Server device, terminal device, information processing system, and program

Abstract

To provide a server device, a terminal device, an information processing system, and a program capable of giving and receiving advice on operation to and from users.SOLUTION: The server device is connected to terminal devices owned by respective users, receives, from terminal devices of at least some users among a plurality of users, an instruction to display an image containing coordinate information specifying a position in a display space at the specified position as display instruction information, generates an instruction to display an image based on the received display instruction information and outputs the instruction to a terminal device of a user different from the user being the receiving source of the display instruction information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a server device, a terminal device, an information processing system, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been known techniques for displaying a common screen to multiple users. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an example in which annotation text for guiding users to perform operations is superimposed on the screen. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Re-tabled publication No. 2014 / 002812 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional technology does not take into consideration the possibility that a user A may receive advice on an operation from another user B.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide a server device, a terminal device, an information processing system, and a program that enable users to give and receive operational advice to each other. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention that solves the problems of the above-mentioned conventional examples is a server device connected to terminal devices owned by each of a plurality of users, and includes: an accepting means for accepting, from the terminal devices of at least some of the plurality of users, an instruction to display an image at the specified position, including coordinate information that specifies a position in the display space of information that is displayed commonly on each of the terminal devices of the plurality of users, as display instruction information; and an instruction output means for generating and outputting, to a terminal device of a user other than the user that accepted the display instruction information, an instruction to display an image based on the accepted display instruction information, and causing the terminal device that received the instruction to display a predetermined image superimposed on the display space of information that is displayed based on the display space information at the position specified by the coordinate information included in the accepted display instruction information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, operation advice can be given and received between users. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration block diagram illustrating an example of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a server device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of display instruction information input to a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the information processing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the operation of the information processing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8]FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating another example of a screen displayed on the terminal device according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, an information processing system according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a server device 10 and a plurality of terminal devices 20 connected to the server device 10 via a network so as to be able to communicate with the server device 10.

[0010] 1, the server device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13. The control unit 11 is a program-controlled device such as a CPU, and operates according to a program stored in the storage unit 12.

[0011] In one example of this embodiment, the control unit 11 authenticates users of the terminal devices 20 using authentication information such as a username and a password. The control unit 11 also performs processing to generate and transmit display space information representing a display space of information commonly displayed on each of the terminal devices 20 of multiple users. The control unit 11 further accepts, from the terminal devices 20 of at least some of the multiple users, an instruction to display an image at the specified position, including coordinate information specifying a position in the display space, as display instruction information, and generates and outputs an instruction to display a predetermined image based on the accepted display instruction information to the terminal devices 20 of users other than the user who accepted the accepted display instruction information.

[0012] As a result, the control unit 11 of this embodiment causes the terminal device 20 that issued the instruction to superimpose a predetermined image on the display space of the information to be displayed based on the display space information at the position specified by the coordinate information included in the accepted instruction. The detailed operation of this control unit 11 will be described later.

[0013] The storage unit 12 is a disk device, a memory device, or the like, and stores programs executed by the control unit 11. The storage unit 12 also operates as a work memory for the control unit 11. The storage unit 12 stores a user database that associates authentication information such as a username and password for each user with information (which may be a username, etc.) that identifies other users that have been preset as friends (related parties) of the user, and the database is used for authentication processing in the control unit 11.

[0014] The communication unit 13 is a network interface or the like, and sends instructions and various information to a specified destination in accordance with instructions input from the control unit 11. The communication unit 13 also accepts requests and various information received via the network and outputs them to the control unit 11.

[0015] The terminal device 20 is a terminal operated by a user, and is a computer-controlled device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, etc. The terminal device 20 operates according to a program stored in a storage means such as a memory, and communicates with the server 10 via a network.

