Programs and Systems

Abstract

To provide a program and system that cause a computer to function as modification means which modifies, according to characteristics of a region, at least one of the number or distribution of events associated with a current location, the events allowing users to participate in using their terminals.SOLUTION: In a system including a server device, a plurality of terminals, and a network, an event processing unit 230 of the terminal device includes modification means. The modification means is configured to adjust the density of events in a region of larger number of users or population so as to be higher than the density of events in a region of smaller number of users or population, and distribute events more evenly in a region in which the number of users or population exceeds a threshold, than in a region in which the number of users or population is equal to or less than the threshold.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a program and a system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 states, "The non-player character participation module is a module that determines whether the number of matches established within a predetermined period for each region is below a predetermined number, and determines whether the number of player characters matched from the start of matching by the processing of the matching module until a predetermined time has reached a predetermined number in the region corresponding to the region information where the number of matches established is below the predetermined number." (paragraph 0040). [Prior art document] [Patent documents] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-20788 A Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of the present invention, a program is provided that causes a computer to function as a change means for changing the type of event that occurs in which a user can participate using a terminal and is associated with a real location, depending on the population density of the area.

[0004] In the above program, the event is an event in which a plurality of users compete, and the number of events in which a plurality of users compete may be set to be more likely to occur in areas with higher population density.

[0005] In any of the above programs, the change means may determine the type of event to be generated based on at least one of terrain characteristics, accessibility, nearby facilities, the number of users participating in other events held in the past, weather, or disasters.

[0006] In any of the above programs, the change means may use location information of each user using an application that includes the provision of the event, and change the type of event to be generated in accordance with a prediction of the location where the user will be located in the future.

[0007] In a second aspect of the present invention, a system is provided that includes a change means for changing the type of event occurring that is associated with a real location and that a user can participate in using a terminal, depending on the population density of the area.

[0008] The above summary of the invention does not list all of the features of the present invention, and subcombinations of these features may also be inventions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 shows the configuration of a system 10 according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 shows the configuration of a server device 20 according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] An example of a data structure related to each user stored in the database 200 is shown below. [Figure 4] The configuration of a terminal device 30 according to this embodiment is shown together with an input device 50 and a display device 60. [Figure 5] 10 shows a processing flow in the server device 20 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] The configuration of the event processing unit 230 according to this embodiment is shown together with the instruction input unit 210, the game processing unit 220, the display processing unit 240, and the input device . [Figure 7] 10 shows an event processing flow in the server device 20 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] An example of a data structure related to regions stored in the database 200 is shown. [Figure 9] 1 shows a first example of a data structure related to events stored in the database 200. [Figure 10]2 shows a second example of a data structure related to events stored in the database 200. [Figure 11] 10 shows a first example of an event change method in the server device 20 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 shows a second example of an event change method in the server device 20 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 13] 22 illustrates an example computer 2200 in which aspects of the present invention may be embodied, in whole or in part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention according to the claims. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0011] 1 shows a system 10 according to this embodiment. The system 10 includes a server device 20, multiple terminal devices 30, and a network 40. The system 10 has a function of hosting an event associated with a real-world location and allowing one or multiple users to participate using one or multiple terminal devices 30, respectively.

[0012] The server device 20 is connected to a plurality of terminal devices 30 via a network 40. The server device 20 receives access from one or more terminal devices 30 and provides the terminal devices 30 with events associated with real-world locations. The server device 20 may have a function of providing in-game events, live streaming, merchandise sales, or other events as events associated with real-world locations. In the present embodiment, the server device 20 can, for example, provide a game environment to the terminal devices 30 and also provide in-game events associated with real-world locations.

[0013] The server device 20 may be a computer such as a personal computer (PC), a workstation, a server computer, a general-purpose computer, a tablet computer, or a smartphone, or may be a computer system in which multiple computers are connected. Such a computer system is also a computer in the broad sense. The server device 20 may also be implemented as one or more virtual computer environments executable within a computer. Alternatively, the server device 20 may be a dedicated computer designed for the system 10, or may be dedicated hardware implemented using dedicated circuitry.

[0014] The terminal device 30 is connected to the server device 20 via a network 40. The terminal device 30 may be a personal computer, a notebook computer, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet computer, a game console, or any other terminal device capable of inputting and outputting data.

[0015] The network 40 connects the server device 20 and a plurality of terminal devices 30. The network 40 may be configured to include, for example, various wired or wireless networks such as the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), a local area network, or a mobile phone network, or a combination thereof.

[0016] 2 shows the server device 20 according to this embodiment. The server device 20 includes a database 200, an instruction input unit 210, a game processing unit 220, an event processing unit 230, and a display processing unit 240.

[0017] The database 200 stores user information about users and content information about events. In this embodiment, the user information is data recording the game progress and play history of each user who is a player of a game as an example of the content to be provided. In this embodiment, the content information is a programmed game scenario, images, sounds, or other data related to the game as an example of the content to be provided. The database 200 may be realized by at least a portion of the storage area of ​​an external storage device such as a hard disk drive connected to the server device 20, or may be realized by a storage device external to the server device 20 provided, for example, by a cloud storage service or the like.

[0018] The instruction input unit 210 is connected to a plurality of terminal devices 30 via the network 40. The instruction input unit 210 receives various instructions from the terminal devices 30, including various operations performed by the user while playing the game and various operations related to events performed by the user. The instruction input unit 210 supplies the received game-related instructions to the game processing unit 220. The instruction input unit 210 may also function as a location information input unit that inputs location information indicating the location of the terminal device 30 from the terminal device 30.

