Terminal device

Abstract

To improve a technique capable of suppressing a loss of a sense of immersion when a game progresses.SOLUTION: A terminal device 10 includes: an operation section 16 having an operation object 161 that receives depression operation; a communication section 13; and a control section 11 for communicating with another terminal device 10 by the communication section 13, sends first operation information regarding first operation for performing depression operation such that a user has a relationship with the user of the terminal device 10 to another terminal device 10, and operates the operation object 161 corresponding to first operation information in the another terminal device 10 sent from the another terminal device 10. The control section 11 sets an execution condition according to second operation in which a user performs depression operation to the operation object 161 so as to set an execution condition of exchanges.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various techniques have been proposed to improve the convenience of users who use a terminal device to communicate with other users in games or the like. For example, in a terminal device for a board game, a technique for displaying an image related to game progress on a table is known. Patent Document 1 discloses a display control device that detects the outcome of a roulette on a table and displays on the table how the piece of the user who spun the roulette has advanced according to the detected result in a board game where the user advances the piece according to the outcome of the roulette.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a terminal device that communicates with a remote partner using a physical UI, while providing an operating environment that improves convenience, there is room for improvement in the technology for enabling communication without impairing the sense of immersion.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that enables suppression of loss of the sense of immersion during communication while improving user convenience.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an operation unit having an operation target for receiving a pressing operation, a communication unit, and communicates with another terminal device through the communication unit, and the user performs the pressing operation to communicate with the user of the other terminal device. A control unit that sends first operation information related to the first operation to the other terminal device and operates the operation target corresponding to the first operation information in the other terminal device sent from the other terminal device, and the control unit is configured to: The implementation conditions are set according to a second operation in which the user performs the pressing operation on the operation target to set the implementation conditions of the communication.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve a technique that suppresses the loss of immersion during communication while improving the convenience of the user.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described. First, with reference to FIG. 1, the outline of the system 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The system 1 has at least a pair of terminal devices 10 that are communicably connected to each other via a network 20. Although two terminal devices 10 are shown in FIG. 1, the number of terminal devices 10 included in the system 1 is not limited to this.

[0010] The network 20 includes the Internet, at least one WAN (Wide Area Network), at least one MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), or a combination thereof. The network 20 may include at least one wireless network, at least one optical network, or a combination thereof. The wireless network is, for example, an ad hoc network, a cellular network, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), a satellite communication network, or a terrestrial microwave network.

[0011] The terminal device 10 according to the present embodiment includes an operation unit 16 having an operation target 161 that receives a pressing operation. The terminal device 10 communicates with another terminal device 10 and sends first operation information (hereinafter referred to as progress operation information) regarding a first operation (hereinafter referred to as an exchange progress operation) in which the user performs a pressing operation to communicate with the user of the other terminal device 10 to the other terminal device 10, and operates the operation target 161 corresponding to the progress operation information in the other terminal device 10 sent from the other terminal device 10. The terminal device 10 sets the execution conditions according to a second operation (hereinafter referred to as a setting operation) in which the user rotates the operation target 161 to set the execution conditions of the exchange.

[0012] In this embodiment, the operation unit 16 is a game board 16a as shown in FIG. 2, for example. The game board 16a includes squares 161a as operation targets 161 that rotate on the board surface to represent a plurality of different modes. In this embodiment, the interaction is specifically a game in which the user and a user of another terminal device 10 (hereinafter referred to as the opponent) alternately operate the operation target 161. The game is a Reversi game such as Othello (registered trademark), and the opponent is an opponent in the game. The pressing operation in this embodiment is an operation in which the user presses one end of the square 161a with a finger or the like on the terminal device 10 to rotate the square 161a. The square 161a is configured to be able to rotate with the X-axis direction as the rotation axis and expose a plurality of faces on the board surface. When the user rotates the square 161a from one face to another face, the terminal device 10 determines whether the rotation is an interaction progress operation or a setting operation.

[0013] When the terminal device 10 determines that the operation of the square 161a by the user is an interaction progress operation, the progress operation information is transmitted to another terminal device 10 used by the opponent in the game. In this embodiment, the progress operation information is information including the position of the square 161a on the game board 16a that the user rotated. Based on the progress operation information, the square 161a at the corresponding position rotates on another terminal device 10. Similarly, progress operation information regarding the opponent's interaction progress operation is also transmitted from the terminal device 10 used by the opponent. The terminal device 10 used by the user receives the progress operation information from the opponent, and the square 161a on the game board 16a rotates. As a result, the interaction progress operations of both the user and the opponent are reflected on the game boards 16a of their respective terminal devices 10, and the game progresses.

