Game programs, methods, and information processing devices.

Abstract

To provide a game program capable of maintaining enjoyment of the game without placing an excessive load on a server in a game receiving information related to sleep of each user.SOLUTION: There is provided a game program which is executed by a computer comprising a processor. The game program performs: a step of receiving an operation input from a user; A step of setting a first time at which a game is to progress and making a predetermined notification at the first time when the operation input is not received before the first time arrives; a step (S513) of changing a state of the notification based on the operation input of the user and accessing a server to progress the game; and a step of distributing second times at which the computers of respective users are to access the server to progress the game.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a game program, a method, and an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Techniques for measuring sleep are known. For example, by having a user wear a wristwatch-type device, the stage of sleep, whether the user is in light sleep, deep sleep, or REM sleep, is determined according to the output result of a motion sensor mounted on the device. Thereby, the time change of each sleep stage can be recorded.

[0003] It has also been done to reflect the data measured during the user's sleep in a game program. In Patent Document 1, it is described that when the user's sleep is measured and it is determined that the user has woken up, sleep information such as total sleep time is transmitted to a server and reflected in the game.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, users often set an alarm and wake up at the time when the alarm rings. Also, the alarm is often set at regular times such as 7:00 or 7:30. If sleep information is sent from each user's terminal to the server at such times all at once, access to the server will be overly concentrated, which may have an adverse effect on the operation of the game, such as the server going down or an abnormal situation occurring. Therefore, it becomes necessary to secure excessive server processing resources so as to withstand excessive access.

[0006] Therefore, this disclosure aims to provide a technology that maintains the enjoyment of a game while avoiding excessive load on the server in a game that accepts information about each user's sleep. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one embodiment, a game program is provided for execution on a computer equipped with a processor. The game program performs the following steps: receiving operation input from a user; setting a first time to advance the game, and if no operation input is received before the first time, making a predetermined notification at the first time; changing the state of the notification based on the user's operation input and accessing a server to advance the game; and distributing the second time at which each user's computer accesses the server to advance the game.

[0008] According to one embodiment, a method is provided for causing a computer equipped with a processor to run a game. The method involves the processor performing the following steps: receiving operation input from a user; setting a first time to advance the game, and if no operation input is received before the first time, making a predetermined notification at the first time; changing the state of the notification based on the user's operation input and accessing a server to advance the game; and distributing the second time at which each user's computer accesses the server to advance the game.

[0009] According to one embodiment, an information processing device is provided that includes a control unit. The control unit performs the following steps: receiving operation input from a user; setting a first time to advance the game, and if no operation input is received before the first time, giving a predetermined notification at the first time; changing the state of the notification based on the user's operation input and accessing the server to advance the game; and distributing the second time at which each user's computer accesses the server to advance the game. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, in a game that collects information about each user's sleep, it is possible to maintain the game's appeal while avoiding placing an excessive load on the server. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the overall structure of Game System 1. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of the terminal device 10 that constitutes the game system 1 of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the functional configuration of server 20. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the data structure of the user information database 281 and the server processing capacity information 282 stored in the server 20. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the process of distributing the second time period at which each user actually accesses the server and progresses through the game, based on their user input. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the screen of terminal device 10. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, identical parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions of them will not be repeated.

[0013] <First Embodiment> <1. Diagram of the overall game system> Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of game system 1. In game system 1, the server receives sleep information from each user and proceeds with the game.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the game system 1 includes a plurality of terminal devices (in Figure 1, terminal devices 10A and 10B are shown; hereinafter, they may be collectively referred to as "terminal devices 10") and a server 20. The terminal devices 10 and the server 20 communicate with each other via a network 80. In this embodiment, each device (terminal device, server, etc.) can also be considered as an information processing device. That is, the collection of each device can be considered as a single "information processing device," and the game system 1 may be formed as a collection of multiple devices. The method of distributing the multiple functions required to realize the game system 1 according to this embodiment to one or more hardware can be appropriately determined in consideration of the processing capacity of each hardware and / or the specifications required for the game system 1.

[0015] Terminal device 10 is a device operated by each user. Terminal device 10 is implemented by a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet that is compatible with a mobile communication system. In addition, terminal device 10 may be, for example, a stationary PC (Personal Computer), a laptop PC, or a game console. Terminal device 10 may also function as a head-mounted display, for example, as a transparent, opaque, or see-through head-mounted display. For example, terminal device 10 may function as a mobile terminal when not functioning as a head-mounted display, and function as a head-mounted display when attached to a goggle-type device. In this case, terminal device 10 can switch between a mode in which it functions as a mobile terminal and a mode in which it functions as a head-mounted display. In the mode in which it functions as a head-mounted display, terminal device 10 detects the user's head movements using a motion sensor built into terminal device 10, and updates the display image in conjunction with the user's head movements.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1 as terminal device 10B, terminal device 10 comprises a communication interface (IF) 12, an input device 13, an output device 14, a memory 15, a storage unit 16, and a processor 19. Server 20 comprises a communication interface 22, an input / output interface 23, a memory 25, storage 26, and a processor 29.

[0017] Terminal device 10 is connected to server 20 via network 80 in a way that allows communication. Terminal device 10 is connected to network 80 by communicating with communication equipment such as a wireless base station 81 that supports communication standards such as 5G and LTE (Long Term Evolution), and a wireless LAN router 82 that supports wireless LAN (Local Area Network) standards such as IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11.

[0018] The communication IF 12 is an interface for inputting and outputting signals for the terminal device 10 to communicate with an external device. The input device 13 is an input device (for example, a pointing device such as a touch panel, a touch pad, a mouse, etc., a keyboard, etc.) for receiving an input operation from the user. The output device 14 is an output device (a display, a speaker, etc.) for presenting information to the user. The memory 15 is for temporarily storing programs and data processed by the programs, etc., and is a volatile memory such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), for example. The storage unit 16 is a storage device for storing data, and is a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disc Drive), for example. The processor 19 is hardware for executing an instruction set described in a program, and is composed of an arithmetic unit, registers, peripheral circuits, etc.

[0019] As shown in the figure, the terminal device 10 is connected to the game controller 11A by wire or wirelessly. The user can operate the game controller 11A to play a game. The terminal device 10 may be able to communicate with a plurality of game controllers 11A. For example, a plurality of users can play a game using one terminal device 10. Also, the game controller 11 may have a detachable structure with respect to the terminal device 10. The game controller 11 may be one device that can be held by both hands of the user, or may be composed of two devices held by both hands of the user, respectively. For example, the game controller 11 may have a gyro sensor, an infrared sensor, etc., and may detect the movement of the user's body (for example, the movement of the hand) when the user holds the game controller 11.

[0020] Further, as shown in the figure, the terminal device 10 is connected to one or more sleep measurement devices by wire or wirelessly. The sleep measurement devices 11B and 11C are devices for acquiring information regarding the sleep of the user of the terminal device 10. In FIG. 1, two sleep measurement devices, i.e., the sleep measurement device 11B and the sleep measurement device 11C, are shown. Hereinafter, the plurality of sleep measurement devices may be collectively referred to as "the sleep measurement devices 11B etc.". The sleep measurement devices 11B and 11C are wearable devices, such as a wristwatch type, a ring type, an eye mask type, etc., that are worn on the user's body and include motion sensors such as gyro sensors. Further, the sleep measurement devices 11B and 11C may be devices placed on a mattress, beside a pillow, etc. where the user is sleeping. Also, the terminal device 10 and the sleep measurement device 11B or the sleep measurement device 11C may be the same device. That is, the terminal device 10 may also function as a sleep measurement device.

