JP2001340651A - Information processing device and method, information processing program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a cellular phone usable as a tool having an amusement property, and increase the accessing number to web pages on which advertisements are listed. SOLUTION: A process wherein an electronic character is raised in response to a connected period of time or the frequency for transmitting/receiving electronic mails of the cellular phone 1 is performed. Thus, the user can well enjoy the process by effectively utilizing the communication function owned by the cellular phone 1. Also, a clue to solve a quiz which is presented in the process to raise the character is included in the home page of an enterprise, and the page is indicated as a linking party. Thus, the user who is playing the raising game inevitably accesses the linking party, and the accessing number for the home page on which the advertisement is listed can be effectively increased as well.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, an information processing program, and a recording medium, and more particularly, to an apparatus having a function of performing wireless or wired communication, such as a portable telephone device or a personal computer. It is suitable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, portable telephones have become widespread due to the convenience of being able to freely make telephone calls anywhere in and out of the room, and many people use them. In recent years, with the development of communication technology, mobile terminals such as mobile phones can exchange e-mail (text information) and freely exchange text and image information by connecting to the Internet. Is available.

Accordingly, various services for providing character information, voice information, and image information using a mobile phone have been provided, and the mobile phone has become available as a more and more convenient terminal. Is coming. Further, in the future, it is strongly desired that not only the convenience of a mobile phone but also the use of the mobile phone for various purposes with various additional functions be increased.

[0004]

However, the functions that can be currently used with mobile phones are limited to ordinary telephone calls, transmission and reception of e-mails, access to the Internet, and the like. Therefore, when the user is not actively using these functions, the mobile phone is simply in a state of waiting for an incoming call (standby), and is currently not used effectively. Under such circumstances, it is desired to realize a function that enables communication of character information, voice information, and image information with more entertainment.

[0005] In addition, ordinary calls, transmission and reception of e-mail,
Looking at the functions themselves, such as access to the Internet, each function was used only by itself and was not used in combination with other functions. For example, when using a call function, the function is used only for a call, and is not used for other functions. Therefore, it has not been possible to enjoy using functions such as telephone calls, e-mails, and Internet connections for other purposes.

In recent years, with the explosive spread of the Internet, advertisements on web pages have been actively performed. The advertisement only makes sense if the web page on which the advertisement is placed is accessed externally. Therefore, in order for the ad to really work,
It is very important to reach as many users as possible on the web page on which the advertisement is placed, and many companies make various efforts to do so. However, the actual number of accesses is not so high.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and makes more effective use of the functions of an information processing apparatus such as a mobile phone to improve communication of character information, voice information, and image information. It is intended to be able to be performed with entertainment. It is another object of the present invention not only to provide an information processing device such as a mobile phone as a fun tool, but also to effectively increase the number of accesses to a web page on which an advertisement is placed.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus comprising: display means for displaying various information including a character;
A communication unit that performs information communication by connecting to a communication network by wireless or wire; a character image storage unit that stores different image information according to the growth stage of the character; and a character growth unit that grows the current growth stage of the character Growth status storage means for updating and storing as status information; determining the growth status information according to the execution status of information communication by the communication means; reading out image information corresponding to the growth status information from the character image storage means; A control means for performing a process of causing the character to grow and change on the image as the pseudo time progresses by displaying the character on the display means.

In another aspect of the present invention, the control means includes:
A process for growing the character according to the connection time, the number of times of connection, or the frequency of connection to the communication network by the communication means is performed.

[0010] In another aspect of the present invention, there are provided input means for a user to input information, and event information storage means for storing information on an event generated in the course of the growth of the character, and the control means further comprises: Reading the event information from the event information storage means to generate the event, and correspondingly determining the information input by the user using the input means or the growth status information of the character according to the presence or absence of the information input. It is characterized by doing. In another aspect of the present invention, the event is a quiz or roulette.

In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a growth history storage means for storing the growth process of the character as a history, and the control means further comprises the growth history storage means in accordance with the history information stored in the growth history storage means. Character growth status information is determined.

[0012] In another aspect of the present invention, an input means for a user to input information, and an event for storing a plurality of quizzes having different difficulty levels as event information, which are quizzes generated during the growth process of the character. Information storage means, wherein the control means further reads the event information from the event information storage means according to the history information stored in the growth history storage means, and sets a difficulty level corresponding to the history information. A quiz is generated, and the growth status information of the character is determined according to the information input by the user using the input unit or the presence or absence of the information input in response to the quiz.

[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, input means for a user to input information, and information on an event to be generated during the growth process of the character, together with link information to a linked web page related to the event. Event information storage means for storing, the control means further reads the event information from the event information storage means to generate the event, and correspondingly, the link specified by the user using the input means. According to the information, the linked web page is accessed.

