JP2010078499A - Apparatus and method for information processing and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing apparatus etc. suitable for appropriate time correction. <P>SOLUTION: A preparation detection part 202 of the information processing apparatus 201 detects preparing operation, such as power-on. A control detection part 203 detects a control operation, such as a user input required for the information processing of an information processing part 209. A frequency computation part 205 makes reference to a real-time clock 121 and computes the latest frequency of preparing operations and control operations. On the basis of a history of the latest frequency of preparing operations and control operations stored in a history storage part 204, a range determining part 206 determines the range the latest frequency of preparing operations and control operations can take and determines whether the latest frequency of preparing operations and control operations has deviated from this range. When it has deviated, a time and data setting part 208 makes the time and date of the real-time clock 121 match with the actual data and time. When it has not deviated, a history addition part 207 updates the history stored in the history storage part 204. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program for realizing these on a computer, which are suitable for appropriately adjusting time.

  Conventionally, various computers, mobile phones, game machines, video recorders, etc. have been equipped with a real-time clock that keeps counting the current date and time even when the main power of the main unit is turned off. Can be used instead of a clock.

  The time adjustment of the real-time clock is performed manually by a human or based on a time display broadcast in a television broadcast, or may be adjusted by an NTP (Network Time Protocol) service. Such a time adjustment technique is disclosed in the literature described later. Here, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for displaying a menu item for adjusting the time of a real-time clock at the top in preference to other menu items.

Japanese Patent No. 3588611

  For example, in information processing executed by an application or the like executed on a game machine, there are those that refer to the date and time that can be acquired from the real-time clock, and it is important to keep the date and time of the real-time clock accurate.

  On the other hand, in time adjustment, a technique for preventing concentration of access to a server device that provides an NTP service is strongly desired.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program for realizing these on a computer.

  In order to achieve the above object, the following invention is disclosed in accordance with the principle of the present invention.

  An information processing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a real-time clock, a preparation detection unit, a control detection unit, a history storage unit, a frequency calculation unit, and a range determination unit, and is configured as follows.

  That is, the information processing apparatus executes predetermined information processing. In various computers, predetermined information processing is executed by a predetermined application in the computer, and in a game machine or a mobile phone, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a ROM (Read Only Memory) mounted on the game machine are used. ) Predetermined information processing is executed by executing a program recorded in a cassette or EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM). That is, the predetermined information processing is typically an application that is most frequently used by the user of the information processing apparatus.

  On the other hand, the real time clock measures the date and time.

  That is, even when the main power of the information processing apparatus is turned off, or when the information processing apparatus is in a suspended state or a hibernate state, the real-time clock keeps counting the current date and time. Typically, the real-time clock operates using a rechargeable battery or a backup battery as a power source so that the real-time clock can operate independently of the information processing apparatus of the main body.

  On the other hand, the preparation detection unit detects a preparation operation for preparing an environment in which the information processing apparatus can execute the predetermined information processing.

  Typical preparation operations for preparing the environment for executing information processing include operations for turning on the main power of the information processing device and operations for starting charging of the information processing device, as will be described later. In a general computer, an operation for starting an OS (Operating System) or the like can be performed. The preparation operation is an operation that inevitably increases the number of times the user executes the information processing apparatus as the user frequently uses the information processing apparatus.

  On the other hand, the control detection unit detects a control operation for controlling the predetermined information processing executed by the information processing apparatus.

  Typical control operations are pressing operations of various keys and buttons in various applications and game software, and moving operations of a mouse, etc., which are operations used when a user gives instructions to advance information processing. And The control operation is an operation that inevitably increases the number of executions as the user frequently uses predetermined information processing in the information processing apparatus.

  On the other hand, the history storage unit stores the history of the detected preparation operation and the detected control operation in a nonvolatile manner.

  In the present invention, in order to determine whether time adjustment is necessary based on the history of preparation operations and the history of control operations, information on preparation operations and control operations detected in the past is recorded in the history. Is remembered as For this reason, an information recording medium such as EEPROM, SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), hard disk, etc. that retains recorded information as it is even when the main power of the information processing apparatus is turned off is used as the history storage unit. .

  Furthermore, the frequency calculation unit calculates the frequency of the preparation operation and the frequency of the control operation detected within the latest predetermined frequency time counted by the real time clock.

  The most recent predetermined frequency time is a fixed period, “Recent 1 day” “Recent 1 week” “Recent 30 days” “Recent 1 year” “Recent 10 years” “Recent 100 years” Various periods such as “period” can be adopted, and an appropriate period can be set from the history stored in the history storage unit.

  Further, the range determining unit estimates the frequency of the preparation operation and the frequency of the control operation from the stored history of the preparation operation and the control operation, and is calculated from the estimated range. Whether the date and time adjustment is necessary or not is determined based on the frequency of the preparation operation and whether the frequency of the control operation is off.