[0021] Note that the user may use two or more sleep measurement devices simultaneously. For example, the user may wear two wristwatch-type sleep measurement devices, or the user may use a smartphone as a sleep measurement device while wearing a wristwatch-type sleep measurement device. Thereby, the movement of the user's body during sleep can be detected by a gyro sensor or the like. By accumulating the sensing results sensed by various sensors while the user is sleeping, it is possible to determine whether the user is sleeping, in a light sleep state, in a deep sleep state, in REM sleep, in non-REM sleep, etc. By discriminating the waveforms of REM sleep and non-REM sleep in this way, the quality of the user's sleep can be evaluated. For example, the cycles of REM sleep and non-REM sleep in the case of good-quality sleep are preset, and the quality of the user's sleep can be evaluated by comparing with the waveforms of REM sleep and non-REM sleep during the user's sleep.

[0022] Furthermore, the terminal device 10 detects when the user has gone to bed (for example, when they have lay down on the bed) and when they have fallen asleep after going to bed, based on the output of motion sensors such as the sleep measurement device 11B. The terminal device 10 can also determine whether the user has performed any input operations on the terminal device 10 or viewed any information displayed on the terminal device 10's display 132 between the time the user goes to bed and the time they fall asleep. In other words, it can determine whether a user who is about to go to sleep has operated the terminal device 10 before going to sleep.

[0023] Furthermore, sleep measurement devices that are anticipated to be used in game system 1 are managed in a so-called whitelist format. If the game system 1 detects the reception of data from a sleep measurement device 11B that it does not manage, the server 20 may choose not to accept sleep information from the sleep measurement device 11B that it cannot identify, or it may perform subsequent processing using parameters for the unidentifiable sleep measurement device 11B, etc.

[0024] Furthermore, differences in the type of sleep measurement device do not necessarily mean differences in the devices themselves. In other words, even sleep measurement devices with the same device configuration may be managed as different sleep measurement devices in the game system 1 depending on the type of software or application used to transmit the sleep information to the server 20. For example, even when sleep information is detected using the same sleep measurement device 11B, the cases where sleep measurement application A is used to process the sleep information and the cases where a different sleep measurement application B is used to process the sleep information can be managed as different "sleep measurement device IDs". In this way, by managing different "sleep measurement device IDs" according to the combination of the device type in the device configuration and the application used, it becomes possible to generate sleep information more flexibly, and as a result, the entertainment value of the game according to the sleep state can be fully realized.

[0025] Server 20 manages information for each user. This user information includes the amount of game characters, game items, and virtual currency each user possesses (including those given to the user for free and those given to the user for a fee), information about the first time each user has set to start playing the game, and sleep information of each user measured by a sleep measurement device.

[0026] Furthermore, server 20 manages information related to the server's processing capacity. This information includes the upper limit of the number of simultaneous accesses the server can handle and the predicted number of simultaneous accesses at each time point. The predicted number of simultaneous accesses at each time point is calculated based on the first time point set by each user when they intend to advance the game. The information related to the server's processing capacity may also include information such as the server's memory usage threshold and CPU usage threshold.

[0027] Communication IF22 is an interface for inputting and outputting signals so that the server 20 can communicate with external devices. Input / Output IF23 functions as an interface to an input device for receiving input operations from the user and an output device for presenting information to the user. Memory 25 is for temporarily storing programs and data processed by programs, etc., and is a volatile memory such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). Storage 26 is a storage device for saving data, such as flash memory or HDD (Hard Disk Drive). Processor 29 is hardware for executing the instruction set written in the program, and is composed of an arithmetic unit, registers, peripheral circuits, etc.

[0028] <1.1 Configuration of terminal device 10> Figure 2 is a block diagram of the terminal device 10 that constitutes the game system 1 of the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the terminal device 10 includes a plurality of antennas (antenna 111, antenna 112), wireless communication units corresponding to each antenna (first wireless communication unit 121, second wireless communication unit 122), an operation reception unit 130 (including a touch-sensitive device 131 and a display 132), an audio processing unit 140, a microphone 141, a speaker 142, a position information sensor 150, a camera 160, a motion sensor 170, a storage unit 180, and a control unit 190. The terminal device 10 also has functions and configurations not specifically shown in Figure 2 (for example, a battery for maintaining power, a power supply circuit for controlling the supply of power from the battery to each circuit, etc.). As shown in Figure 2, each block included in the terminal device 10 is electrically connected by a bus or the like.

[0029] Antenna 111 radiates signals emitted by terminal device 10 as radio waves. Antenna 111 also receives radio waves from space and provides the received signals to first wireless communication unit 121.

[0030] Antenna 112 radiates signals emitted by terminal device 10 as radio waves. Antenna 112 also receives radio waves from space and provides the received signals to second wireless communication unit 122.

[0031] The first wireless communication unit 121 performs modulation and demodulation processing, etc., for the terminal device 10 to transmit and receive signals via the antenna 111 in order to communicate with other wireless devices. The second wireless communication unit 122 performs modulation and demodulation processing, etc., for the terminal device 10 to transmit and receive signals via the antenna 112 in order to communicate with other wireless devices. The first wireless communication unit 121 and the second wireless communication unit 122 are a communication module that includes a tuner, an RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) calculation circuit, a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) calculation circuit, a high-frequency circuit, etc. The first wireless communication unit 121 and the second wireless communication unit 122 perform modulation, demodulation, and frequency conversion of the wireless signals transmitted and received by the terminal device 10, and provide the received signal to the control unit 190.

[0032] The operation reception unit 130 has a mechanism for receiving user input operations. Specifically, the operation reception unit 130 is configured as a touchscreen and includes a touch-sensitive device 131 and a display 132. The touch-sensitive device 131 receives user input operations of the terminal device 10. The touch-sensitive device 131 detects the user's contact position with the touch panel, for example, by using a capacitive touch panel. The touch-sensitive device 131 outputs a signal indicating the user's contact position detected by the touch panel to the control unit 190 as an input operation.

[0033] The display 132 displays data such as images, videos, and text in accordance with the control unit 190. The display 132 can be implemented, for example, by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display.

[0034] The audio processing unit 140 modulates and demodulates the audio signal. The audio processing unit 140 modulates the signal received from the microphone 141 and provides the modulated signal to the control unit 190. The audio processing unit 140 also provides the audio signal to the speaker 142. The audio processing unit 140 is implemented, for example, by an audio processing processor. The microphone 141 receives an audio input and provides the audio signal corresponding to that audio input to the audio processing unit 140. The speaker 142 converts the audio signal received from the audio processing unit 140 into sound and outputs the sound to the outside of the terminal device 10.