[0016] The terminal device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an operation unit 23, a display unit 24, and a communication unit 25. The control unit 21 is a program-controlled device such as a CPU, and operates according to a program stored in the storage unit 22. In this embodiment, the control unit 21 not only performs operations to achieve the original functions of the terminal device 20 (for example, in the case of a smartphone, it operates as a telephone), but also receives display space information representing the display space of information displayed on the terminal device 20 from the server device 10 and executes information display processing based on the display space information (the information displayed by this processing is hereinafter referred to as basic information). The control unit 21 also receives an instruction to display an image from the server device 10 and, based on the instruction, executes processing to superimpose a predetermined image as superimposition information on the display space of the displayed basic information at a position specified by the coordinate information included in the received instruction. The instruction to display an image is generated based on display instruction information including coordinate information received by the server device 10 from another terminal device 20, and includes coordinate information on the display space of the basic information in which the image is to be displayed. The processing of the control unit 21 will be described in detail later.

[0017] The storage unit 22 is a disk device, a memory device, or the like, and stores programs executed by the control unit 21. The storage unit 22 also operates as a work memory for the control unit 21.

[0018] The operation unit 23 includes a pointing device such as a touch panel or a mouse. The operation unit 23 outputs information indicating a position on the screen designated by the user to the control unit 21. The display unit 24 is a display device, and displays an image in accordance with an instruction input from the control unit 21.

[0019] The communication unit 25 is a network interface or the like, and sends instructions and various information to a specified destination in accordance with instructions input from the control unit 21. The communication unit 25 also accepts requests and various information received via the network and outputs them to the control unit 21.

[0020] Here, we will explain the operation of the control unit 11 of the server device 10. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 executes a program stored in the storage unit 12, and is functionally configured to include a display information generation unit 31, an instruction reception unit 32, a display instruction information reception unit 33, an instruction output unit 34, and a process execution unit 35, as exemplified in Fig. 2.

[0021] In the following example, it is assumed that the server device 10 is executing processing for a game played by multiple users, and that information about the game space is displayed commonly on the terminal devices 20 owned by multiple users (which may include players who play the game as well as viewers who view the game). Specifically, in this example, it is assumed that the game provided by the server device 10 is as follows. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the server device 10 displays enemy characters X, Y, and Z (controlled by a program on the server device 10) and player characters A, B, and C (operated by each user who will become a player (hereinafter simply referred to as a player)) in a two-dimensional game space G. It is assumed that each character has a predetermined vitality gauge set.

[0022] The player then selects an attack method for one of his / her own characters (it is assumed that each player has a predetermined character to use), attacks the enemy character (updating the enemy character's vitality gauge), and defends against the enemy character's attack (updating the player's own character's vitality gauge), repeatedly executing turns. At this time, the server device 10 updates the positions of the enemy character and the player's own characters within the game space G. The game ends when the vitality gauges of all enemy characters reach "0" (victory) or when the vitality gauges of all player's characters reach "0" (defeat).

[0023] The attack method is set by specifying the direction and strength of the attack. This setting is set by specifying at least one point within the game space G.

[0024] In this example of the present embodiment, the display information generation unit 31 generates and outputs, as information of the game space G, an image of each character that is displayed in accordance with information about the position of each character determined by game processing, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The image generated by the display information generation unit 31 may include, in addition to the image of the game space G, information indicating which user's turn it is currently to perform an operation, the value of the stamina gauge of each character, etc.

[0025] The instruction receiving unit 32 holds information (e.g., a network address) that identifies the terminal device 20 of a player who will participate in the game (operate a character). The instruction receiving unit 32 also selects the players in turn as operators (corresponding to the operating player). The instruction receiving unit 32 then sends information to the terminal device 20 of the player selected as the operator indicating that the player has become the operator, and sends information to the terminal devices 20 of the other players indicating that the player is not the operator. The instruction receiving unit 32 then receives, from the terminal device 20 of the player selected as the operator, instructions on the attack method of the character operated by that player. The display information of the game space G, which is the display space, is updated based on the instructions received by the instruction receiving unit 32 from the operator.

[0026] As already mentioned, the instruction for the attack method here is given by specifying the direction and strength of the attack at at least one point within the game space G. Specifically, the player acting as the operator taps with his / her finger at a point within the game space G displayed on the screen of the smartphone serving as the terminal device 20, moves the finger to another point while maintaining contact with the screen, and then releases the finger after the movement. As a result, the terminal device 20 receives instructions for two points within the game space G (the tapped point and the released point), and transmits coordinate information of the two points within the game space G to the server device 10 as information representing the two specified points.

