System and method for displaying imaginary world

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention relates to a system that controls a computer based on location information.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

As a method or means of acquiring information on one's current location, a satellite positioning system such as GPS that receives radio waves from multiple satellites and performs radio wave positioning, and a base station for mobile communication such as PHS are identified and the base station is identified. A system that obtains information on one's current location from the position of is known. Then, some systems that send the information of their own current location to the server via the computer network are disclosed by installing the system that acquires the information of their current location on the mobile information terminal. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-322091 discloses that information including the current location of a news gathering terminal is transferred to an electronic newspaper server via a network as a news gathering support system. Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-336238, information indicating the current location is sent from the mobile terminal to the server, and based on the sent information, map data around the position and related information are transmitted to the mobile terminal. Is disclosed.

【0003】

Further, a navigation device for playing a game by using a means for detecting the current location is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-114370. This navigation device displays a map including the current location, and executes an event when the current location reaches the event occurrence point set on the map.

【0004】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In this way, at present, information indicating one's current location is becoming easily available, and it is considered to provide various services or entertainment using the information. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide self-position information, that is, a new recreation using the current location. As a game that can be advanced using the information of the current location, the one that follows the map of the navigation device as described above and the orienteering that uses the personal navigation device are considered, but all of them are on the map. There are not many things that can be made into a game by just tracing or using the actual terrain or road as it is. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a system or application capable of providing new entertainment different from these.

【0005】

[Means for solving problems]

Currently, a wide variety of portable game machines are on the market. In these games, new scenes or worlds are automatically opened depending on the conditions like role-playing games or shooting games, and the virtual worlds are created by pointing devices such as arrow key buttons and joysticks. There is something that moves the game to advance the game. Therefore, in the present invention, a new virtual world is opened by the information of the current location that can be obtained by GPS or the like, so that the game can be advanced and enjoyed with a new sense using a mobile terminal or the like. .. That is, in the system for displaying the virtual world of the present invention, the means for displaying the first virtual world (hereinafter, the virtual world) and the current location in the real world of the terminal capable of acquiring its own current location (hereinafter, the present location). A means of converting and displaying the current location or the actual position) or its displacement (hereinafter, the actual displacement) to the position (hereinafter, the virtual position) or the displacement (hereinafter, the virtual displacement) in the first virtual world, and the first When the position in the virtual world of is reached the destination or the range of purpose, the means for displaying the second virtual world and the current position in the real world at that time are predetermined in the second virtual world. It has a means to display it as an initial position and a means to convert the displacement of the current position in the real world into the displacement in the second virtual world and display it. Further, the method for displaying the virtual world according to the present invention is a step of displaying the first virtual world and a step of converting the current location or the actual displacement into the virtual position or virtual displacement of the first virtual world and displaying the process. When the position in the first virtual world reaches the destination or the destination range, the process of displaying the second virtual world and the current location at that time are displayed as preset initial positions in the second virtual world. It is characterized by having a process and a process of converting the current location or the actual displacement into a virtual position or virtual displacement in the second virtual world and displaying the process.

【0006】

There is a system that promotes role-playing games by reflecting the relative amount of movement of a finger or a part of the body on the screen. For example, it can be said that the mouse, which is a pointing device, is one of them. However, there is no way to open a new virtual world with the current location obtained from the terminal held by the user, for example, the coordinates on the map, and to control the virtual world only when the current location is actually moved. Therefore, in the system and method for displaying the virtual world of the present invention, the user actually moves the current location, that is, moves the body to the extent that a significant difference can be obtained by means for acquiring the current location such as GPS. Without it, a new world cannot be opened, and moreover, one's will cannot be reflected in the open virtual world. Therefore, even though you are playing a role-playing game displayed on the terminal, you can get the same feeling as if you were actually moving in the virtual world displayed in that game. Exercise will be required. Therefore, it is possible to provide a game having a taste different from that of a conventional game that can be played without moving a step. In addition, since the user actually moves, it is possible to provide a new game in which various things at the destination can be used or enjoyed.

【0007】

For example, in the current GPS independent positioning, a movement of several tens of meters is required as an actual displacement, depending on the situation. Further, in the case of relative positioning (DGPS) in which correction is performed using the correction value measured by the base station, a movement of about several meters is required as the actual displacement. Therefore, by reflecting that the user has actually moved a certain distance, the merit that the user can exercise while having fun can be obtained, and further, the fun of the moving destination can be obtained. Of course, there are also positioning systems that can measure the displacement of the current location at a level of several centimeters to several millimeters, such as a method that uses carrier wave phase shift as a measured value. Therefore, it is possible to enjoy the game without moving so much.

【0008】

The first virtual world may be a world in which the destination or the range of the destination is shown on a map (including a deformed one) corresponding to the real world, and the destination is reached on the map. Then, the virtual world opens, and by moving further, it may be a game that moves further in the new world. However, in the system and method for displaying the virtual world of the present invention, the movement of oneself is not limited to the display reflecting the real world such as a map, but is reflected in the virtual world further away from the real world. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to enjoy one's movements in a free world that suits one's tastes, etc., without being limited to the situation in the real world. And, at least in the second virtual world, the initial position is limited, so controlling or moving in it may not match the range of movement in the real world, and it has such force majeure restrictions. There is also a way to enjoy it as a game.

