on the situation. In the case of relative positioning (DGPS) in which correction is performed using a correction value measured by a base station, a movement of about several meters is required as an actual displacement. Of course, there are positioning systems that can measure the displacement of the current location at a level of several cm to several mm, such as a method using carrier phase shift as a measurement value, but at present the cost or space for mounting such a system is It is not easy to integrate into mobile devices. In the system for displaying a virtual world according to the present invention, by reflecting the fact that the user has actually traveled a certain distance, there is obtained an advantage that the user can exercise while having fun. Therefore, the advantage of using a high-accuracy positioning system is not so large.

In the system and method for displaying a virtual world according to the present invention, the movement of the user is not limited to a display reflecting the real world such as a map, but is reflected in a world distant from the real world. can do. Therefore, without being limited to the real world situation, it is possible to enjoy one's own movement in a free world tailored to one's own preference.

To reflect the movement of the real world in the virtual world, some initial settings are required. For example, it is desirable to set the current location in the real world to an initial position in the virtual world. The initial position can be the start position of the game, or if it is interrupted,
It may be the interrupted position. It is also important to be able to set the ratio between the actual displacement and the corresponding virtual displacement displayed. If the ratio of the virtual displacement to the actual displacement is small, it is necessary to actually move a considerable distance in order to move in the virtual world, and the amount of exercise increases, and the purpose of use is versatile. It is also possible to make users with different physical abilities compete with each other with different settings.

The displayed virtual world may naturally be as wide as the real world. However,
The size of the virtual world is often limited in consideration of the processing capability of the terminal. Therefore, in order to match the real world and the virtual world, when the displacement of the virtual world accompanying the displacement of the current location reaches the place where the displacement of the virtual world is restricted, the displacement in the virtual world is calculated. It is desirable to provide means or steps for limiting. further,
A maze can be created by positively arranging a place where such displacement is limited in the virtual world. That is, in the virtual world, the place where the virtual displacement is restricted can be an obstacle such as a wall, a house, or a river that defines a maze.

When the vehicle reaches a place where displacement is limited (hereinafter referred to as an obstacle or a wall), there are two display methods for moving away from the wall. One is a method in which the virtual displacement corresponding to the actual displacement is displayed as if it were separated from the wall without changing the initial setting for reflecting the current position in the virtual world. On the other hand, when the display of the virtual displacement is limited, that is, when the position in the real world corresponding to the initial position is updated when the vehicle collides with the wall of the virtual world, when moving in the direction away from the wall in the real world, In the virtual world, it can be displayed as if it were immediately away from the wall.

The maze may be completely unrelated to the topography of the current location. If the place has few obstacles, such as a square, the user can enjoy a game in which the movement range is restricted while there is nothing. In a place where there are many obstacles in the real world such as a town, you have to move around the virtual world avoiding those obstacles, but you can also enjoy it. Also, the amount of exercise increases. The maze may use a road in a surrounding area including the current position. Since the real world and the virtual world are similar, there is also pleasure.

It is also effective to display a map including the current location instead of the maze. When it becomes impossible to move in the real world as specified in the virtual world, it is possible to move in the real world with reference to the map and enjoy it.

The information of the virtual world may be prepared in advance on the system side. However, in a virtual world where the real displacement or virtual displacement is large, the amount of information increases,
It is desirable to provide a means or a process for acquiring information on the virtual world from the server system by communication such as wireless communication or a computer network. In particular, when displaying a virtual world related to the current location, such as a maze related to the current location, for example, a specific road information extracted from actual map information and simplified, a huge amount of data is required. Therefore, it is desirable to transmit information on the current location to the server system and acquire information on a virtual world relating to the current location from the server system.

Further, the range of the virtual displacement can be set large,
If the means for displaying the virtual world exceeds the range that can be displayed at one time, information on the virtual world is acquired for each range that can be displayed by the means for displaying the virtual world, and the virtual displacement corresponding to the actual displacement can be displayed. When the distance exceeds the range, it is desirable to acquire from the server system the information of the next range of the virtual world including the virtual displacement corresponding to the actual displacement automatically or by a specific input permitted by the user. As a result, the information held by the system can be minimized, and the latest information can be downloaded from the server system each time.

As described above, in the virtual world display system and method according to the present invention, since the actual displacement is converted into the virtual displacement and displayed, the actual displacement itself, and furthermore, the distance actually moved, that is, However, it is not possible to see the distance actually walked by the user, instead of the linear distance. Therefore, it is also useful to prepare a means or process for summing the distances actually moved by the terminal, that is, the user, in the real world, and a means or process for displaying the summed distance. The amount of exercise can be known from the distance actually moved by the user, and the function of a pedometer can be added by dividing the amount of exercise by an appropriate step length. Therefore, it is possible to exercise while enjoying the maze and the like, and to confirm the amount of exercise. Further, a means for calculating calories corresponding to the movement amount may be displayed easily.