[0027] In this example, the instruction receiving unit 32 receives the coordinate information of two points sent from the terminal device 20 of the player selected as the operator, and outputs it to the processing executing unit 35.

[0028] The display instruction information receiving unit 33 receives display instruction information including coordinate information specifying a position within the game space G, which is the display space, from a user other than the player selected as the operator by the instruction receiving unit 32 (which may include other players participating in the game or users not participating in the game). Specifically, the coordinate information included in the display instruction information received here may include multiple pieces of coordinate information so as to represent the movement trajectory of a finger within the game space G. In an example in which the movement trajectory is represented in this way, the display instruction information includes coordinate information of each point on the movement trajectory of the user's finger within the game space G (including a list of coordinate information).

[0029] Based on the display instruction information accepted here, the instruction output unit 34 generates an instruction to be sent to the terminal device 20 of a user (hereinafter referred to as the display target user, including, for example, the player who has become the operator or the user currently viewing, etc.) different from the user who accepted the display instruction information accepted by the display instruction information accepting unit 33, and outputs the generated instruction to the terminal device 20 of the display target user as a superimposed display instruction.

[0030] Specifically, if the display instruction information received by the display instruction information receiving unit 33 is an instruction to identify a point P within the game space G, the instruction output unit 34 outputs an instruction to the terminal device 20 of the target user to highlight the position of the corresponding point P within the game space G, as illustrated in Figure 3(a) (in the example of Figure 3, an example of highlighting is shown using a translucent double circle).

[0031] In addition, if the display instruction information received by the display instruction information receiving unit 33 includes coordinate information of each point on the trajectory connecting point Q to point R in the game space G, the instruction output unit 34 outputs an instruction to the terminal device 20 of the target user to highlight the trajectory from the position of the corresponding point Q to the position of point R in the game space G, as illustrated in Figure 3(b) (the example of Figure 3 shows an example of highlighting with a wide line segment).

[0032] Furthermore, if the display instruction information received by the display instruction information receiving unit 33 is to long press a point S in the game space G, the instruction output unit 34 outputs to the terminal device 20 of the target user an instruction to display multiple icons, figures, points, etc., with the position of the corresponding point S in the game space G as the center and a random position at a first predetermined distance from this center as the starting point, as illustrated in Figure 3(c), and to move these icons, etc. radially (radially outward) from the center as time passes, and to display new icons, etc. at the random starting point at each predetermined timing, and to erase icons, etc. that have reached a second predetermined distance from the center, or to increase transparency according to the distance from the center and delete icons, etc. whose transparency has fallen below a predetermined value.

[0033] Upon receiving this instruction, the terminal device 20 displays an animation in which icons or other figures spread out radially in a scattered manner, as if the icons or other figures are springing up from the point S as the center.

[0034] The process execution unit 35 executes the process as a game. Specifically, the process execution unit 35 transmits information indicating the type of each character placed in the game space to the terminal device 20 of each user. The terminal device 20 transmits the character's character image (which may include an image of the character's appearance), coordinate information, and the value of the vitality gauge to the terminal device 20, thereby rendering the game space.

[0035] The process execution unit 35 then updates the strength gauge of the enemy character in accordance with predetermined rules using the coordinate information received by the instruction reception unit 32 from the player's terminal device 20 and the coordinate information of each character placed in the game space. The method of this update can be determined according to the rules of the game, and various methods can be used, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here.

[0036] At this time, if there is an enemy character whose stamina gauge has reached "0" after updating the stamina gauge, the process execution unit 35 performs processing by assuming that the enemy character has been defeated. When the process execution unit 35 determines that all enemy characters have been defeated, it assumes that the player has won, and outputs an instruction to each user's terminal device 20 to display a message indicating that the player has won the game.