【0009】

Initial settings may be made to reflect the movement of the real world in the virtual world. For example, in the first virtual world in a role-playing game, it is desirable to set the current location in the real world to a predetermined position (initial value of the virtual position) in the virtual world. The position may be the start position of the game, or, if interrupted, the interrupted position. It is also possible to set the ratio between the actual displacement and the corresponding virtual displacement. If the ratio of virtual displacement to real displacement is small, it is necessary to actually move a considerable distance in order to move in the virtual world, and the amount of momentum increases. It is also possible to make different settings for users with different physical abilities to compete.

【0010】

In the means or process of providing multiple initial positions in the second virtual world and displaying them as the initial positions, there are multiple initial positions depending on the conditions for transition from the first virtual world to the second virtual world. You may choose one of the initial positions of and display it corresponding to your current location in the real world. For example, the second virtual world has a plurality of entrances, and can be set to enter from different entrances depending on the destination position or the direction of reaching the area. As a result, the movement in the first virtual world affects the second virtual world, which makes the game more interesting.

【0011】

In a game that returns from the second virtual world to the first virtual world, such as a role-playing game, in the second virtual world, a predetermined position is reached, a predetermined purpose is achieved, and the like. When the condition is satisfied, a means or process for displaying the first virtual world is provided, and a means or process for displaying the position in the first virtual world when moving to the second virtual world is provided according to the current location. It is desirable to provide it. Of course, it is also possible to maintain the relationship between the current location and the position in the first virtual world so that the original position in the first virtual world cannot be returned unless the range moved in the second virtual world is returned. However, since the second virtual world is also controlled by reflecting the current location and the actual displacement, the current location may deviate significantly from the original position of the first virtual world while in the second virtual world. It is possible. Furthermore, the present invention also includes allowing a second virtual world to open a third or fourth virtual world, and even more, in such cases, the first. In many cases, the virtual position in the virtual world of is very different from the current location. Therefore, the position of the first virtual world when moving from the first virtual world to the second virtual world corresponds to the current location when moving from the second virtual world to the first virtual world, and the first The game progresses more smoothly if the relationship between the position in the virtual world and the current location is updated.

【0012】

Information on these virtual worlds may be prepared in advance on the system side, that is, on the terminal side. However, if the number of virtual worlds is large or the virtual displacement of each world is large, the amount of information will be large. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a means or process for acquiring information on the virtual world from the server system by wireless communication, computer network, or the like. By communicating with the server system and making it possible to acquire information on the virtual world, it is possible to send information on the current location to the server system and acquire information on the virtual world related to the current location from the server system.

【0013】

Furthermore, among the destinations or destinations provided in the first virtual world, when the destination or destination that indicates that the information related to the current location can be obtained is reached, the information of the current location is transmitted to the server system, and the server system You may want to get information about the second virtual world, including information related to your current location. By providing a means or process for accessing such a server, the user can actively obtain information related to the site while playing a game. It is also possible to calculate an accurate current location using DGPS on the server side and return it to the terminal, or select information based on the accurate current location. Further, in addition to the current location information, the user-related information of the terminal is transmitted to the server system, and the virtual world including the information of interest of the user is displayed as much as possible, so that the fun of the game can be increased.

【0014】

In addition, the information related to the current location can include the information of users of other terminals who are accessing the first virtual world via the server system and whose current location is within a predetermined range from the current location. Is. Current mail terminals and other devices using the Internet provide communication by data communication such as two-way chat. However, in the past, it was used by friends and groups who knew their e-mail addresses in advance, and there was no means to generate simple communication that could be possible in the real world, such as meeting people. On the other hand, in the system and method for displaying the virtual world of the present invention, the virtual world and the actual position information obtained from GPS are combined to generate an opportunity to meet another person who is in the virtual world and is actually close to the virtual world. Can be easily achieved.

【0015】

As described above, in the virtual world display system and method of the present invention, the current location or the actual displacement is reflected in the virtual world, and the game progresses. Therefore, it is necessary for the user to move by actually walking, running, or using it for a bicycle. Therefore, it is possible to provide a means or process for displaying the distance actually traveled by the user, and to add a function of a pedometer or another health-oriented function such as calorie calculation. Therefore, while exercising while enjoying a role-playing game or the like, the amount of exercise can be confirmed.

【0016】

A system for displaying such a virtual world can be provided by recording on a computer-readable recording medium with a program having instructions for realizing each step of the method. Then, a GPS unit that is a positioning system, a means for acquiring one's current location such as a PHS unit / mobile phone that uses the position information of a base station, and a computer network such as wireless, PHS, mobile phone, and the Internet by dial-up. The virtual world display system and display method according to the present invention can be utilized by installing the program on a mobile terminal having a means capable of connecting a server system by communication. Further, the program can be provided by converting or embedding the program in a transmission medium supplied via a computer network or the like.