When the virtual displacement accompanying the actual displacement reaches a predetermined location, hereinafter a unique location, or reaches a nearby location, different contents, for example, event information such as points are displayed automatically or by a specific input. Alternatively, it is also useful to provide a step. Thereby, the game can be continued without getting tired. Further, when the maze is related to the geography of the current location, the information of the current location is transmitted to the server system via communication, and the content related to the current location is obtained from the server system via communication and displayed. Information related to, for example,
Information on nearby restaurants and events can be obtained. For example, an event icon on the screen may be an icon representing an actual shop (fast food, convenience store, etc.), and a mechanism for obtaining information of a specific shop may be provided.

Such a system for displaying a virtual world can be provided by being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium with a program having instructions for implementing each step of the method. And GPS, which is a positioning system
A PHS unit that uses the location information of units and base stations / means to acquire the current location such as a mobile phone, and a server system that can be connected by communication such as wireless, PHS, mobile phone, or a computer network such as the Internet by dial-up By installing the program on a portable terminal having various means, the virtual world display system and display method according to the present invention can be utilized. Also, the program can be provided after being converted or embedded in a transmission medium supplied via a computer network or the like.

Further, if the installed terminal is a terminal device having a built-in azimuth sensor, the display of the virtual world may be rotated and displayed so that the direction in which the actual displacement proceeds and the direction of the virtual displacement match. It is possible. Further, if the maze game or the like is a virtual world, it is possible to prepare a means for connecting to a server and registering rankings after the game is over.

[0020]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an example of an environment in which a mobile terminal 6 on which a virtual world according to the present invention (in this example, a maze game) is displayed is operated. The mobile terminal 6 of this example can be connected to a server system 20 that provides a maze game via the general Internet 1 as a computer network. The mobile terminal 6 often has a PH
S unit or mobile phone unit, from which the PHS base station 7a or mobile phone base station 7b
Is connected to the public telephone network 7 via a dial-up server 25 and the server system 20.
Of course, the service provider's server system 2 from another provider's server 5 via the Internet 1
0 can be connected.

Further, the portable terminal 6 of the present embodiment is provided with a system for acquiring data (in many cases, coordinates including longitude and latitude information) indicating its current location. There are several such systems. Currently, it is considered that the accuracy is the highest. A system (GPS unit) for receiving and positioning a radio wave from the GPS satellite 9 is used to obtain the coordinates of the current position by radio positioning. Things. In the case of single positioning in which coordinates are determined only by information from the GPS satellite 9, an error is limited to several tens to 100 m, depending on the situation.
A method of increasing the accuracy by correcting the difference using the information of the DGPS base station 2 (relative positioning DGPS) can be adopted. With this method, the error can be reduced to several meters. To obtain coordinates by DGPS, it is necessary to use difference information, but the information can be obtained from the information providing server 22 of the server system 20. Alternatively, it is also possible to obtain the current location in which the difference has been corrected by the server system 20. Further, if the method is a carrier phase differential that corrects with the phase of the carrier wave, it is possible to obtain an accuracy of several centimeters to several millimeters. However, considering actual walking and moving, such an accuracy is required. Not done.

Like the server system 20 shown in FIG. 1, a server system of a service provider that develops services on the Internet has several functions. A mail server 21 for sending and receiving e-mail is provided in most server systems. The server system 20 of this example further includes an information providing server 22
Is provided, in addition to the above-described difference information from the GPS base station, map information is provided from the map data server 23. Further, information on a maze game, which will be described later, And so on are provided. The service provider's user information is also stored in the personal data server 27, and is used to select the grade of the game to be provided and the location-related information. Of course, information from another database server 4 connected to the Internet 1 can be provided to the user via the information providing server 22.

As another method for obtaining the current location, if the portable terminal 6 can be connected to the public telephone network 7 by PHS, the identification information (CSID) of the nearest base station 7a is received, and
By knowing the position of the base station from the CSID, the mobile terminal 6
There is a way to find your current location. P connected to mobile terminal
If the CSID is obtained by the HS, the coordinates of the base station can be easily obtained from the position information server (CSID server) 29 of the base station. When the mobile terminal 6 has a function as a mobile phone, the position of the mobile terminal 6 can be obtained from the coordinates of the base station 7b of the mobile phone.
The accuracy is not good compared with S. However, CDM
It is considered that the required accuracy of the position is significantly improved by a communication method to be adopted such as A in the future.

FIG. 2 shows a game system 1 according to the present invention.
0 shows an example of the environment of the mobile terminal 6 in which the mobile terminal 6 operates. First, the mobile terminal 6 of this example is a GP that acquires the current location of the terminal.
An S unit 51 is provided. Further, the mobile terminal 6 includes a PHS unit 52 and a dial-up connection function 53 for connecting to a service provider via the public telephone network 7 or the Internet 1. As an input / output mechanism, an operation panel 62 including an LCD 61 and a touch panel or a pointing device and switches.
It has.

