Matching system, program and server

Abstract

Realize communication with improved comfort. [Solution] A first type of avatar that is a match target for a competitive game and a second type of avatar that is not a match target for the competitive game are movably placed in a virtual space, and based on information on the status of the first type of avatar and the second type of avatar, the virtual space is displayed on the display means of the connected information communication terminal in a manner that allows the first type of avatar and the second type of avatar to be distinguished from each other, and the first type of avatar is granted the authority to perform actions related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game with other first type avatars placed in the virtual space, and the second type avatar is not granted the authority to perform actions related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game with first type avatars placed in the virtual space, but is granted the authority to perform actions to expel any first type avatar placed in the virtual space from the virtual space.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a matching system, a program, and a server, and in particular to an electronic game that enables online multi-player matches. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a system that realizes communication between users in a virtual space via avatars by arranging avatars corresponding to users in a movable manner in the virtual space (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-088878 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a system such as that described in Patent Document 1, since non-face-to-face communication is possible, there is a possibility that some users may not follow the rules and manners.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a matching system, a program, and a server that realize communication with improved comfort. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a matching system that provides a service of communication and matching for a competitive game via avatars placed in a virtual space, the system including a first reception means for receiving a connection from an information communication terminal of a user of the service, an allocation means for assigning a first type of avatar that is a matching target for the competitive game to a user of the connected information communication terminal, a management means for movably arranging the first type of avatar assigned to the user by the allocation means and a second type of avatar that is not a matching target for the competitive game in the virtual space and managing their states, a behavior control means for controlling the behavior of the second type of avatar in the virtual space, and a behavior control means for controlling the behavior of the first type of avatar and the second type of avatar based on information on the states of the first type of avatar and the second type of avatar managed by the management means. and display control means for displaying the virtual space on the display means of the connected information communication terminal in a manner in which the first type avatar and the second type avatar can be distinguished, wherein the first type avatar is granted authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for a competitive game with other first type avatars placed in the virtual space, and the second type avatar is not granted authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for a competitive game with the first type avatars placed in the virtual space, but is granted authority to perform a notification related to an action to remove any first type avatar placed in the virtual space from the virtual space, and the management means, when the notification related to the removal action is given by the action control means, cancels the placement of the first type avatar that is the target of removal in the virtual space. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize communication with improved comfort. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a matching system according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a server 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a user terminal 200 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface displayed for room selection in the matching service according to the embodiment and modified example of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a display of a room presented during use of a matching service according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the state of a user avatar to be matched in a matching service according to an embodiment and a modified example of the present invention; [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface displayed for confirming the intention of users to play against each other in the matching service according to the embodiment and modified example of the present invention; [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is another diagram for explaining the display of a room presented during use of the matching service according to the embodiment and modified example of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display of the results of a competitive game played in an external service in the matching service according to the embodiment and modified example of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display resulting from an action of an operator avatar in a matching service according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Figure 11] A flowchart illustrating a provision process executed by the server 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Figure 12] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a matching process executed by the server 100 according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface displayed on an administrator terminal in a matching service according to an embodiment and a modified example of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data configuration of various information used in a matching system according to an embodiment and a modification of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more features among the multiple features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] In the embodiment described below, an example of a matching system will be described in which the present invention is applied to a system in which a server that accepts connections from user terminals provides a service that realizes matching for a two-player competitive game provided in an external service through a virtual space. However, the present invention can be applied to a system realized with any device configuration that can perform matching for a competitive game provided in an external service through a virtual space.

[0011] In addition, in this specification, the term "user" refers to a user who uses the service (matching service) provided by the server in this matching system, and the term "player" refers to a user who is playing a competitive game using an "external service" or a user who has confirmed that he or she will play a competitive game.

[0012] 《Matching System Structure》 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a matching system according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the matching system is configured so that a server 100 and a plurality of user terminals 200 can be connected for communication via a network 300. The server 100 provides a matching service that matches users of the connected user terminals 200 as players of a competitive game realized by an external service.

[0013] In this embodiment, the external service is described as a service that supports the execution of a competitive game between remote players, and does not have a matching function of a free matching method that extracts and matches a corresponding number of players when providing the service. For example, the external service may be a service that realizes game play of a trading card game (TCG) in which a video chat function using the camera and microphone of the user terminal 200 is available by accessing a room (connection destination) created by a host player using the user terminal 200, and the status of game items deployed in the environment (real world) in which the players are present is shared between the players.

[0014] However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and the external service may be a service that provides gameplay of a competitive game via the network 300 between user terminals 200 related to a plurality of registered players, and may of course be one that realizes other types of competitive games. Furthermore, the external service is not limited to one that does not have a matching function of the free matching method, and may be one that includes a custom matching method that matches users of user terminals 200 connected to a specific connection destination as players as one aspect of the matching function.

[0015] Although details will be described later, a user of the matching service can view a virtual space (hereinafter referred to as a room) related to the matching service in which an avatar corresponding to the user is placed by connecting the user terminal 200 to the server 100. The user can move the avatar placed in the room by performing operations, communicate with other users via the avatar (such as text chat), and be matched with opponents for a competitive game provided by an external service.

[0016] The external service is also provided with a function for accepting spectators for competitive games that are currently being played, and users of the matching system are able to identify avatars that are currently playing in a match in a room, and then watch a competitive game being played by a user associated with that avatar.

[0017] The matching system of this embodiment is configured to enable matching of competitive games for multiple game titles. The competitive games for multiple game titles may be provided by different external services, or multiple games may be provided by one external service. To improve the efficiency of matching, a room is provided independently for each game title, and an avatar corresponding to a user is placed in the room of the game title in which the user wishes to play. To ensure matching opportunities in each room, an upper limit is set for the number of avatars placed in the room, and multiple types of rooms are provided to be selectable for game titles with a large number of users. This will be described in detail later.

[0018] <Functional configuration of server 100> The functional configuration of the server 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

[0019] The control unit 101 is, for example, a CPU, and controls the operation of each block of the server 100. Specifically, the control unit 101 reads out an operation program for each block recorded in, for example, a recording medium 102, expands the program in the memory 103, and executes the program to control the operation of each block.

[0020] The recording medium 102 is a recording device capable of permanently retaining data, such as a non-volatile memory or a HDD. The recording medium 102 stores information such as parameters required for the operation of each block in addition to the operation programs of each block held by the server 100. The memory 103 is a storage device used for temporary data storage, such as a volatile memory. The memory 103 is used not only as an area for expanding the operation programs of each block, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output in the operation of each block.

[0021] The user DB 104 is a database that manages information (user information) related to users of the matching service related to the matching system of this embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 14(a), the user information may be configured to include identification information 1402 that can identify the user, such as an email address, associated with a user ID 1401 that uniquely identifies the user, avatar appearance information 1403 that specifies the appearance of an avatar associated with the user, profile information 1404 that indicates a profile set for the user, and game record information 1405 that indicates the game record of the user in a match game played in an external service. In the matching system of this embodiment, each user performs user registration (association of the user's identification information with the user ID 1401) when connecting the user terminal 200 to be used for the first time, that is, when using the matching service for the first time, and the user information related to the user is added to the user DB 104. Furthermore, when connecting next time or later, the user's identification information is input, and the service is provided using the user information.

[0022] The corresponding service DB105 is a database that manages information (external service information) related to external services that are the target of matching in the matching system of this embodiment. For example, as shown in Fig. 14(b), the external service information may be configured to include a required number of players 1412 indicating the number of players required for a competitive game in which gameplay is provided by the external service, in association with a service ID 1411 that uniquely identifies the external service, and access information 1413 indicating the access destination of the external service used when registering information of matched players (a request to create a connection destination for a competitive game). The external service information is configured in advance for external services that can be linked, and is added to the corresponding service DB105.