【0017】

Furthermore, if the installed terminal is a terminal device with a built-in directional sensor, it is possible to rotate and display the display of the virtual world so that the direction in which the actual displacement advances and the direction in which the virtual displacement advances coincide with each other. .. Furthermore, if the role-playing game is a virtual world, it is possible to provide a means for connecting to a server and registering rankings after the game is over.

【0018】

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an example of an environment in which a mobile terminal 6 on which a virtual world according to the present invention (hereinafter, a role-playing game is described as an example) is displayed. The mobile terminal 6 of this example can be connected to a server system 20 that provides a role-playing game via the Internet 1, which is a general computer network. The mobile terminal 6 is often provided with a PHS unit or a mobile phone unit, which is connected to the public switched telephone network 7 via the PHS base station 7a or the mobile phone base station 7b, and further from the dial-up server 25 to the server. Connected to system 20. Of course, the server 5 of another provider can connect to the server system 20 of the service provider via the Internet 1.

【0019】

Further, the mobile terminal 6 of this example is provided with a system for acquiring data indicating its own current location (coordinates including latitude / longitude information in many cases). There are several such systems, and the one that is considered to be the most accurate at present is to use a system (GPS unit) that receives radio waves from GPS satellite 9 and performs positioning, and obtains the coordinates of its own current location by radio wave positioning. It is a thing. In the case of independent positioning where the coordinates are determined only by the information from GPS satellite 9, the error is within several tens of meters to 100 meters, depending on the situation. A method of correcting the difference using the information of the DGPS base station 2 to improve the accuracy (relative positioning DGPS) can be adopted, and the error can be contained within a few meters by this method. It is necessary to use the difference information to obtain the coordinates by DGPS, and the information can be obtained from the information providing server 22 of the server system 20. Alternatively, it is also possible to obtain the current location where the difference is corrected by the server system 20. Further, if a method called a carrier phase differential that corrects with the phase of the carrier wave is used, it is possible to obtain an accuracy of about several cm to several mm.

【0020】

Like the server system 20 shown in FIG. 1, the server system of a service provider that develops services on the Internet has several functions. A mail server 21 for sending and receiving e-mail is provided in most server systems. In the server system 20 of this example, an information providing server 22 is further prepared, and in addition to the difference information from the GPS base station described above, map information is provided from the map data server 23, and further, location-related information data. The server 24 provides information on the role-playing game, which will be described later, and location-related information required for playing this game. In addition, the user information of the service provider is also stored in the personal data server 27, and is used for selecting the grade and location-related information of the provided game. Of course, it is also possible to provide the information from the other database server 4 connected to the Internet 1 to the user via the information providing server 22.

【0021】

As another method of finding the current location, if the mobile terminal 6 can be connected to the public switched telephone network 7 by PHS, the identification information (CSID) of the nearest base station 7a is received and the position of the base station is known from the CSID. There is a way to find the current location of the mobile terminal 6. If the CSID can be obtained from the PHS connected to the mobile terminal, the coordinates of the base station can be easily obtained from the location information server (CSID server) 29 of the base station. Further, when the mobile terminal 6 has a function as a mobile phone, the position of the mobile terminal 6 can be obtained from the coordinates of the base station 7b of the mobile phone, but the accuracy is not good as compared with PHS. However, it is considered that the required position accuracy will be significantly improved by the communication method adopted in the future such as CDMA.

【0022】

FIG. 2 shows an example of the environment of the mobile terminal 6 on which the game system 10 according to the present invention operates. First, the mobile terminal 6 of this example includes a GPS unit 51 that acquires the current location of the terminal. In addition, the mobile terminal 6 is provided with a PHS unit 52 and a dial-up connection function 53 for connecting to a service provider via the public telephone network 7 or the Internet 1. The input / output mechanism includes an LCD 61 and an operation panel 62 including a touch panel or a pointing device and switches. Of course, in addition to these, a terminal incorporating a storage device such as a hard disk device or a floppy disk device, a peripheral device such as a digital camera or a printer, or a terminal capable of incorporating the peripheral device may be used.

【0023】

The game system 10 of this example installed on the mobile terminal 6 is configured to play a role-playing game using location information. Therefore, the game system 10 is provided with a function 11 for acquiring the current location using the GPS unit 51, and can also acquire the CSID of the PHS as necessary to obtain information on the current location. The obtained current location is totaled by the distance counter 12, and is also provided to the display control unit 30 as a position (virtual position) and displacement (virtual displacement) in the virtual world of the role-playing game displayed on the LCD61. Is displayed.

【0024】

The game system 10 includes a display control unit 30 for displaying a virtual world, and the display control unit 30 has some functions. First, it has a function 31 that acquires and displays screen information to be displayed in a role-playing game from the server system 20. When the game system 10 is started, this function 31 first connects to the server using the dial-up connection function 53, if the information on the first screen has not been downloaded, and configures the role-playing game in the virtual world. Download information 15. As explained below, this function 31 also has a function to acquire information on the virtual world that will be the next screen from the server 20 when the conditions for displaying the next screen (virtual world) are met. .. Furthermore, it is also possible to add a function of rotating and displaying the virtual displacement traveling direction so as to always face upward from the moving direction (actual displacement) of the current location obtained from the GPS unit 51. Of course, a new directional unit may be incorporated.