The maze game 10 installed in the portable terminal 6 has a function 11 for acquiring a current position by using the GPS unit 51, and obtains a CSID of the PHS as necessary to start the current position. You can also get information. The obtained current position is totaled by the distance counter 12 and provided to the display control unit 30 to display a virtual world (maze) on the LCD 61.
Is also displayed as the displacement (virtual displacement) in

The display controller 30 has several functions. First, there is provided a function 31 for acquiring and displaying maze information from the server system 20. This function 31
When the maze game 10 is started, if the information of the maze game has not already been downloaded, the maze information 15 is first downloaded by connecting to the server through the dial-up connection 53. The function 31 further has a function of acquiring, from the server 20, maze information of a subsequent screen when the virtual displacement does not fit on the displayed screen of the maze. Further, it is also possible to add a function of rotating and displaying the maze from the moving direction of the current position obtained from the GPS unit 51 so that the traveling direction is always upward. Of course, an orientation unit may be newly incorporated.

The display control unit 30 further has a function 32 of converting the acquired displacement (actual displacement) based on the current position into a virtual displacement and displaying it. With this function 32, the movement of the terminal 6 or the user holding the terminal 6 is reflected on the maze displayed on the LCD 61. In order to convert an actual displacement into a virtual displacement, initial setting is required. The initial setting function 33 of this example sets an initial position and a conversion ratio, and stores them as setting information (initial information or corresponding parameters) 13.

The display control unit 30 has a function 34 for limiting the virtual displacement when the virtual displacement obtained by converting the actual displacement matches the maze wall. This makes it possible to smoothly reflect the movement of the real terminal or the user having the same in the real world on the maze, which is a virtual world, according to game settings or rules. In this example, when the virtual displacement is limited on the wall, the setting information 13 is updated in this example, so that the user can immediately leave the wall on the maze. This processing will be described in detail below.

Further, the display controller 30 has a function 36 for displaying new content when the virtual displacement reaches a unique place prepared on the maze. In this example,
The icon indicating the unique place is displayed on the maze. Hereinafter, the unique place will be referred to as an event icon, and the content displayed thereby will be referred to as icon data. The function 34 for displaying the icon data is connected to the server system 20 via the dial-up connection 53, transmits the data of the event icon, receives the content 16 corresponding thereto, stores it as the icon data, and displays it.

Further, the maze game 10 of the present embodiment has a function 37 for displaying a map over the current location by switching the screen or dividing the screen together with displaying the maze. When a request to display a map is made, a dial-up connection to the server 20 is made, the current location is transmitted, and the map information
Received and stored. At the same time, the information is displayed on the LCD 61 in a designated appropriate method.

Further, the maze game 10 of the present embodiment is a game which proceeds when the user actually moves, and the user needs to actually walk by himself. Of course, it is also possible to control the game by other movement methods such as running, cycling, or rowing. In any case, not the distance actually moved by the user, but only the distance moved in the virtual world, that is, the maze, is not immediately known. Therefore, the maze game 10 of the present example is provided with a pedometer display function 38, and the distance actually moved by the user after starting the game (not the linear distance, (The distance the user walked) is displayed. If the total distance is divided by the length per step, the number of steps can be displayed, and the calorie consumption can be calculated and displayed by inputting appropriate physical conditions and the like.

The functions of the maze game 10 can be provided by being recorded on an appropriate computer-readable recording medium, such as an FD, a CD, or a DVD, as an application program that operates under an appropriate OS. it can. Alternatively, a transmission medium in which an application program is converted or embedded can be provided via a computer network such as the Internet. Furthermore, software can be recorded in the ROM of the portable terminal 6 in advance as the maze game dedicated machine and provided. In any case, such software (application program) can be executed by an information processing terminal in which a CPU 63, a ROM 64, and a RAM 65 are connected by an internal bus 66 as shown in FIG. The information processing terminal 6 further has functions such as a GPS 51, a PHS 52, an LCD 61, and an operation panel 62 as necessary.