[0014] On the other hand, when the terminal device 10 determines that the rotation operation of the square 161a by the user is a setting operation, the terminal device 10 sets the implementation conditions of the game according to the setting operation. By performing an operation of rotating the square 161a similar to that during the actual game, it is possible to suppress the loss of immersion compared to the case of setting various implementation conditions through, for example, another input device provided separately on the terminal device 10.

[0015] Next, the configuration of the terminal device 10 included in the system 1 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, an input / output unit 14, a detection unit 15, and an operation unit 16.

[0016] The control unit 11 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). While controlling each part of the terminal device 10, the control unit 11 executes processing related to the operation of the terminal device 10.

[0017] The storage unit 12 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). The RAM is, for example, an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) or a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). is an abbreviation of. The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). The storage unit 12 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. Information used for the operation of the terminal device 10 and information obtained by the operation of the terminal device 10 are stored in the storage unit 12. For example, the storage unit 12 may store a system program, an application program, a database, and the like. The information stored in the storage unit 12 may be updated with information acquired from the network 20 via the communication unit 13.

[0018] The communication unit 13 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface is, for example, an interface corresponding to a mobile communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation) standard, or 5G (5th Generation) standard, an interface corresponding to short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), or a LAN interface. The communication unit 13 receives information used for the operation of the terminal device 10 and transmits information obtained by the operation of the terminal device 10.

[0019] The input / output unit 14 includes an input interface that detects an input by a user and sends input information to the control unit 11. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a touch screen provided integrally with a panel display, or a microphone that receives voice input, but is not limited thereto, and may be any input unit. The input / output unit 14 includes an output interface that outputs information generated by the control unit 11 or read from the storage unit 12 to the user. The output interface is, for example, a panel display that outputs information as an image, or a speaker that outputs information as voice, but is not limited thereto, and may be any output unit. The input / output unit 14 can notify the user of information acquired via the communication unit 13 by voice or screen display or the like. Instead of being provided in the terminal device 10, the input / output unit 14 may be connected to the terminal device 10 as an external output device.

[0020] The detection unit 15 has one or more sensors that detect the state or operation of the terminal device 10, or an interface with the sensors, and sends information indicating the detection result by the sensors to the control unit 11. The sensors include various sensors that detect the state of the operation target 161 in the operation unit 16. The sensors are, for example, rotation angle sensors that detect the rotation state of the grid 161a provided on the game board 16a.

[0021] The functions of the terminal device 10 are realized by executing the control program according to the present embodiment with a processor corresponding to the control unit 11. That is, the functions of the terminal device 10 are realized by software. The control program causes the computer to execute the operations of the terminal device 10, thereby enabling the computer to function as the terminal device 10. That is, the computer functions as the terminal device 10 by executing the operations of the terminal device 10 according to the control program.

[0022] The program can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non-transitory computer-readable medium is, for example, a magnetic recording device, an optical disk, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a ROM. The distribution of the program can be carried out, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending a portable medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) storing the program. The program may be stored in the server storage and distributed by transferring the program from the server to other computers. The program may be provided as a program product.

[0023] A computer stores, for example, a program stored in a portable medium or a program transferred from a server in a main memory device once. Then, the computer reads the program stored in the main memory device with a processor and executes processing according to the read program with the processor. The computer may directly read a program from a portable medium and execute processing according to the program. The computer may sequentially execute processing according to the received program each time a program is transferred from a server to the computer. Processing may be executed by a so-called ASP (Application Service Provider) type service that realizes functions only by execution instructions and result acquisition without transferring a program from a server to a computer. A program includes information for use in processing by an electronic computer that conforms to the program. For example, data that is not a direct instruction to a computer but has a property that defines the processing of the computer corresponds to "what conforms to the program".