【0025】

The display control unit 30 further has a function 32 of converting the acquired current location and its displacement (actual displacement) into virtual positions and virtual displacements of the virtual world and displaying them. With this function 32, the movement of the terminal 6 or the user holding the terminal 6 is reflected on the role-playing screen displayed on the LCD 61. Therefore, prior to starting the role-playing game, it is desirable to make initial settings that determine the correspondence between the current location and the virtual position and determine the ratio of converting the actual displacement to the virtual displacement. Therefore, the function 33 for initial setting is prepared as one of the functions of the display control unit 30, and the setting parameter 13 set there is stored in ROM, RAM, or the like. Of course, it is also possible to use the parameters that are set as the default.

【0026】

On the screen of the role-playing game, a position or area for moving to the next screen is set, and the destination or destination area is displayed by an icon or the like. Therefore, in the following, an example in which such a destination or destination area is displayed as an icon will be shown, and the icon will be referred to as an event icon. Therefore, the display control unit 30 determines that the virtual position obtained by converting the current location or the virtual displacement obtained by converting the actual displacement matches the event icon or falls within a predetermined range set for the event icon, that is, the virtual world. It has a function 34 to judge the transition condition of. Then, when the virtual position overlaps with the event icon (matches and indicates that the user has entered a predetermined range), the function 31 for acquiring and displaying the virtual world acquires and displays the next screen.

【0027】

The above-mentioned function 31 for acquiring information on the virtual world further sends the current location to the server system 20 depending on the event icon, and the virtual world containing information on the current location or mere content having no moving area is transmitted from the server system 20. It also has a function to acquire. At that time, in addition to the current location, the user's personal information 17 stored in the system 10 is sent to the server system 20, or the personal information in the server system 20 is used to be more suitable for the user among the information related to the current location. It is also possible to obtain information.

【0028】

When the next screen is displayed based on the event icon, the function 32 that displays the virtual position and displacement automatically sets the current location to the position (initial position) corresponding to the entrance of that screen (virtual world). .. There is no problem if there is only one initial position on the next screen. However, it is also possible to provide a plurality of initial positions on the screen. In this case, an appropriate position is selected from the plurality of initial positions by the function 34 that overlaps with the event icon and determines the condition for moving to the next screen. Will be done. For example, when moving to a virtual world with multiple entrances, the direction of virtual displacement when overlapping the event icon can be obtained, and the entrance (gate) corresponding to that direction can be set as the initial position of the next virtual world.

【0029】

Also, by accessing the server system 20, the function 31 to acquire and display the virtual world is used to obtain information on the virtual world with an event icon indicating another user accessing the same role-playing game. Is possible. Then, you can make a connection with the user and talk (chat) through the screen. Therefore, the chat function 36 is prepared as a part of the functions of the display control unit 30. Since the current location of other users is known via the server system 20, it is possible to select other users who are within the range that can be matched in the real world and show them as event icons, and in fact through role-playing games. It is also possible to experience encounters with other human beings.

【0030】

Such a function of the game system 10 can be provided by recording on an appropriate recording medium that can be read by a computer, such as an FD, a CD, or a DVD, as an application program running under an appropriate OS. Alternatively, it is also possible to provide the application program itself or a transmission medium in which the converted data is embedded via a computer network such as the Internet or other communication. Further, the software can be recorded and provided in the ROM of the mobile terminal 6 in advance as a dedicated role-playing game machine. In either case, such software (application program) can be executed on an information processing terminal such that the CPU 63 and the ROM 64 and the RAM 65 are connected by the internal bus 66 as shown in FIG. The information processing terminal 6 also has functions such as GPS51, PHS52, LCD61, and an operation panel 62, if necessary.

【0031】

The movements of the game system 10 in this example at each stage will be described in more detail below with reference to a flowchart or the like. In the role-playing game executed by the game system 10 of this example, the position icon (illustration imitating the shape of a person, etc.) displayed on the screen moves according to the movement of the user holding the terminal 6. Is. Therefore, it feels as if it is moving in the role-playing screen, which is a virtual world.

【0032】

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of the main processing of the game system 10 of this example in which the role-playing of this example is performed. In addition, FIGS. 5 to 8 show more detailed flowcharts of some processes. Further, FIGS. 9 to 13 show some screens displayed on the LCD 61 of the terminal 6 when a role-playing game is executed on the game system 10 installed on the terminal 6. First, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4, when the program, that is, the game system 10 is started in step 71, the initial processing is performed in step 72 before the game is started. Further details of this process are shown in FIG.

【0033】

First, in step 81, the dial-up connection function 53 is used to connect the line to the server system 20. Then, the information on the first screen of the role-playing game is received from the server system 20 and the line is disconnected. For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, when connected to the server system 20, a screen for selecting a role-playing game is displayed, and when the user selects one, the information of the role-playing game is transmitted from the server system 20. To.

【0034】

Next, in step 82, the current location is acquired using the current location acquisition function 11. As described above, information indicating the current location can be obtained from the GPS unit 51 or the PHS unit 52. Of course, if the terminal is equipped with a mobile phone unit, information indicating the current location may be obtained from the mobile phone unit. At this time, if the current location cannot be obtained, an error message such as "The current location cannot be obtained" is displayed.

