Toy

Abstract

The invention provides a toy with high interestingness. The main body part (2) is provided with a liquid crystal monitor (22). The cover part (4) can be in a first state for shielding at least one part of the main body part (2) and in a second state for opening the at least one part of the main body part (2). In addition, the cover part (4) is provided with a window part (42) capable of visually confirming the liquid crystal monitor (22) in the first state. The processor (20) performs display control of a liquid crystal monitor (22) including display of a first character. In the second state, the processor (20) performs display control for displaying a first performance associated with the first character in the liquid crystal monitor (22). In the first state, the processor (20) performs display control for displaying a second performance associated with the first character and different from the first performance in the liquid crystal monitor (22).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a toy. BACKGROUND

[0002] In Patent Literature 1, there is described an image display device including a display section that displays an image, a first detection section and a second detection section that emit light and detect reflected light of the light when the light is reflected by a tangible object, and a control section that controls display of the image in the display section in accordance with a detection result of the reflected light by each of the first detection section and the second detection section, wherein the first detection section and the second detection section are disposed at a position at which a line segment connecting the two detection sections crosses a display screen of the display section.

[0003] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0004] PATENT LITERATURE

[0005] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-241047 SUMMARY

[0006] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] An object of the technology of the present disclosure is to provide a toy that is high in interest.

[0008] SOLUTION TO PROBLEM (1)

[0010] A toy includes:

[0011] a main body section having a display screen;

[0012] a cover section that can take a first state in which at least a portion of the main body section is shielded and a second state in which the at least a portion is open, and that has an opening section through which the display screen is visually confirmed in the first state; and

[0013] a control section that performs display control of the display screen including display of a first character,

[0014] wherein the control section performs, in the second state, display control of displaying, in the display screen, a first performance associated with the first character, and performs, in the first state, display control of displaying, in the display screen, a second performance associated with the first character and different from the first performance. (2)

[0016] The toy according to (1), wherein

[0017] the first performance is a performance in which display of the first character is changed in accordance with a first operation of a user,

[0018] The second performance described above is a performance in which a predetermined display associated with the first character is displayed in accordance with a second operation of the user. (3)

[0020] The toy according to (2), wherein

[0021] The first operation described above is a care operation of the first character described above,

[0022] The second operation described above is an operation with respect to the first character described above, and is an operation different from the care operation. (4)

[0024] The toy according to (2) or (3), wherein

[0025] The first operation described above is an operation that causes a parameter corresponding to the first character described above to change,

[0026] The second operation described above is an operation that does not cause the parameter to change. (5)

[0028] The toy according to any one of (2) to (4), wherein

[0029] The cover portion has a first operation portion through which the user can perform the second operation described above. (6)

[0031] The toy according to (5), wherein

[0032] The main body portion has a second operation portion that is operated in accordance with an operation of the first operation portion described above in the first state of the cover portion described above,

[0033] The second operation described above is an operation of the second operation portion. (7)

[0035] The toy according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein

[0036] The control portion performs control to display the first performance when the cover portion changes from the first state to the second state. (8)

[0038] The toy according to any one of (2) to (6), wherein

[0039] The control portion performs control to display the first performance when the first operation of the user is accepted while the cover portion is in the second state. (9)

[0041] The toy according to (8), wherein

[0042] When a user operation is received while the cover portion is in the second state and the display screen is in the non-display state, the control portion controls the display of the first performance. (10)

[0044] The toy according to any one of (1) to (9), in which

[0045] The control portion controls the display of a third performance different from the first performance and the second performance, based on the parameter corresponding to the first character satisfying a predetermined condition. (11)

[0047] The toy according to (10), in which

[0048] The control portion controls the display of the third performance based on the cover portion being in the first state, the display screen being in the non-display state, and the parameter satisfying the predetermined condition. (12)

[0050] The toy according to (10) or (11), in which

[0051] The third performance is a performance that prompts the user to perform an operation in the second state of the cover portion. (13)

[0053] The toy according to any one of (10) to (12), in which

[0054] The control portion performs the display control of the third performance with a predetermined period of time as a condition. (14)

[0056] The toy according to any one of (1) to (13), in which

[0057] In the first performance, the control portion changes a first parameter corresponding to the first character according to a first operation of the user, and in the display control, a second character that is displayed together with the first character is added according to the change in the first parameter. (15)

[0059] The toy according to (14), in which

[0060] The control portion adds the second character a plurality of times according to the change in the first parameter. (16)

[0062] The toy according to (14) or (15), in which

[0063] The second character is a character corresponding to the first character. (17)

[0065] The toy according to any one of (14) to (16), wherein

[0066] The control section controls display of a fourth performance in which the first character and the prescribed number of the second characters appear, with the prescribed number of the second characters being added. (18)

[0068] The toy according to any one of (1) to (17), wherein

[0069] The control section causes an event in which a third character different from the first character is encountered to occur in the first performance in accordance with an operation of the user,

[0070] The control section performs registration of the third character.