[0019] The game processing unit 220 is connected to the database 200, the instruction input unit 210, and the display processing unit 240. In response to game-related instructions received from the instruction input unit 210, the game processing unit 220 performs processing for progressing the game based on user information and content information stored in the database 200. In the example of this embodiment, the server device 20 provides a role-playing game as the content to be provided. In response to user instructions within the game space, the game processing unit 220 performs various game processes, such as organizing a group (also referred to as a "party") including one or more characters (virtual people or creatures such as animals placed in the game space), equipping each character with items such as weapons or armor, purchasing or selling items, moving the party, having the party fight enemies encountered, and developing characters based on combat experience. The server device 20 may provide any type of game other than a role-playing game.

[0020] The event processing unit 230 is connected to the database 200, the instruction input unit 210, and the display processing unit 240. In addition to the example shown in the figure, the event processing unit 230 may be connected to the game processing unit 220. The event processing unit 230 performs processing for progressing an event based on the user information and content information stored in the database 200, in response to an instruction regarding the event received from the instruction input unit 210.

[0021] The display processing unit 240 is connected to the terminal device 30 via the network 40. The display processing unit 240 performs display processing for displaying various display screens relating to games and events on the terminal device 30 as the display target in response to instructions from the game processing unit 220 and the event processing unit 230.

[0022] 3 shows an example of the data structure for each user stored in database 200. Database 200 stores game state data for each of multiple users. The game state data includes information about each user, such as "user ID," "in-game currency," "in-game rank," "location information," "possessed character information," "possessed item information," and "friend ID."

[0023] "User ID" is information for identifying the corresponding user and may be a number uniquely determined within the system 10. "In-game currency" indicates the remaining amount of in-game currency possessed by the corresponding user. "In-game currency" may be stored separately into the remaining amount of paid in-game currency possessed by the corresponding user and the remaining amount of free in-game currency. "In-game rank" indicates the rank of the corresponding user in the game.

[0024] "Location information" indicates the location information of the corresponding user. The location information may be information about the location of the terminal device 30 used by the corresponding user or information about a location approximate to this. "Location information" may be only the current location information of the corresponding user, or may also include a location history including the location information of the corresponding user at each point in time in the past. The instruction input unit 210 of the server device 20 may acquire the location information from the terminal device 30 via the network 40. The server device 20 may acquire the coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the location where the terminal device 30 is located as the location information. Alternatively, the server device 20 may acquire, from the terminal device 30, for example, a place name, a location ID, or other information that can identify the location of the terminal device 30 with a certain degree of accuracy as the location information.

[0025] "Owned character information" indicates information about one or more characters possessed by the corresponding user. Character information may include the corresponding character's type, attributes, rarity (difficulty of obtaining in the game), HP (hit points), MP (magic points), etc. "Owned item information" indicates information about one or more items possessed by the corresponding user. The items may include the type and quantity of the corresponding item. "Friend ID" indicates the user ID of another user linked to the corresponding user.

[0026] The database 200 may store history information including a part or all of the game play history for each of a plurality of users. The history information may include the history of each user's participation in or application for an event.

[0027] FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the terminal device 30 according to this embodiment, together with the input device 50 and the display device 60. The input device 50 may be a keyboard, a mouse, a touch sensor of a touch panel, or the like, and inputs user instructions to the server device 20 of the system 10 and supplies the instructions to the terminal device 30. The display device 60 may be an image display unit of a display or a touch panel, or the like, and displays a display screen output by the server device 20 of the system 10. The input device 50 and the display device 60 may be integrated with the terminal device 30. The terminal device 30 includes a terminal input processing unit 300, a terminal state acquisition unit 305, a terminal transmission unit 310, a terminal reception unit 320, and a terminal display processing unit 330.

[0028] The terminal input processing unit 300 is connected to the input device 50 and the terminal transmission unit 310. The terminal input processing unit 300 receives user instructions from the input device 50 and supplies the instructions to the terminal transmission unit 310.

[0029] The terminal status acquisition unit 305 is connected to the terminal transmission unit 310. The terminal status acquisition unit 305 receives location information of the terminal device 30 from a location sensor such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver provided in the terminal device 30, and supplies the location information to the terminal transmission unit 310.

[0030] The terminal transmitting unit 310 is connected to the network 40. The terminal transmitting unit 310 supplies the user's instructions received from the terminal input processing unit 300 to the server device 20 via the network 40. The terminal transmitting unit 310 supplies the location information of the terminal device 30 received from the terminal state acquiring unit 305 to the server device 20 via the network 40.

[0031] The terminal receiving unit 320 is connected to the network 40 and the terminal display processing unit 330. The terminal receiving unit 320 receives, via the network 40, various display screens that the server device 20 outputs to the terminal device 30.

[0032] The terminal display processing unit 330 is connected to the display device 60. The terminal display processing unit 330 performs processing for displaying the display screen received from the terminal receiving unit 320 on the display device 60.

[0033] In this embodiment, the terminal device 30 is configured to transmit user instructions input to the input device 50 to the server device 20, and to supply the display screen output by the server device 20 to the display device 60 for output, thereby reducing the processing load on the terminal device 30. Alternatively, the terminal device 30 may include a component corresponding to at least a portion of at least one of the instruction input unit 210, the game processing unit 220, the event processing unit 230, and the display processing unit 240 shown in relation to FIG. 2, and at least a portion of the processing performed by the component may be executed locally within the terminal device 30.

[0034] 5 shows a processing flow in the server device 20 according to this embodiment. In response to receiving an instruction to start a game from a certain terminal device 30, the server device 20 starts the processing flow shown in this figure to provide a game to the user of that terminal device 30.