[0037] Furthermore, if the process execution unit 35 determines that at least one enemy character remains after updating the vitality gauge (that there is an enemy character whose vitality gauge is not "0"), it sequentially selects enemy characters whose vitality gauge is not "0", executes an "attack" process from the enemy character, and updates the vitality gauge of each player's own character. Here, if there is a own character whose vitality gauge has become "0" after updating the vitality gauge, it performs processing as if that own character has been defeated. Then, if the process execution unit 35 determines that all of the own character's characters have been defeated, it determines that the player has lost, and outputs an instruction to each user's terminal device 20 to display a message indicating that the player has lost the game.

[0038] On the other hand, if it is determined that at least one character on the player's side remains after updating the stamina gauge (there is a character on the player's side whose stamina gauge is not "0"), the processing execution unit 35 waits until it receives the next instruction from the instruction receiving unit 32.

[0039] Next, a description will be given of the operation of the control unit 21 of the terminal device 20. In this embodiment, the control unit 21 executes a program stored in the storage unit 22, thereby realizing a configuration that functionally includes a basic information display unit 41, an operation communication unit 42, a display information receiving unit 43, and a superimposition information display unit 44, as exemplified in FIG.

[0040] The basic information display unit 41 generates and displays an image of the game space based on information indicating the type of each character placed in the game space (which may include an image of the character's appearance), coordinate information, and information on the value of the vitality gauge, all of which are received from the server device 10. Specifically, the image of the game space generated and displayed by the basic information display unit 41 is an image of the appearance of each character placed at a position indicated by the coordinate information of each character on the background image of the game space G (A, B, C, X, Y, Z), as shown in FIG. 5(a). The basic information display unit 41 also displays information indicating the corresponding vitality gauge adjacent to the image of the appearance of each character (an example in which this is displayed as a bar is shown in FIG. 5(a)).

[0041] Furthermore, the basic information display unit 41 displays information indicating whether the user is the operator based on the information received from the server device 10, by including it in the basic information. Specifically, when the basic information display unit 41 receives information from the server device 10 that the user has been selected as the operator, it displays a display indicating that the user is the operator by including it in the basic information. When the basic information display unit 41 receives information from the server device 10 that the user has not been selected as the operator, it erases the display indicating that the user is the operator.

[0042] The operation communication unit 42 accepts an operation by the user to specify a position in the displayed game space. For example, if the terminal device 20 is a smartphone, when the user taps a point S in the game space G displayed on the screen with his / her finger, moves the finger to another point T while maintaining contact with the screen, and then releases the finger after the movement to transmit the coordinate information obtained by the operation (for example, tapping a "send" button displayed on the screen), the operation communication unit 42 transmits the coordinate information of each point between the two points S and T specified by the operation to the server device 10.

[0043] Specifically, while the user's finger is touching the screen, the operation communication unit 42 repeatedly acquires coordinate information in the game space G corresponding to the position touched by the user at predetermined time intervals and adds the acquired coordinate information to the end of a list of the coordinate information. Then, when the user performs an operation to transmit the coordinate information, the operation communication unit 42 transmits the list of the coordinate information to the server device 10 as coordinate information of each point specified by the operation.

[0044] In this embodiment, when the operation is transmitted by a player selected as the operator in the server device 10, it is used as an actual operation in the game, and when the operation is transmitted by a player not selected as the operator or a user who is not a player, it is used as display instruction information.

[0045] The display information receiving unit 43 receives a superimposed display instruction from the server device 10. As already described, this superimposed display instruction includes an instruction to display an image that is generated based on display instruction information that includes coordinate information that specifies a position in the game space and that is received by the server device 10 from one of the terminal devices 20 of other users.

[0046] The superimposition information display unit 44 generates superimposition information to be displayed superimposed on the basic information based on the superimposition display instruction received by the display information receiving unit 43, and displays the superimposition information superimposed on the basic information. Specifically, when the server device 10 outputs an instruction to highlight the trajectory from the position of the corresponding point Q to the position of the point R in the game space G (FIG. 3(b)), the superimposition information display unit 44 superimposes the image of FIG. 3(b) on the basic information (FIG. 5(a)) as superimposition information, and displays a screen such as the example shown in FIG. 5(b). Note that whether or not to display the superimposition information may be switchable in response to a user operation. In this case, the superimposition display instruction may be accepted only when the superimposition information is being displayed.