  As described above, both the preparation operation and the control operation are operations that are detected more frequently as the user frequently performs predetermined information processing in the information processing apparatus. Therefore, these correspondences are estimated from the history, and whether the frequency of preparation operations and control operations detected within the most recent predetermined frequency time does not deviate from these correspondences, is it necessary to adjust the date and time? It is a criterion for determining whether it is necessary.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately determine whether date adjustment is unnecessary or not by referring to the usage status of the user.

  The information processing apparatus of the present invention further includes a history adding unit and a date / time setting unit, and can be configured as follows.

  That is, when it is determined that the date / time adjustment is not necessary, the history adding unit adds the detected preparation operation and the control operation to the history stored in the history storage unit.

  In this case, since the real time clock is assumed to have a certain accuracy, the detected preparation operation and control operation are added to the history storage unit as they are as a part of the history. On the other hand, when it is necessary to set the date and time, these detection results are assumed to be inaccurate, and are not used as the history.

  If it is determined that the date / time adjustment is necessary, the date / time setting unit sets the date / time counted by the real-time clock to match the current date / time.

  When the preparation operation and the control operation performed by the user deviate from the range assumed in view of the history, the real time clock is assumed to be inaccurate, and the time is adjusted.

  The date and time setting by the date and time setting unit may be performed by inquiring the time to the server through a computer network, or the radio wave information broadcast for the radio clock is received for a certain period after the date and time adjustment is determined to be necessary. It may be performed by the user, or the user may be asked to set the date and time manually.

  According to the present invention, the history of two types of operations from the user is accumulated based on the real-time clock, and it is determined that time adjustment is necessary when the detection status of the operations deviates from the range estimated from the history. When the information processing device has not been used for a long time, or when the real-time clock has shifted due to various setting errors or the like, it can be properly detected. Access concentration can be prevented.

  Further, in the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the history storage unit and the history addition unit use the history of the ratio between the frequency of the preparation operation and the frequency of the control operation as the history of the preparation operation and the control operation, and determine the range. The unit estimates a range where the ratio between the frequency of the prepared operation and the frequency of the control operation should be from the history of the ratio between the prepared operation and the control operation stored, and calculates from the estimated range Whether or not the clock adjustment is necessary can be determined based on whether or not the ratio between the frequency of the prepared operation and the frequency of the control operation deviates.

  The present invention is an embodiment that assumes that the frequency of the preparation operation is proportional to the frequency of the control operation to some extent. The ratio between the frequency of the prepared operation and the frequency of the control operation is a proportional proportional coefficient, and it is assumed that there is no significant change if the user is used regularly to some extent.

  The present invention relates to a preferred embodiment of the above-described invention. When the use of the user is regular, it is estimated that the necessity for time adjustment is low. A simple determination can be made.

  In the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the range determination unit can be configured to estimate a range in which the ratio should be based on the average and standard deviation of the ratios stored in the history storage unit.

  The present invention assumes that the ratio between the frequency of the prepared operation and the frequency of the control operation is based on the above assumption, and that the ratio is normally distributed if the user is used to some extent regularly. It is. Therefore, the average value E and standard deviation σ of the ratio are obtained, the range where the ratio should be is estimated as E-σ to E + σ, E-2σ to E + 2σ, etc., and the most recently calculated ratio is Whether time adjustment is necessary or not is determined depending on whether or not the value deviates from this range.

  The present invention relates to a preferred embodiment of the invention described above, and the range of values that can be taken when the user uses the information processing apparatus regularly to some extent by a relatively simple calculation such as an average or a standard deviation. Can be estimated.

  In the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the history stored in the history storage unit is deleted when the date and time set by the date and time setting unit is set to match the current date and time. Can do.

  In the situation where the time is adjusted, the continuity between the accumulated history and the present is considered to be low. Therefore, the history is erased and the accumulation of the history is newly started.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately estimate the range by deleting the history when the continuity of periodic use by the user is cut off.

  In the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the preparation operation includes a power-on operation that starts supplying power to the information processing apparatus, a power-end operation that ends the supply, and charging for supplying the power. At least one of a charge start operation to perform and a charge end operation to end the charge, and the control detection unit, the frequency calculation unit, the range determination unit, the history addition unit, and the date and time setting unit are provided in the information processing apparatus. It can be configured to operate while power is being supplied.

  The present invention relates to a preferred embodiment of the above invention, and employs a power-related operation that is inevitably performed when the information processing apparatus is used as the preparation operation.

  In the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the control operation is an operation that triggers a predetermined event among instruction operations input from the user in the process of executing the predetermined information processing. Can be configured.

  The present invention relates to a preferred embodiment of the above invention. That is, the above-described invention includes a form that is handled as a control operation even when an arbitrary key or button is pressed or a mouse is moved.