Hereinafter, the movement in each stage of the maze game system 10 of the present embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to flowcharts and the like. In the maze game of the present example, a position icon (such as an illustration imitating the shape of a person) displayed in the maze moves according to the movement of the user holding the terminal 6. Therefore, the position in the maze, which is a virtual world, is felt as if the user were in the real world. In addition, if the maze is displayed as a line segment, it is recognized as a wall even if it is not a wall in the real world, and the current location on the display is fixed at the position of the wall where the maze was displayed, and at the same time, it is heard by a user with sound or message Is made to recognize. And, by putting event information (points, image information, icons such as fruits, etc.) in the maze, the game does not get bored. The maze displayed in this maze game may be of course unrelated to the actual terrain or road, but in this example, only the road information is extracted from the actual map and simplified to form a maze. Is shown.
With such a maze game, a specific place can be used as a pseudo maze, and the game can be enjoyed more interestingly than in the real world.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing main processing of the maze game 10 of the present embodiment. 5 to 9
7 shows a more detailed flowchart of some processes. 10 to 12, the maze game 10
Are shown in several scenes. Hereinafter, the maze game 10 of the present example will be described with reference to these drawings as needed. First, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4, when the program, that is, the maze game system 10 is started in step 71, an initial process is subsequently performed in step 72 before starting the game. The details of this process are shown in FIG.

First, at step 86, the current location acquisition function 11
Get the current location from. As described above, information indicating the current location can be obtained from the GPS unit 51 or the PHS unit 52. Of course, if the terminal is equipped with a mobile phone unit, information indicating the current location may be obtained from the mobile phone unit. At step 87, a line is connected to the server system 20 using the dial-up connection 53. Then, the information including the current location acquired earlier is transmitted to the server system 20, the maze data considering the information on the current location is received, and the line is disconnected.

Next, at step 88, as shown in FIG. 10A, the received maze 100 is displayed, a position icon 101 is displayed at the entrance, and the coordinates of the current position are set at the initial position of the maze 100. . If the game in the same maze is interrupted, the interrupted position is displayed as the initial position, and is associated with the current location. At this time, if the current position cannot be obtained, an error message such as “The current position cannot be obtained” is displayed.

Next, at step 89, a screen is displayed as shown in FIG. 10 (b), and a displacement in the real world corresponding to a predetermined distance of the maze is set. That is, the ratio between the distance corresponding to the displacement of the current position (actual displacement) and the displacement on the maze (virtual displacement) displayed corresponding to the displacement can be set on the screen in FIG. Of course, the form of the screen for realizing these functions is not limited to this example, and the same applies to the following description. In this way, when the initial position and the corresponding distance are set, the actual displacement can be converted into the virtual displacement and displayed, and the maze game can be advanced. Such an initial setting is particularly effective when the maze, which is a virtual world, and the world where the user actually moves are far apart. For example, this is a necessary step when playing a maze game in a square or on the ground. On the other hand, if the road around the current location is deformed into a maze, it is desirable that the maze can be actually walked, so that the correspondence between the initial position of the maze and the current location, The ratio between the actual displacement and the virtual displacement is determined by default.

When the initial processing of step 72 is completed in this way, a maze is displayed on the screen 61 in step 73, and
The game starts. When the game starts, the distance traveled by the user with the terminal 6 is displayed in step 74. That is, based on the value set on the initial setting screen or a value determined in advance by default (for example, 1 dot = 1 m on the screen), the screen is displayed in accordance with the change or movement (actual displacement) of the actual position by the GPS unit 51. The upper position icon 101 moves. Actually, the position information (N36 ° 9 ′) obtained by GPS
When the value changes at 3.41 ″, E137 ° 57′20.73 ″), the actual displacement is converted to the horizontal and vertical distances (virtual displacement, H90dot, V90dot, etc.) of the parameter 13 which is initially set on the screen. Is used to display the position.

The movement (actual displacement) of the current position obtained in step 74 is displayed as a virtual displacement, and is added to the distance counter 12 in step 75. The actual displacement may be obtained by DGPS by obtaining difference information from the server system 20, but it takes communication time and calculation time. Therefore, in this example, the actual displacement is obtained by the GPS alone positioning. In the single positioning, the error may be random because the error is as described above and the selective availability (SA) is included, and the current location may include a random fraction. In an actual maze game, such an error increases fun.

The virtual displacement corresponding to the actual displacement is calculated in step 7
If it is determined in step 6 that the vehicle has hit the wall of the maze, step 77
Is performed on the wall. In the processing of the wall, as shown in FIG. 6, even if the current position moves, the virtual displacement is fixed so as not to penetrate the wall. That is, the position icon 101 of the maze 100 is displayed on the previously displayed wall 102 on the screen.
Is reached, a function 3 for limiting the displacement of the display control unit 30
Reference numeral 4 denotes a position display on the screen (the position of the position icon 101) in which the screen position previously stored as a wall in the maze data 15 and the actual position obtained by GPS are calculated using the initially set parameters 13. ). Then, when they match, the wall is recognized, and the movement of the position icon 101 is stopped there.

Next, in step 91, it is determined whether or not the actual displacement is in the direction away from the wall. If not, the position information corresponding to the parameter 13 initially set is changed, ie, updated, in step 92. Furthermore, when the user does not move in the direction away from the wall, processing such as generating a sound is also possible.