[0023] The state management DB 106 manages state management information indicating the state of the virtual space in which the matching function is provided in the matching system of this embodiment. For example, as shown in Fig. 14(c), the state management information may be configured to include a room ID 1421 that uniquely identifies a room, a service ID 1422 that identifies an external service that provides a competitive game in which matching is performed in the room, and placed avatar information 1423 that indicates the state of each avatar placed in the room.

[0024] 14(d), the placed avatar information 1423 managed for one avatar may include, in association with an avatar ID 1431 that uniquely identifies the avatar in the room, a user ID 1432 of a user associated with the avatar, a placement position 1433 of the avatar in the room, a target flag 1434 indicating whether the avatar is a matched target for a competitive game (in a matching waiting state), a playing flag 1435 indicating whether the avatar (or the user associated with the avatar) is playing a competitive game (playing a match) in an external service corresponding to the room, and a watching flag 1436 indicating whether the avatar is watching a competitive game being played by another avatar in the room. The target flag 1434, the playing flag 1435, and the watching flag 1436 may be Boolean information.

[0025] The placed avatar information 1423 is updated during the period when the avatar of the user is placed in the room, in response to an operation performed by the user on the user terminal 200, or by periodically acquiring the status. In addition, although details will be described later, the avatars whose statuses are managed by the placed avatar information 1423 are not limited to avatars associated with the user (user avatars), but also include avatars placed by the operator of the matching service (operation avatars). In this embodiment, the operation avatar is described as a so-called NPC (Non-Player Character) that is not associated with the user, i.e., is not an avatar whose behavior is controlled by an operation performed on the user terminal 200. The user ID 1432 in the placed avatar information 1423 related to the operation avatar may be null or an ID that is not provided to the user.

[0026] The estimation unit 107 estimates whether a user of the matching service is in a state where he or she wishes to play a competitive game, based on the state transition of an avatar corresponding to the user in the room. The estimation by the estimation unit 107 will be described later, but the matching system of this embodiment has a mechanism for appropriately checking the state and supporting the establishment of a competitive game so that even a user who is reluctant to communicate with other users can easily play a competitive game.

[0027] The behavior control unit 108 controls the behavior of the operator avatars placed in each room. As described above, since the operator avatars are not avatars whose behavior is controlled by operations performed on the user terminal 200, the behavior control unit 108 performs the control based on the state of the avatars placed in the room.

[0028] The matching unit 109 matches a predetermined number of avatars (the number of players required for a competitive game of an external service) waiting for matching in a room with users corresponding to the avatars. The matching unit 109 also registers information on the users associated with the matched avatars so that a connection destination for a new competitive game can be set in the external service corresponding to the room. That is, in the matching system of this embodiment, the matching unit 109 plays a role of acting on behalf of the users in the procedures (including deciding opponents and registration procedures related to setting connection destinations) when the users directly play a competitive game using an external service.

[0029] The communication unit 110 is a communication interface that the server 100 has for communicating with other devices. The communication unit 110 connects to an external device via the network 300 using a predetermined communication method, whether wired or wireless, and transmits and receives data.

[0030] <Functional configuration of user terminal 200> Next, the functional configuration of the user terminal 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the user terminal 200 is described as a smartphone equipped with a camera and a microphone in order to realize a TCG battle play between players who are far away in the above-mentioned manner, but it will be easily understood that the user terminal 200 is not limited to a smartphone in the implementation of the present invention. In other words, the device used as the user terminal 200 only needs to have an information communication function and a required configuration defined for a battle game realized through an external service, and is not limited to a device that has all of these as an initial configuration, such as a smartphone. In addition, in the description of the functional configuration of the user terminal 200, a configuration that realizes the same function as the configuration of the server 100 will be indicated with the prefix "use" in order to clearly distinguish it from the configuration of the server 100.

[0031] The usage control unit 201 is, for example, a CPU, and controls the operation of each block of the user terminal 200. Specifically, the usage control unit 201 reads out the operation programs of each block and programs related to the assistance application recorded in, for example, the usage recording medium 202, and controls the operation of each block by expanding and executing them in the usage memory 203.

[0032] The recording medium 202 is a recording device capable of permanently retaining data, such as a non-volatile memory or a HDD. The recording medium 202 stores information such as parameters required for the operation of each block, browsing application programs, etc., in addition to the operation programs of each block possessed by the user terminal 200. The memory 203 is a storage device used for temporary data storage, such as a volatile memory. The memory 203 is used not only as an area for expanding the operation programs of each block, but also as a storage area for temporarily storing data output in the operation of each block.

[0033] The camera 204 is an imaging device unit having an imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS sensor, and is used to acquire information on a set of actual game items deployed by a player using the user terminal 200 during game play of a competitive game using an external service. Although details are omitted, the camera 204 operates to capture images intermittently at a predetermined timing during the period when the competitive game is being played, and sequentially outputs the captured images obtained.

[0034] The microphone 205 is a unit that converts detected voice into an electric signal, and is used to acquire declarations made by players using the user terminal 200 when operating actual game items during game play of a competitive game using an external service. The microphone 205, like the camera 204, performs voice detection intermittently at a predetermined timing during the period when the competitive game is being played, and operates to output the voice signals obtained by sequentially converting the voice while voice detection is being performed.

[0035] The presentation control unit 206 is responsible for controlling the presentation of various information to the user in the user terminal 200. In the user terminal 200 of this embodiment, the display 210 that displays a screen (game screen, other OS menu screen, etc.) and the speaker 220 that outputs audio are described as being provided as means for presenting various information to the user, but it goes without saying that the means for presenting information are not limited to these and can be replaced or added. The display 210 is a display device provided in the user terminal 200, such as an LCD, and the display content is controlled by the presentation control unit 206. In this embodiment, the display 210 is described as a display device built into the user terminal 200, but it goes without saying that the display 210 may be a display device that is detachably connected to the outside of the user terminal 200.

[0036] The operation input unit 207 is a user interface, such as a touch panel or buttons, included in the user terminal 200. When the operation input unit 207 detects an operation input made by a user, it outputs a control signal corresponding to the operation input to the usage control unit 201.

[0037] The communication unit 208 is a communication interface for communicating with other devices included in the user terminal 200. The communication unit 208 connects to an external device via the network 300 using a predetermined communication method, whether wired or wireless, and transmits and receives data.

[0038] Matching service overview Below, an overview of the matching service provided by the matching system configured as described above will be given.

[0039] The matching service according to the present embodiment is provided to the user through a browsing application (hereinafter referred to as a browser) executed on the user terminal 200. That is, the user can receive the matching service through the browser screen displayed on the display 210 by accessing a site (hereinafter referred to as a provider site) related to the matching service with the user terminal 200 using the browser. More specifically, the user can use the external service information by registering with the provider site and performing a procedure related to service login. Here, the user registration includes inputting a profile to be made public to other users, including a nickname used by the user in the matching service (text input, or selection of a relevant item from among items related to a person introduction that are provided in advance). After the service login, the server 100 transitions to a state in which a communication connection with the user terminal 200 is maintained, and performs processing such as transmission of information required for display on the user terminal 200, control according to operations performed on the user terminal 200, and updating of various information.

[0040] <Room selection> When a user (hereinafter referred to as a user initiator) completes the service login procedure, a room in which the user avatar of the user initiator will be placed is first determined. The room is determined by the user initiator selecting a game title with which matching (or spectating) is desired, and selecting a room to use (enter) from among multiple rooms provided for the selected game title. The former selection is made by the user initiator selecting one of the rooms displayed on the browser, which displays multiple game titles that can be played by using external services registered in the corresponding service DB 105. The latter selection is made by the user initiator selecting one of the rooms displayed on the browser, which displays multiple rooms for the selected game title, as shown in FIG. 4, for example.

[0041] At this time, since there is a limit to the number of avatars that can be placed in one room (the number of users who can use the matching service via the room, i.e., the number of people entering the room) as described above, the control unit 101 determines whether or not entry is possible in response to the latter selection, and performs control to place the user avatar related to the user who has started using the room in question only if entry is possible.