[0035] In S502 (step 502), the game processing unit 220 and the event processing unit 230 refer to the game state stored in the database 200 for the target user, and instruct the display processing unit 240 to generate a display screen corresponding to the game state. The display processing unit 240 performs processing to generate a game screen and display it on the terminal device 30 of the target user in accordance with the instructions from the game processing unit 220 and the event processing unit 230. For example, if the target user's party is moving within the game space, the display processing unit 240 causes the terminal device 30 to display a screen including an image of the party's surroundings; if the target user is selecting an item to be equipped by a character in the party, the display processing unit 240 causes the terminal device 30 to display a screen prompting the target user to select an item; and if the target user's party is in combat, the display processing unit 240 causes the terminal device 30 to display a screen prompting the target user to input a combat action for each of one or more characters.

[0036] In S504, the user of the terminal device 30, viewing the display screen displayed on the display device 60, inputs an instruction corresponding to the display screen via the input device 50 and transmits the instruction to the server device 20. The terminal device 30 transmits the location information acquired by the terminal state acquisition unit 305 to the server device 20. The instruction input unit 210 supplies the instruction from the terminal device 30 to the game processing unit 220 or the event processing unit 230 depending on the content of the instruction. The instruction input unit 210 supplies the location information of the terminal device 30 to the game processing unit 220 or the event processing unit 230.

[0037] In S506, the game processing unit 220 or the event processing unit 230 performs processing in accordance with the instruction input from the instruction input unit 210 in S504. For example, the game processing unit 220 performs processing such as moving the target user's party within the game space, determining items to be equipped to characters in the party, and having the characters attack a specified enemy using a specified means. The game processing unit 220 may perform processing such as moving the target user's party within the game space in response to a change in the target user's location information input from the instruction input unit 210. For example, the game processing unit 220 may perform processing such as moving the target user's party to a position within the game space corresponding to the target user's location information in response to a change in the target user's location information. Furthermore, the event processing unit 230 performs processing related to the event when the target user participates in an event within the provided content. The event processing unit 230 may perform processing related to the event based on the target user's location information input from the instruction input unit 210. For example, the event processing unit 230 performs processing related to the event when the target user's location information input from the instruction input unit 210 meets the requirements for participating in the event. If the location information of the target user input from the instruction input unit 210 does not satisfy the requirements for participating in the event, the event processing unit 230 does not need to perform processing related to the event.

[0038] In S508, the game processing unit 220 or the event processing unit 230 changes the game state stored in the database 200 in accordance with the processing in S506. For example, the game processing unit 220 updates the position in the game space of each character belonging to the party in the possessed character information shown in FIG. 3 as the party moves within the game space. When the game processing unit 220 equips a character with an item, the game processing unit 220 adds identification information of the equipped item to a data structure indicating a list of items equipped by the character, which is included in the possessed character information. Furthermore, when a character attacks a specified enemy, the game processing unit 220 performs processing such as decrementing an indicator value indicating the health of the enemy, such as HP, associated with the specified enemy. Furthermore, when the game processing unit 220 performs processing in which the enemy attacks a character, it performs processing such as decrementing an indicator value indicating the health of the character, such as HP, associated with the character in the possessed character information. The game processing unit 220 may update the game state using various other methods in accordance with the target user's instructions and the progress of the game. Furthermore, the event processing unit 230 changes the game state stored in the database 200 in accordance with the result of the event processing, thereby reflecting the result of the event in the game state.

[0039] In S502 after returning from S508, the display processing unit 240 performs processing to display a screen after the change in the game state on the display device 60 of the terminal device 30.

[0040] FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the event processing unit 230 according to this embodiment, together with the instruction input unit 210, the game processing unit 220, the display processing unit 240, and the input device .

[0041] In this embodiment, an "event" may refer to an event associated with a real location in which a target user can participate using the terminal device 30. Alternatively, an "event" may refer to an event held in a virtual space corresponding to a real location. Therefore, an "event" does not necessarily have to be held in real space. As an example, an "event" may be an event that a user can participate in using the terminal device 30 when the user is located at or near a specific real-world location (event spot) and, as a result, the user's terminal device 30 is located at or near that specific location. As an example, an "event" may be an event in which at least a portion of the user's influences (images, videos, sounds, vibrations, etc.) provided at the event are provided via the terminal device 30. An "event" may grant a user the right to, for example, purchase a specific item via the terminal device 30. An "event" may be an event in which a user (host) who hosts the event and invites participants cooperates with a user (guest) who applies for the invitation and participates in the event. Alternatively, the "event" may be an event in which the first user (host) to issue an instruction to start recruitment for the event and the second or subsequent user (guest) to issue an instruction to start recruitment for the event participate cooperatively. Alternatively, the "event" may be an event hosted by a person or organization other than the user, such as an event organizer or an event management organization. The "event" may be an event in which participating users compete for points in the event, etc. The "event" may be provided in an application provided by the system 10.

[0042] In this embodiment, the system 10 changes at least one of the number or distribution of events associated with real locations according to the characteristics of the area in which the events associated with real locations occur, thereby making it easier for users to participate in events associated with real locations even in areas with a small number of users or a small population, and providing an environment in which the events can be more enjoyable.

[0043] The input device 70 may be a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch sensor of a touch panel, and inputs instructions from the event organizer or the like to the server device 20 of the system 10 and supplies them to the event processing unit 230 .

[0044] The event processing unit 230 includes a database connection means 600, an input acquisition means 610, a change means 620, an event processing means 630, and a regional characteristic determination means 640. The database connection means 600 is connected to the database 200. The database connection means 600 processes access to the database 200 from each means within the event processing unit 230.