[0024] Some or all of the functions of the terminal device 10 may be realized by a programmable circuit or a dedicated circuit as the control unit 11. That is, some or all of the functions of the terminal device 10 may be realized by hardware.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the game board 16a. As shown in FIG. 2, the game board 16a has a plurality of squares 161a arranged on the XY plane. The outer shape of the game board 16a and the outer shape of the squares 161a may be a rectangle other than a square as shown in FIG. 2, or may be an arbitrary shape such as a polygon or a circle.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional perspective view showing one of the grids 161a. As shown in FIG. 3, the grid 161a has a triangular prism shape with a height in the X-axis direction, and the triangular prism rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow around the rotation axis 163. As a result, the grid 161a, which is the side surface of the triangular prism, can represent three different modes on the game board. In the present embodiment, the grid 161a having the white piece shown in FIG. 3, the grid 161a having the black piece (not shown), and the grid 161a without a piece are represented as three different modes. Thereby, in the terminal device 10, three types of modes, namely, the mode occupied by the white camp, the mode occupied by the black camp, and the mode in which no piece has been placed by either camp, are represented by the respective grids 161a.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the rotation structure of the grid 161a includes a motor 162 that rotates the rotation axis 163. The motor 162 is, for example, a stepping motor that rotates in response to an instruction from the control unit 11. Each grid 161a rotates by a manual operation of the user, and also rotates by the operation of the motor 162 based on the progress operation information of the opponent. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a detection unit 15 that detects the rotation angle of the grid 161a is provided, for example, at one end of the rotation axis 163. The detection unit 15 is, for example, a rotation angle sensor. The rotation angle is, for example, an angle rotated in the range of 0 to 2π from a reference state where an arbitrary surface of the grid 161a is exposed on the board surface of the game board 16a. The information on the rotation angle detected by the detection unit 15 is sent to the control unit 11. Thereby, the control unit 11 can determine the mode currently represented by the grid 161a from the rotation angle. For example, the control unit 11 determines that the grid 161a having no piece is in the mode when the rotation angle is 0, the grid 161a having the white piece is in the mode when the rotation angle is 2 / 3π, and the grid 161a having the black piece is in the mode when the rotation angle is 3 / 2π. The control unit 11 can associate the detected angle or the determined mode with the position of the grid 161a and store it in the storage unit 12. The position of the grid 161a is, for example, information indicated by a matrix.

[0028] The control unit 11 calculates the number of rotations based on the angle detected by the detection unit 15. When the control unit 11 rotates such that the grid 161a changes in one mode, that is, when the rotation angle is 2 / 3π, the control unit 11 calculates the number of rotations as one. The control unit 11 divides the angle detected by the detection unit 15 by the time interval measured by the time counter to calculate the rotation speed of the grid 161a.

[0029] Referring to the flowchart in FIG. 4, the operation of the terminal device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, the terminal device 10 transmits and receives information to and from each external device via the communication unit 13 and the network 20.

[0030] In step S1, the control unit 11 of the terminal device 10 receives an input to the operation target 161 by the user. Specifically, the control unit 11 receives an input of an operation for the user to rotate the grid 161a. Specifically, the control unit 11 receives an input of the operation when the detection unit 15 detects a rotation of a reference angle or more. The reference angle is arbitrarily set in advance and stored in the storage unit 12 in advance. For example, the reference angle is large enough to be distinguishable from the initial movement of the grid due to an accidental operation by the user, and is small enough to be distinguishable from the operation of the grid 161a for game progress. In the present embodiment, the rotation angle sensor as the detection unit 15 detects the rotation, but it is not limited thereto. For example, when the control unit 11 processes an image captured by a camera provided above the terminal device 10 in the vertical direction to capture the game board 16a by any image processing technique and detects that the grid 161a has rotated, the control unit 11 may receive an input of the operation by the user.

[0031] In step S2, the control unit 11 determines whether the operation received in step S1 is either the first operation or the second operation.

[0032] Any method can be adopted for the determination. For example, the control unit 11 may display, to the user via the input / output unit 14, a text message stored in advance in the storage unit 12 for specifying the rotation speed, position, etc. of the grid 161a, and then make a determination according to the subsequent operations by the user. For example, after the control unit 11 causes the input / output unit 14 to display "Please rotate the grid one more time if you want to set the game. Please rotate the grid two more times if you want to start the game.", the control unit 11 may detect the rotation speed of the grid 161a by the detection unit 15 according to the user's operation. If the grid is rotated once, it may be determined as a setting operation, and if it is rotated twice, it may be determined as a game progress operation. Alternatively, for example, after the control unit 11 causes the input / output unit 14 to display "Please rotate the bottom right grid one more time if you want to set the game. Please rotate the bottom left grid one more time if you want to play the game.", the control unit 11 may detect the position of the grid 161a rotated by the user by the detection unit 15. If the bottom right grid 161a is rotated, it may be determined as a setting operation, and if the bottom left grid 161a is rotated, it may be determined as a game progress operation.

[0033] For example, the control unit 11 may communicate with an external server device that records and manages the setting conditions of the terminal device 10 in the storage unit, and determine the operation of the user after receiving a request for setting the implementation conditions of the game from the server device as a setting operation. For example, the control unit 11 may read out information indicating the completion / non-completion status of the setting of the implementation conditions from the storage unit 12, and if the completion of the implementation conditions is confirmed, it may also be determined that the operation received in step S1 is a game progress operation.