[0042] In order to make it easier for the user to select a room, a notification that enables the user to determine whether the upper limit has been reached may be added to each of the multiple rooms displayed during the latter selection. The notification may be, for example, a text display of "(number of entrants) / (upper limit)" or the entry rate (percentage), or an image showing the entry rate, or the notification may be given by displaying rooms that have reached their upper limit in an unselectable manner. Alternatively, the information sent to the user terminal 200 may be controlled so that rooms that cannot be entered are not displayed in the browser, thereby improving the convenience of the user to select a room.

[0043] When the room is determined, a user avatar corresponding to the starter user is placed in the determined room, and a field related to the room (a space in which the avatar can move) is displayed on the browser of the user terminal 200, as shown in Fig. 5(a). More specifically, the control unit 101 adds placed avatar information 1423 related to the starter user to the state management information related to the determined room, thereby making it possible for the starter user and other users who use the same room to confirm the room in which the starter user's user avatar is placed on their user terminals 200.

[0044] In order to improve the interest of the matching service, the entire room as shown in Fig. 5(a) is not displayed on the browser of each user terminal 200, but display control is performed so that only a partial area of ​​the room is displayed as shown in Fig. 5(b). The area of ​​the room to be displayed may be determined according to the position of the user avatar corresponding to each user terminal 200 in the room (for example, centered on the position of the avatar) as shown in the figure. The display control may be realized by changing the configuration of the display information transmitted from the server 100 to the user terminal 200, or may be realized by the presentation control unit 206 in the user terminal 200 changing the display contents.

[0045] <Avatars to be placed> Next, the types of avatars placed in a room will be described in detail, including the actions that the avatars are authorized to perform in the room. As described above, in the matching system of this embodiment, two types of avatars are placed in each room: a user avatar as a first type of avatar according to the present invention, and an operator avatar as a second type of avatar. The user avatar and the operator avatar are displayed in a distinguishable manner when the room is displayed in a browser.

[0046] (User avatar) The user avatar is an avatar associated with a user of the user terminal 200 currently connected to the server 100. The user avatar is configured to be able to change (move) its position within a room in response to a movement operation performed on the user terminal 200 of the corresponding user. The appearance of the user avatar may be determined, for example, when the user logs in to the service for the first time after registering the user, and registered in the user information, and when the avatar is placed in a room in subsequent service usage, the appearance may be reproduced by referring to the information.

[0047] Here, the appearance of the user avatar is composed of a combination of elements such as face, contour, hairstyle, body type, and clothing, and the user can form a desired appearance by selecting a plurality of parts provided for each element. In other words, the types of combinations selectable as the appearance of the user avatar are determined according to the number of parts provided for each element, and the user avatar is assigned one of a plurality of predetermined types of appearance. In addition, in order to simplify the user's appearance setting, the control unit 101 may perform a lottery process, and the user may be presented with a combination of randomly extracted parts for each element as a candidate. In this case, if the user likes the candidate appearance, the user may perform an operation related to confirmation, and may decide that the combination of the candidates is the appearance of the user avatar to be used. In addition, the lottery process for the candidate appearances may be performed multiple times, and, for example, multiple candidates obtained by the multiple lottery processes may be held, and the user may select a preferred appearance from among them. In addition, the user may be provided with an editing function that allows the user to change at least some of the parts of the elements based on the candidate appearance, and may decide the final appearance of the user avatar.

[0048] The user avatar is given not only the authority to move within the room, but also the authority to send messages and perform actions related to the establishment of matching. That is, the user can perform, on the user terminal 200, various operations related to the establishment of matching, such as inputting messages to be sent to a specific user or all users in the room, transitioning the user avatar to a state in which it is ready to play against other users, challenging other users to a match, accepting a challenge from another user, and so on, in addition to operations related to movement within the room, for the user avatar associated with the user and placed in the room. Since the matching service of this embodiment is intended to establish a match game played by multiple people in an external service in particular, the avatars to be matched are limited to user avatars placed in the room.

[0049] Here, we will explain actions that a user avatar is authorized to perform in order to establish a match, and the matching process that is performed in the server 100 based on the actions. In the following, to facilitate understanding of the invention, we will explain that a competitive game in which gameplay is provided by an external service corresponding to a room is realized by two players (one against one), and that two users are matched as players by the matching process.

[0050] In the matching service of this embodiment, the matching process for the competitive game is started when at least one user avatar is placed at a predetermined position on the periphery of a table arranged in a room. As shown in Fig. 6(a), two chairs 602 are placed on the periphery of a table 601, and when a user avatar is placed at the position of the chair 602 as a result of a movement operation, the state of the user avatar is managed as a matching target.

[0051] When a matching target user avatar (hereinafter referred to as a standby avatar) is placed at one table, another user can challenge the user of the standby avatar to a match by placing the user avatar to be used (hereinafter referred to as a request avatar) at the position of the other chair 602 of the table, as shown in Fig. 6(b). That is, a challenge to a match is possible when the request avatar and the standby avatar are placed in opposing positions across the table on the periphery of the table where the standby avatar is located, as shown in the figure, as the first aspect of the present invention. Like the standby avatar, the request avatar's status is managed as a matching target when it is placed at the position of a chair 602 where no standby avatar is located as a result of a movement operation.

[0052] When the status of the applying avatar becomes eligible for matching, a notification 701 including the profile and battle record of the user associated with the waiting avatar, and a confirmation of whether or not to challenge the user associated with the waiting avatar to a battle, as shown in Fig. 7(a) is displayed on the user terminal 200 of the user associated with the applying avatar. When the user associated with the applying avatar then selects an item in the notification 701 indicating that he / she wishes to challenge the user to a battle, a notification 702 including the profile and battle record of the user associated with the applying avatar, and a confirmation of whether or not to accept the challenge to a battle, as shown in Fig. 7(b) is displayed on the user terminal 200 of the user associated with the waiting avatar. When the user associated with the waiting avatar then selects an item in the notification 702 indicating that he / she wishes to accept the challenge to a battle, it is considered that an agreement to play a game has been reached between the user associated with the waiting avatar and the user associated with the applying avatar, and these users are matched as players of a battle game (matching is established).

[0053] When matching is established, players are registered in the external service based on the user information of the two established users (established users), and the established users start using the external service. More specifically, a request to create a connection destination for a match game is sent from the server 100 to the server of the external service together with the established user's information, so that a connection destination related to a new match game is created in the external service, and the connection destination information is returned to the server 100. The connection destination information is associated with information specifying the table 601 of the room, for example, and stored in the memory 103. The returned connection destination information is then transmitted to the user terminal 200 of the established user together with a transfer command, and a transfer operation to the connection destination related to the external service is performed in the browser of the user terminal 200 that receives the information. In this way, the established user can start a match game with the other established user matched in the matching service, even if the established user does not directly carry out a registration procedure or the like in the external service.

[0054] In this embodiment, the login state of the matching service is maintained during the transition to the external service (the period during which gameplay of the competitive game is provided in the external service) so that each established user can easily return to the matching service after finishing the match. More specifically, for example, when information on a connection destination related to the external service is received in the user terminal 200 of the established user, a separate tab (or separate window) of the browser is opened to connect to the connection destination, and the tab is primarily displayed (selected as the display tab, or the separate window is displayed at the forefront), thereby realizing a temporary transition from the matching service to the external service. At this time, since the tab related to the matching service exists even during the transition, each established user can check the status of the room related to the matching service and the play screen of the competitive game related to the external service in parallel.

[0055] In this embodiment, as one aspect of transition to an external service, it is assumed that user information needs to be transmitted when a request is made to create a connection destination for a competitive game, but the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this and may be modified as appropriate according to the specifications of the external service. For example, information related to the established user is not required when making a creation request, and user information such as the player name may be provided to the external service when connecting to a connection destination from the user terminal 200.