  On the other hand, in the present invention, for example, an operation for defeating an enemy character in a game, an operation for starting each side, an operation for saving or loading the current game state, and playing an event movie in the game Only a specific operation, such as an operation when performed, is adopted as a control operation.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to determine the necessity of date and time adjustment based on the occurrence of a specific event.

  Further, in the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the predetermined information until the date and time set by the date and time setting unit is determined to match the current date and time after it is determined that the date and time adjustment is necessary. The execution of the process can be interrupted.

  According to the present invention, for example, in a game, although time adjustment is required, the game cannot be advanced before the time adjustment is performed, thereby preventing the game linked to the actual date and time. It becomes possible to prevent the progress from becoming inappropriate.

  An information processing method according to another aspect of the present invention is executed by an information processing apparatus that executes predetermined information processing. The information processing apparatus includes a real-time clock, a preparation detection unit, a control detection unit, a history storage unit, and a frequency calculation. The information processing method includes a real-time clock process, a preparation detection process, a control detection process, a frequency calculation process, and a range determination process, and is configured as follows.

  That is, in the real-time clock process, the real-time clock times the date and time.

  On the other hand, in the preparation detection step, the preparation detection unit detects a preparation operation for preparing an environment in which the information processing apparatus can execute the predetermined information processing.

  Further, in the control detection step, the control detection unit detects a control operation for controlling the predetermined information processing executed by the information processing apparatus.

  Here, the history of the detected preparation operation and the detected control operation is stored in the history storage unit in a nonvolatile manner.

  On the other hand, in the frequency calculation step, the frequency calculation unit calculates the frequency of the preparation operation and the frequency of the control operation detected within the latest predetermined frequency time counted by the real time clock.

  Further, in the range determination step, the range determination unit estimates the range where the frequency of the preparation operation and the frequency of the control operation should be from the stored history of the preparation operation and the control operation, and the estimated range Therefore, it is determined whether or not the date / time adjustment is necessary based on the calculated frequency of the preparation operation and whether or not the frequency of the control operation is off.

  A program according to another aspect of the present invention is configured to cause a plurality of computers to function as each unit of the information processing apparatus.

  The program of the present invention can be recorded on a computer-readable information storage medium such as a compact disk, flexible disk, hard disk, magneto-optical disk, digital video disk, magnetic tape, and semiconductor memory.

  The above program can be distributed and sold via a computer communication network independently of the computer on which the program is executed. The information storage medium can be distributed and sold independently from the computer.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program for realizing these on a computer, which are suitable for performing time adjustment appropriately.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In the following, for ease of understanding, an embodiment in which the present invention is realized using a game information processing device will be described. However, the embodiment described below is for explanation, and the present invention is described. It does not limit the range. Therefore, those skilled in the art can employ embodiments in which each or all of these elements are replaced with equivalent ones, and these embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a typical computer that can function as an information processing apparatus of the present invention by executing a program. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIG.

  The computer 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103, an interface 104, a controller 105, an external memory 106, an image processing unit 107, a DVD-ROM (Digital A Versatile Disc ROM) drive 108, a NIC (Network Interface Card) 109, an audio processing unit 110, and a microphone 111 can be provided. Various input / output devices can be omitted as appropriate.

  A DVD-ROM storing a game program and data is loaded into the DVD-ROM drive 108 and the computer 100 is turned on to execute the program, thereby realizing the information processing apparatus of the present embodiment. .

  Further, in order to make the portable game device portable, it is also possible to use a ROM cassette slot instead of using the DVD-ROM drive 108. In this case, the information processing apparatus of this embodiment is realized by inserting a ROM cassette in which the program is recorded and executing the program.

  The NIC 109 is typically a wireless LAN card, but may be connected to the Internet using a wired LAN card.

  The CPU 101 controls the operation of the entire computer 100 and is connected to each component to exchange control signals and data. Further, the CPU 101 uses arithmetic operations such as addition / subtraction / multiplication / division, logical sum, logical product, etc. using an ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) (not shown) for a storage area called a register (not shown) that can be accessed at high speed. , Logic operations such as logical negation, bit operations such as bit sum, bit product, bit inversion, bit shift, and bit rotation can be performed. In addition, the CPU 101 itself is configured so that saturation operations such as addition / subtraction / multiplication / division for multimedia processing, vector operations such as trigonometric functions, etc. can be performed at a high speed, and those provided with a coprocessor. There is.

  The ROM 102 records an IPL (Initial Program Loader) that is executed immediately after the power is turned on, and when this is executed, the program recorded on the DVD-ROM is read out to the RAM 103 and execution by the CPU 101 is started. The The ROM 102 stores an operating system program and various data necessary for controlling the operation of the entire computer 100.