[0071] The control section is capable of displaying the third character in accordance with an operation of the user. (19)

[0073] The toy according to (18), wherein

[0074] The control section performs control to display a fifth performance in which a plurality of the third characters appear in accordance with an operation of the user. (20)

[0076] The toy according to any one of (1) to (19), wherein

[0077] The cover section has an appearance that imitates a portion of a house,

[0078] The opening section imitates a window section of the house. (21)

[0080] The toy according to (20), wherein

[0081] A portion of the cover section that imitates the window section occludes a portion of the display screen in the first state. (22)

[0083] The toy according to (20) or (21), wherein

[0084] The first performance is display indicating that the first character is in a room of the first character,

[0085] The second performance is display indicating a state in which the room of the first character is viewed from outside of the house. (23)

[0087] The toy according to any one of (1) to (22), in which

[0088] The above first character is a character selected by the user from among a plurality of candidate characters.

[0089] Effects of Invention

[0090] According to the technology of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a toy that is high in interest. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0091] Figure 1 is a front view showing one mode of the toy 1.

[0092] Figure 2 is a view showing the main body 2 and the cover 4 that constitute the toy 1.

[0093] Figure 3 is a view showing one example of the hardware structure of the toy 1.

[0094] Figure 4 is a view showing one example of the second performance.

[0095] Figure 5 is a view showing one example of the first performance.

[0096] Figure 6 is a view showing one example of the first type of sub character that is additionally displayed for the main character 61.

[0097] Figure 7 is a view showing one example of the correspondence relationship between the main character and the first type of sub character.

[0098] Figure 8 is a view showing one example of the second type of sub character that the main character encounters.

[0099] Figure 9 is a view showing one example of a parade in which the main character and the first type of sub character appear.

[0100] Figure 10 is a view showing one example of a parade in which the second type of sub character appears. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0101] A toy that is one mode of the technology of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a front view showing one mode of the toy 1. As shown in the drawing, the toy 1 has, for example, an appearance that imitates a part of a house or one room. The toy 1 is capable of displaying an image of a character such as an animal in a display screen, and taking care of the displayed character in accordance with a button operation or the like from the user. Figure 1

[0102] ​The toy 1 has a door portion 41 that imitates a door for the character to go in and out, and a window portion 42 that imitates a window through which the inside of the house can be seen. Further, the toy 1 has, for example, a selection button 32, a determination button 33, and a cancel button 34 that are operation portions for the user to operate when taking care of the character. The window portion 42 is an example of the "opening portion" of the present application.

[0103] Figure 2 is a view showing the main body portion 2 and the lid portion 4 that constitute the toy 1. As shown in Figure 2 , the toy 1 has the main body portion 2 and the lid portion 4 that is connected to the main body portion 2 in a manner that can be opened and closed with respect to the main body portion 2. The lid portion 4 is mounted to the main body portion 2 via a hinge 43, for example, and can be opened and closed with respect to the main body portion 2. Figure 2 The toy 1 of Figure 1 is a toy in a state in which the lid portion 4 is closed with respect to the main body portion 2.

[0104] Figure 2 The lid portion 4 of Figure 1 shows the back side of the lid portion 4. The lid portion 4 is configured to coincide with the front surface side of the main body portion 2 in a closed state. In the state in which the lid portion 4 is closed, the lid portion 4 shields at least a part of the main body portion 2. In contrast, in the state in which the lid portion 4 is opened, the lid portion 4 leaves at least a part of the main body portion 2 open. The main body portion 2 has a support portion that can support the opened lid portion 4 when the lid portion 4 is in an open state. The support portion is provided to the hinge 43, for example. The state in which the lid portion 4 shields a part of the main body portion 2 by being closed with respect to the main body portion 2 is an example of the "first state" of the present application. The state in which the lid portion 4 leaves a part of the main body portion 2 open by being opened with respect to the main body portion 2 is an example of the "second state" of the present application. Further, the lid portion 4 can also be a structure that can be opened and closed by being attached to and detached from the main body portion 2.

[0105] The lid portion 4 is provided with a door represented by the door portion 41 and a window represented by the window portion 42. The door portion 41 is provided with a door button 51 that is an example of the "first operation portion" of the present application. The door button 51 is provided on the back side of the door portion 41 in the state in which the lid portion 4 is closed with respect to the main body portion 2 (see Figure 1 ). The door button 51 is mounted in a state of slightly protruding from the back of the door portion 41. The door button 51 is a button that can be operated via the door portion 41 by the user pressing the door portion 41. The window portion 42 is provided with a window curtain 42a, which is opened to become a state in which the inside of the house can be seen from the outside in the examples shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 .