[0047] [Operation] The information processing system of this embodiment has the above-described configuration and operates as follows: In the following example, it is assumed that the game already exemplified is provided by the server device 10.

[0048] Here, it is assumed that users of multiple terminal devices 20 (smartphones) log in to the server device 10 and request game services, and the server device 10 performs processes such as authenticating each user using a pre-registered username and password.

[0049] The server device 10 identifies a predetermined number of users who will become players from among the authenticated users (for example, three in this example). The players may be identified based on the user's preference (if there are many applicants, they may be selected randomly from among the applicants).

[0050] The identified users become players, and then become operators in the order instructed by the server device 10. When a player becomes an operator, he or she operates the terminal device 20 to instruct the movement of the character that the player is operating. The server device 10 receives from the terminal device 20 the content of the instructions given by the player to the terminal device 20 and progresses the game.

[0051] One of the features of this embodiment is that the server device 10 accepts operations to specify positions in the game space from players other than the player who has become the operator, or from users who are not players, and provides these for display processing on the terminal device 20. This allows a user who is not the operator to provide operation advice to a player who has become the operator.

[0052] Specifically, as illustrated in Figure 6, when a user other than the operator operates the terminal device 20 and performs an operation of sliding a finger from point Q to point R on the game screen G (the operation illustrated in Figure 3(b)) (S1), the terminal device 20 of this user transmits the coordinate information of each point between the two points Q and R identified by the operation to the server device 10 (S2).

[0053] The server device 10 accepts the coordinate information of each point as display instruction information, and outputs a superimposed display instruction to highlight a trajectory from the position of the corresponding point Q to the position of point R in the game space G to the terminal device 20 of the display target user (S3). In this example, the display target user is the player who is the operator. Of course, the display target user is not limited to the player who is the operator, and may be all or some of the users who share the game screen (display space).

[0054] The terminal device 20 of the player who is the operator receives the superimposed display instruction from the server device 10, and displays an image based on the superimposed display instruction on the basic information (FIG. 5(a)) that is currently being displayed. (the image in FIG. 3(b)) is superimposed as superimposition information, and a screen such as that shown in FIG. 5(b) is displayed (S4).

[0055] The player who has become the operator can refer to this display as advice and perform the operation while taking the advice into consideration (S5).

[0056] [Clear display] In this embodiment, information about advice from other people is displayed superimposed on the game screen of the player who is the operator, but it is conceivable that this superimposed display may make it difficult to see the game screen when actually performing operations. Therefore, the terminal device 20 of this embodiment may erase the display of the superimposed information using the following example method, etc.

[0057] That is, the terminal device 20 of this embodiment: (1) The superimposed display is erased when a predetermined time has elapsed since the superimposed information was displayed. (2) The display of the superimposed information may be cancelled by, for example, erasing the superimposed display when the user starts an operation, such as touching the operation unit 23.

[0058] In this embodiment, after the terminal device 20 starts displaying the superimposed information superimposed on the basic information, it may wait until a predetermined condition is satisfied, and then cancel the superimposed display.

[0059] 3(b), when a superimposed display instruction including coordinate information relating to a large number of points is received from the server device 10, the terminal device 20 sequentially receives the coordinate information of each point. In this case, the terminal device 20 may sequentially execute a process of displaying a predetermined image (for example, an image of a shape such as a circle) at the position indicated by the sequentially received coordinate information. Note that the display mode, such as the color or shape of the predetermined image, may be changed for each user who performed the operation that resulted in the superimposed display instruction.

[0060] When displayed in this manner, the image of the graphic as the superimposed information changes, for example by gradually increasing, on the game screen G of the terminal device 20, and the content of the advice is displayed in a more understandable manner.