  The RAM 103 is for temporarily storing data and programs, and holds programs and data read from the DVD-ROM and other data necessary for game progress and chat communication. Further, the CPU 101 provides a variable area in the RAM 103 and performs an operation by directly operating the ALU on the value stored in the variable, or temporarily stores the value stored in the RAM 103 in the register. Perform operations such as performing operations on registers and writing back the operation results to memory.

  The controller 105 connected via the interface 104 receives a control operation performed when the user executes the game.

  The controller 105 does not necessarily have to be externally attached to the computer 100, and may be formed integrally.

  The controller 105 of the portable terminal device includes various buttons and switches, and handles these pressing operations as control operations. In addition, in the computer 100 using the touch screen, the locus of the user tracing the touch screen using a pen or a finger is handled as a control operation.

  The external memory 106 detachably connected via the interface 104 stores data indicating game play status (past results, etc.), data indicating the progress of the game, and log of chat communication in a network battle ( Data) is stored in a rewritable manner. The user can record these data in the external memory 106 as appropriate by inputting an instruction via the controller 105.

  Various data may be recorded using a hard disk, EEPROM, SRAM, or the like instead of the external memory 106. In the present embodiment, various operation histories are recorded in these nonvolatile storage devices.

  A DVD-ROM mounted on the DVD-ROM drive 108 stores a program for realizing the game and image data and audio data associated with the game. Under the control of the CPU 101, the DVD-ROM drive 108 performs a reading process on the DVD-ROM loaded therein, reads out necessary programs and data, and these are temporarily stored in the RAM 103 or the like.

  The image processing unit 107 processes the data read from the DVD-ROM by an image arithmetic processor (not shown) included in the CPU 101 or the image processing unit 107, and then processes the processed data on a frame memory ( (Not shown). The image information recorded in the frame memory is converted into a video signal at a predetermined synchronization timing and output to a monitor (not shown) connected to the image processing unit 107. Thereby, various image displays are possible.

  As a monitor of a portable terminal device, a small liquid crystal display is typically used. When a touch screen is used as the controller 105, the display panel of the touch screen functions as a monitor. As a monitor for a general business information processing apparatus, a display device such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) or a plasma display can be used.

  The image calculation processor can execute a two-dimensional image overlay calculation, a transmission calculation such as α blending, and various saturation calculations at high speed.

  Also, polygon information arranged in the virtual three-dimensional space and added with various texture information is rendered by the Z buffer method, and the polygon arranged in the virtual three-dimensional space from the predetermined viewpoint position is determined in the direction of the predetermined line of sight It is also possible to perform high-speed execution of operations for obtaining rendered images.

  Further, the CPU 101 and the image arithmetic processor operate in a coordinated manner, so that a character string can be drawn as a two-dimensional image in a frame memory or drawn on the surface of each polygon according to font information that defines the character shape. is there.

  The NIC 109 is used to connect the computer 100 to a computer communication network (not shown) such as the Internet. The NIC 109 conforms to the 10BASE-T / 100BASE-T standard used when configuring a LAN, or a telephone line. Analog modem for connecting to the Internet using ISDN, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) modem, ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) modem, cable modem for connecting to the Internet using a cable television line, etc. An interface (not shown) that mediates with the CPU 101 is configured.

  The audio processing unit 110 converts audio data read from the DVD-ROM into an analog audio signal and outputs the analog audio signal from a speaker (not shown) connected thereto. Further, under the control of the CPU 101, sound effects and music data to be generated during the progress of the game are generated, and the corresponding sound is output from a speaker, headphones (not shown), and earphones (not shown). Output.

  When the audio data recorded on the DVD-ROM is MIDI data, the audio processing unit 110 refers to the sound source data included in the audio data and converts the MIDI data into PCM data. If the compressed audio data is in ADPCM format or Ogg Vorbis format, it is expanded and converted to PCM data. The PCM data can be output by performing D / A (Digital / Analog) conversion at a timing corresponding to the sampling frequency and outputting it to a speaker.

  Furthermore, a microphone 111 can be connected to the computer 100 via the interface 104. In this case, the analog signal from the microphone 111 is subjected to A / D conversion at an appropriate sampling frequency so that processing such as mixing in the sound processing unit 110 can be performed as a PCM format digital signal.

  In addition, the computer 100 is configured to perform the same function as a DVD-ROM or the like attached to the ROM 102, RAM 103, external memory 106, DVD-ROM drive 108 using a large-capacity external storage device such as a hard disk. May be.

  In addition, it is possible to adopt a form in which a keyboard for receiving a character string editing input from a user, a mouse for receiving various position designations and selection inputs, and the like are connected. A general-purpose personal computer can be used in place of the computer 100 of the present embodiment.

  In addition, the computer 100 has a real-time clock 121. The real-time clock can be used to properly time the current date and time information even when the main body of the computer 100 is turned off. The date and time of the real-time clock 121 is appropriately adjusted using an NTP server connected via the NIC 109.