In another aspect of the present invention, the event information storage means stores information on a quiz generated during the growth process of the character together with link information to a link destination web page where a hint for solving the quiz exists. Stored as the event information, the control means reads the event information from the event information storage means to generate the quiz, and in response to the link information specified by the user using the input means, The method is characterized in that the user accesses a web page of the link destination.

In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a character attribute storage means for storing information for specifying a desired date and time as attribute information of the character, and the control means includes a character attribute storage means for storing the information stored in the character attribute storage means. When the date and time has arrived, the event information is read out from the event information storage means to generate the event, and the user correspondingly specifies the link destination according to the link information specified using the input means. It is characterized by accessing a web page.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the display device includes the display means for displaying the content of the character's behavior as character information, and the voice output means for outputting the content of the character's behavior as voice information. .

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided input means for a user to input information, and the control means displays a location of the character according to a growth process on the display means as a map. Displaying the character at a corresponding location in the map, and switching the display to a dedicated screen for the designated character when the character or its location is designated on the display means by the input means. It is characterized by doing so.

In another aspect of the present invention, the information processing device is a portable telephone device, and the control means controls the call time, the number of calls or the frequency of calls, or the number or frequency of sending and / or receiving e-mails. The growth status information of the character is determined according to

According to another aspect of the present invention, there are provided input means for a user to input information, and telephone number storage means for storing a desired telephone number registered by the user using the input means. The control means determines the growth status information of the character according to the call time, the number of calls, or the call frequency relating to the telephone number stored in the telephone number storage means.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there are provided input means for a user to input information, and mail address storage means for storing a desired mail address registered by the user using the input means. The control means determines the growth status information of the character according to the number or frequency of transmission and / or reception of the electronic mail to the mail address stored in the mail address storage means.

According to the information processing method of the present invention, in an information processing apparatus having a function of displaying various information including a character and a function of connecting to a communication network wirelessly or by wire, a connection execution status to the communication network And a process of growing and changing the character on the display image in accordance with. In another aspect of the present invention, a process of growing the character according to a connection time, a connection count, or a connection frequency to the communication network is performed.

In another aspect of the present invention, a predetermined event is executed in the process of growing the character, and the growing process of the character is branched according to the result of the execution. In another aspect of the present invention, the growth process of the character is recorded as a history, and the branch destination of the growth process of the character at the time of execution of the event is changed according to the recorded history. And

In another aspect of the present invention, a quiz is executed as the predetermined event in the process of growing the character, and a link destination web page having a hint for solving the quiz is indicated by link information. It is characterized by doing. In another aspect of the present invention, in the process of growing the character, the predetermined event is executed when a predetermined date is set in advance, and a link destination web page related to the predetermined event is linked. It is characterized by giving instructions by information.

Further, an information processing program according to the present invention is a program for causing a computer to function as each means according to any one of claims 1 to 14, or the program according to any one of claims 15 to 20. It is a program for causing a computer to execute the processing procedure of the described information processing method.

A computer-readable recording medium according to the present invention is a program for causing a computer to function as each means according to any one of claims 1 to 14, or any one of claims 15 to 20. A program for causing a computer to execute the processing procedure of the information processing method according to claim 1 is recorded.

[0026]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an entire communication system to which the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system according to the present embodiment includes:
For example, the mobile phone device 1, PHS (Personal Handyphone)
System) 2, PDA (Personal DigitalAssistants)
3. Various information processing devices such as a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a personal computer) 4 are communicably connected via a communication network (network) 5 such as the Internet or a telephone line.

The information processing apparatuses 1 to 4 of the present embodiment are apparatuses having a function of connecting to a network 5 wirelessly or by wire to communicate, and grow an electronic character according to a communication execution state. This is to perform the process.
The execution state of the communication referred to here is a connection time to the network 5, the number of times of connection to the network 5, or a connection frequency indicating a time interval from the previous connection to the network 5 to the next connection.

For example, the information processing apparatuses 1 to 4 grow and grow characters according to the call time, the number of calls or the frequency of calls of the mobile phone, the number or the frequency of sending and / or receiving e-mails, and the like. I do. Here, the call time of the mobile phone may include the Internet connection time (web browsing time) in addition to the normal call time. Also, the number of calls to the mobile phone may include the number of connections to the Internet.

More specifically, a desired telephone number is registered in one or both of calling and receiving, and when there is a calling or receiving with respect to the registered telephone number, the connection time and connection to the network 5 are set. The character grows according to the number of times and the connection frequency. Or,
A desired e-mail address is registered for either or both of transmission and reception, and when a transmission or reception is made with respect to the registered mail address, the character is grown according to the number of transmissions and receptions, the frequency of transmission and reception, and the like.