[0045] The input acquiring means 610 acquires various instructions and information related to the event. In the example shown in the figure, the input acquiring means 610 includes an event occurrence instruction acquiring means 612 and a location information acquiring means 614. Alternatively, the input acquiring means 610 may include only either the event occurrence instruction acquiring means 612 or the location information acquiring means 614.

[0046] The event generation instruction acquisition means 612 is connected to the input device 70, the instruction input unit 210, and the game processing unit 220. Alternatively, the event generation instruction acquisition means 612 may be connected to at least one of the input device 70, the instruction input unit 210, or the game processing unit 220. The event generation instruction acquisition means 612 acquires an event start instruction from the input device 70 or the game processing unit 220. The event generation instruction acquisition means 612 acquires the event start instruction from the terminal device 30 via the instruction input unit 210. Here, the event generation instruction acquisition means 612 may acquire the event start instruction from the terminal device 30 of an event organizer or the like via the instruction input unit 210.

[0047] The location information acquiring means 614 is connected to the instruction input unit 210. The location information acquiring means 614 acquires, from the terminal device 30 via the instruction input unit 210, location information of each user who is using an application including the provision of an event or who is logged in to the application.

[0048] The change means 620 is connected to the database connection means 600 and the event occurrence instruction acquisition means 612. The change means 620 changes at least one of the number or distribution of events.

[0049] The event processing means 630 is connected to the database connection means 600, the change means 620, and the display processing unit 240. In response to the event generation instruction acquisition means 612 acquiring an instruction to hold an event, the event processing means 630 performs processing to generate a target event based on the event information stored in the database 200 and the number or distribution of events changed by the change means 620. The event processing means 630 may instruct the display processing unit 240 to send a display related to the event to the user's terminal device 30.

[0050] The area characteristic determination means 640 is connected to the database connection means 600, the location information acquisition means 614, and the change means 620. The area characteristic determination means 640 acquires location information of each user who uses an application including the provision of events or who is logged in to the application from the location information acquisition means 614. The area characteristic determination means 640 determines area characteristics based on the location information of each user acquired from the location information acquisition means 614. The area characteristic determination means 640 may determine the number of users in the area or the number of users who have visited the area as the area characteristic. The area characteristic determination means 640 may write the determined area characteristics to the database 200 via the database connection means 600, or may provide the determined area characteristics to the change means 620.

[0051] 7 shows the event processing flow in the server device 20 according to this embodiment. In response to receiving an event holding instruction from the terminal device 30 on which the event processing unit 230 is located, the game processing unit 220, or the input device 70 connected to the event processing unit 230, the server device 20 starts the processing flow shown in this figure to provide an event to the user.

[0052] In S710, the event occurrence instruction acquisition means 612 acquires an event occurrence instruction from at least one of the input device 70, the instruction input unit 210, and the game processing unit 220.

[0053] In S720, the change means 620 acquires characteristics of the area where the event is to be generated. The change means 620 may acquire the characteristics of the area where the event is to be generated from the database 200 via the database connection means 600. As an example, the change means 620 may acquire the number of users or the population of the area where the event is to be generated. Alternatively, the change means 620 may acquire the characteristics of the area where the event is to be generated from the area characteristic determination means 640. In this case, the area characteristic determination means 640 determines the characteristics of the area where the event is to be generated. The area characteristic determination means 640 may determine the number of users in each of the multiple areas or the number of users who have visited each of the multiple areas as the area characteristics based on location information of each user who uses an application including the provision of the event or who is logged in to the application. The area characteristic determination means 640 may provide the determined area characteristics to the change means 620.

[0054] The regional characteristic determination means 640 may determine the number of users included in the region where the current location information is located as the number of users in the region. The regional characteristic determination means 640 may acquire the location information of each region from the database 200 via the database connection means 600, and may determine the number of users whose current location information is included within the range of the location information of a certain region as the number of users in the region. The regional characteristic determination means 640 may determine the number of users who have been included in the region where the location information is located from a predetermined period of time ago to the present as the number of users in the region. As an example, the regional characteristic determination means 640 may determine the number of users who have been included in the region where the location information is located for three or more days and whose location information is still included in the region as the number of users in the region.

[0055] The regional characteristic determination means 640 may acquire information about a representative location in a certain region from the database 200 and determine the number of users who visited the representative location as the number of users who visited the region. The "representative location" may be a location preselected from landmarks, famous places, etc. located in each region, or a geometrically determined location such as the center of gravity (population center) or center of each region. The regional characteristic determination means 640 may acquire the coordinates of a representative location in a certain region from the database 200 and determine the number of users who have been located or passed through the region within a certain range from the coordinates of the representative location as the number of users who have visited the region. Alternatively, the regional characteristic determination means 640 may determine the number of users who performed a specific operation on an application within a certain range from the coordinates of the representative location as the number of users who visited the region. As an example, the regional characteristic determination means 640 may determine the number of users who registered that they visited the representative location in an application as the number of users who visited the region. The regional characteristic determination means 640 may determine the cumulative number of users (total number of people, actual number of people, etc.) who visited each of a plurality of regions within a predetermined period. This allows the regional characteristic determination means 640 to determine the regional characteristics more accurately than determining the number of users who visited within the entire period since the system 10 began providing services to users. Furthermore, the regional characteristic determination means 640 may measure not only visits but also the length of time a user stayed in the region, such as the length of time spent there, and take this into consideration when determining the regional characteristics. For example, the regional characteristic determination means 640 may determine the number of users whose stay or stay time is equal to or longer than a certain period as the number of users who visited the region. Similarly, the regional characteristic determination means 640 may measure the movement direction of users or people in the region, estimate which direction they are likely to move in not only at the present time but also in the future, and take this into consideration when determining the regional characteristics. Furthermore, the regional characteristic determination means 640 may estimate the behavior of users or people in the region based on the past movement history of users in the region to determine the regional characteristics.

