Information processing device and information processing system

Abstract

An information processing device 20 is communicably connected to a plurality of toys 10 that have a communication function. The information processing device 20 includes: an acquiring unit 24 for acquiring, from each of the plurality of toys 10, unique identification information for identifying the toy 10; a positional relationship identifying unit 26 for identifying relative positional relationships between the plurality of toys 10; and a logical ID allocating unit 28 for associating logical identification information used in an application with the unique identification information of each toy 10 on the basis of the relative positional relationships between the plurality of toys 10.

Description

Information processing device and information processing system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technology for controlling toys that users can play with by touching them with their hands or stepping on them with their feet.

[0002] In recent years, the widespread use of information devices such as smartphones and tablets has made their use by children common. Prolonged use of information devices by children not only increases the risk of vision loss, but can also lead to a decline in physical strength due to lack of exercise.

[0003] It is known that exercise strengthens children's muscles and bones and also has a positive effect on their mental health. To maintain children's health, it is desirable to create an environment where children can exercise while having fun. Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology for controlling a toy, which is a device that a user can play with by touching it with their hands or stepping on it with their feet.

[0004] An information processing device of one aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device that is communicatively connected to a plurality of toys having communication functions, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires unique identification information for identifying the toy from each of the plurality of toys, a positional relationship determination unit that determines the relative positional relationship between the plurality of toys, and an assignment unit that associates logical identification information to be used in an application with the unique identification information of the toy based on the relative positional relationship between the plurality of toys.

[0005] Another aspect of the information processing system of the present disclosure is an information processing system in which a plurality of toys that a user can touch with their hands or step on with their feet are communicatively connected to an information processing device, wherein the toys have unique identification information, and the information processing device includes an acquisition unit that acquires the unique identification information of each of the plurality of toys from the plurality of toys, a positional relationship determination unit that determines the relative positional relationship of the plurality of toys, and an allocation unit that assigns logical identification information to be used in an application to the unique identification information of the toys based on the relative positional relationship of the plurality of toys.

[0006] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of a toy of an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an information processing system equipped with a plurality of toys; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing functional blocks of an information processing device and toys; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of electronic components inside a toy; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a displayed game list; (a) and (b) are diagrams showing a state in which a plurality of toys are placed on a floor surface; (a) and (b) are diagrams showing logical IDs assigned to toys; (a) and (b) are diagrams showing a state in which a game is being played; (a) is an exploded perspective view of a toy; (b) is a cross-sectional view of a toy; (a), (b), and (c) are diagrams showing a state in which a plurality of toys are made to emit light in different modes; (a) and (b) are diagrams showing the states of a plurality of toys; (a) and (b) are diagrams showing a state in which signals are transmitted and received between toys; (a) is a diagram showing a state in which signals are transmitted and received between toys; (b) is a diagram showing a state in which a plurality of toys are lined up in a row;

[0007] FIG. 1 shows an example of the appearance of a toy 10 according to an embodiment. The toy 10 is a circular electronic device configured to be touchable by a child user with their hands or stomped on with their feet, and has a substantially flat shape so that any part of the toy 10 can be easily touched with their hands or stomped on with their feet. The top surface of the toy 10 does not need to be completely flat, and may have some curvature. To make the toy 10 portable for children, it is preferable that the weight of the toy 10 be approximately 400 to 700 grams and the diameter be approximately 25 to 30 cm.

[0008] 2 shows the configuration of an information processing system 1 including a plurality of toys 10. The information processing system 1 includes a plurality of toys 10, which are devices, and an information processing device 20 having a display 40. The toys 10 and the information processing device 20 are communicably connected to each other and have the function of transmitting and receiving necessary information and / or data.

[0009] When a user plays indoors, the toy 10 and the information processing device 20 may be connected using wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The toy 10 and the information processing device 20 may be connected via a wireless LAN (local area network), a mobile phone network, or a relay network. The toy 10 and the information processing device 20 can be connected via various communication paths, and it is preferable that the communication path be automatically switched as needed. Note that although it is preferable that the toy 10 and the information processing device 20 are connected wirelessly, they may also be connected via a wired connection using a cable or the like.