[0035] The location information sensor 150 is a sensor that detects the position of the terminal device 10, and is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) module. A GPS module is a receiving device used in a satellite positioning system. In a satellite positioning system, signals are received from at least three or four satellites, and based on the received signals, the current position of the terminal device 10, which is equipped with a GPS module, is detected. For example, if the game system 1 allows the location of registered friends to be viewed, the terminal device 10 can display a list of friends who are near the user on the display 132.

[0036] Camera 160 is a device that receives light using a photodetector and outputs it as an image. Camera 160 is, for example, a depth camera that can detect the distance from camera 160 to the object being photographed.

[0037] The motion sensor 170 includes an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, etc., and detects the movement of the terminal device 10 and outputs sensing results. For example, by placing the terminal device 10 on the mattress of a bed where a user sleeps, it is possible to detect movement when the user moves on the mattress while sleeping. By using the sensing results, it is possible to determine whether the user is asleep or awake, and if the user is asleep, whether they are in light sleep, deep sleep, REM sleep, or non-REM sleep.

[0038] The storage unit 180 is composed of, for example, flash memory and stores data and programs used by the terminal device 10. In certain situations, the storage unit 180 stores user information 181.

[0039] User information 181 is user information in a game based on a game program. User information includes information that identifies the user, the user's name, game items the user possesses, information about the first time each user sets when they intend to play the game, and sleep information of each user measured by a sleep measurement device 11B, etc.

[0040] The terminal device 10 communicates with the sleep measurement device 11B, etc., via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi, and receives the sensing results from the sleep measurement device 11B, etc. Alternatively, the sleep measurement device 11B, etc., may support communication standards of mobile communication systems such as 5G and transmit the sensing results to the server 20 without using short-range wireless communication. The terminal device 10 may also receive the sensing results from the sleep measurement device 11B, etc., from the server 20, which has received the sensing results from the sleep measurement device 11B, etc., and generate and store sleep information using the received sensing results.

[0041] The control unit 190 controls the operation of the terminal device 10 by reading the program stored in the memory unit 180 and executing the instructions contained in the program. The control unit 190 is, for example, an application processor. By operating according to the program, the control unit 190 performs the functions of an input operation receiving unit 191, a transmitting / receiving unit 192, a data processing unit 193, a notification control unit 194, and a first time setting unit 195.

[0042] The input operation reception unit 191 processes input operations from the user to an input device such as a touch-sensitive device 131. Based on the coordinate information of the touch-sensitive device 131 where the user's finger or the like has made contact, the input operation reception unit 191 determines the type of operation, such as whether the user's operation is a flick operation, a tap operation, or a drag (swipe) operation.

[0043] The transmitting / receiving unit 192 performs processing to enable the terminal device 10 to send and receive data with external devices such as the server 20, game controller 11A, and sleep measurement device 11B, in accordance with the communication protocol.

[0044] The data processing unit 193 performs calculations on the data received as input by the terminal device 10 according to the program and outputs the calculation results to memory or the like.

[0045] The notification control unit 194 performs processing to present information to the user. The notification control unit 194 performs processing such as displaying the display image on the display 132, outputting sound to the speaker 142, and generating vibrations in the camera 160.

[0046] The first time setting unit 195 receives an operation from the user to set a first time at which the game will proceed. For example, the first time setting unit is an alarm setting unit, and the user sets their planned wake-up time as the first time. When the first time arrives, the terminal device 10 sounds an alarm, and when the user stops the alarm, the terminal device 10 determines that the user has woken up and generates sleep information to be sent to the server 20. When the server 20 receives the sleep information from the terminal device 10, it proceeds with the game.

[0047] The alarm setting unit referred to here may be implemented by a program that provides the game to the user on each device constituting the game system 1 (terminal device 10, server 20). If the alarm setting unit is implemented by a program running on the server 20, the user may be able to operate the alarm setting unit on the server 20 via the terminal device 10. This allows the user to set a first time within the game system 1 and proceed with the game. Alternatively, for example, the alarm setting unit may be installed on the terminal device 10 and incorporated into an application that can be linked with the game system 1. In this case, the user can set the first time not by an alarm function provided as a function of the operating system (OS) of the terminal device 10, but by an alarm setting unit that constitutes an application that provides the user with the game by the game system 1 on the terminal device 10. The game system 1 receives an operation regarding the first time from the alarm setting unit and proceeds with the game.

[0048] <1.2 Functional Configuration of Server 20> Figure 3 shows the functional configuration of server 20. As shown in Figure 3, server 20 functions as a communication unit 201, a storage unit 202, and a control unit 203.

[0049] The communications unit 201 performs processing to enable the server 20 to communicate with external devices.

[0050] The storage unit 202 stores data and programs used by the server 20. The storage unit 202 also stores user information database 281, server processing capacity information 282, etc.

[0051] User information database 281 is a database for holding information about each user in a game based on a game program. Further details will be provided later.

[0052] Server processing capacity information 282 is information regarding the server's processing capacity required to run the game. Details will be provided later.

[0053] The control unit 203 performs the functions shown as various modules by having the server 20's processor process according to the program.

[0054] The operation details acquisition module 2041 acquires the user's actions. For example, the operation details acquisition module 2041 acquires information such as which game unit the user has specified as the target of gameplay.

[0055] The receive control module 2042 controls the process by which the server 20 receives signals from external devices according to a communication protocol.

[0056] The transmission control module 2043 controls the process by which the server 20 transmits signals to external devices according to a communication protocol.

[0057] The first time reception module 2044 receives information from the terminal device 10 regarding the first time set by each user for when they intend to advance the game. For example, suppose a user sets their planned wake-up time (alarm activation time) as the first time. The terminal device 10 activates the alarm based on the alarm activation time, accepts user input, and sends the first information to the server 20 in response to that input. The server 20 advances the game based on this first information. In other words, at the alarm activation time set by each user, the server 20 receives information from each user's terminal device 10 regarding when they intend to advance the game, based on each user's input.

[0058] The operation input referred to here is an operation that confirms the first piece of information, for example, an operation that causes the user to wake up and end the sleep measurement. The operation input may be an operation to stop an alarm that is ringing, or an operation to wake up before the alarm rings and end the sleep measurement. If no operation input is received before the first time arrives, the alarm will sound at the first time. Also, if the terminal device 10 receives an operation input before the first time arrives, it will end the sleep measurement without sounding the alarm at the first time.

[0059] Furthermore, the first piece of information referred to here is time-based information, such as the user's sleep information. The terminal device 10 confirms the sleep information by receiving an operation input from the user to wake up and end the sleep measurement. The terminal device 10 then transmits the confirmed sleep information to the server 20, which randomly selects an object based on the confirmed sleep information and assigns it to the user.

[0060] The second time determination module 2045 determines a second time for the server 20 to advance the game based on the user's input. The second time determination module 2045 determines a second time for each user so as to distribute the timing of each user's terminal device 10 actually accessing the server 20. This distributes the timing of access from each terminal device 10 to the server 20. In this embodiment, where the game is advanced by receiving sleep information from each user, the second time is the time that triggers the advancement of the game. For example, the second time may be "the time of the user's input when the terminal device 10 receives the user's input before the alarm sounds (for example, within a predetermined time before the alarm sounds)." The user may wake up and operate the terminal device 10 before the alarm sounds. It may also be "the time when the user stops the alarm and confirms the sleep information." The server 20 advances the user's game based on "the time when the user stops the alarm and confirms the sleep information." Furthermore, the second time may be defined as "the time when terminal device 10 collects sleep information and sends it to server 20." Alternatively, the second time may be defined as "the time when server 20 receives sleep information from terminal device 10," and server 20 may use these times as a basis for progressing the game. In the following explanation, the second time will be described based on the time when the server receives the sleep information.