【0035】

Next, in step 83, as shown in FIG. 9 (b), the function 31 for displaying the virtual world displays the first screen (first virtual world) 111 of the role-playing game, and in step 84, the virtual position is displayed. And the function 32 that displays the virtual displacement displays the position icon 113 indicating the virtual position corresponding to the current location at the initial position 112 of the screen 111. The position icon or position display icon 113 can be appropriately arranged by the user, and an icon in the shape of a person, an icon showing the face of the user, or the like can be adopted.

【0036】

With respect to the virtual position where the position icon 113 is displayed, if the current location at that time is an appropriate position to be set as the initial position, the user can perform the initial setting function 33 by an appropriate operation, and the current location is the initial position of the screen 111. Set as 112 and store as parameter 13. When the selected role-playing game is executed for the first time, the start position of the role-playing game becomes the initial position 112. If the selected role-playing game is in a suspended state, the interrupted position may be stored in the system 10 or the server system 20, and the interrupted position may be set to the initial position 112. Of course, it is also possible to select the start position.

【0037】

Before and after associating the initial position 112 with the current location, the ratio of converting the moving distance (actual displacement) of the current location to the moving distance (virtual displacement) of the virtual position corresponding to the current location using the initial setting function 33. May be set. This makes it possible to set the distance that must actually be moved in order to move the virtual position on the screen 111. The ratio may be set not only on the screen 111 but also on other screens in the same manner, or the initially set value may be used on other screens.

【0038】

As shown in FIG. 9 (b), the screen 111 includes an event icon 115 indicating a castle as a destination, and event icons 116 and 117 indicating two street corners. Therefore, when the virtual position 113 overlaps these event icons 115, 116 or 117, the next screen (second virtual world) is displayed. Therefore, the user advances the role-playing game by moving in the real world so that the position icon 113 points to these event icons 115, 116 or 117.

【0039】

When the initial processing of step 72 is completed in this way, the role-playing game actually starts. When the game starts, the current location is acquired by the current location acquisition function 11 in step 73, and the function 32 that converts it and displays the virtual position and virtual displacement is displayed on the screen. Therefore, the first screen of the role-playing game shows the user moving with the terminal 6 in virtual position and virtual displacement. That is, based on the default value or the default value (for example, 1dot = 1m on the screen), the position on the screen is adjusted according to the change or movement (actual displacement) of the actual position by the GPS unit 51. Icon 113 moves. Actually, when the value changes in the position information (N36 ° 9'3.41 , E137 ° 57'20.73, etc. obtained by GPS, the actual displacement is calculated as the horizontal and vertical distance (virtual displacement, virtual displacement) on the screen. Calculate using the parameter 13 defaulted to H90dot, V90dot, etc.) and display the position.

【0040】

The movement (actual displacement) of the current location obtained in step 73 is displayed as a virtual displacement on the screen and is added to the distance counter 12. The current location or actual displacement may be obtained by DGPS by obtaining difference information from the server system 20 at an appropriate timing. However, this requires communication time and calculation time. Therefore, in this example, the current location and the actual displacement are obtained by GPS independent positioning. In single positioning, the error is about several tens of meters as described above, and since selective availability (SA) is included, the error may be random, and the current location may include a random fracture. Therefore, in an actual role-playing game, if the position icon 113 and the event icon 115 are not overlapped at an appropriate timing, they may be separated at the next timing. Therefore, the sense of the game as a role-playing game is increased, and an interesting game can be provided.

【0041】

When the virtual position or virtual displacement moves according to the current location and the actual displacement, and in step 74, it is determined by the transition condition determination function 34 that the position icon 113 overlaps with the event icon 115 as shown in FIG. 10 (a). At step 75, further confirm that the event icon does not indicate another user. Then, if it is not an icon indicating another user, the function 31 that acquires and displays the information of the virtual world causes the next screen, that is, the second virtual world with respect to the virtual world of the previous screen in step 76. Acquires and displays the information on the screen.

【0042】

FIG. 6 shows a more detailed flowchart of the process of acquiring the next screen. Further, FIG. 10 shows a screen displayed by this process. As shown in FIG. 10A, when the position icon 113 overlaps with the event icon 115 indicating the castle, the process of connecting to the server system is performed in step 85. At this time, the server connection screen as shown in Fig. 10 (b) is displayed. Then, when the user selects YES, the function 31 that acquires and displays the virtual world by the dial-up connection function 53 communicates with the server system 20 and acquires the next screen. When the user selects NO on the screen shown in FIG. 10 (b), the role-playing game can be continued by returning to the original screen, that is, the screen shown in FIG. 10 (a), without performing the processing described below. Instead of displaying the connection screen with the server, when it overlaps with the event icon, it may automatically connect to the server system and acquire and display the information on the next screen. Such settings can be made at the time of initial processing.