[0010] In the embodiment, the information processing device 20 functions as a control tower in the information processing system 1, executes a game program, and controls the progress of a game played using one or more toys 10. The information processing device 20 may be a portable information device such as a smartphone or a tablet, a laptop or desktop personal computer, or a portable or console game device.

[0011] 3 shows functional blocks of the information processing device 20 and the toy 10. The toy 10 includes a processing unit 50 and a communication unit 52. The processing unit 50 includes a sensor unit 54, a light-emitting unit 56, a speaker 58, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 70, and a control unit 72. The sensor unit 54 includes multiple sensors that detect contact by the user. The sensors may be pressure sensors that detect pressure applied perpendicularly to the top surface of the toy 10, i.e., pressure applied in the thickness direction of the toy 10. The sensor unit 54 includes multiple pressure sensors that detect pressure in the thickness direction of the toy 10 at different positions, and the multiple pressure sensors may be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction below the circular top surface of the toy 10.

[0012] The light-emitting unit 56 has a plurality of light-emitting bodies capable of emitting light. The light-emitting unit 56 has a plurality of LEDs arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction at positions equidistant from the center, and lights up the side of the toy 10 and its vicinity. The plurality of LEDs can each be lit in an independent color, and lighting is controlled according to light-emitting instructions supplied from the information processing device 20. The light-emitting unit 56 may be a tape LED in which a plurality of LEDs are arranged at equal intervals on a long piece of insulating tape.

[0013] The functionality of the components in toy 10 may be implemented in circuitry or processing circuitry, including general-purpose processors, application-specific processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), a CPU (a Central Processing Unit), conventional circuitry, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the functions described herein. A processor is considered to be circuitry or processing circuitry that includes transistors and other circuitry. A processor may also be a programmed processor that executes a program stored in a memory.

[0014] In this specification, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that is programmed to realize or performs the described functions, which may be any hardware disclosed herein or any hardware known to be programmed to realize or perform the described functions.

[0015] If the hardware is a processor that is considered to be a type of circuitry, the circuitry, means, or unit may be a combination of hardware and software used to configure the hardware and / or processor.

[0016] 4 shows an example of the layout of electronic components inside the toy. In this example, the sensor unit 54 has a first pressure sensor 54a, a second pressure sensor 54b, a third pressure sensor 54c, and a fourth pressure sensor 54d, which are arranged at 90-degree intervals around the circumference, and the distance from the center point to each pressure sensor is equal. Each pressure sensor detects the pressure applied by the user to the top surface of the toy 10.

[0017] The top surface of the toy 10 is an operation surface operated by the user, and is divided into a plurality of divided regions based on the positions of a plurality of pressure sensors. In this embodiment, four pressure sensors are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction below the toy operation surface, thereby dividing the operation surface (top surface) of the toy 10 into four divided regions: a first region 60a, a second region 60b, a third region 60c, and a fourth region 60d. Here, each divided region has a fan shape with the same central angle (90 degrees), and in each divided region, the pressure sensors are arranged on a line that passes through the center point (the vertex of the fan) and divides each divided region in half.

[0018] Therefore, when the first region 60a is pressed by the user, the pressure detected by the first pressure sensor 54a is the highest compared to the pressure detected by the other pressure sensors. Similarly, when the second region 60b is pressed by the user, the pressure detected by the second pressure sensor 54b is the highest compared to the pressure detected by the other pressure sensors. When the third region 60c is pressed by the user, the pressure detected by the third pressure sensor 54c is the highest compared to the pressure detected by the other pressure sensors. When the fourth region 60d is pressed by the user, the pressure detected by the fourth pressure sensor 54d is the highest compared to the pressure detected by the other pressure sensors. By arranging multiple pressure sensors at equal intervals in the circumferential direction in this manner, the sensor unit 54 can identify the divided region pressed by the user. When the user presses multiple divided regions simultaneously, the sensor unit 54 may be able to identify the multiple divided regions pressed simultaneously. The communication unit 52 transmits the detection values ​​detected by each pressure sensor to the information processing device 20 at a predetermined sampling period.