[0061] The second time may occur after the first time. At the first time, terminal device 10 sounds an alarm and accepts operation input from the user. In response to receiving the operation input, terminal device 10 generates information to advance the game. At the second time, terminal device 10 sends the information to advance the game to server 20 to advance the game. Regarding "(a) Distributing the setting of the first time among each user" described later, the second time will be essentially the same time as the first time.

[0062] For example, terminal device 10 is a device capable of measuring the user's sleep, and server 20 performs a lottery process based on the user's sleep information. Suppose the user has set a planned wake-up time (alarm activation time) as the first time. In this case, terminal device 10 sounds the alarm at the first time. Terminal device 10 receives an input from the user to stop the alarm. In response to this input, terminal device 10 determines that the user has woken up. Based on this input (in accordance with the determination that the user has woken up), terminal device 10 determines the sleep information to be sent to server 20. Terminal device 10 does not communicate with server 20 at the first time, but communicates with server 20 at a second time after the first time and sends the determined sleep information. Server 20 performs a lottery process based on this sleep information.

[0063] In a given situation, the second time determination module 2045 determines the second time based on information about the first time. For example, if the number of users who have set the same time as their first time exceeds the upper limit of simultaneous access to the server, the second time determination module 2045 predicts that a surge in access to the server will occur at the first time and determines the second time at which each user's terminal device 10 actually accesses the server and plays the game by randomly delaying the first time set by each user.

[0064] Furthermore, the server 20 may predict access congestion at a predetermined time based on past historical information, rather than on the information regarding the first time actually set by each user, and determine a second time to be set on each user's terminal device 10 in order to distribute the actual access times from each user's terminal device 10. For example, suppose the first time is the time the alarm is activated. The server 20 extracts from past historical information the trend that "many people try to play the game by setting the alarm to 7:00 on weekdays." The server 20 predicts that access congestion may occur at 7:00 on weekdays, and determines the access time from each user's terminal device 10 in order to distribute the access times of each user who has set 7:00 as the first time, and causes each user's terminal device 10 to retain information about that access time. Furthermore, the terminal device 10 may retain past access history information on the server 20 and allow each terminal device 10 to predict the time when access will be concentrated. Each terminal device 10 may predict times when access is concentrated and randomly determine the time at which each terminal device 10 accesses the server 20 in order to avoid such congestion.

[0065] Furthermore, the time before and after the second time may not affect the progress of the game. For example, in this embodiment, which progresses the game by receiving sleep information from each user, if two users who both set their alarms to 7:00 (the first time) and wake up are given random delays to their actual access times (the second time), making them 1 second and 3 seconds later than 7:00, then regardless of whether it is before or after the second time, the sleep information will be aggregated and the game will progress using 7:00 as the wake-up time. Regarding "(a) Distributing the setting of the first time among each user" described later, since the second time is essentially the time when the user sets and confirms the sleep information, the time before and after the second time may affect the progress of the game.

[0066] The game progression module 2046 communicates with the server 20 and the terminal device 10, and advances each user's gameplay based on the sleep information received from each user's terminal device 10. For example, as part of advancing the gameplay, the game progression module 2046 randomly determines game objects such as characters and items to appear in the user's gameplay. The determined characters and items may appear in the gameplay rather than being owned by each user. This allows users to experience things like discovering new game characters based on their sleep information. Alternatively, the game progression module 2046 may randomly select and grant game objects such as characters and items to users. For example, at a second time set on each user's terminal device 10, the game progression module 2046 receives sleep information from each terminal device 10, such as sleep duration and sleep quality, and randomly selects and grants items based on each user's sleep information. Here, by changing the lottery table used for the draw and the number of draws, the lottery algorithm can be different depending on each user's sleep information, thereby changing the game progress upon waking up and providing users with an enjoyable experience upon waking.

[0067] <2 Data Structure> Figure 4 shows the data structure of the user information database 281 and the server processing capacity information 282 stored by the server 20.

[0068] As shown in Figure 4, each record in the user information database 281 includes the fields "User ID", "User Name", "Owned Items", "Information about the first time", and "Sleep Information", etc.

[0069] The "User ID" field is information that identifies each individual user.

[0070] The "Username" field is the name set by the user.

[0071] The item "Owned Items" contains information about the game items that a user possesses. These game items are, for example, those randomly assigned to users by Server 20 based on their sleep information. This item also includes information such as the type and number of each game item.

[0072] The item "Information about the first time" contains information about the time each user has set when they intend to proceed with the game. For example, the first time is the user's scheduled wake-up time (alarm activation time). This item also includes the date information for each first time.

[0073] The "Sleep Information" item refers to information about each user's sleep measured by a sleep tracking device. This sleep information includes date, bedtime, wake-up time, and sleep quality.

[0074] Each of the 282 records in the server processing capacity information includes the item "Maximum number of simultaneous accesses" and the item "Predicted number of simultaneous accesses at each time point."

[0075] The item "Maximum number of simultaneous accesses" is the maximum number of simultaneous accesses that the server can handle in order to run the game. If access is concentrated and the actual number of simultaneous accesses exceeds this limit, it may negatively affect game progress, such as increasing the server load or slowing down response times. Therefore, the server's resources, such as computing power, may be variably increased or decreased based on the predicted number of accesses.

[0076] The item "Predicted number of simultaneous accesses at each time" is the predicted number of simultaneous accesses at each time, based on the first time set by each user. For example, a user sets their planned wake-up time (alarm activation time) as the first time in one-minute increments. Server 20 predicts that the number of simultaneous accesses from each terminal device 10 to Server 20 at each time will be the same as the number of users who have set that time as their first time (alarm activation time). This item also includes the user IDs of the users who have set each time as their first time.

[0077] If the predicted number of simultaneous accesses at a predetermined time (for example, 7:00 in Figure 4) exceeds the server's upper limit for simultaneous accesses, server 20 determines that the number of accesses at that time exceeds the server's processing capacity and that it is necessary to distribute the actual access times of each user. In this case, server 20 distributes a second time for each user to actually access the server and play the game, based on each user's input. For example, server 20 determines the second time by randomly delaying the first time.

[0078] Here, the upper limit on the number of simultaneous accesses is used as an example to explain the server's processing capacity, but it is not limited to this. For example, thresholds for server memory usage or CPU usage could also be used as criteria for server processing capacity.

[0079] <Operation> Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the process of distributing the second time each user actually accesses the server and progresses through the game. Terminal device 10 communicates with server 20, sends user sleep information to server 20, and reflects the sleep information in the game.

[0080] In step S511, the terminal device 10 receives an operation input from the user. For example, the operation input is an operation in which the user stops the alarm and confirms the sleep information.