[0061] In this case, the terminal device 20 may further sequentially cancel the display of images after a predetermined time has elapsed since they were displayed. In this example, as shown in FIG. 3(b), when coordinate information (which may be intermittent) of each point on the trajectory from point Q to point R is sequentially received, images of a predetermined shape (e.g., a circle) are sequentially displayed on the trajectory from point Q toward point R, and the image of each shape is erased after a predetermined time has elapsed. In this way, the shape arranged at the position based on the coordinate information received first is erased in order as the predetermined time elapses. Note that the time from the start of displaying the predetermined image to its erasure may be changed for each user who performed the operation that generated the superimposed display instruction, or may be changed for each display mode of the predetermined image.

[0062] [When display instructions are provided by multiple users] In addition, in one example of this embodiment, the server device 10 may accept display instruction information from a large number of users. In this case, the server device 10 may generate superimposed display instructions based on each of the accepted display instruction information, and output each superimposed display instruction to the terminal device 20 of the target user in a predetermined order (for example, the order in which the original display instruction information was received).

[0063] In this case, the terminal device 20 may sequentially display the superimposition information based on the received superimposition display instruction.

[0064] In another example, the server device 10 may select some of the display instruction information from the received display instruction information based on predetermined conditions, generate superimposed display instructions based on each of the selected display instruction information, and output each superimposed display instruction to the terminal device 20 of the target user in a predetermined order (for example, the order in which the original display instruction information was received).

[0065] For example, the server device 10 selects display instruction information accepted from one user based on a predetermined condition from among display instruction information accepted from two or more users, and then generates a superimposed display instruction based on the selected display instruction information and outputs it to the terminal device 20 of the display target user.

[0066] Here, the conditions under which the server device 10 selects the display instruction information are as follows: (1) Being a player (being able to be the operator), or (2) In the server device 10, for each user, if information identifying other users is associated with the user as the user's "friends" (related parties), one or more users are selected based on the condition that they are the player who became the operator or users who are friends of the player.

[0067] Furthermore, if the user cannot be narrowed down using any of these conditions, the server device 10 may determine one or more users randomly or by requesting a user to select one, and select the display instruction information of the determined users.

[0068] Yet another condition is, (3) One or more users selected by the user who has become the operator may be set as the above condition, and the server device 10 may select the display instruction information of the selected users.

[0069] The above conditions may also be set according to the type of game. For example, in the examples described above, a competitive game between a user team and a computer-controlled team has been described as an example, but the application of the information processing system of this embodiment is not limited to such games, and the system may also be applied to, for example, a game in which users are divided into multiple teams and compete against each other.

[0070] In such a case, it is preferable to prevent advice for a player on one team from being displayed on the terminal device 20 of a player on the other team, and to allow the player on one team to select only advice from the same team (superimposed information based on display instruction information). (4) Display instruction information of one or more users belonging to the same team may be selected.

[0071] [Shape Type] Furthermore, in the above description, the graphic image for each piece of coordinate information displayed as superimposed information is a predetermined shape such as a circle, but the present embodiment is not limited to this.

[0072] For example, when inputting display instruction information, the user may instruct the terminal device 20 to use icons or illustrations that the user has created or that the user has purchased as usage rights as graphic information to be displayed for each coordinate information.

[0073] In this example, the terminal device 20 displays a list of shapes that can be used as shapes to be displayed for each piece of coordinate information, and accepts the user's selection (E in FIGS. 3 and 5). The user selects information on the shape to be used from this list. The terminal device 20 accepts the user's selection operation, and transmits the information on the selected shape to the server device 10 together with display instruction information.

[0074] Then, based on the display instruction information, the server device 10 generates a superimposed display instruction including the graphic information along with the coordinate information included in the display instruction information, and sends it to the terminal device 20 of the user to be displayed. Based on the superimposed display instruction, the terminal device 20 of the user to be displayed overlays the basic information and displays the image of the graphic represented by the graphic information included in the superimposed display instruction as superimposed information at the position on the game space G represented by each piece of coordinate information included in the superimposed display instruction.

[0075] According to this example, each user can customize the content of advice to his or her liking, and the entertainment value is also improved.

[0076] Furthermore, this graphic information may be a moving icon (with animation effects), etc. In this case, even if the user designates a point in the game space G and the terminal device 20 sends display instruction information including one piece of coordinate information, by designating such a moving icon, etc., the terminal device 20 of the display target user, which receives the corresponding superimposed display instruction via the server device 10, will display a moving image (for example, a fireworks image spreading from the designated point) at the point designated by the user.