[0056] In S730, the change means 620 changes at least one of the number or distribution of events in accordance with the characteristics of the region. The change means 620 may change the number of events, etc. in a certain region so that it is different from the number of events, etc. in other regions with different characteristics. The change means 620 may change at least one of the number or distribution of events in accordance with the magnitude of an indicator indicating the characteristics of the region, such as the number of users in the region or the population. The change means 620 may change the total amount of events in the region as the number of events, or the number of events per unit area. The change means 620 may change the number of events for each area into which the region is subdivided as the distribution of events. The change means 620 may set the number of events in all areas within a certain region to the same value, or may set the number of events in a specific area within a certain region to a value different from the number of events in other areas within the same region. The change means 620 may change the type of event in accordance with the characteristics of the region. The modifying means 620 may generate more events with a wider range of locations where participants can participate than other events in areas with fewer users or a smaller population than in areas with a larger number of users or a larger population.

[0057] In S740, the change unit 620 determines a real location to associate with the event using at least one of the number or distribution of events changed in S730. The change unit 620 may determine the real location to associate with the event based on at least one of terrain characteristics, accessibility, nearby facilities, the number of users participating in other events held in the past, weather, or disasters. A server device 20 having such functionality can increase the number of users participating in an event by associating an event with a location where users tend to gather and avoiding associating an event with a location where users tend not to gather. Here, "terrain characteristics" may refer to the terrain of a certain location and its surroundings. The change unit 620 may extract information about the terrain from the database 200 and determine the real location to associate with the event to be a location included in a flat plain. The change unit 620 may determine the real location to associate with the event to be a location other than a mountainous area or a high ground. "Accessibility" may refer to the ease with which people can visit a certain location. For example, the modification unit 620 may extract information about topography from the database 200 and determine the real location associated with the event to be a location with good accessibility, such as a plain with easy walking, an area with low vehicular traffic, near a road, or a train station. The modification unit 620 may determine the real location associated with the event to be a location other than a location with poor accessibility, such as a mountaintop or an area a certain distance from a train station or bus stop. The modification unit 620 may determine the real location associated with the event based on accessibility within a certain period, such as within one month from the present. "Nearby facilities" may refer to facilities located in the vicinity of a certain location, for example, facilities located within a certain range from a certain location. The modification unit 620 may determine the real location associated with the event to be a location near a facility where people gather, such as a park, a large shopping mall, or other commercial facility. The modification unit 620 may determine the real location associated with the event to be a location other than an area with low accessibility, such as a farmland, and its surrounding areas. The modifying means 620 may determine that the real location to associate with the event is a location other than a facility or its surroundings where access is restricted, such as a factory or private property.

[0058] "Other events held in the past" may refer to other events held by the server device 20 in the past. The change means 620 may determine the real location to be associated with the event to be a location where a large number of users participated in other events held in the past, or its vicinity. The change means 620 may determine the real location to be associated with the event to be a location other than a location where a small number of users participated in other events held in the past, or its vicinity. "Weather" may refer to the weather at a certain location. The change means 620 may determine the real location to be associated with the event to be a location in an area where the current weather is good (sunny, cloudy, etc.). The change means 620 may determine the real location to be associated with the event to be a location other than an area where the current weather is bad (rain, snow, thunder, strong winds, etc.). "Disaster" may refer to a disaster such as an earthquake or typhoon that occurred at a certain location. The change means 620 may determine the real location to be associated with the event to be a location other than an area where a disaster occurred within a certain period of time. The modification means 620 may obtain information from the database 200 regarding at least one of the following: topographical features in each area, accessibility, nearby facilities, the number of users participating in other events held in the past, weather, or disasters.

[0059] When the area characteristic determination means 640 predicts future behavior of users present in the area and determines the area characteristic in S720, the modification means 620 may modify at least one of the number or distribution of events according to the predicted future behavior of users present in the area in S740. For example, the modification means 620 may make the event density in area A, where the number of users or population is predicted to increase, higher than the event density in at least one of area B, where the number of users or population is predicted to decrease, area C, where the predicted value of the number of users or population is smaller than the predicted value of the number of users or population in area A, or area D, where the current number of users or population is smaller than the predicted value of the number of users or population in area A.

[0060] At S750, the event processing means 630 performs processing to generate and progress an event associated with the real-world location determined at S740. The event processing means 630 may perform processing to generate and progress an event based on information about the event stored in the database 200. For example, if the corresponding event is an event in which multiple users cooperate to defeat an enemy monster, the event processing means 230 performs processing such as decrementing an indicator value indicating the health of the specified enemy monster, such as HP, associated with the specified enemy monster as characters controlled by the participating users attack the specified enemy monster. Furthermore, when the event processing means 230 performs processing in which the enemy monster attacks a character, it performs processing such as decrementing an indicator value indicating the health of the character, such as HP, associated with the character in the owned character information. When the indicator value indicating the health of the enemy monster falls below a predetermined threshold, the event processing means 230 changes the game state stored in the database 200 to grant rewards such as in-game items, in-game currency, and character parameter experience points to each user who participated in the event. The event processing unit 230 performs processing to end an event when the index value indicating the health of one or all of a plurality of characters operated by a certain user falls below a predetermined threshold. The event processing means 630 may update the event occurrence history stored in the database 200.

[0061] According to the server device 20 described above, at least one of the number or distribution of events can be changed according to the characteristics of the area, so that the number of users participating in the event increases compared to when no changes are made, allowing users to enjoy the event more.