[0081] In step S512, the terminal device 10 receives an operation from the user to set a first time when the game will proceed, and if no operation input is received before the first time arrives, it will issue a predetermined notification at the first time. For example, the user sets their planned wake-up time (alarm activation time) as the first time, and if no operation indicating that they have woken up is received before the first time arrives, the alarm will sound at the first time.

[0082] In step S513, the terminal device 10 confirms the first information based on the user's input, changes the notification status, and accesses the server to advance the game. For example, when the terminal device 10 receives an input from the user to stop the alarm, it stops the alarm, ends the measurement of the user's sleep information, and aggregates the sleep information used for the lottery process.

[0083] In step S521, server 20 distributes the second time that each user's computer accesses the server to advance the game. Specifically, server 20 distributes the second time by one of the following processes:

[0084] (a) Process to delay the first time Server 20 distributes a second time zone by distributing the timing of accessing the server for each of the multiple users after receiving user input.

[0085] For example, server 20 determines a second time by randomly delaying a first time set by each user. The first time is the user's scheduled wake-up time (alarm activation time), and server 20 predicts the number of simultaneous accesses at each time based on the number of users who have set each time as their alarm activation time. Server 20 also compares the predicted number of simultaneous accesses at each time with the server's upper limit for simultaneous accesses to identify a first time where the predicted number of simultaneous accesses exceeds the upper limit, and determines the second time by randomly delaying the first time. Terminal device 10 does not communicate with server 20 at the time the user stops the alarm, but waits a little while before communicating with server 20 at the second time. Here, it is necessary to aggregate sleep information to send to server 20 for communication, but the sleep information aggregation process may also be performed after a short wait, or the sleep information aggregation may be performed first, and communication with server 20 may be performed after the arrival of the second time.

[0086] For example, if the number of users who set 7:00 as their alarm activation time (first time) exceeds the server's maximum number of simultaneous accesses, server 20 predicts that a surge in access will occur at 7:00 and determines a random time between 0 and 5 seconds after 7:00 as each user's actual access time (second time), thereby distributing the access times of each user.

[0087] The terminal device 10 may output at least one of video, still images, or audio during the interval from the first time to the second time. For example, if an alarm sounds at 7:00 and the user stops the alarm, the terminal device 10 may play a video for the user during the interval until the second time, without communicating with the server 20. The terminal device 10 may also output at least one of video, still images, or audio depending on the length of the interval from the first time to the second time. For example, the terminal device 10 may play a 3-second video for a user with a waiting time of 3 seconds, and a 5-second audio for a user with a waiting time of 5 seconds.

[0088] In this way, by knowing in advance the time each user has set to start playing the game, predicting a surge in server access, and randomly delaying the time each user has set to start playing the game, the time each user actually accesses the server and starts playing the game can be distributed. Furthermore, by playing content such as videos for users during the waiting time between the time they set to start playing the game and the time they actually access the server and start playing the game, users can make effective use of their time instead of just waiting, thus maintaining the enjoyment of the game. Here, we have chosen to randomly delay the first time for each user and set the second time, but instead of delaying, for some users, even if the time each user has set as an alarm (the first time), the second time may be set to be earlier than the first time, thereby distributing the timing of each user's terminal device 10 accessing the server 20.

[0089] (i) A process to distribute the setting of the first time among each user. Server 20 sets the first time on terminal device 10 based on the result of distributing the first time for sending a predetermined notification among each user.

[0090] For example, the first time is the user's scheduled wake-up time (alarm activation time), and when the user sets the alarm activation time, the server 20 accepts an operation from the user to specify the alarm activation time. If the time specified by the user is a time when access is likely to be concentrated, the server 20 presents the user of the terminal device 10 with a recommended alarm activation time that is close to the time specified by the user and is not expected to be congested with access. The terminal device 10 sets the recommended alarm activation time as the first time, presents the result of the setting to the user, and accepts an operation from the user to confirm a change to the first time. The terminal device 10 may also accept an operation from the user to set the recommended alarm activation time as the first time.

[0091] For example, suppose a user specifies 7:00 as their desired alarm activation time (first time). In this case, server 20 predicts that a surge in access to the server will occur at 7:00 based on the alarm activation time information specified by each user, and presents 6:59 or 7:01 as recommended alarm activation times to the user.

[0092] Furthermore, when the user sets a candidate time as the first time and proceeds with the game, Server 20 performs a different game progression than when the candidate time is not set as the first time. For example, the game progression when a candidate time is set as the first time may be different from when a different time is set as the first time, and for example, the game progression may be made more favorable to the user. Making the game progression more favorable to the user may include granting benefits such as game objects, making a predetermined game unit (also called a quest) playable, or changing the difficulty of a predetermined game unit (making it easier to clear and easier to obtain rewards upon clearing the game unit). For example, Server 20 may present 6:59 or 7:01 as the recommended alarm activation time to the user, and notify the user that benefits will be granted (for example, game objects such as high rarity items will be granted) when accessing Server 20 with 6:59 or 7:01 set as the alarm activation time.

[0093] Furthermore, the terminal device 10 senses the user's sleep state. When the user sets a first time based on the distributed results, the terminal device 10 issues a predetermined notification based on the sensing results of the user's sleep state, even though the first time has been set. Then, the terminal device 10 receives operation input from the user in response to the predetermined notification and accesses the server 20.

[0094] For example, terminal device 10 sounds the alarm at a time when the user is likely to wake up (light sleep), even though an alarm activation time has been set based on the measurement results of the user's sleep state. When terminal device 10 receives an operation from the user to stop the alarm, it accesses server 20.

[0095] In this way, the setting of the time to play the game can be made into a game-like element, thereby increasing its appeal. Furthermore, by presenting times when access congestion is unlikely to occur, users can be encouraged to set those times as their access times, thus preventing server congestion.

[0096] (c) The process of setting the time when the treasure chest is opened as the second time. The terminal device 10 sends a second piece of information to the server 20 indicating that it has received user input. The server 20 determines a different waiting time for each user who has received the second piece of information, and sends the determined waiting time to each user's terminal device 10 for display.

[0097] Furthermore, the terminal device 10 updates information indicating the waiting time as time elapses and presents it to the user. Until the waiting time has elapsed, it does not accept a predetermined operation from the user to access the server 20. In response to the elapsed time, it accepts a predetermined operation from the user to access the server 20.

[0098] For example, suppose the first time is the user's scheduled wake-up time (alarm activation time). After the user wakes up at the first time and stops the alarm, terminal device 10 sends only the second information (information indicating that the user has woken up) to server 20 instead of the first information (sleep information). Server 20 then displays to the user an item (such as a treasure chest) associated with a game object that can be used in game progression. Here, the item (treasure chest) is determined without using the first information and represents information indicating the right to be granted some game object by accepting the user's operation to open the treasure chest. The time each user opens the treasure chest is set as the second time. In other words, when each user opens the treasure chest, terminal device 10 accesses server 20 to send sleep information and performs the game object lottery process. Furthermore, the information indicating this right has a period set during which the operation to open the treasure chest from the user cannot be accepted. Terminal device 10 displays an indication of when this period has expired and the operation to open the treasure chest from the user can be accepted. The terminal device 10 sets the timing at which the user can open the treasure chest and displays the remaining time until that timing arrives.