[0077] Highlight Coordinate Points In the examples described above, the superimposed information is displayed as scattered points on a plurality of coordinates, such as a figure, but the present embodiment is not limited to this.

[0078] For example, as illustrated in Figure 7, when a user other than the operator operates the terminal device 20 to tap (or press and hold) a point P on the game screen G (S11), the terminal device 20 of this user transmits the coordinate information of the point P identified by the operation to the server device 10 (S12).

[0079] The server device 10 accepts the coordinate information of this point as display instruction information, and outputs a superimposed display instruction to highlight the vicinity of the corresponding point P in the game space G to the terminal device 20 of the display target user. This highlighting may be performed by drawing a graphic such as a circle of a predetermined radius centered on the point P, as exemplified in FIG. 3(a), but the present embodiment is not limited to this, and may be performed as follows.

[0080] That is, server device 10 according to an example of this embodiment calculates the distance from point P to the position of each character in the basic information, and finds the character that is closest to point P (S13). Then, server device 10 determines whether distance L between the position of this character and point P is less than a predetermined threshold value (S14).

[0081] If it is determined that the distance L is less than a predetermined threshold (S14: Yes), the server device 10 outputs a superimposed display instruction to the terminal device 20 of the display target user to draw a graphic such as a circle with a predetermined radius centered on the center of the position of the character found in process S13 (which may be the center of the circumscribing rectangle of the character image) (S15). In this example, the terminal device 20 highlights not the tapped point P but a character located nearby (FIG. 8).

[0082] In the example of FIG. 8, the highlighted portion is highlighted using a star-shaped polygon to make it easier to distinguish.

[0083] Furthermore, in process S14, if it is determined that the distance L is not below a predetermined threshold value (S14: No), the server device 10 outputs a superimposed display instruction to highlight the vicinity of the corresponding point P in the game space G to the terminal device 20 of the target user (S16).

[0084] In this example, when highlighting the character or the vicinity of point P, a process such as drawing a shape such as a circle near the object to be highlighted is performed. However, in this embodiment, this highlighting may be achieved, for example, by inverting the color (inverting the hue or brightness) of the image of the character or a predetermined range near point P, or by flashing it, or by drawing an arrow pointing to the character or point P.

[0085] The player who has become the operator can refer to this display as advice and perform operations while taking the advice into consideration.

[0086] Also in this example, the terminal device 20 (1) The superimposed display is erased when a predetermined time has elapsed since the superimposed information was displayed. (2) The display of the superimposed information may be cancelled by, for example, erasing the superimposed display when the user starts an operation, such as touching the operation unit 23.

[0087] [Variations] Furthermore, in the above description of the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the server device 10 processes a game, but the service provided by the server device 10 may be not only games but also, for example, map information. In this case, when a user transmits display instruction information including coordinate information of each point on a route trajectory to the server device 10 in relation to map information (basic information) displayed on each user's terminal device 20, the server device 10 generates and outputs, based on the display instruction information, a superimposed display instruction to the terminal device 20 of the other user to draw and superimpose figures indicating each point on the route.

[0088] Then, on each user's terminal device 20, the superimposed information based on the superimposed display instruction is displayed superimposed on the basic information, making it possible to receive advice on routes, etc. Also, by writing characters as the superimposed display instruction, multiple users who share the display space can communicate by writing based on the superimposed display. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10 Server device, 11 Control unit, 12 Memory unit, 13 Communication unit, 20 Terminal device, 21 Control unit, 22 Memory unit, 23 Operation unit, 24 Display unit, 25 Communication unit, 31 Display information generation unit, 32 Instruction reception unit, 33 Display instruction information reception unit, 34 Instruction output unit, 35 Processing execution unit, 41 Basic information display unit, 42 Operation communication unit, 43 Display information reception unit, 44 Superimposed information display unit.