[0056] When matching is established, the states of the user avatars corresponding to the two established users are changed from a matching target state to a battle state and managed. Here, the battle state does not necessarily have to be set on the condition that the established users are strictly playing the battle game, but may be set on the condition that the established users have moved to an external service.

[0057] Furthermore, when matching is established and the status of the user avatars corresponding to the two established users is in a battle, a display is displayed to enable all users in the room to understand that a battle game is taking place between the established users, i.e., that the established users are transitioning to an external service. In this embodiment, when user avatars placed on two chairs 602 at one table 601 are in a battle, the display is made by adding a presentation to the table 601 indicating that a battle is taking place. The presentation may differ depending on the external service associated with the room. For example, when the battle game in which gameplay is provided by the external service is a TCG, card objects may be placed on the table 601 as shown in FIG. 8(a).

[0058] For one table 601, during the period when the user avatar is in a state of being matched or in a match, the user avatar (waiting avatar and applying avatar) placed at the position of the chair 602 is controlled to be unable to move. More specifically, a waiting avatar is controlled not to move from the position of the chair 602 even if an operation related to movement is performed on the waiting avatar, unless an operation to stop waiting is performed from the time the waiting avatar is placed at the position of the chair 602 until a match application is made, unless an operation to decline the application and to decline waiting is performed from the time the match application is made until the matching is confirmed, and unless the match game on the external service ends after the matching is confirmed. Also, an applying avatar is controlled not to move from the position of the chair 602 even if an operation related to movement is performed on the applying avatar, unless an operation to not apply is performed from the time the waiting avatar is placed at the position of the chair 602 until a match application is made, unless an operation to decline the application is performed from the time the match application is made until the matching is confirmed, and unless the match game on the external service ends after the matching is confirmed.

[0059] Furthermore, in the room, control is performed to exclude other user avatars from entering the position (position of chair 602) of a user avatar who is unable to move. In other words, the number of user avatars that can be matched for one table 601 is limited to two. This makes it possible to prevent duplicated processing, particularly related to confirmation of matching intentions, for one table 601, while eliminating inconsistencies in room display between users.

[0060] Furthermore, the competitive game related to the established match can be configured to be spectated by other users (users not currently playing a match, hereafter referred to as spectating users). Spectating is accepted by a notification including a confirmation of intent to watch the ongoing competitive game, which is displayed in response to an operation on the user terminal 200 of the spectating user to select a table where a user avatar in a competitive state is placed (a table with a performance of a match). Then, on the condition that an operation to select an item to watch is performed in the notification, spectating of the competitive game being played on the external service at the selected table is confirmed.

[0061] When the viewing is confirmed, information on the connection destination related to the competitive game being played at the target table is transmitted to the user terminal 200 of the viewing user together with a transfer command, and the browser of the user terminal 200 that receives the information performs a transfer operation to the connection destination related to the external service. Here, the connection destination information transmitted to the user terminal 200 of the viewing user may be the same as the information transmitted to the user terminal 200 of the established user if, for example, the external service has two players who are first in the connection order for the same connection destination as players, or if the external service has different connection destinations for players and spectators, the information on the latter connection destination may be provided. In this way, even if the established user does not obtain the connection destination information related to the competitive game being played, the established user can easily move to the external service as a spectator via the room and watch the competitive game being played.

[0062] During watching, as during a match, the login state of the matching service is maintained during the transition to the external service (the period during which the match game being played in the external service is being watched) so that each successful user can easily return to the matching service after finishing the match or the watching user finishes watching. More specifically, for example, when the user terminal 200 of the watching user receives information on a connection destination related to an external service, a separate tab of the browser is opened to connect to the connection destination, and the tab is displayed primarily, thereby realizing a temporary transition from the matching service to the external service. At this time, since the tab related to the matching service exists during the transition, the watching user can check the status of the room related to the matching service and the watching screen of the match game related to the external service in parallel.

[0063] In addition, when the spectating is confirmed, the state of the user avatar corresponding to the spectating user is managed as "watching." Here, the "watching" state, like the "during a match" state, does not necessarily have to be set on the condition that the spectating user is watching a match game in which game play has started, but may be set on the condition that the spectating user has moved to an external service.

[0064] Also, when the state of the user avatar corresponding to the spectating user becomes spectating, the display mode of the user avatar in the room is changed to the spectating state as the second mode according to the present invention, and the display becomes recognizable to all users in the room. Here, the display mode of the user avatar in the spectating state may be, for example, as shown in FIG. 8(b), arranged (801) near the table 601 that is the object of spectating, so that a third party can recognize which table is being spectated. Also, when the spectating user is connected to an external service and spectating, it is assumed that the spectating user mainly checks the tab related to the external service as described above, so it is preferable to make the state in which the avatar cannot be contacted by other user avatars. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 8(b), the appearance of the user avatar in the spectating state is changed to a mode that makes it difficult to identify which user avatar it is, such as a single color, instead of the appearance assigned to the user avatar, and the user cannot perform a profile check operation for the user avatar or a communication function use operation specifying the user avatar.

[0065] Furthermore, when there are many users watching a competitive game being played at one table 601, it may be difficult to arrange as many user avatars in the watching state as there are watching users near the table 601, so the number of user avatars arranged in the watching state does not have to match the number of watching users. Preferably, the number of user avatars arranged in the watching state may be proportional to the number of spectating users.

[0066] In this embodiment, it is assumed that acceptance of spectating is possible by performing an operation to select the table 601 on which the user avatar in the middle of a match is placed, but the present invention is not limited to this. Acceptance of spectating may be configured to be possible in response to an operation to select, for example, a user avatar in the middle of a match (a user avatar corresponding to a winning user).

[0067] When the competitive game between the established users who have been transferred to the external service ends, the use of the external service ends and the established users return to the matching service. The end of the use of the external service may be recognized by the user terminal 200 of at least one of the established users providing information to that effect to the server 100, or by the external service providing information to that effect directly to the server 100. In the matching system of this embodiment, when the competitive game played in the external service ends, the result of the competitive game is provided from the server related to the external service to the server 100, and the end of the use of the external service is recognized by receiving the result.

[0068] When the result of a match game between established users is received, a process is performed in which the user avatar corresponding to the established user is released from the match state and made movable within the room. Based on the result, the match record information 1405 in the user information of the established users is updated, and a win / loss notification according to the result is sent to the user terminal 200 of each established user. The win / loss notification may have different contents, for example, as shown in FIG. 9(a) for the winner and as shown in FIG. 9(b) for the loser.

[0069] (Operator avatar) On the other hand, the operator avatar is not an avatar assigned to any user, but is an avatar placed on the matching system operator's side, and is placed movable in the room as a target for realizing various functions related to the provision of services. That is, in the matching service provided through the matching system of this embodiment, at least some of the functions performed by the operator of the matching system, such as the exclusion (expulsion) of inappropriate users, are presented to each user through the display of the room as being performed by an avatar placed in the room.

[0070] In order to let users know that the operator avatar is not associated with any user, the appearance of the operator avatar is configured with parts that cannot be selected as the appearance of a user avatar, and is displayed in a manner that is identifiable by the user, as shown by 501 in Fig. 5(a). At least one operator avatar is placed in each room managed by the server 100.

[0071] In conventional communication systems using virtual space, for example, if there is an inappropriate user who harasses other users or uses the service in a way that is different from the original purpose of the service, other users report the user's actions, and then after a period of time, the operator makes a decision based on the user's action log, and then suspends (bans) the user's account. In other words, even if there is an inappropriate user, it takes time for the user's use to be suspended, and users who are prevented from using the service in an appropriate manner lose interest in the service, which can lead to a decrease in the number of users.