[0106] The main body section 2 has a liquid crystal monitor 22, a cover detection switch 25, a main body button 31, a selection button 32, a determination button 33, and a cancel button 34. The liquid crystal monitor 22 displays, for example, a performance image of a character. The liquid crystal monitor 22 is provided at a position corresponding to the window section 42 of the cover section 4, and can be visually confirmed from the outside through the window section 42 of the cover section 4 even in a state where the cover section 4 is closed. In addition, in a state where the cover section 4 is closed, a part of the liquid crystal monitor 22 is shielded by the curtain 42a of the cover section 4.

[0107] A performance image is also displayed in the part of the liquid crystal monitor 22 shielded by the curtain 42a or the like. Therefore, it is configured so that, for example, when the inside of the window section 42 is viewed from the outside in the left-right and up-down directions, the part of the liquid crystal monitor 22 shielded by the curtain 42a or the like can also be viewed, and the entire inside of the room can be peeked at. Furniture or the like can also be arranged in the room, and by peeking at the entire inside of the room, furniture or the like arranged in a corner of the room (an end portion of the liquid crystal monitor 22) can also be visually confirmed. In addition, when the liquid crystal monitor 22 is viewed from the front, the bottom surface of the toy 1 is flatly configured. Therefore, the toy 1 can be easily placed on a placement surface such as a table or the like. The liquid crystal monitor 22 is an example of the "display screen" of the present application.

[0108] The cover detection switch 25 is a switch for detecting the opening and closing state of the cover section 4 with respect to the main body section 2. The cover detection switch 25 is turned on in a state where the cover section 4 is closed with respect to the main body section 2, and is turned off in a state where the cover section 4 is opened with respect to the main body section 2. Furthermore, the structure of the cover detection switch 25 is not limited to this, and can be provided inside the hinge 43 or on the cover section 4 side.

[0109] The main body button 31 is an example of the "second operation section" of the present application. The main body button 31 is a button operated by the door button 51 when the door button 51 is operated in a state where the cover section 4 is closed. The surface position of the main body button 31 is provided, for example, at a position slightly lower than the surface of the main body section 2. That is, the position where the main body button 31 is provided is recessed, and thus the main body button 31 is a button difficult for a user to operate by directly pressing down. The main body button 31 is provided at a position corresponding to the door button 51 of the cover section 4, and is configured to be pressed down by the protruding door button 51 when the door section 41 is pressed and operated in a state where the cover section 4 is closed.

[0110] The selection button 32 is, for example, a button capable of selecting an arbitrary menu from a plurality of menus. The determination button 33 is, for example, a button capable of shifting to a mode of a menu selected by the selection button 32. The cancel button 34 is, for example, a button capable of canceling the selection of a menu in a state where the menu is selected.

[0111] Figure 3is a drawing showing an example of a hardware structure of the toy 1. The toy 1 is provided with a processor 20, a memory 21, a liquid crystal monitor 22, a speaker 23, a push button 24, and a cover detection switch 25. The processor 20, the memory 21, the liquid crystal monitor 22, the speaker 23, the push button 24, and the cover detection switch 25 are connected, for example, through a bus 26.

[0112] The liquid crystal monitor 22 displays, for example, a performance image of a prescribed character, in accordance with the control of the processor 20. The speaker 23 outputs, for example, an effect sound corresponding to the performance of the character, or an effect sound produced in conjunction with a button operation by the user, in accordance with the control of the processor 20.

[0113] The push button 24 includes a main body button 31, a selection button 32, a determination button 33, and a cancel button 34. The push button 24 is used to transmit a push signal of each button on which a push operation has been performed to the processor 20. The cover detection switch 25 is used to transmit a cover detection signal indicating the opening / closing state of the cover portion 4 with respect to the main body portion 2 to the processor 20.

[0114] The memory 21 includes, for example, a main memory and an auxiliary memory. The main memory is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory). The main memory is used as a work area of the processor 20. The auxiliary memory is, for example, a nonvolatile memory such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a flash memory, or the like. Various programs for causing the toy 1 to act are stored in the auxiliary memory. The programs stored in the auxiliary memory are loaded into the main memory and executed by the processor 20. In addition, image information relating to various characters is stored in the auxiliary memory. In addition, a correspondence table indicating the correspondence relationship of the characters with each other is stored in the auxiliary memory (refer to FIG. 6). Figure 7 ).

[0115] The processor 20 is a circuit that performs signal processing, and is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that is responsible for the overall control of the toy 1. In addition, the processor 20 can also be realized by other digital circuits such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or the like. The processor 20 controls each portion based on the programs stored in the auxiliary memory, thereby performing various performance controls. The programs include, in the programs, downloadable application programs for performing various performance controls. The processor 20 is an example of the "control portion" of the present application.

[0116] For example, processor 20 controls the display of characters on LCD monitor 22. These characters include a main character, an example of a "first character" in the present invention, a first-type sub-character, an example of a "second character," and a second-type sub-character, an example of a "third character." The main character is the primary character in the game of toy 1. The first-type sub-character is a character that has been pre-associated with the main character, such as a friend of the main character. The second-type sub-character is a character that the main character becomes friends with through encounter.