[0099] Alternatively, the terminal device 10 may notify the server 20 in response to the user's operation to stop the alarm based on the first time, and the server 20 may grant the user a treasure chest representing the right. In other words, at the first time, the server 20 does not conduct a lottery for game objects, but instead grants the user a treasure chest representing the right, and accepts the user's operation to open the treasure chest. The terminal device 10 then sends a message to the server 20 indicating that the operation has been accepted, and the server 20 conducts a lottery for game objects.

[0100] Furthermore, objects have different appearances depending on their rarity. For example, treasure chests come in normal, silver, and gold varieties, corresponding to differences in rarity. At the first time, Server 20 determines the type of treasure chest (normal, silver, or gold) by a random draw that does not use sleep information, and assigns the determined type of treasure chest to each user. Subsequently, when each user opens a treasure chest, a random draw for game objects is performed based on sleep information and information about the type of treasure chest.

[0101] In this way, instead of performing a server-intensive process of randomly selecting game objects based on sleep information at the first time, objects such as treasure chests are assigned, and the timing of each user opening the treasure chest is set as the actual access time. This distributes the access time to the server for each user, and by performing the random selection of game objects based on sleep information at the time the treasure chest is opened, the communication load between the terminal device and the server can be reduced. Furthermore, by assigning objects with different characteristics, it is possible to create a sense of anticipation in the user and improve the level of interest.

[0102] (e) Processing to play different types of sounds as alarm sounds according to the time. Terminal device 10 issues a specific notification based on the arrival of a first time, according to the elapsed time since the first time. Server 20 grants a reward to the user when it receives an input from the user to access the server in order to advance the game, based on the timing of the specific notification.

[0103] For example, terminal device 10, in order to prompt the user to stop the alarm at a second time, continues to sound a first type of alarm sound based on the first time, while simultaneously sounding a second type of alarm sound (different from the first type of alarm sound) based on the second time. Here, accepting an operation to stop the second type of alarm sound is more advantageous to the user than accepting an operation to stop the first type of alarm sound.

[0104] Compared to the first type of alarm sound, the second type of alarm sound may be an audio prompting the user to stop the alarm at a specific time. For example, while the first type of alarm sound continuously outputs a specific sound (e.g., an audio such as "buzzing" that is output over a certain period of time), the second type of alarm sound may be an intermittent audio (e.g., an audio that is output at a specific time from a state of silence). For example, the first time is the user's scheduled wake-up time (alarm activation time), and at the first time, the terminal device 10 sounds the first type of alarm sound and accesses the server 20 at the time the user stops the alarm sound. The second type of alarm sound may be an audio consisting of sounds different from the first type of alarm sound, for example, including a "ping" sound and other sounds. When the terminal device 10 is playing a second type of alarm sound and the user requests that the alarm be stopped, the server 20 accesses the server 20 at that time to perform a lottery for game objects and grants the user a game object that is more advantageous to the user (e.g., a rare item) compared to when the user requests that the first type of alarm sound be stopped. In addition, the first and second types of alarm sounds may both be the voice of a specific game character (e.g., the cry of a virtual character), but the content of the voice (e.g., a message) may differ between the first and second types. The second type of voice may also be a voice that suggests the occurrence of a game unit such as a quest (e.g., an event has occurred in which there is an opportunity to battle a specific character (e.g., a powerful enemy "XX" has appeared)).

[0105] Furthermore, the timing of the sound that appears in the audio will be different for each user. For example, for a user who has set the alarm time to 7:00, some users will hear an alarm sound in which the "ping" sound appears in the first half, while other users will hear an alarm sound in which the "ping" sound appears in the second half.

[0106] In this way, by playing audio at the time set by the user when they intend to advance the game, and then accessing the server to advance the game when the user requests to stop the audio, the access times to the server can be distributed among users. Furthermore, by prompting the user to stop the playback of a predetermined sound, the setting of the time to advance the game can be made more engaging and interesting.

[0107] In step S521, the server 20 distributes the second time at which each user's terminal device 10 accesses the server to advance the game, using one of the above processes, and then notifies each user's terminal device 10 of information regarding the second time. Each user's terminal device 10 holds the information regarding the second time notified by the server 20. This allows the terminal device 10 to perform processes based on the second time (such as sending sleep information).

[0108] In step S514, the terminal device 10 accesses the server 20 at a second time and sends the first information to the server 20. For example, the terminal device 10 communicates with the server 20 at a second time randomly second later than the first time and sends the user's sleep information to the server 20.

[0109] In step S522, the server 20 randomly selects and assigns a game object (item, etc.) to the user based on the first information. For example, the server 20 randomly selects a game object based on the user's total sleep time, and assigns items that are more advantageous to the user the longer their total sleep time is.

[0110] In step S515, server 20 receives the item that was granted in step S522.

[0111] In step S523, the server 20 updates each database.

[0112] Through the above series of processes, the game, which receives sleep information from each user, maintains its appeal while preventing excessive load on the server.

[0113] <4 Screen Examples> Figure 6 shows an example of the screen of the terminal device 10.

[0114] The example screen in Figure 6 (A) shows a phase in which the time (second time) at which the game is actually accessed by randomly delaying the time set by the user to start the game (first time) is determined.

[0115] As shown in the example screen (A), the terminal device 10 displays a user name display unit 132A, a current time display unit 132B, a video playback button 132C, and a notification display unit 132G on the display 132.

[0116] The username display section 132A is an area that displays the username of each user.

[0117] The current time display section 132B is an area that displays the time when each screen example is shown. In screen example (A), the user sets the alarm activation time as the first time, and the current time is the time when the user woke up due to the alarm activation.

[0118] The notification display unit 132G is an area that notifies the user of control details for distributing the timing of access to the server. In the example screen (A), the terminal device 10 notifies the user that it will not communicate with the server at the first time, but will access the server at a second time randomly later than the first time to conduct the lottery. The terminal device 10 also notifies the user in the notification display unit 132G that videos and other content can be played while waiting for the lottery results.

[0119] The video playback button 132C is an area where the terminal device 10 receives instructions from the user to play a video.

[0120] This randomly delays the time each user sets for starting the game, distributing the time each user actually accesses the server to play the game. Furthermore, by playing content such as videos for users during the waiting time between setting the game to start and actually accessing the server to play the game, users can make effective use of their time instead of just waiting, thus maintaining the game's appeal.

[0121] Screen example (B) shows a scene where the recommended access time is presented to the user.

[0122] In example screen (B), the current time display unit 132B shows the time before the user goes to bed, which is the time the alarm activation time, has been set.

[0123] The notification display unit 132G presents the user with at least one candidate time as a recommended access time. When the user specifies 7:00 as the desired alarm activation time, the terminal device 10 presents the user with 7:01 as the recommended alarm activation time. The terminal device 10 also notifies the user that if they set 7:01 as the access time and access the server to proceed with the game, they will be granted a rare item that will be advantageous to them.

[0124] The alarm setting button 132D is an area where the terminal device 10 receives an operation from the user to set the recommended access time as the first time.

[0125] This allows for a more engaging experience by adding a game-like element to the process of setting the time to play the game. Furthermore, by suggesting times when access is less likely to occur, users are encouraged to set those times as their access times, thus preventing server congestion.