[0034] First, the case where the control unit 11 determines it as the second operation in step S2 will be described. In step S3, the control unit 11 acquires the attribute information of the user. The attribute information includes the user's age, gender, presence or degree of a predetermined disability, presence or degree of a predetermined injury, etc. The attribute information is associated with the user ID and stored in the storage unit 12 of the terminal device 10.

[0035] Any method may be adopted to obtain the attribute information. The control unit 11 may obtain the attribute information by reading it from the storage unit 12 of the terminal device 10, or may obtain it from an external server device that stores the attribute information in association with the user ID in the storage unit. The control unit 11 may obtain the information input by the user via the input / output unit 14 as the attribute information.

[0036] In step S4, the control unit 11 sets the volume output from the input / output unit 14. The volume refers to the volume of the music flowing during the game, the volume of the voice of the opponent in the case where the terminal device 10 has a call function, and the like. The control unit 11 sets the volume to be larger as the rotation speed of the grid 161a detected by the detection unit 15 is larger. Not limited to this, the control unit 11 may set the volume to be larger as the rotation angle of the grid 161a detected by the detection unit 15 is larger, or may set the volume to be larger as the rotation speed is faster. For example, the control unit 11 refers to a table stored in advance in the storage unit 12 in which the rotation speed, the rotation angle, or the rotation speed is associated with the degree of the volume, and sets the volume. In the present embodiment, the control unit 11 completes the volume setting when the user stops the rotation. The control unit 11 may complete the volume setting when any operation is performed, such as rotating in the opposite direction by a predetermined angle. The control unit 11 controls the input / output unit 14 to output at the set volume.

[0037] The control unit 11 sets the volume according to the user's attribute information. For example, when the user's attribute information indicates that the user has a hearing impairment, the control unit 11 may automatically increase the reference volume before the user starts rotating the grid 161a as compared to the case where it indicates that the user has no hearing impairment. For example, the control unit 11 may set a larger degree of increase or decrease in volume according to the rotation amount, rotation angle, or rotation speed of the grid 161a as compared to the case where there is no hearing impairment. Not limited to the above, when the attribute information indicates the degree of hearing impairment, the control unit 11 may set a larger volume as the degree is larger. For example, the control unit 11 refers to a table in which the value obtained by quantifying the hearing ability and the volume to be set are associated and stored in advance in the storage unit 12 to set the volume. For example, when the age indicated by the attribute information is equal to or greater than a predetermined age stored in advance in the storage unit 12, the control unit 11 automatically increases the reference volume before the user starts rotating the grid 161a.

[0038] Next, in step S5, the control unit 11 sets an opponent. For example, the control unit 11 refers to the information in which the ID of the candidate for the opponent in the game and the access destination information indicating the access destination stored in the storage unit 12 are associated, and notifies the user of the information indicating the candidate for the opponent via the input / output unit 14. The access destination information is information for identifying the terminal device 10 of the opponent on the network 20. For example, the control unit 11 may output a voice reading out the name of the candidate via the input / output unit 14. The control unit 11 increments the value of the ID indicating the candidate opponent according to the number of rotations of the grid 161a by the user detected by the detection unit 15. Not limited to this, the control unit 11 may increment the value of the ID indicating the candidate opponent according to the rotation angle, or may increment the value of the ID indicating the candidate opponent according to the rotation speed. In the present embodiment, the control unit 11 sets the candidate having the ID value when the user stops rotating as the opponent. Not limited to this, the control unit 11 may set the opponent when any operation such as rotating in the opposite direction by a predetermined angle is performed. The predetermined angle may be freely set by the user and may be stored in advance in the storage unit 12. In this way, the user can select an opponent. The control unit 11 can connect the terminal device 10 to the terminal device 10 of the opponent by communicating with the access destination associated with the ID of the selected opponent. Thereafter, the operation of the control unit 11 returns to step S1.

[0039] The control unit 11 may receive the information in which the ID of the candidate for the opponent and the access destination information indicating the access destination are associated, which is transmitted from the server device that stores the list of users who have registered for the game in the storage unit, and output it from the input / output unit 14. The control unit 11 refers to the output and transmits the information indicating the opponent selected by the user to the server device. Thereby, the server device determines the opponent and the user as a combination for the game, and transmits the information indicating the access destination of the opponent to the terminal device 10. The terminal device 10 can be connected to the terminal device 10 of the opponent by communicating with the access destination.