【0043】

When the dial-up connection is established, first, in step 86, the data of the event icon 115 that overlaps with the position icon 113 is transmitted to the server system 20. Next, in step 87, it is determined whether or not the event icon requests information related to the current location. If the information related to the current location is requested, the information on the current location corresponding to the position icon 113 when it overlaps with the event icon in step 88 is transmitted to the server system 20. Subsequently, in step 89, it is determined whether or not the system 10 has the user's personal information 17. Then, if there is personal information 17, the personal information is transmitted to the server system 20 in step 90. In this example, the castle icon 115 is an event icon in which information or screens that are not related to the current location are displayed as the next virtual world, and the town corner (street corner) icons 116 and 117 are information or screens related to the current location. An event icon displayed as a virtual world.

【0044】

When the castle icon 115 is selected, step 88 is not executed, and the server system 20 prepares and sends the information on the next screen based on the data of the castle icon 115. Therefore, the terminal 6, that is, the game system 10, acquires the information of the next display screen in step 91, and disconnects the line in step 92. Then, the acquired next screen is displayed as a new virtual world in step 93. In this example, the layout inside the castle gate is displayed as the next virtual world (screen) 121 as shown in Fig. 10 (c) . At the same time, the position display icon 113 is installed at the initial position of the screen 121 in step 94.

【0045】

This virtual world 121 has three entrances 122, 123, and 124, and the function 32 that displays the virtual position and the virtual displacement has the position icon 113 at the predetermined entrance based on the judgment result of the function 34 that judges the transition condition. To set. In this example, three roads are connected to the castle icon 115, and it is possible to determine which road the position icon 113 has taken to overlap the castle icon 115. Then, in the example shown in FIG. 10 (c), the position icon 113 overlaps the castle icon 115 through the road in the middle, so on the next screen 121 showing the inside of the castle, the entrance 122 in the middle is selected as the initial position. , The position icon 113 is set there. It is up to the programmer to reflect the results of the previous screen in the initial position when the next screen starts, and is not limited to this example. Also, if the initial position of the next screen, that is, one entrance, it is not necessary to reflect the result of the previous screen. Further, the initial position is not limited to the entrance arranged around the screen, and the virtual world in which the initial position is set may be displayed next in the center of the screen.

【0046】

When the next screen is displayed in this way, the process returns to step 73 of FIG. 4, and the current location information obtained by using the GPS unit 51 or the like is displayed as the virtual position and virtual displacement of the second screen 121. This second screen 121 has a tool shop 125 and an inn 126 as event icons. Therefore, when the user moves with the terminal 6 and superimposes the position icon 113 on any of the event icons 125 or 126, the next screen (virtual world) is further displayed. This is shown in Fig. 11. As shown in FIG. 11 (a), when the position icon 113 is superimposed on the tool shop icon 125, the server connection screen shown in FIG. 10 (b) opens and dial-up connection is made with the server system 20. Then, by sending the data of the event icon 125 of the tool shop to the server-system 20, the information on the next screen can be obtained. In this case, the next screen is the screen (virtual world) 127 inside the tool shop, as shown in Fig. 11 (b), and the user can select the weapon possessed in the role-playing game. ing.

【0047】

The exit icon 128 is prepared in this virtual world 127, and when the user moves and superimposes the position icon 113 on the exit icon 128, the screen returns to the original screen 121. That is, it is determined that the exit condition of the tool shop screen 127 is satisfied in step 78 of the flow shown in FIG. 4, and the previous screen, that is, the previous virtual world is displayed in step 79. Details of this process are shown in FIG. In step 105, the server connection screen is displayed, dial-up connection is made with the server system 20, and the information on the previous screen 125 is acquired. Of course, if the terminal 6 has sufficient storage capacity, set a cache area in the memory such as RAM of the terminal 6 to cache the information of the previous screen, and do not connect to the server and use the cached information for the previous screen. 125 may be displayed.

【0048】

When the information of the previous screen can be acquired, as shown in FIG. 11 (c), the previous screen, that is, the screen 121 in the castle is displayed in step 106. At the same time, in step 107, the function 32 for displaying the virtual position and displacement displays the position icon 113 at the virtual position before shifting to the screen 127 of the tool shop. As a result, the current location when returning to the previous screen is associated with the virtual position when moving from the previous screen to the next screen, and the installation parameter 13 is updated.

【0049】

When moving to the tool shop screen 127 and returning to the castle screen 121, it is also possible to change the relationship between the current location and the virtual position on the castle screen 121 to the state before moving to the tool shop screen 127. .. However, when such processing is performed, the actual displacement that the user moves to advance the game on the screen 127 of the tool shop appears as it is as the virtual displacement of the screen 121 in the castle. Therefore, when returning to the screen 121 in the castle, the position icon 113 is likely to appear at a distant position unrelated to the tool shop icon 125, and the user needs to move again until it returns to the vicinity of the tool shop icon 125. .. Therefore, it takes time to progress the game, and it is troublesome, so there is a possibility that the fun will be reduced. On the other hand, as in the present invention, when returning to the previous screen 121, regardless of the relationship between the current location before the transition and the virtual position, the screen is set to the virtual position when the transition to the next screen is performed. By associating the current location when returning to, the user can immediately proceed with the game on screen 125 in the castle from the state when the screen was moved to the next screen. Therefore, the role-playing game can be continued smoothly without wasting time and movement.