For example, by setting the initial position in step 88, N36 ° 9'3.41 ", E137 ° 57 '
If 20.73 "corresponds to H10dot, V10dot (H indicates horizontal, V indicates vertical direction, and means the number of dots from the upper left of the screen), this is stored as the corresponding position information as the initial position 13 and And
When the terminal 6 moves, the movement (actual displacement) of the actual position obtained by the GPS is converted into a position icon 101 as a virtual displacement on the screen using the corresponding position information (initial position) and the corresponding distance parameter (ratio). Is displayed. Therefore, in the maze game 10 of this example, the position icon 101
When the terminal hits the wall 102, the corresponding position information is updated so that when the terminal moves away from the wall 102 in step 91, the position display on the screen immediately moves in step 92. I have to. In other words, if the virtual displacement is updated once per second, and the virtual displacement corresponding to the actual displacement moves horizontally by 2 dots from the position corresponding to the wall 102 over the wall, the position icon 1
01 does not move, but instead, the coordinates N set at the initial position
36 ° 9'3.41 ", E137 ° 57'20.73"
H12d obtained by shifting the coordinates on the maze corresponding to by 2 dots
ot, V10dot, and the new corresponding position information 13
Save as Alternatively, H10dot, V10do
It may be updated to the longitude and latitude information corresponding to t.

Of course, the corresponding position information (initial position)
And only fix the virtual displacement, ie,
The position icon 101 may not be moved. In this case, the actual displacement is from the position corresponding to the wall 102 to the position
If it corresponds to the position moved by dot, at least 2d
The position icon 101 does not leave the wall 102 unless the actual distance of ot is returned.

Next, returning to FIG. 4, if the position icon 101 becomes close to or overlaps with the event icon 103 prepared in the maze 100 due to actual displacement in step 78 (see FIG. 11A). ), Step 7
In step 9, a process of displaying the corresponding icon data (content) is performed. FIG. 7 shows this processing in more detail. First, when the position icon 101 overlaps the event icon 103 as shown in FIG. 11A, a server connection screen as shown in FIG. If the user selects YES, a dial-up connection is made in step 95. User is NO
Is selected, the maze game can be continued without performing the processing described below. The connection screen with the server may not be displayed, and the content may be displayed by automatically connecting to the server system when overlapping with the event icon. Such setting can be performed at the time of the initial processing. The content may be downloaded in advance, but it is desirable to connect to the server system each time to obtain information based on the current location when the event icon is reached as described below.

When the dial-up connection is established, at step 96, the icon data selected in the maze game is transmitted. Further, at step 97, the data of the current location is transmitted. When the server system 20 receives these data, the data of the current location is subjected to relative correction (server differential) on the server side, and is converted into a value with higher accuracy. Then, bargain information is selected based on the position information and transmitted to the terminal 6 as icon data (content). At step 98, the maze game system 10 receives the icon data and proceeds to step 9
Cut off the circuit at 9. At step 110, the icon data is displayed as shown in FIG. 11 (c), and useful information on the neighborhood of the real world is transmitted to the user. When the display of the icon data is completed, the icon is obtained as shown in FIG. 11D, and the user can proceed further on the maze 100.

In the conventional game, a specific icon (corresponding to a shop or the like in a role-playing game, etc., or a coin-shaped illustration or icon in an action game) is provided. There is something that moves to a simple game screen. The same can be done in the maze game of this example. Further, in the maze game of the present example, the actual position information and the position display icon (such as an illustration of the hero) 101 moving on the screen are synchronized. Therefore, the content that can be provided as icon data can be information according to the position of the user. Such information does not need to be stored in the terminal in advance, and information related to the current location is transmitted by communication,
Because you can display the prepared content,
Each time, the user can see the new content, and can enjoy the game more. Also,
By using the contents of the content, it is possible to add a pleasure that cannot be enjoyed by the conventional maze game, such as a short stop for shopping or a break.

Returning to FIG. 4, it is sufficient that the maze 100 can be displayed on the screen 61 at one time. However, the maze game of this embodiment does not need to particularly limit the size of the maze. In the case of a maze using a local road, it is easy to increase the size of the maze. In this case, all maze data is transferred to the terminal 6
Can be sent during the initial processing, but the amount of data may be enormous. Further, depending on the direction in which the user moves, data in the maze may be wasted. For this reason, the maze display function 31 of this example transmits and receives maze data in a range of one screen. Therefore, if the virtual displacement exceeds the range of the screen in step 80, a new screen
That is, maze data is received and displayed.