[0040] The control unit 11 may set an opponent for the battle according to the user's attribute information. For example, the control unit 11 reads out the attribute information of the candidates for the opponent stored in the storage unit 12, identifies the candidates whose ages are within a difference of a predetermined value from the age indicated by the user's attribute information, and may notify the user via the input / output unit 14. This makes it easier for the user to select an opponent from among the candidates with ages close to their own when rotating the grid 161a to select an opponent.

[0041] The control unit 11 may set the load of the rotation of the grid 161a according to the user's attribute information. In this case, it is assumed that a load is usually applied when the user rotates the grid 161a. The load is applied by the control unit 11 controlling the motor 162 to drive the rotation shaft 163 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the user is rotating when the detection unit 15 detects that the user has rotated the grid. Alternatively, the terminal device 10 may be provided with an actuator for applying friction by bringing a member such as rubber into contact with the rotation shaft 163, and the control unit 11 may control this to apply a load due to friction. For example, when the user's attribute information indicates that there is a disability in the hand, the control unit 11 sets the load of the rotation of the grid 161a to be smaller compared to the case where there is no disability. For example, when the age of the user indicated by the attribute information is less than a predetermined age, the control unit 11 sets the load of the rotation of the grid 161a to be smaller compared to the case where the age is greater than or equal to the predetermined age. For example, when the age of the user indicated by the attribute information is greater than or equal to a predetermined age, the control unit 11 sets the load of the rotation of the grid 161a to be smaller compared to the case where the age is less than the predetermined age. For example, a table in which information for defining the magnitude of the load to be set is associated with the user's attribute information is stored in advance in the storage unit 12, and the control unit 11 can set the load by referring to the storage unit 12 and reading out the table.

[0042] As shown in steps S4 and 5, the control unit 11 sets the implementation conditions based on the setting operation.

[0043] The settings performed by the control unit 11 according to the setting operations are not limited to the above. For example, the control unit 11 may set a user name to be displayed on the input / output unit 14 during the game. In this case, the control unit 11 causes the input / output unit 14 to display a character list and controls a display in which the cursor position for selecting a character moves in accordance with the rotation of the grid 161a.

[0044] After setting the implementation conditions, the control unit 11 may update information indicating the completion / non-completion status of the setting of the implementation conditions to information indicating the completion of the setting. The control unit 11 stores the updated information in the storage unit 12. This information is initialized to information indicating an incomplete state at the end of the game described in step S8 below.

[0045] Next, the case where it is determined as the first operation in step S2 will be described. In step S6, the control unit 11 transmits the first operation information to the other party's terminal device 10. The control unit 11 generates and transmits information indicating the position of the grid 161a rotated by the user as progress operation information. The position of the grid 161a may be represented by a matrix. The progress operation information may further include the rotation angle of the grid 161a detected by the detection unit 15.

[0046] When the control unit 11 sets the above load, for example, it controls the motor 162 to rotate the rotating shaft 163 in the opposite direction to the set degree to apply a load to the rotation. Thereby, when the grid 161a rotates by the AC progress operation, the set load is applied.

[0047] In step S7, the control unit 11 receives progress operation information related to the AC progress operation of the opponent from the opponent's terminal device 10. The control unit 11 rotates the grid 161a at the corresponding position based on the progress operation information. Specifically, the control unit 11 controls the motor 162 to rotate the grid 161a at the position indicated by the received AC progress operation.

[0048] By repeating steps S1 to S8, it becomes possible to change the settings of the game execution conditions midway. Until the end in step S8, the game between the user and the opponent progresses. During the game, the control unit 11 may determine, based on the detection by the detection unit 15, that the number of the user's pieces is a predetermined number more than the number of the opponent's pieces, that the number of all the squares 161a has reached a predetermined ratio or more, and the like. The control unit 11 may control the input / output unit 14 to output music, voice, or the like according to the result of the determination.

[0049] In step S8, the control unit 11 determines whether the game has ended. For example, when the control unit 11 determines, based on the detection by the detection unit 15, that all the squares 161a of the game board 16a have rotated, the control unit 11 determines that the game has ended. Not limited to this, the control unit 11 may analyze the image captured by the camera as the detection unit 15 by any image processing technique and determine that the game has ended when it determines that pieces are showing on all the squares 161a. When it is determined that the game has not ended (step S8: NO), the operation of the control unit 11 returns to step S1. When it is determined that the game has ended (step S8: YES), the processing of the terminal device 10 ends.