【0050】

The same applies when returning from the virtual world 121 in the castle to the previous screen 111. As shown in FIG. 11 (c), when the position icon 113 is moved to the exit 122 on the screen 121 in the castle, it is determined that the exit condition of the screen 121 in the castle is satisfied by the function 34 for determining the transition condition. As a result, the previous screen (first screen of the role-playing game) 111 shown in FIG. 11 (d) is displayed in the same procedure as above. Then, the position icon 113 is displayed in front of the castle icon 115, that is, when moving to the screen 121 in the castle, or at a virtual position immediately before. At the same time, the current location at that time, that is, when returning to the initial screen 111, is associated with the position in front of the castle icon 115, and the parameter 13 is updated.

【0051】

Unlike the castle icon 115, the town corner icons 116 and 117 displayed on the first screen 111 are event icons from which information related to the current location can be obtained. Therefore, when the user moves with the terminal 6 and the position icon 113 overlaps the town corner icon 116, the user connects to the server system 20 as explained with reference to FIG. 6, and the current location information is transferred to the server system 20 in step 88. Will be sent. Also, if there is user's personal information, it will be sent to the server system 20 in step 90. As a result, the server system 20 selects the data related to the current location that the user seems to like, constructs a virtual world, and sends it back to the terminal 6. Game system 10 gets it and displays it. In FIG. 12A, the displayed virtual world 131 shows the AB hotel icon 135 and the ABC store icon 136, which correspond to existing hotels and stores. Therefore, these icons can be called existential icons.

【0052】

Similar to each world or screen above, the user can move the position icon 113 by moving and overlay it on any of the icons. For example, if the position icon 113 is superimposed on the ABC store icon 136, it is connected to the server system 20 via the connection screen in the same manner as above. Then, the current location is sent to the server system 20, and the server system 20 calculates a highly accurate position by DGPS. The highly accurate current location 137 and map information 139 including the actual location 138 of the ABC store are prepared by the server system 20 and sent back to the terminal 6. When the information is acquired and displayed, as shown in Fig. 12 (b), the location of the favorite store around the current location can be known. In particular, ABC stores are a general term for chain stores such as convenience stores / gas stations, and the effect of advertising can be obtained by displaying the closest location from all over the country. Furthermore, by preparing the virtuous information 132 in the server system 20 in addition to the map information 139 and distributing it to the terminal 6, it is possible to realize an advertising system-like mechanism that is also beneficial to the user.

【0053】

In this way, the game system 10 of this example acquires the current location of the user and advances the game by using it as a control element, so that information related to the current location can be embedded in the game system 10. Furthermore, by enabling communication with the server system 20, information related to the current location can be acquired from the server system 20 and embedded as a game event at any time.

【0054】

Further, it is also possible to provide an event icon, particularly an icon indicating another user as a real icon. When the user moves while returning to the first screen 111 shown in FIG. 11 (d) and the position icon 113 overlaps the town corner icon 117 provided on this screen 111, it is shown in FIG. 13 (a). The next screen 141 is retrieved from the server system 20 and displayed. This detailed process is the same as described above and will be omitted. When the new virtual world 141 is displayed, the position icon 113 is set at the entrance, and it becomes possible to move toward the event icon prepared in this virtual world 141. This virtual world 141 is a world in which information related to the current location is selected and embedded based on the information of the current location sent to the server system 20. At that time, other users who are playing the same role-playing game, and terminals whose distance in the real world is within an appropriate range of, for example, about 1 km with respect to the user of this information terminal 6 (assumed to be Mr. A) are searched. Will be done. Then, when such a terminal is found, the data of the user (assumed to be Mr. J), for example, access information such as an e-mail address is embedded in the iconized screen 141. Therefore, in this virtual world 141, in addition to the icon 142 indicating the restaurant and the icon 143 indicating the convenience store, three real icons, the icon 144 of Mr. J who is nearby, are provided.

【0055】

When the user holding the terminal 6 moves and overlaps with Mr. J's icon 144 while this screen 141 is displayed on the LCD 61 of the terminal 6, the function 34 for determining the migration condition in step 74 shown in FIG. It is determined that the event icon overlaps with the event icon, and further, in step 75, it is determined that the event icon is another user. Therefore, the process of chatting is performed in step 77.

【0056】

Figure 7 shows the detailed processing of chat. First, in step 95, the server connection screen as described above is displayed and a dial-up connection is made with the server system 20. Next, the information of the access partner, that is, Mr. J is sent from the terminal 6 (game system 10) to the server system 20. In the server system 20, in step 101, there is Mr. A who is enjoying the same role-playing game by displaying the screen as shown in Fig. 13 (b) on Mr. J's terminal, and the chat application is made. Tell them that there was. In step 102, when the connection is permitted by Mr. J, the terminal 6 of Mr. A is notified in step 97 that the connection is permitted. Then, in step 98, a network between Mr. A and Mr. J is established so that data can be exchanged (transmitted / received) via the Internet. When the environment for connecting the two is prepared in this way, in step 99, Mr. A and Mr. J have a chat as shown in FIG. 13 (c).