[0072] In contrast, the matching system of this embodiment is configured to detect some inappropriate behaviors that can be mechanically judged as good or bad as a function of the operator avatar, perform processing to have the relevant user leave the room (banish the user avatar from the room), and notify other users in the room of this fact. In the matching system of this embodiment, the behavior of the operator avatar in the room is controlled by the behavior control unit 108, which detects a user who has performed a relevant behavior based on predetermined detection rules for targets to be expelled, and performs processing to banish the user avatar related to that user from the room (banishment processing).

[0073] The actions that are subject to expulsion may include sending a message containing specific wording (content that may offend others, such as slander) to other users or the entire room, and leaving a user in a state where the user is logged in to the service. The former action is detected by the behavior control unit 108 determining whether or not a preset NG keyword is included in the text of a message sent by the user. The latter action is detected by the behavior control unit 108 determining whether or not a predetermined period of time has passed in a state where the user avatar is placed in a room but is not using an external service and is not moving within the room or is only repeating monotonous movement. In addition, the behavior control unit 108 may determine whether or not to expel a user depending on the number of reports from other users that are tallied for each user.

[0074] When the behavior control unit 108 detects a user who has performed an action that is subject to expulsion, it executes expulsion processing to expel the user avatar from the room, i.e., deletes the corresponding state management information so that the user avatar is not placed in the room, and also stops displaying the room in the browser. At this time, the server 100 provides the user terminal 200 of the user who is to be expelled with necessary information to display a notice indicating that the user has been expelled and the reason for the expulsion, as shown in Fig. 10(a), for example. The expulsion processing also includes processing to display a notice indicating that the user has been expelled on the user terminals 200 of other users related to the room, for example, by using a notice display provided at the bottom of the display in Fig. 5(b), thereby preventing inappropriate use and informing users that the room management by the operator is functioning.

[0075] Furthermore, the behavior control unit 108 performs behavior control to move the operator avatar within the room while the matching service is being provided. This control is intended to prevent the operator avatar from being recognized as simply an NPC placed in the room (to be recognized as one operated by the administrator on the management side), and may be performed to move the operator avatar irregularly within the entire room as a movable range. Alternatively, in a mode in which the condition for executing the above-mentioned expulsion process is the detection of an action that is subject to expulsion multiple times, the operator avatar may be moved to a position around the corresponding user avatar (and may also issue a warning) when a number of times that does not result in execution is detected. By moving the operator avatar within the room in this way, inappropriate use can be further prevented.

[0076] In addition, since the operator avatar is merely a function of the matching system that realizes the provision of suitable services in each room, the operator avatar is not granted the authority to perform actions related to establishing a match to play a competitive game with other users, and is controlled so as not to become a match-eligible user. In other words, the operator avatar is controlled so that none of the users using the room can challenge the operator avatar to a match.

[0077] In addition, the operator avatar is given authority to perform actions that induce users to play the competitive game.

[0078] In a mode in which matching is performed on the condition that a user voluntarily puts a user avatar into a specific state, as in the matching service of the present embodiment, some users, particularly those who have just started playing a game and are unfamiliar with gameplay, may hesitate to put the user avatar into a state that satisfies the matching condition. For this reason, the estimation unit 107 specifies, as an guiding target, a user avatar of a user who is estimated to be hesitant to play a competitive game among user avatars not currently playing a match. Then, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the behavior control unit 108 notifies the user terminal 200 of the user of an invitation to a competitive game as a guide from the operator avatar. Here, the guiding target user avatar may be, for example, a user avatar that has moved within a predetermined period in a room but has not sent a message in response to a message sent directly from another user avatar (a message sent not to the entire room but limited to some users), a user avatar whose number of times of playing a competitive game is below a threshold and whose number of times of viewing a profile related to another user avatar in a predetermined period exceeds a threshold, etc.

[0079] Then, the behavior control unit 108 moves the user avatar to be guided to a position of a chair 602 where no user avatar is located, and transitions to a state of being a matched target. At this time, in order to make it easier to play a match game, the behavior control unit 108 may determine another user to be matched with the user of the user avatar to be guided by referring to information such as a match history and a match rate, and perform a process of moving the user avatar to the position of the chair 602 associated with the opponent.

[0080] <<Provision Processing>> In the server 100 of this embodiment having such a configuration, a process of providing a matching service to a user of one connected user terminal 200 will be specifically described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 11. The process corresponding to the flowchart can be realized by the control unit 101 reading out a corresponding processing program stored in the recording medium 102, for example, and expanding it in the memory 103 for execution.

[0081] In addition, for ease of understanding, in the explanation of the provision process given below, the user who is the subject of the provision process will be referred to as the "target user," the user terminal 200 used by the target user will be referred to as the "target terminal," the user avatar corresponding to the target user will be referred to as the "target avatar," and the room in which the target user uses the service will be referred to as the "target room."

[0082] This provision process will be described as being started, for example, when a target terminal connects to the server 100, service login process related to the target user is executed, and one room (target room) is selected. At this time, placed avatar information 1423 related to the target avatar is constructed and added to the state management information of the corresponding room. This provision process is repeated until a predetermined termination condition is satisfied, and each time, display information based on the state management information of the target room is constructed and sent to the target terminal, and an area of ​​the target room determined based on the target avatar is presented to the target user via a browser displayed on the target terminal.

[0083] In S1101, the control unit 101 updates state management information related to the target room based on operations (changes in placement positions, changes in state related to various flags) performed on other user avatars in the target room.

[0084] In S1102, the control unit 101 judges whether or not the target avatar is in a state of being a matching target. The judgment in this step may be made according to the target flag 1434 included in the placed avatar information 1423 of the target avatar. If the control unit 101 judges that the target avatar is in a state of being a matching target, the control unit 101 shifts the process to S1114, and if the control unit 101 judges that the target avatar is not in a state of being a matching target, the control unit 101 shifts the process to S1103.

[0085] In S1103, if an operation related to changing the placement position of the target avatar has been performed, the control unit 101 updates the state management information related to the target room based on the content of the operation. More specifically, the control unit 101 updates the placement position 1433 included in the placed avatar information 1423 of the target avatar based on the content of the performed movement operation.

[0086] In S1104, the control unit 101 judges whether the placement position of the target avatar is the position of the chair 602 placed in the target room. If the control unit 101 judges that the placement position of the target avatar is the position of the chair 602, the control unit 101 changes the target flag 1434 included in the placed avatar information 1423 of the target avatar to True, sets the target avatar in a matching target state, and returns the process to S1101. If the control unit 101 judges that the placement position of the target avatar is not the position of the chair 602, the control unit 101 moves the process to S1105.

[0087] In S1105, the control unit 101 determines whether or not an operation related to a request to watch a competitive game has been performed for the table 601 where the matched user avatar is located. More specifically, the control unit 101 determines whether or not an operation related to a request to watch a competitive game has been performed from the target user for a table 601, among the tables 601 located in the target room, where two user avatars are located at the positions of the chairs 602 and where the in-competition flags 1435 of the user avatars are both True. If the control unit 101 determines that an operation related to a request to watch a competitive game has been performed, the control unit 101 shifts the process to S1106, and if it determines that an operation related to a request to watch a competitive game has not been performed, the control unit 101 shifts the process to S1108.

[0088] In S1106, the control unit 101 executes various processes for transitioning the target user to an external service related to the target room as a spectator. More specifically, the control unit 101 changes the watching flag 1436 included in the positioned avatar information 1423 of the target avatar to True, and performs control to disable operations related to changing the position of the target avatar. The control unit 101 also transmits, to the target terminal, connection destination information stored in the table 601 for which a watching request has been made, together with a transfer command.