[0050] As described above, the terminal device 10 according to the present embodiment includes an operation unit 16 having an operation target 161 that receives a pressing operation, a communication unit 13, and a control unit 11 that communicates with another terminal device 10 via the communication unit 13, sends first operation information regarding a first operation in which a user performs a pressing operation to communicate with a user of the other terminal device 10 to the other terminal device 10, and operates the operation target 161 corresponding to the first operation information in the other terminal device 10 sent from the other terminal device 10. The control unit 11 sets implementation conditions according to a second operation in which the user performs a pressing operation on the operation target 161 to set the implementation conditions for communication. As described above, the operation unit 16 is the game board 16a, and the operation target 161 is the grid 161a that rotates on the board surface of the game board 16a and represents a plurality of different modes. Since the implementation conditions of the game can be set by rotating the grid 161a of the game board 16a in the same manner as during the game, the user can concentrate on the game without being aware that the opponent is remote. Therefore, it is possible to improve the technology that suppresses the loss of immersion during communication while improving the convenience for the user.

[0051] As described above, in the terminal device 10 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 11 sets implementation conditions according to the rotation state of the grid 161a including at least one of the rotation speed, rotation angle, or rotation speed of the grid 161a by the second operation. For setting the implementation conditions, since the second condition can be automatically set only by rotating the grid 161a, for example, compared with the case of pressing other input buttons or the like separately provided at a location other than the game board 16a of the terminal device 10, the user can concentrate on the game without being aware of the switching between the implementation conditions of the game and the progress of the game. Therefore, it is possible to improve the technology that suppresses the loss of immersion during communication while improving the convenience for the user.

[0052] As described above, in the terminal device 10 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 11 sets implementation conditions based on the attributes of the user. Since the implementation conditions can be appropriately set according to the attributes of the user, it is possible to improve the technology that suppresses the loss of immersion during communication while improving the convenience for the user.

[0053] As described above, in the terminal device 10 according to the present embodiment, the game execution conditions include the volume output by the terminal device 10. Further, in the terminal device 10 according to the present embodiment, the game execution conditions include the selection of the game opponent. According to the present embodiment, the volume during the game or the opponent can be set by a simple operation of rotating the grid 161a. Therefore, it is possible to improve the technology that suppresses the loss of immersion during communication while improving the convenience for the user.

[0054] (Modification example) In the modification example, the terminal device 10 may further include a projection unit. The projection unit is, for example, a projector that can project colors, images, etc. onto the game board 16a including the pieces on the grid 161a rotated by the user under the control of the control unit 11. In this modification example, the projection unit may be supported by an arm and provided above the terminal device 10 in the vertical direction. In the case of this modification example, the surface of the grid 161a may be two surfaces each having a colorless piece, excluding the surface with nothing.

[0055] The operation of the terminal device 10 according to this modification example will be described. Steps S1 to 5 are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, so the description thereof will be omitted.

[0056] In step S6, the control unit 11 transmits the first operation information to the opponent. At this time, the control unit 11 controls the projection unit to project the color of the user's camp on the piece rotated by the user. Thereby, the user can recognize that the color of their own camp is attached to the piece.

[0057] In step S7, the control unit 11 receives progress operation information related to the opponent's alternating progress operation from the opponent's terminal device 10, and rotates the grid 161a at the corresponding position. The control unit 11 controls the projection unit to project the color of the opponent's formation on the rotated piece. Thereby, the user can recognize that the color of the opponent's formation is attached to the rotated piece. The control unit 11 may associate the color projected by the projection unit on the piece and the represented mode with the position of the grid 161a, and store it in the storage unit 12 as information indicating the color of the grid 161a.

[0058] The control unit 11 may control the projection unit to display an image according to the game situation on the game board 16a. For example, based on the information indicating the color of the grid 161a projected by the projection unit, the control unit 11 determines that the color of the user's piece is a predetermined number more than the number of the opponent's pieces, and the total number of the grids 161a has reached a predetermined ratio or more. According to the result of the determination, the control unit 11 may control the projection unit to project predetermined light, an image, or the like on the game board 16a. For example, among all the grids 161a on the game board 16a, information on a predetermined image or the like corresponding to the ratio of the grids 161a representing the pieces of the user's formation may be stored in the storage unit 12 in advance.

[0059] The process of step S8 is the same as that of the above-described embodiment, so the description is omitted.

[0060] According to this modification, the control unit 11 can control the projection unit to project an arbitrary color, pattern, or the like on the piece provided with the grid 161a. Further, in this modification, since the projection unit can reset the game only by erasing the image, the user can easily enjoy the game.