[0117] When the lid 4 is open, the processor 20 controls the LCD monitor 22 to display a first performance associated with the main character. When the lid 4 is closed, the processor 20 controls the LCD monitor 22 to display a second performance associated with the main character that is different from the first performance. For example, the first performance changes the display of the main character in response to a first operation by the user, and the second performance displays a predetermined display related to the main character in response to a second operation by the user.

[0118] For example, the first effect may be a display showing the main character reacting to a first operation, while the second effect may be a display showing the main character not reacting to a second operation. For example, the first effect may be a display showing the main character in their room, while the second effect may be a display showing the main character's room as viewed from outside the house.

[0119] In addition, for example, the first performance is to display a care icon (eg Figure 5 The second presentation is a presentation in which the care icons are not displayed on the LCD monitor 22. When the care icons are displayed, part of the furniture and the like arranged in the room is not displayed due to the care icons. Therefore, in the second presentation in which the care icons are not displayed, the design of the room including the furniture and the like can be better visually confirmed.

[0120] In addition, since the first and second performances are both performances showing the main character and the room where the main character is, the main character can be enjoyed living in the room through the first and second performances.

[0121] The "user operation" is, for example, a care operation for the main character. The care operation includes, for example, a "petting" operation of the main character, a feeding operation of "rice" to the main character, a "cleaning" operation of a room where the main character lives, a "bathing" operation of the main character, an "outing" operation with the main character, and the like. The user performs these operations by operating, for example, push buttons (selection button 32, determination button 33, and cancel button 34) provided in the main body 2. The "performance in which the main character reacts" refers to an interactive performance between the user and the main character. The "performance in which the main character does not react" refers to a non-interactive performance between the user and the main character.

[0122] The "reaction of the main character" includes, for example, a reaction of the main character in joy, a reaction of the main character in which a display changes, a reaction of the main character in which a sound is output, and the like. The "predetermined display" refers to a display selected from among, for example, a dance performance display of the main character, a performance display in which the main character rushes, a performance display of each character who appears, and the like. With respect to the main character that the user can care for, a plurality of candidate characters are prepared. The user can select the main character to be cared for in the game from among the candidate characters.

[0123] The first operation is, for example, an operation of caring for the main character. The second operation is an operation with respect to the main character and is an operation different from the operation of caring. In addition, the first operation is an operation in which a parameter corresponding to the main character changes. The second operation is an operation in which the parameter corresponding to the main character does not change.

[0124] The "parameter" includes, for example, a "friendliness" of the user with respect to the main character, a "fullness" of the main character, a "happiness" of the main character, and the like. The "friendliness", the "fullness", and the "happiness" increase as the degree of care of the user for the main character increases. The "fullness" and the "happiness" also change in correspondence with the passage of time. The "fullness" and the "happiness" decrease as the time in which the user does not care for the main character increases.

[0125] In the state in which the cover 4 is closed, when the door button 51 is subjected to a press operation and the main body button 31 is subjected to a press operation in accordance with the operation of the door button 51, the processor 20 performs display control to display the second performance. In the state in which the cover 4 is open, even if the main body button 31 is subjected to a press operation, the processor 20 does not perform display control to display the second performance. The second operation is an operation performed on the main body button 31. The door button 51 is a button with respect to which the second operation can be performed by the user.

[0126] When the lid portion 4 is changed from the closed state to the open state, the processor 20 performs display control to display the first play. When a first operation of the user is accepted while the lid portion 4 is in the open state, the processor 20 performs display control to display the first play. When a user operation is accepted while the lid portion 4 is in the open state and the liquid crystal monitor 22 is in a non-display state, the processor 20 performs display control to display the first play. The "non-display state" is, for example, a hibernation state. The non-display state can also be a state in which the same image is displayed, such as a state in which a completely black image is displayed.

[0127] When the parameter corresponding to the main character satisfies a prescribed condition, the processor 20 performs display control to display a third play that is different from the first play and the second play. The processor 20 performs display control of the third play, for example, in a case where the "hunger level" or the "happiness level" of the main character falls to "0 (zero)". The "third play" is, for example, a play in which the main character calls the user from the character side to notify the user that the hunger level of the main character is zero.

[0128] When the lid portion 4 is in the closed state, the liquid crystal monitor 22 is in a non-display state, and the parameter corresponding to the main character satisfies a prescribed condition, the processor 20 performs display control to display the third play. The third play is a play that prompts the user to perform an operation in the open state of the lid portion 4. For example, the processor 20 performs a play that prompts the operation of a push button (the selection button 32, the determination button 33, the cancel button 34) of the main body portion 2 in a state in which the lid portion 4 is open.

[0129] The processor 20 performs display control to display the third play with a prescribed time period as a condition. As an example of the "prescribed time period", a time period from 7:00 to 20:59 is given. A time period from 21:00 to 6:59 is set as a sleep period of the main character. The processor 20 performs the third play in the time period from 7:00 to 20:59 in which the main character is awake.