[0062] FIG. 8 shows an example of a data structure related to regions stored in database 200. Database 200 stores region characteristic data for each of a plurality of regions. Here, a region indicates a certain range on a map. As an example, a region may be a geographically or historically predetermined area such as a country, prefecture, city, town, or village. Alternatively, a region may be a polygonal range obtained by dividing a map into certain distances (several kilometers). The distance may be Euclidean distance (straight-line distance), Manhattan distance, travel distance via roads on a real map or a virtual map, or the like. The region characteristic data may include information regarding the "region ID," "location information," "population," and "number of users" for each region.

[0063] The "area ID" is information for identifying the corresponding area, and may be a number uniquely determined within the system 10. The "location information" indicates the location information of the corresponding area. The "location information" may be information on the location where the corresponding area is located, or may be a range of coordinates included in the corresponding area. The "location information" may also be information (coordinates, etc.) of a representative location in the corresponding area.

[0064] "Population" indicates information about the population of the corresponding region. "Population" may be the population for the entire corresponding region, or the population per unit area in the corresponding region, i.e., the population density. "Population" may also include the population or population density of each of multiple areas in the corresponding region. Here, an area is a certain range on a map, and is smaller than a region.

[0065] The "number of users" indicates information about the number of users in the corresponding area. The "number of users" may be the number of users in the corresponding area. The "number of users" may be the current number of users in the corresponding area, or may include a history of the number of users, including the past number of users in the corresponding area. The "number of users" may be the number of users who visited the corresponding area within a certain period of time. The "number of users" may be the number of users per unit area in the corresponding area or the number of visiting users per unit area. The "number of users" may include the number of users in each of multiple areas in the corresponding area, the number of visiting users, the number of users who have set their home position within the corresponding area, or the density of these per unit area.

[0066] 9 shows a first example of a data structure related to events stored in database 200. Database 200 stores basic event information data for each of multiple types of events. The basic event information data includes information related to "event ID," "area," "number of occurrences," "location restrictions," and "event information."

[0067] The "event ID" is information for identifying the type of the corresponding event, and may be a number uniquely determined within the system 10. The "area" indicates information about one or more areas where the corresponding type of event occurs. The "area" may include the "area ID" in FIG. 8.

[0068] The "number of occurrences" indicates the number of occurrences of the corresponding type of event. The "number of occurrences" may be the number of occurrences per region or the number of occurrences per unit area. The "number of occurrences" may be the default number of occurrences of the corresponding type of event, and may also include an upper or lower limit of the number of occurrences of the corresponding type of event. The "location restriction" indicates a location range in which participants can participate in the corresponding type of event. Here, the "location range" may be determined according to the distance from a reference point of the event. For example, the location range may be a set of locations within a determined distance from the reference point of the event. The reference point of the event may be a real location associated with the event. The distance may be Euclidean distance (straight-line distance), Manhattan distance, travel distance via roads on a real map or a virtual map, etc. The "location restriction" may indicate a threshold for the location range, indicating that users located in a set of locations within the threshold distance from the reference point of the corresponding type of event can participate in the event.

[0069] "Event information" refers to information relating to the progress of a corresponding type of event. For example, if the corresponding type of event is an event in which multiple users cooperate to defeat an enemy monster, the "event information" may include the maximum number of people who can participate in the corresponding type of event, the name of the enemy monster, an image of the enemy monster, an index value indicating the health of the enemy monster, such as HP, etc.

[0070] 10 shows a second example of a data structure related to events stored in the database 200. The database 200 stores event occurrence information data for each of a plurality of events that have occurred. The event holding information data includes information related to an "event ID," an "event instance ID," "area," "location information," and "event information."

[0071] "Event ID" is information for identifying the type of the corresponding event, and may be the same as the "Event ID" in FIG. 9. "Event Instance ID" is information for identifying the corresponding event, and may be a number uniquely determined within the system 10. "Area" indicates information about the area where the corresponding event occurred. "Area" may be the same as the "Area ID" in FIG. 8.

[0072] "Location information" indicates the location information of the event spot where the corresponding event occurred. "Location information" may be the coordinates of the event spot where the corresponding event occurred. "Event information" indicates information about the corresponding event. "Event information" may include the number of users who participated in the corresponding event, the result of the corresponding event, etc. As an example, when the corresponding event is held, if a predetermined condition for the event to be successful is met, the "event result" may be stored as "success," and if the predetermined condition is not met, the "event result" may be stored as "failure." As an example, if the corresponding event is an event in which multiple users cooperate to defeat an enemy monster, the "event result" of the corresponding event may be stored as "success" if the corresponding enemy monster is defeated, and the "event result" of the corresponding event may be stored as "failure" if the corresponding enemy monster is not defeated.

[0073] FIG. 11 shows a first example of an event modification method in the server device 20 according to this embodiment. In this example, maps 1100 and 1150 show multiple event spots 1110, which are real locations associated with a certain event. Here, it is assumed that the area shown on map 1100 has a larger number of users or a larger population than the area shown on map 1150. The modification unit 620 modifies at least one of the number or distribution of events associated with the real locations according to the number or population of users (S730 in FIG. 7). The modification unit 620 may increase the event density in an area with a larger number of users or a larger population than the event density in an area with a smaller number of users or a smaller population. The modification unit 620 may increase the event density in an area with a larger number of users or a smaller population than the event density in an area with a smaller number of users or a smaller population. With the server device 20 having these functions, the ability to reduce the event density in an area with a smaller number of users or a smaller population allows more users to participate in a single event, even in an area with a smaller number of users or a smaller population, thereby enabling users to enjoy the event more. The modification unit 620 may modify the number of events per unit area as the event density. In the example shown in the figure, the modification unit 620 modifies the number of event spots 1110 installed in the area shown on the map 1100 to five, and modifies the number of event spots 1110 installed in the area shown on the map 1150 to one.