At this time, rather than simply growing the character according to the status of connection to the network 5, a quiz or the like is set as an event, and the growth process of the character is changed according to the time taken to derive the answer. To In addition to quizzes, various events such as roulette are introduced, and the growth process of the character is branched according to the result.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 2, the CPU
Numeral 11 controls the operation of the entire information processing apparatus. That is, the CPU 11 controls the operation of the entire information processing apparatus according to the program stored in the ROM 12 in advance while using the RAM 13 as a work memory. The program may be downloaded to the RAM 13 or the nonvolatile memory 14 via the communication function unit 16.

Specifically, the CPU 11 detects an operation state of the input unit 15 including a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, and obtains an operation signal. In addition, the communication function unit 16 transmits and receives voice information by telephone call, character information by e-mail, character information and image information by Internet connection, and the like. Then, in accordance with an operation signal of the input unit 15 and a transmission / reception signal of the communication function unit 16, various processes (including a call, transmission / reception of e-mail, connection to the Internet, processing of growing an electronic character, and the like) are executed. .

The CPU 11 stores and saves necessary information in the non-volatile memory 14 during the execution of the various processes. Further, various types of character information and image information (including an image of a character) are output to and displayed on a display unit 17 such as a liquid crystal display device, and various types of audio information (including a sound generated by the character) are output as audio. A process of outputting to the output unit 18 is also performed. Furthermore, the following processing is also performed by controlling the timer unit 19 and the count unit 20.

The timer 19 counts the pulse signal of a fixed period and counts the current date and time. Counting section 20
Counts the total time of connection to the network 5 since the character was generated, and stores the result in the nonvolatile memory 1
4 is stored. Further, the counting unit 20 counts the total number of times of connection to the network 5 since the generation of the character, and stores the result in the nonvolatile memory 14. The counting unit 20 counts the elapsed time since the connection to the network 5 at a certain point in time, and stores the result in the RAM.
13 is stored.

The ROM 12 stores the program memory 2
1, a character image memory 22, a conversation memory 23, a condition memory 24, an event memory 25, and the like.
The program memory 21 stores in advance a basic program for executing a process related to a telephone call, an e-mail, and an Internet connection, and a training program for executing a process of growing a character.

The character image memory 22 stores character image information corresponding to each stage of the growth process. For example, when performing a breeding process to grow a character from a baby to a working adult, for each age of the character, express expressions such as joy, sadness, anger, spoilage, namaki, delinquency, illness, etc. Images of various modes to be represented are prepared. These pieces of image information may be still images or moving images. Also, even when a still image is stored, the CP
U11 or DSP (Digital Signal Pro not shown)
It is also possible to express a simple movement by processing such as cessor).

The conversation memory 23 stores character information and voice information representing various kinds of behaviors spoken to the user by the character during the growth process of the character. The conversation information also includes character information and voice information representing the contents requested or asserted by the character to the user when a condition described later is satisfied.

The condition memory 24 stores information on conditions for generating a predetermined event in the course of character growth. The condition information includes information on a connection time condition, a connection count condition, and a connection frequency condition to the network 5. It also includes a time condition indicating a specific date such as the birthday of the character set by the user. The event does not occur only when this condition is satisfied. That is, it may include an event that occurs at an arbitrary timing or randomly.

The event memory 25 stores information on various events. The event information includes character information and image information for displaying the contents of the event on the display unit 17, and audio information for outputting to the audio output unit 18. Also, depending on the event,
It also contains link information for linking to a particular website. Event types include, for example, quizzes,
There are roulette, lottery purchases and questionnaires.

The non-volatile memory 14 includes a telephone number memory 31, a mail address memory 32, a transmission / reception memory 33, a character attribute memory 34, a connection date / time memory 35, a connection time memory 36, a connection count memory 37, a growth status A memory 38 and a growth log memory 39 are included.

The telephone number memory 31 stores a desired telephone number registered by the user at the start of or after the character breeding process. When a telephone number is registered in the telephone number memory 31, a process of growing a character according to the connection status to the network 5 at that time is executed for a call or an incoming call made to the registered telephone number. Is done.

The e-mail address memory 32 stores a desired e-mail address registered by the user at the start of or after the character breeding process. When an e-mail address is registered in the e-mail address memory 32, the outgoing or incoming e-mail sent to the registered e-mail address is transmitted to the network 5 at that time.
A process of growing the character according to the connection status to the character is executed.