[0126] Screen example (C) shows a scenario in the first time step where the user is granted the right to acquire a game object (treasure chest) without a lottery for the game object.

[0127] In example screen (C), the user has set the alarm activation time as the first time, and the current time is the time the user woke up due to the alarm.

[0128] Server 20 displays in the notification display unit 132G that it has given the user a treasure chest at the first time. Server 20 determines the timing for opening the treasure chest as the second time. When the second time arrives, terminal device 10 accesses server 20 by accepting an operation from the user to open the treasure chest, or simply by the arrival of the second time, even without accepting an operation to open the treasure chest. Terminal device 10 notifies in the notification display unit 132G that opening the treasure chest will result in a lottery for game objects, and also notifies that the treasure chests have different forms, and in example screen (C), it notifies that the treasure chest given to the user is a golden treasure chest.

[0129] The button 132E for opening the treasure chest is an area in which the terminal device 10 receives an operation from the user to open the treasure chest and draw items. In this area, the waiting time until the second time is displayed.

[0130] This allows the timing of opening treasure chests to be considered the actual access time, distributing the access times of each user to the server and reducing the communication load between the terminal device and the server. Furthermore, by assigning objects with different characteristics, it is possible to create a sense of anticipation in the user and enhance their interest.

[0131] Screen example (D) shows the phase in which the timing to stop the audio is determined based on the actual access time.

[0132] In example screen (D), the user has set the alarm activation time as the first time, and the current time is the time the user woke up due to the alarm.

[0133] The notification display unit 132G indicates that the alarm sound is an audio signal consisting of different sounds, and that if the alarm is stopped when the game is progressing by accessing the server and a "ping" sound is played, the user will be notified that they will receive an item that is advantageous to them.

[0134] The button 132F for stopping the alarm is an area in the terminal device 10 that receives a request from the user to stop the alarm sound.

[0135] This allows the timing of stopping the sound to be set to the actual access time, thus distributing the access times of each user to the server. Furthermore, by prompting users to stop the playback of a predetermined sound, the setting of the time at which the game progresses can be made more engaging and interesting.

[0136] <Summary> The points described in each of the above embodiments can be summarized as follows:

[0137] (1) Instead of immediately communicating sleep information to the server after the alarm sounds and the user stops it, the system waits for a random number of seconds for each user before communicating the information. During this time, the terminal displays animations to each user indicating that sleep information is being analyzed and that sleep information is being communicated to the server. For example, the system waits for a random number of seconds between 0 and 5 seconds from the alarm time before communicating the information. This reduces the server load per second.

[0138] (2) It is assumed that each user will often set alarms at round times. If there is processing to be performed on server 20 when the alarm is stopped, each user will be encouraged to deliberately set the alarm at a time other than a round time. For example, by shifting the time the alarm sounds, each user will be given an incentive to progress in the game (such as gaining the effect of a specific parameter increase for the character, becoming less susceptible to status ailments, or being granted a bonus). As a result, alarms will be set at scattered times from each user's terminal device 10, rather than being excessively concentrated at round times.

[0139] (3) When the alarm sounds on the terminal and the user stops it, the terminal does not send all of the sleep information to the server, but instead sends data to the server indicating that "the user has woken up." The information that "the user has woken up" is a small amount of data compared to the information of the sleep measurement results. The server receives the data that "the user has woken up" from the terminal, but does not immediately receive the sleep measurement results from the terminal, thus reducing the load on the server. Instead of performing game processing using sleep information (e.g., lottery processing) on ​​the server when the user wakes up, the server presents the user with information indicating the right to obtain a game object through a lottery (e.g., presented to the user in the form of a treasure chest). The treasure chest can be opened after a certain period of time has elapsed (until a certain period of time has elapsed, the game object cannot be obtained regardless of the information indicating the right). When the terminal accepts an operation from the user that is like opening the treasure chest based on the right (an operation to exercise the right), it sends the sleep measurement results to the server at that time.

[0140] (4) Add a game element to the alarm sound. In addition to the normal alarm sound, another type of alarm sound is pre-prepared. The terminal will gain an advantage in the game by stopping the alarm at the timing of the other type of alarm sound rather than the normal alarm sound. Here, the timing of when the other type of alarm sound plays may be set to vary from user to user. This will distribute the timing of access to the server from each terminal.

[0141] <Variation> In the above explanation, we described an example in which server 20 performs the lottery process based on confirmed sleep information, but it is also possible to perform the lottery process based on sleep information before it is confirmed. For example, consider the following variations.

[0142] Before the first time for issuing a predetermined notification arrives, the terminal device 10 accesses the server 20 to advance the game, receives third information from the server 20 to advance the game, and accepts user input in accordance with the predetermined notification. Based on this third information, the terminal device 10 advances the game without accessing the server 20.

[0143] Furthermore, the terminal device 10 receives an operation from the user to go to sleep or to begin falling asleep, and in response to this operation, it accesses the server 20 before the first time arrives.

[0144] (1) In the user's terminal device 10, in order to measure information about the user's sleep, the terminal device 10 receives an operation from the user to start sleep measurement (for example, displaying a button to start sleep measurement). Upon receiving the operation, the terminal device 10 notifies the server 20 that an operation to start sleep measurement has been performed, and the server 20 performs a lottery process.

[0145] At this time, the server 20 stores the lottery results in advance according to the pattern of the measurement results of the user's sleep information. Before the time for the user to wake up arrives, the server 20 sends the information of these multiple lottery results to the terminal device 10 in advance. When the terminal device 10 receives an action from the user indicating that they have woken up (such as pressing the sleep measurement end button), it determines which of the patterns it corresponds to and, according to the determination result, performs processing such as assigning a game object according to the sleep measurement result without accessing the server 20.

[0146] The terminal device 10 transmits the sleep state measurement results to the server 20. The server 20 stores the information on each user's sleep state measurement results, identifies the game objects assigned to each user according to the pattern of the sleep state measurement results, and updates the information about each user (information on the game objects they possess, etc.).

[0147] (2) While the terminal device 10 is measuring information about the user's sleep (from the time the user goes to sleep until they wake up), the terminal device 10 communicates with the server 20 at regular intervals and sends information about the sleep to the server 20. The server 20 responds to the terminal device 10 in advance with the results of the lottery process, etc. For example, if sleep time information is used as sleep information, and the longer the sleep time, the more lottery entries are made and game objects are awarded to the user, the terminal device 10 communicates with the server 20, for example, every hour of sleep, and executes a predetermined lottery process before the user stops the alarm and the sleep time is finalized. As a result, by the time the user wakes up, most of the lottery process has already been executed and the lottery result information from the server 20 is already stored in the terminal device 10.

[0148] When the terminal device 10 performs an operation to end the measurement of sleep-related information (when an operation to wake up is performed), the terminal device 10 determines whether it needs to communicate with the server 20 again. For example, if the server 20 has not received enough information from the terminal device 10 to perform a lottery process based on sleep information, the terminal device 10 will communicate with the server 20 again. If further communication is not necessary, the terminal device 10 will not communicate with the server 20 and will display the results of the processing performed by the server 20 to advance the game (such as the lottery process).