  The computer 100 described above corresponds to a so-called consumer game device, but the information processing device of the present invention can be realized as long as the device has a communication function such as a wireless LAN. Therefore, the information processing apparatus of the present invention can be realized on various computers such as a mobile phone, a portable game device, a karaoke device, and a general business computer.

  For example, a general computer, like the computer 100, includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, DVD-ROM drive, and NIC, an image processing unit having functions simpler than the computer 100, and external storage. In addition to having a hard disk as a device, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a magnetic tape, and the like can be used. Further, not the controller 105 but a keyboard or a mouse is used as an input device.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIG.

  The information processing apparatus 201 is realized on the computer 100, and includes a real-time clock 121, a preparation detection unit 202, a control detection unit 203, a history storage unit 204, a frequency calculation unit 205, a range determination unit 206, a history addition unit 207, and a date setting unit. 208, an information processing unit 209, and a history deletion unit 210.

  Here, the real-time clock 121 ideally accurately measures the actual date and time. However, in reality, a hardware error, a user error or a setting error due to intention, a setting error due to an application runaway or bug, etc. Depending on the time, the date and time may differ from the actual date and time.

  Even when the main power of the information processing apparatus 201 is turned off, or in a suspended state or a hibernate state, the real-time clock 121 continues to measure the current date and time. Typically, the real-time clock 121 operates using a rechargeable battery or a backup battery as a power source so that it can operate independently of the information processing apparatus 201 of the main body.

  On the other hand, the preparation detection unit 202 accepts user operations such as turning on / off the main power source and starting / stopping charging, starting / stopping the OS, and the like as preparation operations.

  Further, the control detection unit 203 detects a control operation for giving various instructions to the application executed on the computer 100 via the controller 105, a keyboard, a mouse, or the like for control.

  The history storage unit 204 stores information in a non-volatile manner such as the external memory 106, hard disk, SRAM, EEPROM, etc., regardless of whether the main power supply of the computer 100 is turned on. Further, history information of control operations is stored.

  The frequency calculation unit 205, the range determination unit 206, the history addition unit 207, the date and time setting unit 208, the information processing unit 209, and the history deletion unit 210 are configured such that the CPU 101 of the computer 100 includes the RAM 103 and the NIC 109 in addition to the above components. Realized by working together. The functions performed by these components will be described later.

  The information processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is realized by executing a predetermined program stored in a ROM 102, a hard disk, a ROM cassette, an EEPROM, an SRAM, or the like in a computer 100.

  The information processing unit 209 performs information processing desired by the user among the programs, and executes applications on business computers and game software on game machines. Typically, it is the application that users use most on a daily basis.

  That is, the information processing unit 209 receives the control operation detected by the control detection unit 203, handles this as an instruction input from the user, performs predetermined information processing using various components of the computer 100, The result is output to a monitor connected via the image processing unit 107, an external memory, a hard disk, another computer connected via the NIC 109, or the like.

  Therefore, the present embodiment can be considered as performing various processes by detecting an operation from the user in advance with respect to the conventional technique in which the computer 100 performs predetermined information processing. In the date management processing described later, the control operation from the user is “peeked” and the control operation is given to the information processing unit 209 as it is.

  On the other hand, a user operation for “preparing” an environment necessary for the computer 100 to operate is a preparation operation. Various applications and game software are generally constructed on the assumption that an operating environment is prepared. In the date and time management processing according to the present embodiment, the time adjustment is typically performed automatically independently of the information processing unit 209, but the time adjustment is requested and requested from these various applications and game software. In addition, a mode in which various applications and game software perform time adjustment may be employed.

  In the following, in order to facilitate understanding, the power-on operation of the computer 100 performed by the user is employed as the preparation operation, and the switch, button, and key operations of the controller 105 performed by the user are employed as the control operation. As described above, as described above, it is possible to appropriately change what operation by the user is the preparation operation and the control operation.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of control of date and time management processing in the present embodiment. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIG.

  When the computer 100 is powered on, first, the computer 100 executes the IPL, loads the date management program according to the present embodiment, and performs various initializations (step S401). Next, the information processing program executed by the information processing unit 209 is loaded and various initializations are performed (step S402).

  Next, the CPU 101 acquires the current time and date from the real-time clock 121 (step S403). If the real-time clock 121 is accurate, the date and time acquired here matches the date and time when the main power of the computer 100 was turned on, that is, the date and time when the preparation operation was performed.

  Further, the CPU 101 checks the state of the pressing operation of the controller 105 (step S404). If no operation has been performed (step S404; No), the process returns to step S404.

  On the other hand, if the state of the pressing operation has changed from before and the operation has been performed (step S404; Yes), the CPU 101 acquires the current time and date from the real-time clock 121 (step S405). If the real-time clock 121 is accurate, the date acquired here matches the date and time when the control operation was performed.