The outgoing / incoming call memory 33 stores either the outgoing call or the incoming call or the distinction registered by the user at the start of or after the character breeding process. When, for example, "calling" is registered in the calling / calling memory 33, a process of growing a character according to the connection status to the network 5 is executed only when a call is made with respect to the registered telephone number or mail address.

The character attribute memory 34 stores information on the attribute of the character registered by the user when starting the character breeding process. The attributes of the character include the name of the character, blood type, date of birth, and the like. The user inputs the telephone number, the mail address, the distinction between outgoing and incoming calls, and the character attribute using the keyboard, the mouse, and the like of the input unit 15.

The connection date and time memory 35 stores the connection date and time immediately before connection to the network 5. The connection date and time is measured by the clock unit 19.
The counting unit 20 counts the elapsed time from the immediately preceding connection date and time stored in the connection date and time memory 35 to the present time, and stores the result in the RAM 13. The elapsed time information stored in the RAM 13 is used for a process of growing a character according to the frequency of connection to the network 5.

The connection time memory 36 stores the total connection time to the network 5 counted by the counting section 20. The connection time information stored in the connection time memory 36 is used for a process of growing a character according to the connection time to the network 5.

The connection number memory 37 stores the total number of connections to the network 5 counted by the counting section 20. The information on the number of times of connection stored in the number-of-times-of-connection memory 37 is used for a process of growing a character according to the number of times of connection to the network 5.

The growth status memory 38 stores status information indicating the current growth stage of the character. This growth status information is mainly used to determine image information corresponding to each stage of character growth. The growth log memory 39 stores information indicating the history of the character growing up to that time. This growth log information is used as one determining factor when determining a branch destination in the course of character growth.

The connection date and time information, the connection time information, the number of times of connection, the growth status information and the growth log information are stored by the control of the CPU 11 as needed during the process of growing the character, and are stored as needed. The information is read out and used by the CPU 11 in response.

In the above configuration, if information is registered only in the telephone number memory 31, for example, the CPU
Reference numeral 11 denotes a call time and the number of calls counted by the counting unit 20 when a call is received from a person with the telephone number registered in the telephone number memory 31 or when a call is made to the person with the telephone number. And a process of growing the character selected by the user from a baby to a working adult according to the call frequency.

When information is registered in both the telephone number memory 31 and the mail address memory 32, when a call is received from a person with the registered telephone number or when an e-mail is sent, Alternatively, when a call or e-mail is sent to the person with the telephone number, the call time and the number of calls counted by the
A process of growing the character selected by the user from a baby to an adult according to the call frequency, the number of times of sending and receiving e-mails, and the frequency of sending and receiving is performed.

When the character is grown in accordance with the talk time, for example, the total talk time from when the user first selects and generates the character until the present time is treated as character age data. The CPU 11 determines the growth status of the character according to the age data,
An image corresponding to the current growth status is read out from the character images in the character image memory 22 and displayed.

When the character is to be grown in accordance with the number of calls or the number of transmission / reception of e-mails, the number of calls or the number of transmissions / receptions from the time when the user first selects and generates the character to the present time, or the number of times. The total is treated as data on the number of times the character has eaten.
The CPU 11 determines the growth status of the character according to the meal frequency data,
An image corresponding to the current growth status is read out from the character images in the box and displayed.

When the character is to be grown in accordance with the call frequency or the e-mail transmission / reception frequency, the CPU
11 constantly monitors whether communication is performed within a predetermined time interval, and if communication is performed within the predetermined time interval, gradually grows the character each time the communication is performed. To go. At this time, growth status information corresponding to the growth stage is stored in the growth status memory 38, and an appropriate image is read out from the character images in the character image memory 22 and displayed according to the growth status information.

Further, when determining and displaying a character image corresponding to each stage of growth, the CPU 11 determines an action pattern of the character in accordance with the elapsed time since the previous communication was performed, and the like. The image information of the corresponding expression is read from the character image memory 22. At this time, the conversation information is read from the conversation memory 23 and displayed on the display unit 17 or output to the audio output unit 18 as necessary.

In the course of such character growth processing, the CPU 11 constantly monitors whether or not the condition stored in the condition memory 24 is satisfied. If the condition is satisfied, the CPU 11 stores the condition in the event memory 25. Perform the event that you have. Alternatively, the event is executed at an arbitrary timing or the like. And according to the execution result of this event,
Diversify the character's growth process. At this time, the growth status information at that time is stored in the growth status memory 3.
8 and the growth history information is stored in the growth log memory 39.

As is apparent from FIG. 2 described above, the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a CPU 1
1, a ROM 12, a RAM 13, and the like, which are realized by operating a program stored in the ROM 12, the RAM 13, and the like. Therefore, a program that causes the computer to perform the above functions is recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM,
It can be realized by reading it into a computer.