[0089] In the explanation of the provision process of this embodiment, in order to facilitate understanding of the invention, it is assumed that during transition to the external service, the display of the browser (tab) related to the matching service on the target terminal is maintained in the state immediately before the transition, and that display control of other user avatars and table 601 related to the transition is not performed. That is, in the case of this step, the display of the relevant tab on the target terminal is maintained in a display showing the state of the target room when the target avatar was placed in the spectating state. However, the implementation of the present invention is not limited to this, and the display may be controlled in response to changes in state management information that occur in the target room even during transition to the external service.

[0090] In S1107, the control unit 101 judges whether the target user has returned from the external service. The judgment in this step may be made based on whether information on the result of the match game that was being executed related to the corresponding table 601 has been received. If the control unit 101 judges that the target user has returned from the external service, the control unit 101 changes the spectating flag 1436 included in the placed avatar information 1423 of the target avatar to False, setting the target avatar in a movable state, and returns the process to S1101. If the control unit 101 judges that the target user has not returned from the external service, the control unit 101 repeats the process in this step.

[0091] On the other hand, if it is determined in S1105 that no operation related to a watching request for the competitive game has been performed, in S1108, the behavior control unit 108 performs various determinations related to the target user based on the behavior history of the target avatar under the control of the control unit 101. The determinations performed in this step are the above-mentioned determination of whether the target user corresponds to a target for expulsion and a determination based on the estimation by the estimation unit 107 of whether the target user is hesitant to play the competitive game.

[0092] In S1109, the control unit 101 judges whether or not the target user is a target for banishment based on the judgment result of S1108. If the control unit 101 judges that the target user is a target for banishment, the process proceeds to S1110, and if the control unit 101 judges that the target user is not a target for banishment, the process proceeds to S1111.

[0093] In S1110, the behavior control unit 108 executes the expulsion process of the target user under the control of the control unit 101. As described above, the expulsion process includes deleting the placed avatar information 1423 related to the target avatar from the state management information, sending display information related to a notification to the target terminal that the avatar has been removed from the target room, and notifying the target terminal that the user has been expelled from the target room. As described above, the notification related to the expulsion process is performed as an action of the operator avatar. When the expulsion process by the behavior control unit 108 ends, the control unit 101 completes this provision process and can forcibly terminate the target user's use of the service related to the target room.

[0094] On the other hand, if it is determined in S1109 that the target user is not a target for expulsion, the control unit 101 determines in S1111 whether or not the target user is estimated to be hesitant to play the competitive game based on the determination result in S1108. If it is estimated that the target user is hesitant to play the competitive game, the control unit 101 shifts the process to S1112, and if not, the control unit 101 shifts the process to S1113.

[0095] In S1112, the behavior control unit 108 executes a process of guiding the target user to play the fighting game under the control of the control unit 101. The guiding process includes a process of transmitting display information related to a notification of an invitation to the fighting game to the fighting terminal, a process of changing the placement position 1433 of the placed avatar information 1423 related to the target avatar to the position of any chair 602 in the target room, and a process of changing the target flag 1434 to True to make the target avatar a matching target. When the guiding process ends, the control unit 101 returns the process to S1101.

[0096] Also, in S1113, the control unit 101 judges whether or not to terminate the provision of the service related to the target room to the target user. The judgment in this step is made based on whether or not a process related to leaving the target room has been performed in the target terminal, that is, whether or not an exit request has been received from the target terminal. If the control unit 101 judges that the provision of the service related to the target room should be terminated, it completes this provision process, and if it judges that the service should not be terminated, it returns the process to S1101.

[0097] On the other hand, if it is determined in S1102 that the target avatar is in a matching target state, the control unit 101 executes a matching process in S1114.

[0098] Matching process The matching process performed in this step will now be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0099] In S1201, the control unit 101 judges whether or not another user avatar (a standby avatar) has already been placed at the position of the other chair 602 of the table 601 corresponding to the placement position of the target avatar. That is, the control unit 101 judges whether or not the target avatar corresponds to the application avatar. If the control unit 101 judges that a standby avatar has already been placed, the process proceeds to S1202, and if it judges that a standby avatar has not been placed, the process proceeds to S1205.

[0100] In S1202, the control unit 101 judges whether or not to challenge the user of the standby avatar to a battle. Specifically, the control unit 101 transmits display information configured based on the profile information 1404 and the battle record information 1405 related to the user of the standby avatar to the target terminal, thereby causing the target terminal to display a notice to confirm whether or not to challenge the user of the standby avatar to a battle. The control unit 101 then makes the judgment in this step based on information on an operation performed in response to the notice. If the control unit 101 judges that a challenge to the user of the standby avatar is to be made, the control unit 101 shifts the process to S1203, and if it judges that a challenge to the user of the standby avatar is not to be made, the control unit 101 shifts the process to S1208.

[0101] In S1203, the control unit 101 judges whether the challenge to a match has been accepted by the user of the standby avatar. Specifically, the control unit 101 transmits display information configured based on the profile information 1404 and battle record information 1405 related to the target user to the user terminal 200 related to the standby avatar, thereby causing the user terminal 200 to display a notice confirming whether or not to accept the challenge to a match from the target user. The control unit 101 then makes the judgment in this step based on information on an operation performed in response to the notice. If the control unit 101 judges that the challenge to a match has been accepted by the user of the standby avatar, it determines that matching has been established and moves the process to S1204, and if it judges that the challenge has not been accepted, it moves the process to S1208.

[0102] In S1204, under the control of the control unit 101, the matching unit 109 matches two established users (one is a target user) and performs a process of transferring them to an external service, thereby completing the matching process. Specifically, the matching unit 109 changes the target flag 1434 to False and the in-battle flag 1435 to True for the arranged avatar information 1423 of the user avatars corresponding to the two established users (one is a target avatar). The matching unit 109 also configures information related to player registration based on the user information related to the established user, transmits the information to the external service together with a connection destination creation request, and receives information on the connection destination related to a new battle game from the external service. Then, the matching unit 109 transmits the received information on the connection destination together with a transfer command to the user terminal 200 related to the established user (one is a target terminal), and transfers it to the external service. At this time, the matching unit 109 stores the received information on the connection destination in the memory 103 in association with information identifying the table 601 that is the target of the matching process.

[0103] On the other hand, if it is determined in S1201 that a standby avatar has not already been placed, i.e., if the user avatar becomes the standby avatar, the control unit 101 determines in S1205 whether or not a challenge to a match has been made to the target user. In other words, in this step, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a user avatar (applicant avatar) has been placed on a chair 602 facing the target avatar on the periphery of the table 601 on which the target avatar is placed, and whether or not a challenge to a match has been made to the target user by the user of the applicant avatar. If the control unit 101 determines that a challenge to a match has been made to the target user, it moves the process to S1206, and if it determines that a challenge has not been made, it moves the process to S1207.

[0104] In S1206, the control unit 101 judges whether the challenge to a match has been accepted by the target user. Specifically, the control unit 101 causes the target terminal to display information configured based on the profile information 1404 and the battle record information 1405 related to the user of the requesting avatar, to display a notice on the target terminal to confirm whether or not to accept the challenge to a match from the user of the requesting avatar. The control unit 101 then makes the judgment in this step based on information on the operation performed in response to the notice. If the control unit 101 judges that the challenge to a match has been accepted by the target user, it shifts the process to S1204, and if it judges that the challenge has not been accepted, it shifts the process to S1207.

[0105] In S1207, the control unit 101 judges whether or not to cancel the matching target state of the target avatar. The judgment in this step is made depending on whether or not an operation to cancel waiting for matching has been performed on the target terminal. If the control unit 101 judges that the matching target state of the target avatar should be cancelled, the control unit 101 moves the process to S1208, and if the control unit 101 judges that the matching target state should not be cancelled, the control unit 101 returns the process to S1205.

[0106] In S1208, the control unit 101 performs a process of canceling the state of the target avatar as a matching target, and completes this matching process. Specifically, the control unit 101 changes the target flag 1434 included in the placed avatar information 1423 of the target avatar to False, and changes the target room to a movable state. At this time, the control unit 101 changes the placement position of the target avatar to a position different from the position of the chair 602 where it was placed until then, and performs control so that another user avatar can move to the position of the chair 602.