[0019] The multiple light emitters in the light emitter 56 are arranged at positions a predetermined distance from the center point so as to surround the multiple pressure sensors. The number of light emitters may be several tens to several hundreds. The more light emitters that can be independently lit, the more various light emission patterns or color schemes the light emitter 56 can generate. The lighting of the multiple light emitters is controlled according to light emission instructions supplied from the information processing device 20.

[0020] The speaker 58 is disposed in the central region and outputs sounds in accordance with sound output instructions supplied from the information processing device 20. The speaker 58 may output, for example, the results of the game.

[0021] The toy 10 has unique identification information (toy ID) for uniquely identifying itself. The toy ID is one and only identification information and may be called a physical ID. When the toy 10 is powered on and enters an active state, it connects to the information processing device 20 so as to be able to communicate with the information processing device 20 and notifies the information processing device 20 of its own toy ID. The information processing device 20 acquires the toy IDs from all toys 10 in the vicinity that are in an active state, and identifies toys 10 that can be used in the game. The information processing device 20 may periodically poll the toys 10 that have acquired the toy ID to check whether they are maintaining an active state.

[0022] The information processing device 20 includes a processing unit 22, a communication unit 32, a display 40, a speaker 42, and a camera 44. The processing unit 22 includes an acquisition unit 24, a positional relationship identification unit 26, a logical ID assignment unit 28, and a control unit 30.

[0023] The functionality of the components in the information processing device 20 may be implemented in circuitry or processing circuitry, including general-purpose processors, application-specific processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), a CPU (a Central Processing Unit), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the functions described herein. A processor is considered to be circuitry or processing circuitry including transistors and other circuits. A processor may also be a programmed processor that executes a program stored in a memory.

[0024] In this specification, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that is programmed to realize or performs the described functions, which may be any hardware disclosed herein or any hardware known to be programmed to realize or perform the described functions.

[0025] If the hardware is a processor that is considered to be a type of circuitry, the circuitry, means, or unit may be a combination of hardware and software used to configure the hardware and / or processor.

[0026] In the information processing system 1 of the embodiment, various games are provided that the user can play by moving their body. When the user wants to start a game, the user operates the information processing device 20 to display a game list on the display 40.

[0027] 5 shows an example of a game list displayed on the display 40. When the user selects a game from the game list, the control unit 30 starts the game program for the selected game and notifies the user by outputting information necessary for preparing for the game from the speaker 42. As an example, the following describes how to play the "tug of war game," which is the second game from the top of the list.

[0028] When the tug-of-war game is selected from the game list, the control unit 30 starts a program for the tug-of-war game. The tug-of-war game is a game in which two users compete against each other, and the user who hits the toy 10 the most times wins.

[0029] The tug-of-war game uses five toys 10. The five toys 10 are lined up in a row and are lit in a default color (e.g., yellow) before the game starts. Two users stand in positions where they can step on the toys 10 arranged at different ends, and upon receiving a signal to start the game, they repeatedly hit the toys 10 with their feet. Depending on the number of times the toys 10 are stepped on, the lit color of the toys 10 lined up in a row changes to their team color (red or blue), starting from the user in front, and the player who changes the lit color of the toy in the middle to their team color wins. Note that a victory condition may also be to step on more toys 10 than their opponent within a predetermined time.

[0030] Before the game starts, the control unit 30 outputs necessary preparation information by voice from the speaker 42. In the following, it is assumed that five active toys 10 are prepared on a placement surface such as the floor or the ground. FIG. 6( a) shows a state in which five toys 10 are placed randomly on the floor. When a toy 10 is powered on and placed in an active state, the toy 10 connects to the information processing device 20 so as to be able to communicate with the information processing device 20 and notifies the information processing device 20 of its own toy ID. In this example, toys 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e are placed in an active state, and in the information processing device 20, the acquisition unit 24 acquires a toy ID from each of the toys 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e and recognizes them as toys that can be used in the game.