As a recording medium for recording the above program, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, DVD, nonvolatile memory card, etc. can be used in addition to the CD-ROM.

Further, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized by the computer executing the supplied program, but also the OS (Operating System) or other application software running the computer on the computer. When the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized in cooperation with the computer, or when all or a part of the processing of the supplied program is performed by a function expansion board or a function expansion unit of a computer, the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized. Such a program is also included in the embodiment of the present invention.

Further, in order to use the present invention in a network environment, all or some of the programs may be executed by another computer. For example, the information input processing may be performed by the information processing apparatus of the present embodiment, and various determinations, log recording, and the like may be performed by another center computer or the like. Further, instead of storing the image information and the voice information of the character in the ROM 12 in advance, the character information may be downloaded from another center computer when necessary.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a basic flow of processing for growing a human character from a baby to a working adult according to the connection status to the network 5 and the execution result of an event.

As shown in FIG. 3, first, the user uses the input unit 15 to register a desired telephone number or mail address in the telephone number memory 31 and the mail address memory 32, and transmits / receives a call. The distinction is registered in the transmission / reception memory 33 (step S1).

Next, the user selects a desired character from among several characters provided by the information processing device using the input unit 15, and inputs the character name, blood type, date of birth, and the like. Register in the attribute memory 34. Then, an egg appears on the display unit 17, the egg gradually cracks, and an image in which a baby character is born is displayed under the control of the CPU 11 (step S2).

The processing in each of the following steps S3 to S9 is performed based on the execution status of the passer-by by the communication function unit 16 and the execution result of the event read from the event memory 25 and executed, for example, the quiz that has been set The CPU 11 manages the correct answer rate of the answer input by the user from the input unit 15 and performs a process of growing the character accordingly.

The baby born in the process of step S2 grows from hi-hi until walking.
If there are few outgoing and incoming calls during this growth process, the character starts to cry or leak (step S3). When the character enters kindergarten, he plays and eats lunch. If there are few outgoing and incoming calls during this growth process, the character will cry or catch a cold (step S4).

When a character enters elementary school, there is an entrance test using a quiz, and the course differs depending on the result. Here, from the first grade to the sixth grade, if there are few outgoing and incoming calls, the character is injured or sick (step S5).

When a character enters a junior high school, there is also an entrance test using a quiz, and the course differs depending on the result. Also, from junior high school, not only ordinary courses,
You can also proceed to the entertainment course. In the normal course, the character grows from the first grade to the third grade, and becomes gray when there are few outgoing and incoming calls (step S6).

In the entertainment course, a course such as singer / actor / model can be selected. In this case, the character appears on a television or a movie, or appears in a fashion show. If there are few incoming and outgoing calls, they will not sell and will go to the nude path or turn into comedy.

When a character enters a high school, there is also an entrance test using a quiz, and the course differs depending on the result. You can also go from high school to not only regular courses but also sports courses. In the normal course, the character grows from the first grade to the third grade, and if there are few outgoing / incoming calls, the character gets grayed out or goes to high school dropout to find a job (step S7).

In the sports course, a course such as baseball / soccer / golf can be selected, and the character grows at each selected destination. For example, when the baseball course is selected, if the character participates in Koshien and wins, it is possible to join professional baseball by a draft meeting with a quiz. In professional baseball, the route from the rookie king to MVP acquisition and championship may be followed. Here, if the number of outgoing / incoming calls is small, a breakdown may occur. Conversely, a breakdown may occur even if there are too many outgoing and incoming calls.

When a character enters a university, there is also an entrance test using a quiz, and the course differs depending on the result. In some cases, students may go to a preparatory school without attending a university. At the university, the character grows from the first grade to the fourth grade, and if there are few outgoing / incoming calls, the character repeats or drops out (step S8).

When the character becomes a member of society, the character can proceed not only to the company entry course but also to the businessman course. In the case of a company entry course, there is an entrance exam using a quiz, and the course differs depending on the result. Here, the character grows from a flat employee to the president, and if there are few outgoing / incoming calls, the character becomes ill or restructured (step S9).

In the businessman course, the character is
From the company's establishment to the second part listing, one part listing, and own building construction through quizzes. If there are few incoming and outgoing calls, the company will go bankrupt.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a part of the processing in steps S2 and S3 shown in FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 4, it is monitored whether or not the next outgoing / incoming call has occurred within one day from the previous outgoing / incoming call, and the growth process is branched depending on the presence or absence of the incoming / outgoing call. If there is a next call within one day, the character grows steadily, but if there is no next call within one day, the character becomes ill.