[0130] The processor 20 causes a first parameter corresponding to the main character to change according to a first operation of the user in the first play, and causes a first type of sub character to be displayed together with the main character in the display control according to the change of the first parameter. The "first parameter" is, for example, the closeness (friendliness) of the user to the main character. The processor 20 causes the first type of sub character to be added a plurality of times according to the change of the first parameter. The first type of sub character is a character corresponding to the main character (for example, refer to Figure 7 ). For example, the main character corresponds to a plurality of kinds of the first type of sub character, and the processor 20 causes the first type of sub character to be added and displayed a plurality of times by each kind according to the change of the first parameter based on the user operation. The first type of sub character is a friend character that functions to make the main character active. The first type of sub character that is added is described using Figure 6 in the following.

[0131] The processor 20 performs display control to display the fourth performance in which the main character and the prescribed number of the first type of sub characters appear, on the condition that the prescribed number of the first type of sub characters is added. If the first type of sub characters are collected (the prescribed number), a lottery is performed, and when the result of the lottery is a winning ticket, a tea party (the fourth performance) is held, for example. The probability of winning the lottery can also differ depending on the parameter of the main character (1 to 16), and by doing so, the first operation of changing the parameter corresponding to the main character can be encouraged. As an example in which the probability differs depending on the parameter, the probability of winning the lottery when the happiness degree is 1 to 12 can be set to 5%, and the probability of winning the lottery when the happiness degree is 13 to 16 can be set to 10%.

[0132] The processor 20 causes the meeting event in which the main character has a chance to meet the second type of sub character to occur in the first performance according to the operation of the user. The processor 20 registers the character that is met in the meeting event as the second type of sub character in the correspondence table (for example, refer to Figure 7 ).

[0133] The processor 20 can display the second type of sub character that is met in the meeting event on the liquid crystal monitor 22 according to the operation of the user. The meeting with the second type of sub character in the meeting event is described later using Figure 8 . The processor 20 performs display control to display the fifth performance in which the second type of sub character appears according to the operation of the user. The fifth performance can also be a performance in which a plurality of second type of sub characters appear on the condition that a plurality of second type of sub characters are registered. The fifth performance is a parade event, for example. In addition, the processor 20 performs display control to display the fifth performance in which the main character and the first type of sub character appear according to the operation of the user. The parade event is described later using Figure 9 and Figure 10 .

[0134] Figure 4 is a drawing showing an example of the second performance. As shown in Figure 4 , the second performance is performed in a state in which the cover portion 4 is closed. The second performance is a performance in which an image that represents a situation inside a house, for example, is displayed in the liquid crystal monitor 22 through the window portion 42. The second performance is a performance that is displayed when the main body button 31 is pressed via the door button 51 of the door portion 41 if the door portion 41 is subjected to a press operation in a state in which the cover portion 4 is closed.

[0135] For example, if the door portion 41 is subjected to a press operation in a state in which the cover portion 4 is closed, a doorbell sound (ding-dong sound) is emitted, and thus Figure 4The image of the main character 61 is displayed through the window portion 42 as illustrated. The main character 61 whose image is displayed is the main character that the user is currently taking care of. In addition, the displayed image is an image that represents the situation of the main character 61 at this time. In the case of the present example, the situation in which the main character 61 is looking outside from the window portion 42 is displayed. For example, in the case in which the main character 61 is napping, the situation in which the main character 61 is napping is displayed. In addition, in the displayed image, a sub character of the first type that is a friend can be displayed together with the main character 61. Furthermore, during the process in which the second performance is being displayed, even if the pressing operation on the door portion 41 is performed again, the doorbell sound is not emitted. In addition, when the cover portion 4 is closed and the second performance is being displayed, the operations of the selection button 32, the determination button 33, and the cancel button 34 of the main body portion 2 become invalid. That is, in the second performance, the care operation of the main character 61 cannot be performed, and the parameters (friendliness, satisfaction, and happiness) cannot be changed.

[0136] <Other performance when the cover portion 4 is closed>

[0137] When the cover portion 4 is closed during the process in which a certain screen (for example, a care screen) is being displayed in the liquid crystal monitor 22 with the cover portion 4 open, the care screen in the display fades out to become the same (black screen). Thereafter, an image that represents the situation inside the house, for example Figure 4 fades in, and soon changes to the sleep state. In addition, if the cover portion 4 is closed while in the sleep state with the cover portion 4 open, the sleep state is maintained. Due to the cover portion 4 being closed to become a state in which the operation of the door portion 41 can be accepted, when the door portion 41 is subjected to the pressing operation, the doorbell sound is emitted as described above, and the second performance is displayed.

[0138] <Transition to the sleep state and recovery from the sleep state>

[0139] For example, in the case in which no operation is performed on the toy 1 for, for example, 60 seconds, the sleep state is transitioned to. In addition, when the second performance ends, the sleep state is transitioned to. In addition, with the cover portion 4 open, if the determination button 33 is subjected to the long pressing operation for, for example, 1 second or so, the sleep state is transitioned to.