[0031] The communication unit 32 may periodically poll the toys 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e from which the toy IDs have been acquired to confirm whether they are maintaining an active state. Here, the toy 10a has a toy ID (ID_A), the toy 10b has a toy ID (ID_B), the toy 10c has a toy ID (ID_C), the toy 10d has a toy ID (ID_D), and the toy 10e has a toy ID (ID_E).

[0032] Not only for tug-of-war games, but also for other applications such as games, the multiple toys 10 used are managed using logical identification information (identification numbers) in the application. Hereinafter, information that logically identifies the toy 10 in the application will be referred to as a "logical ID." Therefore, when the processing unit 22 executes the application, it is necessary to associate the logical ID used in the application with the toy ID of the toy 10. Therefore, the user performs a preparatory work to associate the logical ID with the toy ID.

[0033] (Step 1) When the speaker 42 outputs a voice saying, "Please line up the five terminals in a row. Then, press the top surface of the middle terminal to select it as the host," the user lines up the five toys 10 in a row and presses the top surface of the middle toy 10.

[0034] 6(b) shows a state in which five toys 10 are placed in a line on the floor. In this example, toys 10d, 10c, 10a, 10e, and 10b are arranged in this order from left to right. When a user presses the top surface of the middle toy 10a, the communication unit 52 of the toy 10a transmits the detection value (sensor value) of the sensor unit 54 along with its own toy ID (ID_A) to the information processing device 20. In the information processing device 20, the communication unit 32 receives the sensor value and toy ID (ID_A) of the toy 10a, and the acquisition unit 24 acquires the sensor value and toy ID (ID_A) of the toy 10a. The logical ID assignment unit 28 assigns a logical ID (ID_3) to the toy 10a, associates the toy ID (ID_A) with the logical ID (ID_3), and recognizes the toy 10a as a host.

[0035] (Step 2) Next, when the speaker 42 outputs a voice message saying, "Please press the top surface of the first terminal from the end," the user presses the top surface of the toy 10d, and the communication unit 52 of the toy 10d transmits the sensor value together with its own toy ID (ID_D) to the information processing device 20. In the information processing device 20, the communication unit 32 receives the sensor value and toy ID (ID_D) of the toy 10d, and when the acquisition unit 24 acquires the sensor value and toy ID (ID_D) of the toy 10d, the logical ID assignment unit 28 assigns a logical ID (ID_1) to the toy 10d, associates the toy ID (ID_D) with the logical ID (ID_1), and recognizes the toy 10d as the first terminal from the end.

[0036] Next, when the speaker 42 outputs a voice message saying, "Please press the top surface of the second terminal from the end," the user presses the top surface of the toy 10c, and the communication unit 52 of the toy 10c transmits the sensor value together with its own toy ID (ID_C) to the information processing device 20. As a result, the logical ID assignment unit 28 assigns a logical ID (ID_2) to the toy 10c, associates the toy ID (ID_C) with the logical ID (ID_2), and recognizes the toy 10c as the second terminal from the end.

[0037] Next, when the speaker 42 outputs a voice message saying, "Skip the host and press the top surface of the fourth terminal from the end," the user presses the top surface of the toy 10e, and the communication unit 52 of the toy 10e transmits the sensor value together with its own toy ID (ID_E) to the information processing device 20. As a result, the logical ID assignment unit 28 assigns a logical ID (ID_4) to the toy 10e, associates the toy ID (ID_E) with the logical ID (ID_4), and recognizes the toy 10e as the fourth terminal from the end.

[0038] Next, when the speaker 42 outputs a voice message saying, "Please press the top surface of the fifth terminal from the end," the user presses the top surface of toy 10b, and the communication unit 52 of toy 10b transmits the sensor value along with its own toy ID (ID_B) to the information processing device 20. As a result, the logical ID assignment unit 28 assigns a logical ID (ID_5) to toy 10b, associates the toy ID (ID_B) with the logical ID (ID_5), and recognizes toy 10b as the fifth terminal from the end. With the above preparation work, the association between the logical ID and the toy ID is completed.