  Next, the CPU 101 reads the history of the preparatory operation and control operation made in the past from the history storage unit 204, and compares it with the date and time of the preparatory operation acquired in step S403 and the date and time of the control operation acquired in step S405. (Step S406), it is determined whether date and time adjustment is necessary (Step S407).

  In the present embodiment, both the preparation operation and the control operation are operations that are detected more frequently as the user frequently performs predetermined information processing in the information processing apparatus 201. Therefore, these correspondences are estimated from the history, and whether the frequency of preparation operations and control operations detected within the most recent predetermined frequency time does not deviate from these correspondences, is it necessary to adjust the date and time? It is a criterion for determining whether it is necessary. Details of this comparison determination will be described later.

  When it is determined that the date and time adjustment is not necessary (step S407; No), the history adding unit 207 acquires the date and time of the preparation operation acquired in step S403 (if the date has not been added to the history, the date and time of the preparation operation). In addition, the date and time of the control operation acquired in step S405 is added to the history stored in the history storage unit 204 (step S408). Proceed to step S411.

  In this case, since the real-time clock 121 is assumed to have a certain accuracy, the detected preparation operation and control operation are added to the history storage unit 204 as they are as a part of the history.

  The history storage unit 204 generally has an upper limit on the capacity that can be stored. In this case, when the stored history reaches a certain capacity, the oldest one is deleted.

  If it is determined that date and time adjustment is necessary (step S407; Yes), the date and time of the preparation operation acquired in step S403 (if the date has not been added to the history, the date and time of the preparation operation), and Since it is assumed that the date and time of the control operation acquired in step S405 is not accurate, the date and time setting unit 208 sets the date and time counted by the real-time clock 121 to match the current date and time. (Step S409).

  Specifically, the date and time of the real-time clock 121 is typically adjusted by automatically communicating with the NTP server via the NIC 109. However, the user is prompted to perform various operations or manually adjust the date and time. It is good to make it happen.

  After the date and time are adjusted, the history erasure unit 210 erases the history stored in the history storage unit 204 (step S410), and proceeds to step S411. The object to be erased is typically all history. Delete the previous history by leaving a certain number of records or a certain amount of recent history, or delete the history that is inconsistent with the current date and time acquired by acquiring the current date and time from the real-time clock 121 after the date and time adjustment. It's also good.

  Then, the CPU 101 functions as the information processing unit 209 to execute information processing associated with the pressed state of the controller 105 detected in step S404 (step S411), and then returns to step S404. At this time, the information processing in the information processing unit 209 may be executed in a coroutine manner by time division.

  Therefore, elements other than the information processing unit 209 can be considered as elements that are prerequisites for the information processing unit 209 to operate. In a normal computer system, the former is a process in charge of a basic input output system (BIOS) or an OS, and the latter corresponds to a process in charge of an application program.

  Hereinafter, an example of a specific method for determining whether the preparation operation and the control operation performed by the user deviate from the range assumed from the history will be described.

First, the history storage unit 204 stores the following information as a history.
(1) The number of preparation operations and the number of control operations performed on each day of the week in the last week.
(2) The ratio of the number of preparation operations to the number of control operations in each week starting on Sunday and ending on Saturday.
(3) Date and time of the last prepared operation and control operation.

  In a situation where such information is stored, the date and time acquired in step S403 must be later than the date and time of the last preparation operation ((3) above).

  Also, the date and time acquired in step S405 must be later than the date and time acquired in step S403 and the date and time of the last control operation ((3) above).

  If these conditions are not met, it will be “departs from the range expected from the history”, and the situation where these “deviations” occur is that the time measured by the real-time clock 121 has gone mad toward the past. Is the case.

  The “ratio” in (2) corresponds to “a value obtained by dividing the number of control operations performed in the same week by the number of preparation operations performed during a period of one week”. Since it is considered that a normal user often operates in units of one week as an activity time unit, this ratio is considered to be substantially constant.

  Therefore, an average value E and a standard deviation σ of this ratio are obtained. This corresponds to approximating that the ratio follows a normal distribution.

  From (1) above, the number of preparation operations and the number of control operations for each day of the week in the most recent week can be obtained, so the value v obtained by dividing the latter sum by the former sum is also the average value E, It can be approximated to follow a normal distribution with standard deviation σ.

So, the range
E-σ to E + σ
Or
E-2σ ~ E + 2σ
In general, adopting an appropriate positive integer n,
E-nσ to E + nσ
Is determined as “a range in which the ratio should be”, and it is determined whether the ratio v in the most recent week is not deviated or deviated depending on whether or not the ratio v is included in this range.

  Since the ratio always takes a value of 0 or more, it is possible to make a similar determination by approximating it according to the Poisson distribution, and considering how many weeks of ratios are stored in the history. It is also possible to make a similar determination, considering that the distribution follows the t distribution with the number of stored weeks as the degree of freedom.