[0074] FIG. 12 illustrates a second example of an event modification method in the server device 20 according to this embodiment. In this example, maps 1200 and 1250 illustrate an event spot 1110, which is a real location associated with a certain event. Here, the area illustrated in map 1200 has a user count or population exceeding a threshold, while the area illustrated in map 1250 has a user count or population equal to or less than the threshold. Map 1250 includes area 1260, which is a location with a higher density of users or people. That is, locations on map 1250 other than area 1260 have a lower density of users or people. The modifying unit 620 modifies at least one of the number or distribution of events associated with the real location according to the number or population of users (S730 in FIG. 7). The modifying unit 620 may distribute events more evenly in areas where the user count or population exceeds a threshold compared to areas where the user count or population is equal to or less than the threshold. The modification means 620 may distribute events more evenly in areas with a larger number of users or a larger population than in areas with a smaller number of users or a smaller population. With the server device 20 having these functions, areas with a larger number of users or a larger population do not have areas with locally low event density, allowing users to participate in events without excessive travel. The modification means 620 may distribute events within a regularly defined range in areas where the number of users or the population exceeds a threshold. The modification means 620 may distribute events so that the distribution of distances between event spots and the nearest event spots in areas where the number of users or the population exceeds a threshold is more uniform (e.g., the standard deviation is smaller) than the distribution of distances in areas where the number of users or the population is equal to or less than the threshold. In the example shown in the figure, the modification means 620 distributes the event spots 1110 more evenly in the area shown on the map 1200 and distributes the event spots 1110 in a biased manner toward area 1260 in the area shown on the map 1250.

[0075] The modification unit 620 may increase the event density in locations with a higher user or person density than in locations with a lower user or person density in an area where the number of users or population is below a threshold. The modification unit 620 may increase the event density in locations with a higher user or person density than in locations with a lower user or person density in an area where the number of users or population is below a threshold. With the server device 20 having these functions, more users can participate in a single event even in an area with a smaller user or population, allowing users to enjoy the event more. As an example, the modification unit 620 may increase the event density in settlements, commercial facilities, and their surrounding areas in an area where the number of users or population is below a threshold. In the example shown in the figure, the modification unit 620 increases the event density in area 1260 in the area shown on the map 1250 compared to the event density in locations other than area 1260 on the map 1250. As a result, area 1260 has a higher density of event spots 1110 than other locations on map 1250 .

[0076] Various embodiments of the present invention may be described with reference to flowcharts and block diagrams, where the blocks (e.g., blocks in flowcharts, blocks designated as "means" or "unit") may represent (1) stages of a process in which operations are performed or (2) sections of an apparatus responsible for performing the operations. Particular stages and sections may be implemented by dedicated circuitry, programmable circuitry provided with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, and / or a processor provided with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium. Dedicated circuitry may include digital and / or analog hardware circuitry and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. Programmable circuitry may include reconfigurable hardware circuitry including logical AND, logical OR, logical XOR, logical NAND, logical NOR, and other logic operations, flip-flops, registers, memory elements such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs), etc.

[0077] A computer-readable medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions that are executed by an appropriate device, such that the computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon comprises an article of manufacture containing instructions that can be executed to create means for performing the operations specified in the flowcharts or block diagrams. Examples of computer-readable media may include electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, and semiconductor storage media. More specific examples of computer-readable media may include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray disc, memory stick, integrated circuit card, and the like.

[0078] The computer readable instructions may include either assembler instructions, Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or source or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk®, JAVA®, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages.

[0079] The computer-readable instructions may be provided to a processor or programmable circuitry of a programmable data processing apparatus, such as a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other computer, either locally or over a wide-area network (WAN) such as a local area network (LAN), the Internet, etc., which executes the computer-readable instructions to create means for performing the operations specified in the flowcharts or block diagrams. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, etc.

[0080] 13 illustrates an example of a computer 2200 in which aspects of the present invention may be embodied, in whole or in part. Programs installed on the computer 2200 may cause the computer 2200 to function as or perform operations associated with an apparatus or one or more sections of the apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention, and / or to perform a process or steps of a process according to embodiments of the present invention. Such programs may be executed by the CPU 2212 to cause the computer 2200 to perform specific operations associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0081] A computer 2200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 2212, a RAM 2214, a graphics controller 2216, and a display device 2218, which are interconnected by a host controller 2210. The computer 2200 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 2222, a hard disk drive 2224, a DVD-ROM drive 2226, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 2210 via an input / output controller 2220. The computer also includes legacy input / output units such as a ROM 2230 and a keyboard 2242, which are connected to the input / output controller 2220 via an input / output chip 2240.

[0082] The CPU 2212 operates according to programs stored in the ROM 2230 and RAM 2214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphics controller 2216 acquires image data generated by the CPU 2212 into a frame buffer or the like provided in the RAM 2214 or into the graphics controller 2216 itself, and causes the image data to be displayed on the display device 2218.

[0083] The communications interface 2222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The hard disk drive 2224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 2212 in the computer 2200. The DVD-ROM drive 2226 reads programs or data from the DVD-ROM 2201 and provides the programs or data to the hard disk drive 2224 via the RAM 2214. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and / or writes programs and data to an IC card.

[0084] The ROM 2230 stores therein a boot program or the like that is executed by the computer 2200 upon activation, and / or programs that depend on the hardware of the computer 2200. The input / output chip 2240 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 2220 via a parallel port, a serial port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, etc.