[0039] 7(a) shows the logical ID assigned to the toy 10, and FIG. 7(b) shows the correspondence table generated by the logical ID assignment unit 28. As described above, the logical ID is an identification number used in the application, and the toy ID is identification information unique to the toy 10. Thereafter, when the control unit 30 receives a light-emitting instruction specifying a logical ID from the application, it identifies the toy ID associated with that logical ID from the correspondence table and performs light-emitting control of the toy 10 having that toy ID.

[0040] When the logical ID assignment process by the logical ID assignment unit 28 is completed, the control unit 30 generates a light-emitting instruction to light up the light-emitting elements of all of the toys 10 in a predetermined color (e.g., yellow), and the communication unit 32 transmits the light-emitting instruction to all of the toys 10. As a result, the five toys 10 lined up in a row light up in yellow. User A stands in a position where he can step on toy 10d located at one end of the row of toys, and user B stands in a position where he can step on toy 10b located at the other end of the row of toys.

[0041] In the tug-of-war game, a toy 10d assigned a logical ID (ID_1) and a toy 10b assigned a logical ID (ID_5) are operated by the users by stepping on them. The users may also repeatedly tap the toy 10 with their hands; whether to operate the toy 10 with their feet or hands can be determined in advance by the users. When the game starts, the control unit 30 monitors fluctuations in the sensor values ​​transmitted from the toy 10d having the physical ID_D associated with the logical ID_1 and the sensor values ​​transmitted from the toy 10b having the physical ID_B associated with the logical ID_5, and counts the number of times each user has repeatedly tapped the toy 10.

[0042] (Step 3) After all the toys 10 are lit in yellow, the control unit 30 outputs a voice signal to signal the start of the game from the speaker 42. The control unit 30 may count down "3, 2, 1" and then output a voice message saying "Tug of war begins" from the speaker 42.

[0043] After a signal to start the tug-of-war, user A repeatedly hits toy 10d with his foot, and user B also repeatedly hits toy 10b with his foot. FIG. 8( a) shows a state in which a tug-of-war game is being played. Detection values ​​of sensor units 54 in toy 10d and toy 10b are transmitted to information processing device 20 at a predetermined cycle. The sensor detection values ​​may be transmitted, for example, every 0.1 seconds. Control unit 30 counts the number of contacts with toy 10d and toy 10b based on fluctuations in the detection values ​​of sensor units 54. In the tug-of-war game, pushing (stepping) and releasing toy 10 is counted as one contact, so if toy 10 is continuously stepped on, the number of contacts does not increase. The communication unit 52 of the toy 10d transmits the detection value of the sensor unit 54 together with the toy ID (ID_D) of the toy 10d to the information processing device 20, and the communication unit 52 of the toy 10b transmits the detection value of the sensor unit 54 together with the toy ID (ID_B) of the toy 10b to the information processing device 20. The control unit 30 derives the number of times that the user A has touched (stepped on and released) the toy 10d based on the sensor value transmitted from the toy 10d, and derives the number of times that the user B has touched (stepped on and released) the toy 10b based on the sensor value transmitted from the toy 10b.

[0044] The control unit 30 changes the lighting color of the light-emitting unit 56 of the toy 10 in accordance with the number of times that the user A touches the toy 10d. When the number of times that the user A touches the toy 10d reaches (Na_1) times (e.g., 20 times), the control unit 30 changes the lighting color of the light-emitting unit 56 of the toy 10d, which is assigned the logical ID (ID_1), from yellow to red. When the number of times that the user A touches the toy reaches (Na_2) times (e.g., 50 times), the control unit 30 changes the lighting color of the light-emitting unit 56 of the toy 10c, which is assigned the logical ID (ID_2), from yellow to red. When the number of times that the user A touches the toy reaches (Na_3) times (e.g., 100 times), the control unit 30 changes the lighting color of the light-emitting unit 56 of the toy 10a, which is assigned the logical ID (ID_3), from yellow to red. In this way, the control unit 30 changes the lighting color of the toy 10d from the nearest toy 10d toward toy 10a as the number of times that the user A touches the toy 10d increases.