[0107] When the matching process is completed in this manner, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the target user has transitioned to an external service in S1115 of the provision process. Specifically, the control unit 101 makes the determination in this step based on the in-battle flag 1435 related to the target avatar. If the control unit 101 determines that the target user has transitioned to an external service, it proceeds to S1116, and if it determines that the target user has not transitioned, it returns the process to S1101.

[0108] In S1116, the control unit 101 judges whether the target user has returned to the matching service from the external service. The judgment in this step may be made based on whether information on the result of a competitive game played in the external service has been received, for example. If the control unit 101 judges that the target user has returned to the matching service, the process proceeds to S1117, and if the control unit 101 judges that the target user has not returned (is in transition), the process in this step is repeated.

[0109] In S1117, the control unit 101 performs processing related to displaying the results of the competitive game. Specifically, the control unit 101 updates the battle record information 1405 related to the target user based on the received information on the results of the competitive game. Then, the control unit 101 transmits display information related to the result display based on the received information on the results of the competitive game to the target terminal, and causes the result display to be performed on the target terminal. Furthermore, the control unit 101 changes the target flag 1434 related to the competitive avatar to False, and performs control so that the target room can be moved. When the control unit 101 ends the processing related to the result display, it returns the processing to S1101.

[0110] In this way, the matching system of this embodiment can achieve suitable matching for external services that allow multiple players to compete in matches.

[0111] [Embodiment 2] In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the behavior control unit 108 included in the server 100 controls the behavior of the operator avatar, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in a case where each room of the matching service is managed by a person, a user interface related to the behavior control of the operator avatar may be provided to the manager. That is, like the user avatar, the behavior of the operator avatar may be controlled based on operations performed on the information communication terminal of the manager connected to the server 100 (hereinafter referred to as the manager terminal).

[0112] Here, the administrator terminal may have the same functional configuration as the user terminal 200, or may have a functional configuration excluding, for example, the camera 204 and microphone 205, and in response to logging in to the service as an administrator via a browser, the administrator terminal is granted authority to operate an administrator avatar and execute some of the administrator's functions. More specifically, display information based on room status management information is sent from the server 100 to the administrator terminal, and the battle room is displayed via a browser displayed on the administrator terminal. Unlike the user terminal 200, the display on the administrator terminal may present the entire area of ​​the entire room regardless of the position of the administrator avatar, in order to make it easier for the administrator to grasp the situation.

[0113] The user interface provided to the administrator may include, in addition to moving the operator avatar within the room, a function for inviting a selected user avatar to play a competitive game and receiving an instruction to expel the user avatar, as shown in Fig. 13. The function related to the user interface shown in Fig. 13 may be provided with a function for suggesting a user avatar based on the estimation result by the estimation unit 107 and the determination result of inappropriate use performed by the behavior control unit 108, in order to assist the administrator in understanding the situation.

[0114] By configuring the matching system in this manner, it is possible to provide the administrator with a user interface for operating a flexible and smooth matching service, for example, in an online competitive event that is held on a specific date.

[0115] [Variations] In the above embodiment, a user avatar is placed in a specific position in the room (the position of the chair 602) to be in a matching state, and matching is performed after an agreement is reached between the users regarding game play. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, a user avatar placed anywhere in the room may be allowed to apply for a match, and when an agreement is reached on matching, the user avatar of the matched user may be placed in the position of the chair 602 at the same table 601, and transitioned to an external service.

[0116] [Other embodiments] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The matching system according to the present invention can also be realized by a program that causes one or more computers to function as each device of the matching system. The program can be provided / distributed by being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium or through an electric communication line. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 100: Server, 101: Control unit, 102: Recording medium, 103: Memory, 104: User DB, 105: Supported service DB, 106: State management DB, 107: Estimation unit, 108: Action control unit, 109: Matching unit, 110: Communication unit, 200: User terminal, 201: Usage control unit, 202: Usage recording medium, 203: Usage memory, 204: Camera, 205: Microphone, 206: Presentation control unit, 210: Display, 220: Speaker, 207: Operation input unit, 208: Usage communication unit, 300: Network

Claims

1. A matching system that provides a service of matching for communication and competitive games via avatars placed in a virtual space, comprising: a first reception means for receiving a connection from an information communication terminal of a user of the service; an allocation means for allocating a first type of avatar to be matched in the competitive game to a user of a currently connected information communication terminal; a management means for movably arranging the first type of avatar assigned to the user by the assignment means and a second type of avatar not to be matched in the competitive game in the virtual space, and for managing the states of the first type of avatar and the second type of avatar; a behavior control means for controlling a behavior of the second type of avatar in the virtual space; Equipped with the first type avatar is given authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the first type avatar and another first type avatar located in the virtual space; a matching system in which the second type avatar is not granted authority to perform actions related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game with the first type avatar placed in the virtual space, but is granted authority to perform notifications related to actions to exclude any of the first type avatars placed in the virtual space from the virtual space.

2. 2. The matching system according to claim 1, further comprising a display control means for causing a display means of the connected information communication terminal to display the virtual space in a manner in which the first type of avatar and the second type of avatar can be distinguished from each other, based on information on the states of the first type of avatar and the second type of avatar managed by the management means.

3. 2. The matching system according to claim 1, wherein the management means, when a notification of the exclusion action is given by the action control means, stops placing the first type avatar that is the target of exclusion in the virtual space.

4. The matching system according to claim 3 , further comprising a notification unit that displays a notification of the exclusion on a display unit of the information communication terminal associated with the first-type avatar that is the target of the exclusion.

5. the management means, when matching for the battle game is established between a predetermined number of the first type of avatars, manages a state of the predetermined number of the first type of avatars as being in a battle; the second type of avatar is further given authority to perform an action of inducing the first type of avatar placed in the virtual space to a match for the competitive game; the action control means, when performing the action to be guided, selects, as a guidance target, an avatar of the first type that is not currently engaged in a battle; When the guiding action is performed by the action control means, the action control means transitions the first type avatar that is the target of the guidance to a state in which an action related to the establishment of matching for the fighting game with another first type avatar is started. The matching system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A matching system for providing a service of matching for communication and competitive games via avatars placed in a virtual space, comprising: a first reception means for receiving a connection from an information communication terminal of a user of the service; an allocation means for allocating a first type of avatar to be matched in the competitive game to a user of a currently connected information communication terminal; a management means for movably arranging the first type of avatar assigned to the user by the assignment means and a second type of avatar not to be matched in the competitive game in the virtual space, and for managing the states of the first type of avatar and the second type of avatar; a behavior control means for controlling a behavior of the second type of avatar in the virtual space; Equipped with the first type avatar is given authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the first type avatar and another first type avatar located in the virtual space; the second type avatar is not given an authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the second type avatar and the first type avatar located in the virtual space; the management means, when matching for the battle game is established between a predetermined number of the first type of avatars, manages a state of the predetermined number of the first type of avatars as being in a battle; the second type of avatar is further given authority to perform an action of inducing the first type of avatar placed in the virtual space to a match for the competitive game; the action control means, when performing the action to be guided, selects, as a guidance target, an avatar of the first type that is not currently engaged in a battle; The matching system includes a behavior control means that, when the guiding behavior is performed by the behavior control means, transitions the first type of avatar that is the target of the guidance to a state in which an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the first type of avatar and another avatar of the first type has been initiated.

7. an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game is started on the condition that the first type of avatar is placed at a predetermined position in the virtual space; The management means changes the state of the first type avatar to be guided so that it is placed at the predetermined position when the guiding action is performed by the action control means. The matching system according to claim 5 or 6.