[0061] (Second Embodiment) Hereinafter, a second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the operation unit 16 is a keyboard instrument 16b. In this embodiment, the alternation is specifically a duet performance by the user and the other party, and the other party is a duet partner. This is not limited thereto, and the other party may be an instructor who teaches the performance of the keyboard instrument 16b or a student who learns the performance of the keyboard instrument 16b.

[0062] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the keyboard instrument 16b. As shown in FIG. 5, the keyboard instrument 16b includes a plurality of keyboards 161b as operation targets 161. When the user performs a pressing operation on the keyboard 161b, the detection unit 15 connected to each of the keyboards 161b detects the pressing operation and outputs the detection result to the control unit 11. Thereby, the control unit 11 can generate progress operation information including the position in the keyboard instrument 16b where the user has performed the pressing operation, similarly to the above-described first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the detection unit 15 is, for example, a pressure sensor that detects the pressing force of the pressing operation on the keyboard 161b, or a displacement meter that measures the displacement amount of the keyboard 161b due to the pressing operation on the keyboard 161b by light, current, or the like. The detection unit 15 may be a camera provided above the terminal device 10 in the vertical direction and photographing the operation unit 16. The control unit 11 may analyze the image captured by the camera by any image processing technique to read the depth of the keyboard 161b where the user has performed the pressing operation.

[0063] The control unit 11 controls the input / output unit 14 to output a tone of a pitch corresponding to the position of the keyboard 161b detected by the detection unit 15. A table in which the position of the keyboard 161b and the pitch are associated in advance is stored in the storage unit 12, and the control unit 11 can output a sound via the input / output unit 14 by referring to the table.

[0064] The control unit 11 can control the input / output unit 14 to output a sound with a larger volume as the operation amount of the pressing operation on the keyboard 161b detected by the detection unit 15 is larger. A table associating the operation amount and the volume is stored in the storage unit 12 in advance, and the control unit 11 can determine the volume of the sound to be output by referring to the table.

[0065] Each of the keyboards 161b includes a drive unit that moves the keyboard 161b up and down in response to an instruction from the control unit 11. The drive unit is a motor, a solenoid device, or the like. Each keyboard 161b is pushed down by the user's pressing operation, and also moves up and down by the operation of the drive unit based on the progress operation information received by the terminal device 10, similarly to the above-described first embodiment.

[0066] The terminal device 10 may further include a projection unit. The projection unit includes a projector or the like and can project an image or the like onto the keyboard 161b. The control unit 11 can control the projection unit to project an image within the range of the keyboard 161b where the user or the other party should perform a pressing operation. For example, information indicating the range of the keyboard 161b to be played by two or more players according to the content of the score of a piece with rapid repeated notes is stored in the storage unit 12 in advance. By referring to this information, the control unit 11 can control the projection unit to project an image within the range of the keyboard 161b where the user or the other party should perform a pressing operation. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a situation where the projection unit indicates the range of the keyboard 161b to be played by each person in a piece with rapid repeated notes played by three people including the user and two other players for rapid repeated notes. Piano1 is the range played by the user, and Piano2 and Piano3 are the ranges played by the two other parties.

[0067] The operation of the terminal device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. Hereinafter, only the parts that are particularly different from the first embodiment will be described.

[0068] In step S1, the control unit 11 receives an input from the user to the keyboard 161b as the operation target 161. The control unit 11 receives an input of an operation of performing a pressing operation on the keyboard 161b when the detection unit 15 detects a pressure equal to or higher than a reference pressure arbitrarily set. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may detect a pressing operation on the keyboard 161b by performing image processing on an image obtained by photographing the operation unit 16 and receive an input of the operation.

[0069] In the determination of the communication progress operation or setting operation in step S2, the control unit 11 determines that it is a communication progress operation when the user presses the keyboard 161b multiple times within an arbitrarily set time interval, that is, when playing. The transmission of the progress operation information and the reflection on the keyboard 161b after receiving the progress operation information of the other party are alternately performed, realizing a situation of remote continuous playing. Alternatively, the control unit 11 may notify the user by voice output or image output by the input / output unit 14 of a message for prompting the user to press the keyboard 161b, specify the position, etc., and then make a determination according to the subsequent operation by the user. The message by voice output is, for example, a message such as "Please press the keyboard one more time if you want to set the performance. Please press the keyboard two more times if you want to start the performance." In that case, the setting operation or the communication progress operation is determined according to the number of times the user presses the keyboard 161b. The message by image output is a message such as "Please press the keyboard within the range of Piano1 if you want to set the performance. Please press the keyboard within the range of Piano2 if you want to start the performance." The image output is made, for example, by projecting an image on the keyboard instrument 16b. In this case, a display as shown in FIG. 5 is displayed on the keyboard instrument 16b. After that, the control unit 11 detects the position of the keyboard 161b pressed by the user by the detection unit 15, determines that it is a setting operation when the user presses the keyboard 161b within the range displayed as Piano1, and determines that it is a communication progress operation when the user presses the keyboard 161b within the range displayed as Piano2.