A detailed flowchart is shown in FIG. First, at step 111, a server connection screen as shown in FIG. 11B is displayed. As described above, a setting may be made so that a new screen is automatically downloaded without displaying this screen. If connecting to a server, establish a dial-up connection in step 112,
In step 113, the direction in which the maze data extending is required is transmitted to the server system 20. The server system 20 returns the maze data in that direction. The maze data may be prepared in advance, or may be created at any time in response to a request from the terminal 6.
When the terminal, that is, the maze game system 10 receives new maze data in step 114, the terminal
Cut off the circuit at 5. Then, display the new maze data,
Continue the game.

Returning to FIG. 4, the maze game system 10 of the present embodiment can display a map including the current position together with the maze or by switching to the maze. Therefore, when the map display is selected in step 82, the process is performed in step 83. A detailed flowchart is shown in FIG. First, at step 116, a map display method is selected. For example, the screen 61 can be divided into two to display a map and a maze. Alternatively, the screen display can be switched by selecting with the operation button. Next, a server connection screen similar to that shown in FIG. 11B is displayed, and a dial-up connection is made in step 118. And step 1
At 19, the current position is transmitted, and at step 120, the map information prepared in the server system 20 is received, and then, at step 121, the circuit is cut off. Further, the received map information is displayed in the selected method.

In the maze game system 10 of the present embodiment, as described above, the game progresses when the user actually moves, and the movement of the user is displayed as a movement in the maze in the virtual world. You. Therefore, by displaying both the position of the virtual world and the position of the real world as a map, the difference can be enjoyed. For example, if a maze appears to be interrupted by obstacles in the real world, even though the roads are connected on the screen, it is necessary to go around obstacles in order to proceed with this game However, the detour can be obtained by referring to the map. Therefore, by showing a map, it is possible to create and enjoy a maze having a gap with the real world. It is also possible to display a map for the purpose of actually reaching the shop or restaurant indicated by the event icon.

The maze game ends when the position icon 101 reaches the exit of the maze. Therefore, it is determined whether or not the processing is completed in step 84, and when the processing is completed, the end processing (pedometer processing) is performed in step 85. In this example, since the movement from the entrance to the exit of the maze and the actual movement of the user are synchronized, the distance that the user has actually moved at the end of the maze can be displayed. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, data such as a moving distance, the number of steps corresponding thereto, and further, calorie consumption can be displayed. By providing such game characteristics, a pedometer that is one step ahead of the conventional electronic pedometer can be realized, and an effect of not getting tired of walking for health can be obtained. Further, secondary use such as filling a virtual Japan map as electronic information becomes possible. In addition, information known as an electronic pedometer such as an accurate time, a moving distance and a speed obtained from the time, and a calorie consumption may be additionally displayed by using the GPS.

Also, the maze game system 10 of the present embodiment
Since it can communicate with the server system 20 via the Internet, it is possible to play a game with a plurality of persons instead of playing the game alone. A plurality of people are moving in the same maze at the same time, and it is possible to display it so that it can be recognized. Of course, the same street may be moved, or people who enjoy the same maze in a completely distant place may be displayed in the same maze on the screen. Alternatively, it is also possible to register the score of the person who enjoyed the same maze (the time required for clearing or the score added by the event icon, etc.) and compete for the rank. Furthermore, if a maze is automatically constructed from actual map information, a new place can experience a different huge maze each time.

Conventionally, in portable games and the like, there is widely known a game in which a main character, a bar, or a character is moved using a direction key button, a selection button, a cancel button, and the like. On the other hand, in the present invention, a new game can be realized by using an actual position and combining it with a virtual screen on the game. Therefore,
In the above description, a maze is described as an example in which a player can exercise while enjoying a game while moving in a wide range. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a game that is currently made into a game, particularly a game that involves moving icons, such as By controlling a role playing game and a ball game such as tennis and soccer at the present location, new fun can be provided. Of course, it is also possible to create a new game using the system and method for displaying a virtual world of the present invention without being bound by the conventional game.

[0054]

As described above, according to the system and method for displaying a virtual world of the present invention, the position information obtained from a GPS, PHS, CDMA type mobile phone or the like can be used for the conventional game system or method. It is possible to realize a new entertainment by combining an unprecedented game system and actual position information, and to provide a system that allows a pedestrian to actually move and have a fun exercise.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a portable terminal capable of acquiring a current location and an environment surrounding the portable terminal.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic system of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the mobile terminal shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the overall movement of the maze game.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an initial process.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating wall processing.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a content display process.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process for displaying a new maze screen.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a process for displaying a map.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a screen of an initial process.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a screen of a content display process.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an end screen.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Internet 6 Mobile terminal 7 Public telephone network 10 Maze game system 11 Location acquisition function 12 Distance counter 13 Initial value 15 Maze data 16 Content (icon data) 17 Map information 20 Provider server system 21 Mail server 22 Information providing server 23 Location related Database server 24 Map server 25 Dial-up server 27 User profile server 29 CSID server 30 Display control unit 51 GPS unit 52 PHS unit 53 Dial-up connection function