[0140] In the case in which the sleep state is transitioned to with the cover portion 4 closed, if the door button 51 is pressed short, the sleep state is recovered from (the second performance). In the case in which the sleep state is transitioned to with the cover portion 4 open, if the determination button 33 is subjected to the long pressing operation for, for example, 1 second or so, the sleep state is recovered from (the first performance). In the case in which the sleep state is transitioned to with the cover portion 4 closed, if the cover portion 4 is opened, the sleep state is recovered from. In the case in which the sleep state is transitioned to with the cover portion 4 closed, if there is a call from the main character 61, the sleep state is recovered from.

[0141] <Call generation (third performance)>

[0142] When the satiation or the happiness of the main character 61 decreases to "0 (zero)", a call from the main character 61 to the user is generated. For example, a state check of the parameters (satiation, happiness) of the main character 61 is performed every 2 hours. When the parameters (satiation, happiness) become zero, the call generation flag is changed to "on".

[0143] In the state where the cover portion 4 is closed, if a call from the main character 61 is generated, a call performance (third performance) in the liquid crystal monitor 22 is started. First, if a call is generated, a call sound is output from the speaker 23. Thereafter, the following performance is performed: the main character 61 showing a disappointed expression is displayed in the window portion 42, to urge the user to open the cover portion 4 and take care of the main character 61. The care for the main character 61 refers to, for example, feeding rice, a snack, or giving a decoration, clothes. When both the satisfaction and the happiness of the main character 61 are increased to 1 or more by the care, the call generation flag is "cleared". Further, a call from the main character 61 is generated in the time period from 7:00 to 20:59 when the main character 61 is awake.

[0144] Figure 5 is a view showing an example of the first performance. As shown in Figure 5 , the first performance is performed in the state where the cover portion 4 is opened. The first performance is a performance in which an image showing a situation of the main character 61 in the room is displayed in the liquid crystal monitor 22. The first performance is a performance displayed by performing the care for the main character 61 by operating the selection button 32, the determination button 33, and the cancel button 34 in the state where the cover portion 4 is opened.

[0145] For example, when the cover portion 4 is opened, the main character 61 currently being cared for is displayed in the liquid crystal monitor 22. In addition, a plurality of menu items (for example, items 91a to 91j) are displayed in the liquid crystal monitor 22. The items include, for example, "parameters", "pat", "rice", "cleaning", "bath", "game center", "outing", "treasure", "moving", "setting", and the like.

[0146] When the selection button 32 is pressed, the item 91a (for example, "parameters") becomes a selection state. The selection position moves in the order of the item 91a, the item 91b, the item 91c,..., the item 91j, and the item 91a every time the selection button 32 is pressed. When the determination button 33 is pressed after the item is selected by the selection button 32, the mode of the selected item is shifted. When, for example, "parameters" is selected and the determination button 33 is pressed, it is possible to shift to the parameter display screen mode and confirm the "satisfaction" and the "happiness" of the main character 61.

[0147] Furthermore, for example, by selecting "Touch," "Cook," "Cleaning," or "Bathing" and pressing the OK button 33, the screen switches to the respective care screen modes. When the screen switches to the "Cooking" mode, the main character 61's "Satisfaction" increases with each transition. When the screen switches to the "Touch," "Cook," "Cleaning," or "Bathing" modes, the main character 61's "Happiness" increases with each transition.

[0148] If 10 seconds pass without any operation while an item is selected, the selection is canceled. Furthermore, if the cancel button 34 is pressed while an item is selected, the selection is also canceled. When the user returns from a mode, the item in the currently selected mode continues to be selected. If the select button 32 is pressed again after the selection is canceled, the default item 91a, "Parameters," is selected.

[0149] Furthermore, if the lid 4 is opened while the room is in the sleep state with the lid 4 closed, the room is restored from the sleep state and the image of the main character 61 in the room is displayed ( Figure 5 ) fades in on the LCD monitor 22. If the lid 4 is opened while a certain image (e.g., an image of the interior of a house) is being displayed with the lid 4 closed, the currently displayed image fades out and becomes the same (black image). Thereafter, the image of the main character 61 in the room ( Figure 5 ) fades in. In addition, when the lid 4 is open and the room is in sleep mode, if the confirmation button 33 is pressed for about 1 second, the room is restored from sleep mode, and the image of the main character 61 in the room is displayed ( Figure 5 ) fades in. By changing to Figure 5 The display screen shown becomes the care-ready state.

[0150] Figure 6 This figure shows an example of a first-type secondary character that is additionally displayed for a main character 61. The first-type secondary character is a character that is additionally displayed in response to a user's care operation for the main character 61. As the user's care operation increases the friendship level between the user and the main character 61, the first-type secondary character is additionally displayed when the friendship level exceeds a threshold.