In order to store the history in this way, in step S408, the history adding unit 207 performs the following processing.
(1) The day of the week is obtained from the date and time acquired for the preparation operation and the control operation, and the number of times on the day of the week in the history is increased each time the preparation operation and the control operation are performed.
(2) When the acquired day of the week changes from Saturday to Sunday, the sum of the number of operations stored in each day is calculated to calculate a ratio, and this value is stored in the history as the ratio in the latest week.
(3) When the day of the week of the acquired date and time changes, the number of preparation operations and control operations on the day after the change is cleared to 0, and then the number of times is accumulated.

  In the present embodiment, the history of the ratio for each week from Sunday to Saturday is taken, and the distribution of the ratio in the most recent one week (7 days) is approximated by the normal distribution represented by the ratio history. The period of “1 week”, which is the unit period of 1 ratio, is “Recent 1 day” “Recent 1 week” “Recent 30 days” “Recent 1 year” “Recent 10 years” “Recent 100 years” “To date “All periods” and the like can be appropriately changed.

  In this example, “one week” is adopted as the total unit period. However, the total unit period can be adaptively changed from the date and time of the preparatory operation and the control operation. For example, when the interval between the date and time of the previous preparation operation and the date and time of the current preparation operation is longer than the total unit period, it is considered that the total unit period is short.

  Therefore, in this case, the total unit period is a constant multiple of “the interval between the date and time of the previous preparation operation and the date and time of the current preparation operation” (for example, a constant multiple exceeding 1 such as 2 times, 3 times, 5 times, etc.). Set to. In accordance with this, the totaling unit period is divided into appropriate intervals, and recording is performed at the divided intervals instead of recording in units of days of the week.

  Even if the total unit period changes, the “ratio” already stored in the history does not need to be corrected.

  In addition, instead of multiplying the aggregation unit period by a constant multiple of “the interval between the date and time of the previous preparation operation and the date and time of the current preparation operation”, the aggregation unit period becomes “the date and time of the previous preparation operation and the current preparation operation. Repeat the operation of multiplying by a constant (for example, 2 times, 3 times, 5 times, etc., a constant multiple of more than 1) until “the interval with the date and time” is exceeded, or “the date and time of the previous preparation operation and the date and time of this preparation operation” It is also possible to adopt a technique such as adopting a result obtained by adding a predetermined positive constant to “interval of”.

  When the date and time are adjusted and the history is cleared, the counting unit period is returned to the original default value (for example, “1 week”), divided by a constant exceeding 1, or a predetermined positive constant is subtracted. Equally, it is typical to approach the original default value.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, the history of two types of operations from the user is accumulated based on the real-time clock 121, and the time adjustment is performed when the detection status of the operations deviates from the range estimated from the history. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately detect the case where the information processing apparatus 201 has not been used for a long time, the case where the real-time clock 121 has shifted due to various setting errors, and the like. When using a server, concentration of access can be prevented.

  Further, in the present embodiment, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the time adjustment is necessary by estimating that the necessity for the time adjustment is low when the user is regularly used.

The preparation operation includes (a) a power-on operation to start supplying power to the information processing apparatus 201,
(B) Power supply termination operation for terminating the supply,
(C) a charge start operation for starting charge for supplying the power;
(D) It is possible to arbitrarily select and adopt a charge end operation for ending the charge.

  Also, as a control operation, in addition to a method of using an instruction operation itself such as a key, a switch, a button, and a mouse, only an operation that triggers a predetermined event among the instruction operations input from the user is adopted. It's also good. For example, operations when defeating enemy characters in the game, operations when each side starts, operations when saving or loading the current game state, operations when playing an event movie in the game, etc. This corresponds to the case of adopting.

  In general, the number of instruction operations such as keys, switches, buttons, and mice is much larger than the number of preparation operations, so it is expected that the error will increase, but the operation that triggered the above event This is because there may be a case where the error can be reduced by performing the control operation.

  Further, in this embodiment, when time adjustment is necessary, information processing is not executed until time adjustment is executed, and is interrupted.

  By adopting such an aspect, for example, in a game, even if time adjustment is required, while the time adjustment is not executed, the game cannot be advanced first, so that the actual date and time can be obtained. It becomes possible to prevent the progress of the linked game from becoming inappropriate.

  Note that the processing related to date and time management and information processing can be executed in parallel or in parallel by time-sharing processing or the like. In this case, the date / time setting unit 208 may schedule the control to not transfer to the information processing unit 209 until the date / time is set, or the information processing unit 209 may change the state of the date / time setting unit 208. Monitoring may be performed to interrupt the progress of information processing.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program for realizing these on a computer, which are suitable for performing time adjustment appropriately.