When the character becomes ill, a quiz is given. If a correct answer can be input for this quiz within 24 hours, the character can return to the original growth process. However, if you can not get the correct answer,
Therefore, the growth of the character stops. If you wish, you will have to start over from the first registration.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing for branching the character growth process according to the result of the quiz. FIG. 5 shows an example of a quiz that is presented at the time of a draft meeting when the user proceeds to the sports course in step S7 of FIG.

Here, the CPU 11 sets a quiz prepared in advance as event information in the event memory 25 on the display section 17 and determines whether or not the answer input by the user is correct (step S11). If the answer is correct, the character is designated in the draft meeting and joins professional baseball (step S12). On the other hand, if the quiz is incorrect, nomination is not given and the character goes to college (step S13).

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a process of branching the character growth process according to the result of roulette. FIG. 6 shows an example of roulette that appears when the user proceeds to the company entry course in step S9 of FIG.

In FIG. 6, the CPU 11 displays a roulette prepared in advance as event information in the event memory 25 on the display unit 17 (step S21).
In response, the user presses a predetermined key of the input unit 15 or a start button assigned to a GUI (Graphical User Interface) or the like on the screen (step S5).
22), press the stop button (step S23).

At this time, the CPU 11 randomly selects one of a plurality of occupations in response to the operation of the stop button (step S24), and continues the subsequent processing according to the result. In the example of FIG. 6, a hairdresser (step S25), a truck driver (step S26), and a general company (step S2)
Proceed to the course of 7) and grow the character on each road.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing an example of processing for recording the growth process of a character as a history and for making the branch destination of the growth process at a certain point different according to the history. Here, an example is shown in which the degree of difficulty of the quiz (entrance test) is changed according to the history information on what career the character has grown up to when the character joins a general company in step S9 of FIG. I have.

In the example of FIG. 7, the character is elementary school,
Depending on how they grew up in junior high school, high school and college, they vary the difficulty of quizzes needed to join a top-tier company. If the character has graduated from a famous school in any process, the CPU 11 selects the simplest quiz and gives the quiz.

On the other hand, when the number of cases of graduation from a normal school increases, a relatively difficult quiz is selected and given by the CPU 11. In addition, when dropping out at either high school or university, the CPU 11 selects a quiz which is quite difficult and gives a question. In any case, if the character answers the quiz correctly, the character can enter a first-class company, but if the character is incorrect, the character enters a general company.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for designating a link destination where a hint for solving a quiz set in the process of growing a character exists. The quiz presented here is, for example, a type of quiz for decrypting a code, and a hint for decrypting the quiz is embedded in a company homepage or the like.

In FIG. 8, the CPU 11 reads out the event information from the event memory 25 and displays a confirmation screen as to whether or not to purchase a lottery on the display unit 17 (step S31). Here, when the user operates the input unit 15 to instruct not to purchase the lottery, the process returns to the normal routine (step S32).

On the other hand, when the user operates the input unit 15 to give an instruction to purchase a lottery, the character purchases a lottery (step S33). Then, the CPU 11
An encryption quiz prepared in advance as event information in the event memory 25 is set on the display unit 17 (step S34).

The encryption quiz includes link information to the home page of the company in which hints for decrypting the encryption are hidden. When the user operates the link information using the input unit 15, the homepage of each company is accessed via the network 5 under the control of the CPU 11, and the screen is displayed on the display unit 17 (steps S35 to S39).

As described above, in order to decrypt the code, the user must actually access the homepage of the designated company and read the contents written there. Therefore, if the advertisement information is placed on the company homepage and hints for decrypting the information are hidden in the advertisement information, the user who visits the company homepage naturally reads the advertisement.

As a result, if the number of users who use the information processing apparatus having the character growth function of the present embodiment increases, the number of accesses to advertisements on the homepage linked to the information processing apparatus can be increased. In addition, since the user who visits the homepage does not simply look at the contents, but reads carefully in order to obtain hints for the quiz, there is also a merit that the effect of the advertisement can be further enhanced.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for instructing a predetermined link destination on a specific day in the process of growing a character. Here, an example is shown in which a homepage of a toy maker or the like is designated as a link destination when the birthday of the character registered in advance is reached.

In FIG. 9, the CPU 11 determines the date of birth of the character registered in the character attribute memory 34,
The current date and time counted by the timer 19 are compared to determine whether or not the current date is the birthday of the character (step S41). Here, if it is not the birthday of the character,
The process returns to the normal routine (Step S42).