[0149] (3) Since users are likely to wake up when the alarm sounds, the terminal device 10 and the server 20 communicate a predetermined time before the alarm sounds (e.g., 30 minutes before). The server 20 receives the signal from the terminal device 10 and performs a lottery. Here, in order to distribute the load, each terminal device 10 and the server 20 communicate sequentially for each user's identification information (user ID). In other words, the timing of when the terminal device 10 accesses the server 20 is defined in association with the user ID. If the alarm sounds but the user does not wake up (the user does not operate the terminal device 10), the terminal device 10 discards the lottery result for such a user and performs another lottery to communicate between the terminal device 10 and the server 20 at the time the user actually wakes up.

[0150] When the terminal device 10 performs an operation to end the measurement of sleep-related information (when an operation to wake up is performed), the terminal device 10 determines whether it needs to communicate with the server 20 again. For example, if the server 20 has not received enough information from the terminal device 10 to perform a lottery process based on sleep information, the terminal device 10 will communicate with the server 20 again. If further communication is not necessary, the terminal device 10 will not communicate with the server 20 and will display the results of the processing performed by the server 20 to advance the game (such as the lottery process).

[0151] (4) If the device can measure whether the user is in deep sleep or not, it will sound an alarm if it detects that the user is in light sleep. This allows for staggered wake-up times for each user, regardless of the alarm time set by the user.

[0152] (5) After the user stops the alarm on their device, they can play a mini-game. Since the time it takes to play the mini-game varies from user to user, accessing the server from the device after playing the mini-game can prevent excessive congestion on the server.

[0153] (6) Instead of the user setting the alarm time, the game program itself will suggest it to each user. For example, the device could allow the user to set it to "set an alarm after 8 hours of sleep." This would result in different wake times for different users, potentially reducing the communication load on the server. Users would also be able to ensure they get enough sleep.

[0154] <Note> The details described in each of the above embodiments are noted below.

[0155] (Note 1) A game program to be executed on a computer equipped with a processor, the game program having the processor perform the following steps: receiving user input (S511); setting a first time to advance the game, and if no user input is received before the first time arrives, giving a predetermined notification at the first time (S512); changing the status of the notification based on the user's user input and accessing a server to advance the game (S513); and distributing the second time at which each user's computer accesses the server to advance the game (S521).

[0156] (Note 2) The game program described in (Note 1) includes, in order to advance the game, accessing the server, processing based on first information determined by receiving user input, determining game objects to appear in the user's gameplay, and having the server store the information of the determined game objects in association with the user (S522).

[0157] (Note 3) The game program described in (Note 2) includes, in order to advance the game, accessing the server, accepting user input to determine time-sensitive information, and then determining a game object to associate with the user by performing a lottery on the server using the determined time-sensitive information as the first piece of information.

[0158] (Note 4) The first time is set as the time to sound the alarm, and accessing the server in order to advance the game includes accepting an operation for waking up as user input, and by accepting said operation for waking up, the game program described in (Note 3) includes determining information about the user's sleep as time-measuring information.

[0159] (Note 5) In the step of distribution, the second time is distributed by distributing the timing of accessing the server after receiving user input for each of the multiple users, as described in any of (Note 2) to (Note 4).

[0160] (Note 6) In the distribution step, a second piece of information indicating that user input has been received is sent to the server, the server determines a different waiting time for each user who has received the second piece of information, and sends the determined waiting time to each user's computer. A game program as described in any of (Appendix 1) to (Appendix 5), which presents the user with information indicating the waiting time during the distribution step.

[0161] (Note 7) In the step of distributing, the game program described in (Note 6) updates information indicating the waiting time as time progresses and presents it to the user, does not accept a predetermined operation from the user to access the server until the waiting time has elapsed, and accepts a predetermined operation from the user to access the server in response to the elapsed waiting time.

[0162] (Note 8) A game program according to any one of (Note 1) to (Note 7), which in the step of distributing, includes setting a first time on the computer based on the result of distributing the setting of a first time for giving a predetermined notification among each user.

[0163] (Note 9) In the step of distributing, the game program described in (Note 8) presents the results of distributing the setting of the first time among each user to the computer user, and sets the changed first time by accepting an operation from the user to agree to the change of the first time.

[0164] (Note 10) The game program described in (Note 8), further comprising the steps of sensing the user's sleep state and providing a predetermined notification, setting a first time based on the distributed results, providing a predetermined notification based on the sensing results of the user's sleep state despite the first time being set, and accessing the server by receiving operation input from the user in accordance with the predetermined notification.

[0165] (Note 11) A game program as described in any of (Note 1) to (Note 10), wherein, in the step of distributing, a specific notification is made in accordance with the elapsed time from the first time, based on the arrival of a first time.

[0166] (Note 12) In the distribution step, the game program described in (Note 11) grants a reward to the user when it receives input from the user to access the server in order to advance the game, based on the timing of a specific notification.

[0167] (Note 13) The game program described in (Notes 1) to (Notes 12), wherein in the step of distributing, before the first time for giving a predetermined notification arrives, the program accesses the server to advance the game, receives third information from the server to advance the game, and accepts user input in accordance with the predetermined notification, thereby allowing the computer to advance the game based on the third information without accessing the server.

[0168] (Note 14) The game program described in (Note 13) that accepts an operation from the user to go to sleep or start falling asleep, and in response to said operation, accesses the server before the first time arrives. [Explanation of symbols]

[0169] 10A, 10B Terminal device, 11A Game controller, 11B Sleep measurement device, 12 Communication IF, 13 Input device, 14 Output device, 15 Memory, 16 Storage unit, 19 Processor, 20 Server, 22 Communication IF, 23 Input / Output IF, 25 Memory, 26 Storage, 29 Processor, 80 Network, 81 Wireless base station, 82 Wireless LAN base station, 130 Operation reception unit (touchscreen), 132 Display, 181 User information, 281 User information database, 282 Server processing capacity information.

Claims

1. A program to be executed on a computer that controls a sleep-related game, comprising a processor and memory, wherein the program is executed on the processor, The steps include determining the start time and end time of the timing in response to user operations, and acquiring the time information from the start time to the end time as sleep time, The steps include setting an alarm in response to the user's actions, The steps include determining the number of draws based on the aforementioned sleep duration, A program that performs the step of conducting a lottery for the number of lottery draws mentioned above.

2. A program to be executed on a computer that controls a sleep-related game, comprising a processor and memory, wherein the program is executed on the processor, The steps include determining the start time and end time of the timing in response to user operations, and obtaining time information from the start time to the end time, The steps include: obtaining sensing results regarding the user's body movements during sleep from the start time to the end time; A step of determining the number of draws based on the aforementioned time information, A program that performs the step of conducting a lottery for the number of lottery draws mentioned above.

3. The program according to claim 1 or 2, which determines a lottery table based on the time information in the step of determining the above.

4. A method to be performed on a computer that controls a sleep-related game, comprising a processor and memory, wherein the processor performs all steps performed in any of the inventions according to claims 1 to 3.

5. An information processing device for controlling a sleep-related game, comprising a processor and memory, wherein the processor performs all steps performed in any of the inventions according to claims 1 to 3.

6. A system for controlling sleep-related games, comprising means for performing all steps performed in any of the inventions described in claims 1 to 3.

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