[0151] For example, when the user takes care of the main character 61 for two days, the friendship degree rises and exceeds the threshold, and a secondary character of the first type is additionally displayed. Figure 6As shown, when the main character 61 is started to be taken care of and the number of days of taking care of the main character 61 passes two days, a first character 71 of the first type is additionally displayed with respect to the main character 61. Then, when the number of days of taking care of passes two days more, a second character 72 of the first type (in this case, characters of twins) is additionally displayed. When the number of days of taking care of passes two days more, a third character 73 of the first type is additionally displayed. Further, if a character of the first type is additionally displayed, the number of days of taking care of with respect to the main character 61 is reset to zero. The number of days is calculated, for example, by the cumulative time of taking care of. The kind of the main character to be taken care of can be changed, and thus the number of days of taking care of is calculated and stored with respect to each main character.

[0152] If taking care of of the main character 61 is performed so that all of the characters of the first type corresponding to the main character 61 are displayed, a tea party performance (fourth performance) in which all of the characters of the first type talk to each other can be performed. The tea party is held if a lottery is performed and a winning ticket is drawn. However, it can also be that if all of the characters of the first type are displayed, the tea party is automatically held without performing the lottery.

[0153] Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence relationship between the main character and the characters of the first type. As shown in Figure 7 , the correspondence relationship between the main character 60 and the characters of the first type 70 is stored in the correspondence table 100. With respect to the main character 60, a plurality of candidate characters are prepared, such as character A, character B, and the like. The character A and the character B respectively correspond to a plurality of kinds of characters of the first type 70.

[0154] For example, the character A corresponds to the characters a, b, and c of the first type, and the character B corresponds to the characters d, e, and f of the first type. The main character 61 and the first character 71 to the third character 73 of the first type described above are examples of the characters.

[0155] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the characters of the second type that the main character meets. In a case where the "go out" item is selected in the menu, the main character 61 can meet other new characters at a destination of going out (for example, a park). Further, a friendly character among the characters met can be made a character of the second type. As shown in Figure 8 , the characters of the second type 81 that the main character 61 meets can be displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 22. When the "display met friends" item is selected, for example, the characters of the second type met can be displayed in the liquid crystal monitor 22.

[0156] Figure 9is a diagram showing an example of a parade in which the main character and the first type of sub character appear. When "outing" is selected in the menu item, and "dream country" is selected as the outing destination, for example, and "parade" is further selected as the visiting method, a parade performance (fifth performance) of the characters is displayed in the liquid crystal monitor 22. The parade performance is, for example, a parade performance in which the main character 61 appears in a vehicle together with the first type of first sub character 71 to the first type of third sub character 73 as shown in Figure 9 .

[0157] Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of a parade in which the second type of sub character appears. When the "outing" item explained in Figure 9 is selected, if "parade" is selected as the visiting method, for example, a parade performance (fifth performance) of the second type of sub character is displayed in the liquid crystal monitor 22. In this parade performance, the second type of sub character 81 appears in a vehicle as shown in Figure 10 , for example.

[0158] <Other performances>

[0159] When "moving" is selected in the menu item, a moving performance is displayed in the liquid crystal monitor 22. When "moving" is selected, a backup main character other than the main character currently being taken care of is displayed. When the main character to be taken care of next is selected from among them, the selected main character is displayed in the room and the moving performance is started. In the case where the main character has been changed, the first type of sub character appearing in the performance is also changed to the first type of sub character corresponding to the changed main character (refer to Figure 7 ).

[0160] As described above, the toy 1 of the present mode can perform the first performance in which the parameter corresponding to the main character is changed according to the care operation of the user when the lid portion 4 is open with respect to the main body portion 2, and the second performance in which the parameter corresponding to the main character is not changed according to the operation of the user different from the care operation when the lid portion 4 is closed with respect to the main body portion 2. Therefore, only by changing the opening and closing of the lid portion 4 with respect to the main body portion 2, the game for the different two performances can be performed, and the interest of the user in the toy 1 can be improved.

[0161] Further, according to the toy 1 of the present embodiment, by continuously performing the care operation for the main character 61, as a reward, the first-type sub characters (the first-type first sub character 71, the first-type second sub character 72, and the like) as friends can appear in the room of the main character 61 to show a situation in which they play together. Further, if the first-type sub characters corresponding to the main character 61 are all gathered, as a further reward, a tea party show (fourth show) in which the main character 61 and the first-type sub characters participate can be displayed. Thus, the user's interest in the toy 1 can be further increased.

[0162] Further, the toy 1 of the present embodiment can perform display of a state in which the situation in which the main character 61 in the house is viewed from the outside of the house through the window portion 42 in the second show. Thus, the user's interest in opening the cover portion 4 to further view the room of the main character 61, the user's interest in caring for the main character 61 can be increased. Thus, the user's interest in the toy 1 can be increased.