[0070] In step S4, the control unit 11 sets a larger volume, for example, as the pressure of the keyboard 161b detected by the detection unit 15 is larger. In step S5, the control unit 11 increments the value of the ID indicating the candidate for the continuous playing partner, for example, each time the number of times the detection unit 15 detects the pressing operation of the keyboard 161b increases. Other operations of the control unit 11 in steps S4 and S5 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0071] In step S6, the control unit 11 transmits the first operation information to the other party's terminal device 10. The control unit 11 generates, as progress operation information, information indicating the position of the keyboard 161b that the user has pressed and transmits it. The position of the keyboard 161b may be represented in a matrix. The progress operation information may further include the pressure related to the pressing operation of the keyboard 161b detected by the detection unit 15, the length of time of the pressing operation, and the like.

[0072] In step S7, the control unit 11 receives, from the other party's terminal device 10, progress operation information related to the other party's alternating progress operation, and controls the drive units connected to the respective keyboards 161b to move the keyboards 161b at the corresponding positions up and down.

[0073] In step S8, the control unit 11 determines whether the alternation has ended. For example, the control unit 11 may receive the user's utterance of "I will end" via the input / output unit 14, analyze it using any voice processing technology, and determine that the alternation has ended. For example, the control unit 11 controls the projection unit to display, at the end of the operation unit 16, the character "Logout" as shown in FIG. 5 for the user to select the end of the performance. When the detection unit 15 detects that the user has pressed the keyboard 161b within the range of the display position, the control unit 11 may determine that the alternation has ended.

[0074] According to the present embodiment, it is possible to communicate with a partner who is away from the user during a performance without the need to separately provide a device other than the operation unit 16. The user can concentrate on the performance without being conscious of switching between the performance execution conditions and the progress of the performance. Therefore, it is possible to improve the convenience of the user and to improve the technology for suppressing the loss of immersion during communication.

[0075] In the above, the embodiments have been described based on the drawings and examples, but it should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each means, each step, etc. can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and it is possible to combine a plurality of means, steps, etc. into one or to divide them.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0076] 1 System 10 Terminal device 11 Control unit 12 Storage unit 13 Communication unit 14 Input / output unit 15 Detection unit 16 Operation unit 16a Game board 16b Keyboard instrument 20 Network 161 Object to be operated 161a Grid 161b Keyboard 162 Motor 163 Rotating shaft

Claims

1. An operation unit having an operation target that accepts a pressing operation, a communication unit, communicates with another terminal device via the communication unit, sends first operation information regarding a first operation in which the user performs the pressing operation to communicate with a user of the other terminal device to the other terminal device, and controls to operate the operation target corresponding to the first operation information in the other terminal device sent from the other terminal device, and the control unit sets the implementation conditions according to a second operation in which the user performs the pressing operation on the operation target to set the implementation conditions of the communication. A terminal device, when the operation target that has received the pressing operation is in a position not related to the development of the communication, the control unit determines the pressing operation as the second operation, and when it is in a position other than the position, the control unit determines the pressing operation as the first operation.

2. An operation unit having an operation target that accepts a pressing operation, a communication unit, communicates with another terminal device via the communication unit, sends first operation information regarding a first operation in which the user performs the pressing operation to communicate with a user of the other terminal device to the other terminal device, and controls to operate the operation target corresponding to the first operation information in the other terminal device sent from the other terminal device, and the control unit sets the implementation conditions according to a second operation in which the user performs the pressing operation on the operation target to set the implementation conditions of the communication. A terminal device, the operation unit is a game board, the operation target is a square on the game board surface that rotates to represent a plurality of different modes, when the square that has received the pressing operation is in a position not related to the development of the communication on the game board, the control unit determines the pressing operation as the second operation, and when it is in a position other than the position, the control unit determines the pressing operation as the first operation.

3. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit sets the implementation conditions according to the rotation state of the grid including at least one of the number of rotations, rotation angle, or rotation speed of the grid by the second operation.

4. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit sets the implementation conditions based on the attributes of the user.

5. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the implementation conditions include the volume output by the terminal device.

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