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (Reference) H04Q 7/34 H04Q 9/00 311H 9A001 9/00 311 H04B 7/26 106B F-term (Reference) 2C001 AA04 AA17 CA01 CB01 CB04 CB08 CC03 2C032 HB05 HB22 HB25 HC11 HC26 HD12 5B089 GA25 JA09 JA17 JB22 KA04 KH11 LB17 5K048 BA09 FB03 FB10 5K067 BB21 DD52 EE02 FF03 FF23 FF31 JJ51 9A001 JJ25 JJ27 JJ76 JJ78 KK

Claims (43)

[Claims] 1. A device for displaying a virtual world, and a device for converting a displacement of a current position in a real world of a terminal capable of acquiring its own current position into a displacement in the virtual world and displaying the same. A system that displays a characteristic virtual world. 2. The system for displaying a virtual world according to claim 1, further comprising means for setting a current position in the real world to an initial position in the virtual world. 3. The virtual system according to claim 1, further comprising: means for setting a ratio between a displacement of a current position in the real world and a displacement of the virtual world displayed corresponding thereto. A system that displays the world. 4. The virtual world according to claim 1, wherein the virtual world includes a place where displacement in the world is limited, and when the displacement of the virtual world accompanying the displacement of the current location reaches the place. A system for displaying a virtual world, comprising means for restricting display of displacement in the virtual world. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the current position in the real world is set to an initial position in the virtual world, and the displacement in the virtual world corresponding to the displacement of the current position is limited. Means for updating a position in the real world corresponding to the initial position. 6. The virtual world according to claim 4, wherein the virtual world is a maze, and the place where the displacement in the virtual world is restricted is an obstacle that defines the maze. A system that displays the world. 7. The system for displaying a virtual world according to claim 6, wherein the maze uses a nearby road including the current location. 8. The method according to claim 6, wherein, instead of the maze,
Alternatively, a system for displaying a virtual world, further comprising means for displaying a map including the current location. 9. The system for displaying a virtual world according to claim 1, further comprising means for acquiring information of the virtual world by communication from a server system. 10. The virtual world information according to claim 9, wherein the means for acquiring the information on the virtual world transmits the information on the current location to the server system, and the information on the virtual world relating to the current location from the server system. A system for displaying a virtual world, characterized by acquiring 11. The virtual world information according to claim 9, wherein the means for acquiring information about the virtual world acquires the information about the virtual world for each displayable range by the means for displaying the virtual world, When the displacement in the virtual world corresponding to the displacement of the current location exceeds the range, the displacement of the next range including the displacement in the virtual world corresponding to the displacement of the current location is automatically or by a specific input. A system for displaying a virtual world, wherein information on the virtual world is obtained from the server system. 12. The virtual world display according to claim 1, further comprising: means for summing distances actually moved by the terminal in the real world; and means for displaying the summed distances. System to do. 13. The virtual world according to claim 1, wherein the virtual world has a unique location, and when the displacement of the virtual world accompanying the displacement of the current location reaches or approaches the unique location, A system for displaying a virtual world, comprising means for displaying different contents automatically or by a specific input. 14. The system for displaying a virtual world according to claim 13, wherein the means for displaying the different contents obtains the contents from a server system by communication. 15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the means for displaying the different content transmits information on the current location to the server system via communication, and transmits the content related to the current location from the server system by communication. A system that displays a virtual world characterized by acquiring. 16. A portable terminal comprising: the system for displaying a virtual world according to claim 1; and means for acquiring a current location of the portable terminal. 17. The portable terminal according to claim 16, further comprising means for connecting a server system by communication. 18. A method of displaying a virtual world, and a step of converting a displacement of a current location in a real world of a terminal capable of acquiring its own current location into a displacement in the virtual world and displaying the same. How to display a virtual world that features. 19. The method for displaying a virtual world according to claim 18, further comprising the step of setting a current position in the real world to an initial position in the virtual world. 20. The virtual system according to claim 18, further comprising a step of setting a ratio between a displacement of a current position in the real world and a displacement of the virtual world displayed corresponding thereto. How to display the world. 21. The virtual world according to claim 18, wherein the virtual world includes a place where displacement in the world is limited, and when the displacement of the virtual world accompanying the displacement of the current location reaches the place. Limiting the displacement in the virtual world. A method for displaying a virtual world. 22. The method according to claim 21, wherein a step of setting a current position in the real world to an initial position in the virtual world, and a display of a displacement in the virtual world corresponding to the displacement of the current position are restricted. Updating a position in the real world corresponding to the initial position when the virtual world is displayed. 23. The virtual virtual machine according to claim 21, wherein the virtual world is a maze, and a place where displacement in the virtual world is limited is an obstacle that defines the maze. How to display the world. 24. The method for displaying a virtual world according to claim 23, further comprising a step of displaying a map including the current location instead of the maze. 25. The method for displaying a virtual world according to claim 18, further comprising a step of acquiring information of the virtual world by communication from a server system. 