Claims

1. A server device connected to a terminal device owned by each of a plurality of users, an accepting means for accepting, as display instruction information from the terminal devices of at least some of the users, an instruction to display an image at the specified position, the instruction including coordinate information that specifies a position in a display space of information commonly displayed on each of the terminal devices of the users; an instruction output means for generating and outputting an instruction to display an image based on the received display instruction information to a terminal device of a user different from the user who has received the display instruction information; Including, A server device that causes the terminal device that received the instruction to display a predetermined image superimposed on the display space of the information displayed based on the display space information at a position specified by the coordinate information included in the accepted display instruction information.

2. 2. The server device according to claim 1, When the accepting means accepts the display instruction information from two or more users, the instruction output means selects the display instruction information accepted from one or more users from the display instruction information accepted from the two or more users, generates an instruction to display an image based on the selected display instruction information, and outputs it to a terminal device of a user other than the user who accepted the selected display instruction information.

3. 3. The server device according to claim 1, selecting two or more users selected from the plurality of users as players, sequentially selecting the players as operating players, and receiving operation instructions from the terminal devices of the operating players; The receiving means is a server device that receives display instruction information including coordinate information that identifies a position in the display space from a terminal device of a user other than the user who has become the operating player among the plurality of users.

4. 4. The server device according to claim 3, For each user, other users who are set as related parties are set, When the receiving means receives the display instruction information from two or more users, the instruction output means selects the display instruction information received from other users who are set as related to the operating player.

5. A terminal device that is operated by a user and is communicably connected to a server device, means for displaying basic information to be displayed in a predetermined display space commonly on each of the other terminal devices operated by the other users; a receiving means for receiving, by the server device, display instruction information including coordinate information specifying a position in the display space from any one of the other terminal devices, and receiving an instruction to display an image at the position specified by the coordinate information, which is sent based on the display instruction information; a superimposition display means for displaying a predetermined image as superimposition information at a position specified by the coordinate information included in the received instruction on a display space of the basic information displayed based on the display space information; A terminal device including:

6. The terminal device according to claim 5, The superimposed display means is a terminal device that stops displaying the superimposed information superimposed on the basic information when a predetermined condition is satisfied after the display has started.

7. The terminal device according to claim 6, the receiving means sequentially receives coordinate information relating to an instruction to display the image from the server device; The superimposed display means sequentially executes a process of displaying a predetermined image at a position indicated by the sequentially received coordinate information, and sequentially cancels the display of an image after a predetermined time has elapsed since it was displayed.

8. An information processing system including a plurality of user terminals and a server device connected to the plurality of user terminals, The server device means for receiving, from at least one of the plurality of user terminals, an instruction to display an image at the specified position, the instruction including coordinate information specifying a position in a display space commonly displayed on each of the plurality of user terminals; means for transmitting an instruction to display an image based on the display instruction information to a user terminal different from the user terminal that has received the display instruction information; The user terminal that receives the instruction An information processing system that displays a predetermined image at a position specified by the coordinate information included in the received instruction, superimposed on a display image that displays the display space.

9. A server device connected to a terminal device owned by each of a plurality of users, an accepting means for accepting, as display instruction information from the terminal devices of at least some of the users, an instruction to display an image at the specified position, the instruction including coordinate information that specifies a position in a display space of information commonly displayed on each of the terminal devices of the users; an instruction output means for generating and outputting an instruction to display an image based on the received display instruction information to a terminal device of a user different from the user who has received the display instruction information; It functions as A program that controls the server device to cause the terminal device that received the instruction to superimpose a specified image onto the display space of the information displayed based on the display space information at a position specified by the coordinate information included in the accepted instruction.

10. a terminal device that is operated by a user and is communicably connected to a server device; means for displaying basic information to be displayed in a predetermined display space commonly on each of the other terminal devices operated by the other users; a receiving means for receiving display instruction information, which is received by the server device from any one of the other terminal devices and includes coordinate information specifying a position in the display space, and receiving an instruction, which is sent based on the display instruction information, to display an image at the position specified by the coordinate information; a superimposition display means for displaying a predetermined image as superimposition information at a position specified by the coordinate information included in the received instruction on a display space of the basic information displayed based on the display space information; A program that functions as a

Images