【0057】

In this way, it is possible to chat by showing the icons of users who are playing a common game. Furthermore, using the game system of this example, the location information of both can be known, so it is possible to introduce users who are not only close to each other on the screen in the virtual world but also close to each other in the real world. it can. Therefore, if both parties wish, they can actually meet at the street corner. For this reason, the role-playing game of this example makes it possible to generate simple communication that is possible in the real world, such as encounters, and it is possible to create opportunities to meet other people who have not been acquainted until then.

【0058】

As explained above, unlike the conventional role-playing game in which the main character, the bar, or the character is moved by using the direction key button, the select button, the cancel button, etc., the role-playing game of this example has the same effect. The main character actually moves in the real world, and the game in the virtual world progresses based on the position information. Therefore, even if the game progresses on the screen as in the conventional role-playing game, the actual position information and the position display icon (illustration of the main character, etc.) 113 moving on the screen are synchronized. Therefore, in order to advance the game, the user needs to move in the real world, which is difficult or interesting. For example, since the user actually needs to move in order to proceed with the game, it is possible to display the distance actually traveled by the user at the end of the game (although it may be interrupted, of course). For example, it is possible to display data such as the distance traveled, the corresponding number of steps, and calories burned. By matching such a game with exercise, it is possible to realize a pedometer that is one step ahead of the conventional electronic pedometer, and it is possible to obtain the effect of not getting tired of walking for health. In addition, secondary use such as filling a virtual map of Japan as electronic information will be possible. Further, by using GPS, information known as an electronic pedometer such as an accurate time, a moving distance and a speed obtained from the time, and a calorie consumption may be added and displayed in addition to the position.

【0059】

Further, since the user actually moves to advance the game and the information of the current location can be acquired at any time, it is possible to provide the information related to the current location through the game based on the information of the current location. In role-playing games, enemy, event treasure information, etc. are prepared, and these data or contents may be stored in the terminal in advance, but as described above, a method of downloading information via communication is used. Can be adopted. Then, when it hits the actual treasure (event icon), select the treasure with the button provided on the terminal (move to the actual position corresponding to the position where the treasure is), and as a result, the information about the current location is displayed. It is possible to display. Then, using that information, in the middle of the game, you can take a short detour to shop, take a break, and even enjoy talking with other people who have started, adding fun that you can not taste in conventional role-playing games. can do. Furthermore, by sending information about the current location by communication and obtaining the content prepared for it from the server system, the user can see the new content each time and can enjoy the game even more.

【0060】

Furthermore, the role-playing game of this example progresses in synchronization with the actual location information, but does not display the actual map, and simulates the experience of the user moving in the virtual world in the game. Can be obtained. Therefore, it is possible to enjoy the feeling of taking a walk in the world preferred by the user, not in the real world. Furthermore, in the role-playing game of this example, new virtual worlds develop one after another when you go to a specific place. And by walking in the real world, you can enjoy the newly developed virtual world. Therefore, it is possible to enjoy the game without getting tired while moving in a wide range and to exercise at the same time.

【0061】

The role-playing game is mentioned above as an example of a game developed by such a new virtual world, but it is not limited to this, and the current game is made, for example, when one screen is cleared, the next screen is displayed. Of course, it may be a shooting game that continues the game. By allowing these games to be controlled by moving their current location, new fun can be provided. Of course, it is also possible to create a new game by using the system and method of displaying the virtual world of the present invention without being bound by the conventional game.

【0062】

[Effect of the invention]

As described above, the system and method for displaying the virtual world of the present invention utilize the position information obtained from a GPS, PHS, CDMA mobile phone, or the like to use a conventional game method or a non-conventional game. By combining the method and actual location information, it is possible to realize new entertainment by opening new virtual worlds one after another, and to provide a system that allows pedestrians to actually move and exercise happily. Become.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

It is a figure which shows an example of the mobile terminal which can acquire the present location, and the environment surrounding it.

[Figure 2]

It is a figure which shows the schematic system of the mobile terminal shown in FIG.

[Fig. 3]

It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the mobile terminal shown in FIG.

[Fig. 4]

It is a flowchart which shows the whole movement of the game system of this example.

[Fig. 5]

It is a flowchart which shows the initial process.

[Fig. 6]

It is a flowchart which shows the process which displays the next screen.

[Fig. 7]

It is a flowchart which shows the processing of a chat.

[Fig. 8]

It is a flowchart which shows the process of displaying the previous screen.

[Fig. 9]

It is a figure which shows the screen of the initial processing.

[Fig. 10]

It is a figure which shows the state of displaying the next screen.

[Fig. 11]

Further, it is a figure which shows the state of displaying the next screen.

[Fig. 12]

It is a figure which shows the state of displaying the screen related to the present location.

[Fig. 13]

It is a figure which shows the state of displaying the screen related to a chat.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 internet 6 Mobile terminal 7 Public switched telephone network 10 game system 11 Position acquisition function 12 distance counter 13 Initial parameters Information on 15 screens (virtual world) 17 User's personal information 20 Provider server system 21 Mail server 22 Information providing server 23 Location-related database server 24 map server 25 Dial-up server 27 User profile server 29 CSID server 30 Display control unit 51 GPS unit 52 PHS unit 53 Dial-up connection function