[0085] The programs are provided by a computer-readable medium such as a DVD-ROM 2201 or an IC card. The programs are read from the computer-readable medium, installed in the hard disk drive 2224, RAM 2214, or ROM 2230, which are also examples of computer-readable media, and executed by the CPU 2212. Information processing described in these programs is read by the computer 2200, and brings about cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. An apparatus or method may be configured by realizing information manipulation or processing in accordance with the use of the computer 2200.

[0086] For example, when communication is performed between the computer 2200 and an external device, the CPU 2212 may execute a communication program loaded into the RAM 2214 and instruct the communication interface 2222 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. Under the control of the CPU 2212, the communication interface 2222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer processing area provided in the RAM 2214, the hard disk drive 2224, the DVD-ROM 2201, or a recording medium such as an IC card, and transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes reception data received from the network to a reception buffer processing area or the like provided on the recording medium.

[0087] The CPU 2212 may also cause all or a necessary portion of a file or database stored on an external recording medium such as the hard disk drive 2224, the DVD-ROM drive 2226 (DVD-ROM 2201), an IC card, etc. to be read into the RAM 2214, and perform various types of processing on the data on the RAM 2214. The CPU 2212 then writes back the processed data to the external recording medium.

[0088] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and may undergo information processing. The CPU 2212 may perform various types of processing on data read from the RAM 2214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information search / replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the instruction sequences of the programs, and write the results back to the RAM 2214. The CPU 2212 may also search for information in a file, database, etc. on the recording medium. For example, if multiple entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored on the recording medium, the CPU 2212 may search for an entry that matches a condition specified by the attribute value of the first attribute from among the multiple entries, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0089] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0090] It should be noted that the execution order of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and that the processes can be performed in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a subsequent process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, this does not mean that the processes must be performed in this order.

[0091] "Addendum" According to the specification and drawings of the present application, the following features are also disclosed as appendices. "assignment" The purpose is to increase interest. "Solution" (Appendix 1) Computer, A means for changing at least one of the number or distribution of events associated with a real location that a user can participate in using the terminal according to local characteristics. A program that functions as a (Appendix 2) The program according to claim 1, wherein the change means increases the density of the events in areas with a larger number of users or a larger population than the density of the events in areas with a smaller number of users or a smaller population. (Appendix 3) 2. The program of claim 1, wherein the modification means distributes the events more evenly in areas where the number of users or population exceeds a threshold compared to areas where the number of users or population is below the threshold. (Appendix 4) The program of claim 3, wherein the change means increases the density of the event in locations with a higher density of users or people than in locations with a lower density of users or people within an area where the number of users or population is below a threshold. (Appendix 5) The program described in Appendix 1 further causes the computer to function as a regional characteristic determination means for determining the number of users in each of a plurality of regions or the number of users who have visited each of a plurality of regions based on location information of each user who uses an application that includes the provision of the event or is logged in to the application. (Appendix 6) The program of claim 1, wherein the change means determines the real-world location to which the event is associated based on at least one of terrain features, accessibility, nearby facilities, the number of users participating in other events held in the past, weather, or disasters. (Appendix 7) The program according to claim 1, wherein the change means changes at least one of the number or distribution of the events according to a prediction of future behavior of users in the area.

[0092] The solution constituted by the above program may be appropriately applied to the fields of devices, systems, methods, and media. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 10 Systems 20 Server device 30 Terminal Equipment 40 Network 50 Input Device 60 Display device 70 Input Device 200 databases 210 Instruction input unit 220 Game Processing Unit 230 Event Processing Unit 240 Display processing unit 300 Terminal input processing unit 305 Terminal status acquisition unit 310 Terminal transmitter 320 Terminal receiving unit 330 Terminal display processing unit 600 Database connection method 610 Input acquisition means 612 Event occurrence instruction acquisition means 614 Location information acquisition means 620 Change Method 630 Event Processing Means 640 Regional Characteristics Assessment Method 1100 Map 1110 Event Spot 1150 Map 1200 Map 1250 Map 1260 Area 2200 Computer 2201 DVD-ROM 2210 host controller 2212 CPU 2214 RAM 2216 Graphics Controller 2218 Display Device 2220 Input / Output Controller 2222 communication interface 2224 hard disk drive 2226 DVD-ROM drive 2230 ROM 2240 I / O chip 2242 keyboard

Claims

1. Computer, functioning as a changer for changing the type of event associated with a real location that a user can participate in using the terminal, depending on the population density of the area; the change means uses location information of each user using an application that provides the event to change the type of the event to be generated in accordance with a prediction of a location where the user will be located in the future; the type of event is a location range in which the event can be participated; The change means generates more events with a wider range of locations where participants can participate than other events in areas with a smaller number of users or population than in areas with a larger number of users or population.

2. The program according to claim 1 , wherein the event is an event in which a plurality of users compete, and the number of events in which a plurality of users compete is set to be higher in areas with higher population density.

3. The program according to claim 1, wherein the change means determines the type of event to be generated based on at least one of terrain characteristics, accessibility, nearby facilities, the number of users participating in other events held in the past, weather, or disasters.

4. A means for changing the type of occurrence of an event associated with a real location, in which the user can participate using the terminal, according to the population density of the area. Equipped with the change means uses location information of each user using an application that provides the event to change the type of the event to be generated in accordance with a prediction of a location where the user will be located in the future; the type of event is a location range in which the event can be participated; The system wherein the change means generates more events with a wider range of locations in which participants can participate than other events in areas with a smaller number of users or population than in areas with a larger number of users or population.

Images