[0163] Further, according to the toy 1 of the present embodiment, when the satiation or the happiness of the main character 61 being cared for by the user decreases to "0", a third show in which a call from the main character 61 is generated to urge the user to perform care can be displayed to the user. Thus, for example, the user who forgets to care for the main character 61 can be reminded of the main character 61. Thus, the user's interest in the toy 1 can be increased.

[0164] Further, according to the toy 1 of the present embodiment, in the first show in which the main character 61 is cared for, a show in which, for example, the second-type sub character 81 can be met at a destination of an outing, a parade show (fifth show) in which the first-type sub character and the second-type sub character appear can be displayed. Thus, various user operations in the care operation can be performed, and the user's interest in the toy 1 can be further increased.

[0165] Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0166] 1 toy

[0167] 2 main body portion

[0168] 4 cover portion

[0169] 20 processor

[0170] 21 memory

[0171] 22 liquid crystal monitor

[0172] 23 speaker

[0173] 24 push button

[0174] 25 cover detection switch

[0175] 26 bus

[0176] 31 main button

[0177] 32 selection button

[0178] 33 determination button

[0179] 34 cancel button

[0180] 41 door portion

[0181] 42 window portion

[0182] 42a window curtain

[0183] 43 hinge

[0184] 51 door button

[0185] 60, 61 main character

[0186] 70 to 73, 81 sub character

[0187] 91a to 91j item

[0188] 100 correspondence table

Claims

1. A toy having: A main body having a display screen; a cover capable of taking a first state in which at least a portion of the main body is shielded and a second state in which the at least a portion is exposed, and having an opening for visually confirming the display screen in the first state; and a control unit that controls the display of the display screen including the display of the first character, in, The control unit performs display control to display a first performance associated with the first character on the display screen in the second state, and performs display control to display a second performance associated with the first character and different from the first performance on the display screen in the first state.

2. The toy according to claim 1, wherein The first performance is a performance in which the display of the first character changes according to a first operation of the user, The second performance is a performance in which a predetermined display associated with the first character is displayed in response to a second operation by a user.

3. The toy according to claim 2, wherein: The first operation is a care operation of the first role, The second operation is an operation for the first role and is an operation different from the care operation.

4. The toy according to claim 2, wherein: The first operation is an operation for changing a parameter corresponding to the first character. The second operation is an operation that does not change the parameter.

5. The toy according to claim 2, wherein: The cover has a first operation portion that allows a user to perform the second operation.

6. The toy according to claim 5, wherein: The main body has a second operating portion that is operated according to an operation of the first operating portion when the cover is in the first state. The second operation is an operation on the second operating portion.

7. The toy according to claim 1, wherein When the cover changes from the first state to the second state, the control unit performs control to display the first performance.

8. The toy according to claim 2, wherein: When the first operation by the user is accepted while the cover is in the second state, the control unit controls display of the first performance.

9. The toy according to claim 8, wherein When a user operation is received while the cover is in the second state and the display screen is in the non-display state, the control unit controls display of the first performance.

10. The toy according to claim 1, wherein The control unit performs control to display a third performance different from the first performance and the second performance based on the parameter corresponding to the first character satisfying a predetermined condition.

11. The toy according to claim 10, wherein: The control unit performs control to display the third performance based on the fact that the cover is in the first state, the display screen is in the non-display state, and the parameter satisfies the predetermined condition.

12. The toy according to claim 10, wherein: The third performance is a performance that encourages the user to perform an operation of the cover in the second state.

13. The toy according to claim 10, wherein: The control unit performs the display control of the third performance under the condition that it is in a predetermined time period.

14. The toy according to claim 1, wherein The control unit changes a first parameter corresponding to the first character in accordance with a first operation of a user in the first performance, and adds a second character to be displayed together with the first character in the display control in accordance with the change in the first parameter.

15. The toy according to claim 14, wherein The control unit adds the second character multiple times according to the change of the first parameter.

16. The toy according to claim 14, wherein The second role is a role corresponding to the first role.

17. The toy according to claim 14, wherein The control unit controls a fourth performance display in which the first character and the predetermined number of the second characters appear, on the condition that the number of the added second characters reaches a predetermined number.

18. The toy according to claim 1, wherein The control unit generates an event of encountering a third character different from the first character in response to a user operation during the first performance, The control unit registers the third character. The control unit can display the third character in response to a user operation.

19. The toy according to claim 18, wherein The control unit controls display of a fifth performance in which a plurality of third characters appear in accordance with a user operation.

20. The toy according to claim 1, wherein The cover has an appearance that imitates a part of a house, The openings imitate the windows of the house.

21. The toy according to claim 20, wherein The portion of the cover portion that mimics the window portion blocks a portion of the display screen in the first state.

22. The toy according to claim 20, wherein The first performance is a display showing the first character in the first character's room. The second performance is a display showing a state of the first character's room as viewed from outside the house.

23. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein The first role is a role selected by a user from a plurality of candidate roles.

Images