26. The information of the virtual world according to claim 25, wherein in the step of acquiring the information of the virtual world, the information of the current location is transmitted to the server system, and the information of the virtual world relating to the current location is transmitted from the server system. A method of displaying a virtual world, characterized by obtaining a. 27. The method according to claim 25, wherein in the step of acquiring the information of the virtual world, the information of the virtual world is acquired for each displayable range in the step of displaying the virtual world, When the displacement in the virtual world corresponding to the displacement of the current location exceeds the range, the displacement of the next range including the displacement in the virtual world corresponding to the displacement of the current location is automatically or by a specific input. A method for displaying a virtual world, wherein the virtual world information is obtained from the server system. 28. The virtual world according to claim 18, comprising: a step of summing distances actually moved by the terminal in the real world; and a step of displaying the summed distances. How to display. 29. The virtual world according to claim 18, wherein the virtual world has a unique location, and when the displacement of the virtual world accompanying the displacement of the current location reaches or approaches the unique location, A system for displaying a virtual world, comprising a step of displaying different contents automatically or by a specific input. 30. The method according to claim 29, wherein in the step of displaying the different content, the information on the current location at that time is transmitted to a server system via communication, and the content related to the current location is transmitted from the server system by communication. A method of displaying a virtual world characterized by acquiring. 31. A process of displaying a virtual world, and a process of converting a displacement of a current location in a real world of a terminal capable of acquiring its own current location into a displacement in the virtual world and displaying the same. A computer-readable recording medium in which a program for displaying a virtual world having instructions is recorded. 32. A program for displaying a virtual world further comprising an instruction capable of executing a process of setting a current position in the real world to an initial position in the virtual world. A computer-readable recording medium characterized by the above-mentioned. 33. The virtual system according to claim 31, further comprising a command capable of executing a process of setting a ratio between a displacement of a current position in the real world and a displacement of the virtual world displayed corresponding thereto. A computer-readable recording medium characterized by recording a program for displaying a simple world. 34. The virtual world according to claim 31, wherein the virtual world includes a place where displacement in the world is limited, and when the displacement of the virtual world accompanying the displacement of the current location reaches the place. And a program for displaying a virtual world, the program further comprising an instruction capable of executing a process of limiting displacement in the virtual world. 35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the current position in the real world is set to an initial position in the virtual world, and a displacement in the virtual world corresponding to the displacement of the current position is limited. A program for displaying a virtual world, further comprising an instruction capable of executing a process of updating a position in the real world corresponding to the initial position. 36. The virtual world according to claim 34, wherein the virtual world is a maze, and a place where the displacement in the virtual world is limited is an obstacle that defines the maze, and A computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a program for displaying a virtual world, further comprising an instruction capable of executing a process for displaying a map including a current position. 37. The program according to claim 31, wherein a program for displaying a virtual world having an instruction capable of executing a process of acquiring the information of the virtual world by communication from a server system is recorded. Computer readable recording medium. 38. The virtual world information according to claim 37, wherein in the processing of acquiring the virtual world information, the virtual system information is transmitted to the server system, and the virtual world information relating to the current location is transmitted from the server system. And a computer readable recording medium storing a program for displaying a virtual world. 39. The virtual world information according to claim 37, wherein in the processing of acquiring the virtual world information, the virtual world information is acquired for each displayable range in the virtual world display processing. When the displacement in the virtual world corresponding to the displacement of the current location exceeds the range, the displacement of the next range including the displacement in the virtual world corresponding to the displacement of the current location is automatically or by a specific input. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for displaying the virtual world, wherein the program acquires the information of the virtual world from the server system. 40. The virtual world according to claim 31, wherein a process of summing a distance actually moved by the terminal in the real world, a process of displaying the summed distance, and an executable command are displayed. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program to be executed. 41. The virtual world according to claim 31, wherein the virtual world has a unique location, and when the displacement of the virtual world accompanying the displacement of the current location reaches or approaches the unique location, A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for displaying a virtual world having an instruction capable of executing a process of displaying different content automatically or by a specific input is recorded. 42. The method according to claim 41, wherein, in the process of displaying the different content, the information on the current location at that time is transmitted to a server system via communication, and the content related to the current location is transmitted from the server system by communication. A computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a program for displaying a virtual world characterized by acquiring. 43. A process of displaying a virtual world, and a process of converting a displacement of a current position in the real world of a terminal capable of acquiring its own current position into a displacement in the virtual world and displaying the same. A transmission medium in which a program for displaying a virtual world having instructions or data obtained by converting the program is embedded and can be transmitted by communication between computers.