On the other hand, if it is the birthday of the character,
The CPU 11 uses the event information stored in the event memory 25 to present link information indicating the homepage of the linked company to the display unit 17 (step S).
43). When the user operates the link information using the input unit 15, the homepage of each company is accessed via the network 5 under the control of the CPU 11, and the screen is displayed on the display unit 17 (steps S44 to S4).
8). It is also possible to access a page summarizing the products of each company (step S49).

[0093] On the linked home page, for example, a product page of each company or a present page summarizing those products is prepared. When the user selects a favorite product on the present page (step S50) and answers a quiz or questionnaire (step S51), the user can get the product. Therefore, if the advertisement information is put on the present page of the company, the user who visits the page naturally reads the advertisement.

Thus, if the number of users using the information processing apparatus having the character growth function of the present embodiment increases, the number of accesses to the advertisement on the home page linked to the information processing apparatus can be increased. Moreover, by presenting a product to a user who has answered a questionnaire or a quiz, there is also a merit that the advertising effect of the product can be further enhanced.

As described in detail above, according to the present embodiment, for example, the communication function of the portable telephone device 1 is effectively utilized, and the electronic communication is performed in accordance with the connection status to the network 5 such as the talk time and the number of calls. The mobile phone device 1 can be used as a game for growing a typical character. As a result, the user can wait for an incoming call from a mobile phone, etc.
The mobile phone device 1 can be used effectively and enjoyed sufficiently. Also, when making a call, e-mail, or Internet connection, the user can not only execute the function but also enjoy the character as part of a game for growing the character.

Further, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide an environment where a user who is playing a character growth game inevitably accesses a home page on which an advertisement is placed. As a result, the number of accesses to the company's homepage can be effectively increased.

These advantages can be obtained not only for the portable telephone device 1 but also for the PHS 2, PDA 3, and personal computer 4. Of course, the present invention can be applied to an information processing device not illustrated here as long as the device has a communication function, and similar advantages can be obtained.

In the above-described embodiment, an example has been shown in which characters are grown in accordance with communication conditions relating to telephone numbers and mail addresses registered in advance, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a specific telephone number or mail address may not be registered, and the character may be grown in accordance with the communication status of all telephone numbers and mail addresses.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the growth process from when a human character changes from a baby to a working person is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to cause a character other than a human to grow in an arbitrary story.

Further, a plurality of characters can be registered.
In this case, for example, on a large screen such as a personal computer, a location corresponding to the growth process of each character is displayed as a map, and each character is displayed at a corresponding location in the map. For example, a kindergarten, an elementary school, a junior high school, a high school, a university, a company, a home, a baseball field, a studio, and the like are displayed on the map as icons, and characters in the growth process are displayed at the respective places. Then, when a desired character or its location is designated by a mouse click or the like, the display is switched to a dedicated screen for the designated character.

In addition, the above-described embodiment is merely an example of the embodiment for carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted in a limited manner. . That is, the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit or main features thereof.

[0102]

As described above, according to the present invention, a game that effectively utilizes the communication function of an information processing apparatus and grows an electronic character in accordance with a communication situation in addition to a normal communication. An environment that can be enjoyed can be provided. As a result, the user can communicate the character information, the voice information, and the image information with more entertainment.

According to another feature of the present invention, not only can the information processing apparatus be provided as a mere enjoyable tool, but also the number of accesses to a web page on which an advertisement is placed can be effectively increased. Become like

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an entire system to which an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an information processing apparatus according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a basic flow of processing for growing a human character from a baby to a working adult according to a communication situation, an execution result of an event, and the like.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process in an initial stage of a character growth process.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of branching a growing process of a character according to a result of a quiz.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of branching a character growth process according to a result of roulette.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of changing a branch destination of a growth process at a certain point in time according to a growth history of a character.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of instructing a link destination having a hint for solving a quiz set in a process of growing a character.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of instructing a predetermined link destination when a specific date is reached in a process of growing a character.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 mobile phone device 2 PHS 3 PDA 4 personal computer 5 network 11 CPU 12 ROM 13 RAM 14 nonvolatile memory 15 input unit 16 communication function unit 17 display unit 18 audio output unit 19 clock unit 20 counting unit 21 program memory 22 character image memory 23 Conversation memory 24 Condition memory 25 Event memory 31 Phone number memory 32 E-mail memory 33 Outgoing / incoming memory 34 Character attribute memory 35 Connection date / time memory 36 Connection time memory 37 Connection count memory 38 Growth status memory 39 Growth log memory

Claims (24)