8. a specifying means for specifying an avatar of the first type related to a user who is estimated to be hesitant to play the competitive game, among the avatars of the first type not in a competitive state; The action control means selects the first type of avatar identified by the identification means as the first type of avatar to be guided. The matching system according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

9. the first type of avatar is further given authority to move within the virtual space and send a message based on an operation performed on an information communication terminal related to the first type of avatar; The identifying means identifies, among the first-type avatars not in the battle state, an avatar of the first type that has moved in the virtual space within a predetermined period of time but has not transmitted a message in response to a message transmitted by another avatar of the first type. The matching system according to claim 8.

10. a second receiving means for further receiving a connection from an information communication terminal of an administrator of the service; means for allocating an avatar of the second type to the administrator; Further equipped with The behavior control means controls the behavior of the second type of avatar based on an operation performed on the information communication terminal of the administrator. The matching system according to any one of claims 5 to 9.

11. The matching system according to claim 10 , further comprising: a means for proposing to the information communication terminal of the manager that the first type of avatar should be expelled from the virtual space.

12. The matching system according to claim 10 or 11, further comprising a means for proposing, to the information communication terminal of the manager, the first type of avatar to be selected as the guidance target.

13. The management means provides a plurality of the virtual spaces in relation to the provision of the service, At least one of the second type avatars is placed in each of the plurality of virtual spaces. A matching system according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A matching system for providing a service of matching for communication and competitive games via avatars placed in a virtual space, comprising: a first reception means for receiving a connection from an information communication terminal of a user of the service; an allocation means for allocating a first type of avatar to be matched in the competitive game to a user of a currently connected information communication terminal; a management means for movably arranging the first type of avatar assigned to the user by the assignment means and a second type of avatar not to be matched in the competitive game in the virtual space, and for managing the states of the first type of avatar and the second type of avatar; a behavior control means for controlling a behavior of the second type of avatar in the virtual space; Equipped with the first type avatar is given authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the first type avatar and another first type avatar located in the virtual space; the second type avatar is not given an authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the second type avatar and the first type avatar located in the virtual space; The management means provides a plurality of the virtual spaces in relation to the provision of the service, A matching system in which at least one second type avatar is placed in each of the plurality of virtual spaces.

15. A computer that provides a service for communication and matching for competitive games via avatars placed in a virtual space, A process of accepting a connection from an information communication terminal of a user of the service; a process of allocating a first type of avatar to be matched in the competitive game to a user of the currently connected information communication terminal; a process of movably arranging the first type of avatar assigned to a user and a second type of avatar not to be matched in the competitive game in the virtual space, and managing states of the first type of avatar and the second type of avatar; controlling a behavior of the second type of avatar in the virtual space; A program for executing the first type avatar is given authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the first type avatar and another first type avatar located in the virtual space; the second type avatar is not granted authority to perform actions related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game with the first type avatar placed in the virtual space, and is granted authority to perform notifications related to actions to exclude any of the first type avatars placed in the virtual space from the virtual space.

16. A computer that provides a service for communication and matching for a competitive game via an avatar placed in a virtual space, comprising: A process of accepting a connection from an information communication terminal of a user of the service; a process of allocating a first type of avatar to be matched in the competitive game to a user of the currently connected information communication terminal; a process of movably arranging the first type of avatar assigned to a user and a second type of avatar not to be matched in the competitive game in the virtual space, and managing states of the first type of avatar and the second type of avatar; controlling a behavior of the second type of avatar in the virtual space; A program for executing the first type avatar is given authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the first type avatar and another first type avatar located in the virtual space; the second type avatar is not given an authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the second type avatar and the first type avatar located in the virtual space; in the managing process, when matching for the fighting game is established between a predetermined number of the first type of avatars, a state of the predetermined number of the first type of avatars is managed as being in a fighting game; the second type of avatar is further given authority to perform an action of inducing the first type of avatar placed in the virtual space to a match for the competitive game; in the process of controlling the action, when the action to be guided is executed, the first type of avatar that is not currently engaged in a battle is selected as a guidance target; a program for controlling the action, when the guiding action is performed by the action control process, transitioning the first type avatar that is the target of the guiding action to a state in which an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the first type avatar and another avatar of the first type has been started.

17. A computer that provides a service for communication and matching for a competitive game via an avatar placed in a virtual space, comprising: A process of accepting a connection from an information communication terminal of a user of the service; a process of allocating a first type of avatar to be matched in the competitive game to a user of the currently connected information communication terminal; a process of movably arranging the first type of avatar assigned to a user and a second type of avatar not to be matched in the competitive game in the virtual space, and managing states of the first type of avatar and the second type of avatar; controlling a behavior of the second type of avatar in the virtual space; A program for executing the first type avatar is given authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the first type avatar and another first type avatar located in the virtual space; the second type avatar is not given an authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the second type avatar and the first type avatar located in the virtual space; A plurality of the virtual spaces are provided in relation to the provision of the service, A program for placing at least one second type avatar in each of the plurality of virtual spaces.

18. A server that provides a service of communication and matchmaking for a competitive game via an avatar placed in a virtual space, a first reception means for receiving a connection from an information communication terminal of a user of the service; an allocation means for allocating a first type of avatar to be matched in the competitive game to a user of a currently connected information communication terminal; a management means for movably arranging the first type of avatar assigned to the user by the assignment means and a second type of avatar not to be matched in the competitive game in the virtual space, and for managing the states of the first type of avatar and the second type of avatar; a behavior control means for controlling a behavior of the second type of avatar in the virtual space; Equipped with the first type avatar is given authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the first type avatar and another first type avatar located in the virtual space; the second type avatar is not granted authority to perform actions related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game with the first type avatar placed in the virtual space, and is granted authority to perform notifications related to actions to exclude any of the first type avatars placed in the virtual space from the virtual space.

19. A server providing a service of communication and match-up for a competitive game via avatars placed in a virtual space, comprising: a first reception means for receiving a connection from an information communication terminal of a user of the service; an allocation means for allocating a first type of avatar to be matched in the competitive game to a user of a currently connected information communication terminal; a management means for movably arranging the first type of avatar assigned to the user by the assignment means and a second type of avatar not to be matched in the competitive game in the virtual space, and for managing the states of the first type of avatar and the second type of avatar; a behavior control means for controlling a behavior of the second type of avatar in the virtual space; Equipped with the first type avatar is given authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the first type avatar and another first type avatar located in the virtual space; the second type avatar is not given an authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the second type avatar and the first type avatar located in the virtual space; the management means, when matching for the battle game is established between a predetermined number of the first type of avatars, manages a state of the predetermined number of the first type of avatars as being in a battle; the second type of avatar is further given authority to perform an action of inducing the first type of avatar placed in the virtual space to a match for the competitive game; the action control means, when performing the action to be guided, selects, as a guidance target, an avatar of the first type that is not currently engaged in a battle; The behavior control means is a server that, when the guiding behavior is performed by the behavior control means, transitions the first type avatar that is the target of the guidance to a state in which an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game with another avatar of the first type has been initiated.

20. A server providing a service of communication and match-up for a competitive game via avatars placed in a virtual space, comprising: a first reception means for receiving a connection from an information communication terminal of a user of the service; an allocation means for allocating a first type of avatar to be matched in the competitive game to a user of a currently connected information communication terminal; a management means for movably arranging the first type of avatar assigned to the user by the assignment means and a second type of avatar not to be matched in the competitive game in the virtual space, and for managing the states of the first type of avatar and the second type of avatar; a behavior control means for controlling a behavior of the second type of avatar in the virtual space; Equipped with the first type avatar is given authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the first type avatar and another first type avatar located in the virtual space; the second type avatar is not given an authority to perform an action related to the establishment of matching for the competitive game between the second type avatar and the first type avatar located in the virtual space; The management means provides a plurality of the virtual spaces in relation to the provision of the service, A server in which at least one second type avatar is placed in each of the plurality of virtual spaces.

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