It is a schematic diagram which shows schematic structure of a typical computer. It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of control of the date management process in this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

100 computer 101 CPU
102 ROM
103 RAM
104 Interface 105 Controller 106 External Memory 107 Image Processing Unit 108 DVD-ROM Drive 109 NIC
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 110 Audio | voice processing part 111 Microphone 121 Real time clock 201 Information processing apparatus 202 Preparation detection part 203 Control detection part 204 History storage part 205 Frequency calculation part 206 Range judgment part 207 History addition part 208 Date setting part 209 Information processing part 210 History deletion part

Claims (10)

An information processing apparatus that executes predetermined information processing,
Real-time clock that measures the date and time,
A preparation detection unit for detecting a preparation operation for preparing an environment in which the predetermined information processing can be executed in the information processing apparatus;
A control detection unit for detecting a control operation for controlling the predetermined information processing executed by the information processing apparatus;
A history storage unit in which a history of the detected preparation operation and the detected control operation is stored in a nonvolatile manner;
A frequency calculation unit for calculating the frequency of the prepared operation and the frequency of the control operation detected within the latest predetermined frequency time counted by the real-time clock;
The frequency of the preparation operation and the range of the control operation should be estimated from the stored history of the preparation operation and the control operation, and the calculated preparation operation frequency and An information processing apparatus comprising: a range determination unit that determines whether date and time adjustment is necessary depending on whether the frequency of the control operation is off. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
A history adding unit that adds the detected preparation operation and the control operation to the history stored in the history storage unit when it is determined that the date and time adjustment is not necessary;
An information processing apparatus, further comprising: a date and time setting unit that sets the date and time counted by the real-time clock to match the current date and time when it is determined that the date and time need to be adjusted. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2,
The history storage unit and the history adding unit, the history of the ratio between the frequency of the preparation operation and the frequency of the control operation, the history of the preparation operation and the control operation,
The range determining unit estimates a range where the ratio between the frequency of the prepared operation and the frequency of the control operation should be from the history of the ratio of the stored prepared operation and the control operation, and the estimated An information processing apparatus that determines whether or not the clock adjustment is necessary based on whether or not a ratio of the calculated frequency of the preparation operation and the frequency of the control operation deviates from the range. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3,
The range determination unit estimates a range in which the ratio should be based on an average and standard deviation of ratios stored in the history storage unit. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The history information stored in the history storage unit is deleted when the date and time set by the date and time setting unit is set to match the current date and time. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
The preparation operation includes a power-on operation that starts supplying power to the information processing apparatus, a power-end operation that ends the supply, a charge start operation that starts charging to supply the power, and ends the charging. At least one of the charge termination operations,
The control detection unit, the frequency calculation unit, the range determination unit, the history addition unit, and the date / time setting unit operate while power is supplied to the information processing apparatus. apparatus. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control operation is an operation that triggers a predetermined event among instruction operations input from a user in a process of executing the predetermined information processing. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 7,
Execution of the predetermined information processing is interrupted until it is set by the date / time setting unit to match the current date / time after the date / time setting unit determines that the date / time adjustment is necessary. An information processing apparatus characterized by the above. An information processing method executed by an information processing apparatus that executes predetermined information processing, the information processing apparatus including a real-time clock, a preparation detection unit, a control detection unit, a history storage unit, a frequency calculation unit, and a range determination unit The information processing method is
A real-time clock process for measuring the date and time,
A preparation detection step in which the preparation detection unit detects a preparation operation for preparing an environment in which the predetermined information processing can be executed in the information processing apparatus;
The control detection unit includes a control detection step of detecting a control operation for controlling the predetermined information processing executed by the information processing apparatus,
In the history storage unit, a history of the detected preparation operation and the detected control operation is stored in a nonvolatile manner,
The information processing method is as follows:
A frequency calculation step in which the frequency calculation unit calculates the frequency of the preparation operation and the frequency of the control operation detected within the latest predetermined frequency time counted by the real-time clock;
The range determination unit estimates a range where the frequency of the preparation operation and the frequency of the control operation should be from the stored history of the preparation operation and the control operation, and the calculation is performed from the estimated range. An information processing method comprising: a range determination step of determining whether date and time adjustment is necessary depending on whether the frequency of the prepared operation and the frequency of the control operation are off. A computer that executes predetermined information processing
Real-time clock that measures the date and time,
A preparation detection unit for detecting a preparation operation for preparing an environment in which the computer can execute the predetermined information processing;
A control detection unit for detecting a control operation for controlling the predetermined information processing executed by the computer;
A history storage unit in which a history of the detected preparation operation and the detected control operation is stored in a nonvolatile manner;
A frequency calculation unit for calculating the frequency of the prepared operation and the frequency of the control operation detected within the latest predetermined frequency time counted by the real-time clock;
The frequency of the preparation operation and the range of the control operation should be estimated from the stored history of the preparation operation and the control operation, and the calculated preparation operation frequency and A program that functions as a range determination unit that determines whether or not date and time adjustment is necessary depending on whether or not the frequency of the control operation is off.

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