[Claims] 1. A display means for displaying various information including a character, a communication means for performing information communication by connecting to a communication network by wireless or wire, and different image information depending on the stage of growth of the character. Character image storage means for storing; growth status storage means for updating and storing the current growth stage of the character as growth status information; and determining the growth status information according to the execution status of information communication by the communication means. Control means for reading out image information corresponding to the growth status information from the character image storage means and displaying the information on the display means, thereby performing processing of growing and changing the character on the image as pseudo time progresses An information processing apparatus comprising: 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs a process of growing the character according to a connection time, a connection count, or a connection frequency of the communication unit with the communication network. Information processing device. 3. An input means for a user to input information; and an event information storage means for storing information on an event generated during the growth process of the character, wherein the control means further comprises the event information storage means And generating the event by reading the event information from the user, and determining the growth status information of the character in accordance with the information input by the user using the input means or the presence or absence of the information input in response to the event. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the event is a quiz or a roulette. 5. A growth history storage means for storing a growth process of the character as a history, wherein the control means further stores growth status information of the character in accordance with history information stored in the growth history storage means. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus determines the information. 6. An input means for a user to input information, and an event information storage means for storing a plurality of quizzes having different difficulty levels as event information, the quizzes being generated during the growth process of the character. The control unit further reads the event information from the event information storage unit according to the history information stored in the growth history storage unit, and generates a quiz of a difficulty level according to the history information, 6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the growth status information of the character is determined according to the information input by the user using the input unit or the presence or absence of the information input. 7. An input means for a user to input information, and an event information storage means for storing information on an event to be generated in the growth process of the character together with link information for a linked web page related to the event. The control unit further reads the event information from the event information storage unit to generate the event, and, in accordance with the link information specified by the user using the input unit, corresponding to the link destination. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus accesses a web page. 8. The event information storage means stores information relating to a quiz generated during the growth process of the character.
The hint for solving the quiz is stored as the event information together with the link information for the link destination web page where the hint for solving the quiz exists.The control unit reads out the event information from the event information storage unit to generate the quiz, and 8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the user accesses the linked web page according to the link information specified by the user using the input unit. 9. A character attribute storage means for storing information for specifying a desired date and time as attribute information of the character, wherein the control means is adapted to execute a process when a specific date and time stored in the character attribute storage means is reached. Reading the event information from the event information storage means, generating the event, and accessing the linked web page according to the link information specified by the user using the input means in response thereto. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: 10. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: said display means for displaying the content of the character's behavior as character information; and voice output means for outputting the content of the character's behavior as voice information. The information processing device according to claim 1. 11. An input means for a user to input information, wherein the control means displays a location according to a growth process of the character on the display means as a map, and displays the character on the map. The display is switched to a dedicated screen of the designated character when the character or its location is designated by the input means on the display means. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1. 12. The information processing device is a mobile phone device, and the control means controls the character according to a call time, a call frequency or a call frequency, or an e-mail transmission and / or reception frequency or frequency. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein growth status information is determined. 13. An input means for a user to input information, and a telephone number storage means for storing a desired telephone number registered by the user using the input means, wherein the control means comprises: 13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the growth status information of the character is determined according to a call time, a call count, or a call frequency related to the telephone number stored in the number storage unit. 14. An electronic device comprising: input means for a user to input information; and mail address storage means for storing a desired mail address registered by the user using the input means. 13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the growth status information of the character is determined according to the number or frequency of sending and / or receiving of the electronic mail to the mail address stored in the address storage means. 15. An information processing apparatus having a function of displaying various information including a character and a function of connecting to a communication network wirelessly or wiredly, wherein the character is displayed according to a connection execution status to the communication network. An information processing method characterized by performing processing of growing and changing on an image. 16. The information processing method according to claim 15, wherein a process of growing the character according to a connection time, a connection count, or a connection frequency to the communication network is performed. 17. The character growing process according to claim 15, wherein a predetermined event is executed in the process of growing the character, and the growing process of the character is branched according to the execution result. Information processing method. 18. The method according to claim 18, wherein a growth process of the character is recorded as a history, and a branch destination of the growth process of the character at the time of execution of the event is changed according to the recorded history. Item 18. The information processing method according to Item 17. 19. A method in which a quiz is executed as the predetermined event in the process of growing the character, and a link destination web page having a hint for solving the quiz is indicated by link information. 18. The information processing method according to claim 17, wherein: 20. In the process of growing the character, the predetermined event is executed when a preset specific date is reached, and a link destination web page related to the predetermined event is indicated by link information. The information processing method according to claim 17, wherein the information processing is performed. 21. An information processing program for causing a computer to function as each means according to claim 1. Description: An information processing program for causing a computer to execute the processing procedure of the information processing method according to any one of claims 15 to 20. 23. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a computer to function as each means according to claim 1. Description: 24. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to execute the processing procedure of the information processing method according to claim 15 is recorded.