[0045] Similarly, the control unit 30 changes the lighting color of the light-emitting unit 56 of the toy 10 in accordance with the number of times that user B touches the toy 10b. When user B touches the toy 10b (Nb_1) times (e.g., 20 times), the control unit 30 changes the lighting color of the light-emitting unit 56 of the toy 10b assigned the logical ID (ID_5) from yellow to blue. When user B touches the toy 10b (Nb_2) times (e.g., 50 times), the control unit 30 changes the lighting color of the light-emitting unit 56 of the toy 10e assigned the logical ID (ID_4) from yellow to blue. When user B touches the toy 10b (Nb_3) times (e.g., 100 times), the control unit 30 changes the lighting color of the light-emitting unit 56 of the toy 10a assigned the logical ID (ID_3) from yellow to blue. In this way, the control unit 30 changes the lighting color of the toy 10b from the nearest toy 10b toward toy 10a as the number of times that user B touches the toy 10b increases.

[0046] In a tug-of-war game, the user who changes the illumination color of the host toy 10a to their own color wins. Therefore, under the color change conditions described above, the user who steps on the toy 10a 100 times first wins. FIG. 8(b) shows the state in which the illumination color of the host toy 10a has changed to red. In this example, user A steps on the toy 10d 100 times faster than user B, and thus wins. Note that if user A is a parent and user B is a child, the color change conditions may be set so that Na_3>Nb_3 as a handicap.

[0047] When the control unit 30 recognizes that the red team has won, it generates a light-emitting instruction to light up the light-emitting elements in the five toys 10a to 10e in red, and the communication unit 32 transmits the light-emitting instruction to the five toys 10a to 10e. As a result, the light-emitting units 56 in the toys 10a to 10e light up in red, informing users A and B that the red team has won.

[0048] At this time, the control unit 30 may generate sound data relating to the results of the tug-of-war game and output the sound from the speaker 42. For example, the speaker 42 may output a sound saying, "Team Red wins." The control unit 30 may also cause the communication unit 32 to transmit sound data relating to the preparations, progress, and results of the tug-of-war game to at least one of the toys 10a to 10e. In the toy 10, the communication unit 52 may receive the sound data, and the speaker 58 may output a sound based on the sound data to inform the user of the preparations, progress, and results of the game.

[0049] In this way, in the tug-of-war game, the control unit 30 generates light emission instructions to sequentially change the lighting colors of the toys 10 lined up in a row, according to the number of contacts derived from the detection value of the sensor unit 54. The user can know whether he or she is currently in a leading or losing position by watching the lighting colors of the toys 10 lined up in a row change sequentially.

[0050] The structure of the toy 10 will now be described. Figures 9 and 10 show exploded perspective views of the toy 10, and Figure 11 shows a cross-sectional view of the toy 10. To facilitate understanding of the internal structure of the toy 10, illustrations of electronic components provided inside the toy 10 have been omitted where appropriate.

[0051] The toy 10 of the embodiment includes a lid 100 that forms the top surface 102 and side surfaces 106 of the toy 10, a base plate member 300 that forms the bottom surface 302 of the toy 10, and a case 200 that is placed in the internal space formed between the lid 100 and the bottom plate member 300. The bottom surface 302 of the base plate member 300 has a flat area that comes into contact with a placement surface such as a floor, the ground, or a tabletop. The lid 100 covers the top surface 202 of the case 200 and is rotatably engaged with the bottom plate member 300. The top surface 102 of the lid 100, which is operated by the user, is configured to be substantially flat, and the side surfaces 106 have a curved shape that protrudes radially outward.

[0052] The lid 100 is formed of a transparent or translucent material to allow light output from the light emitter to pass therethrough. The lid 100 may be formed of a material that diffuses the light output from the light emitter, and may be subjected to a surface treatment such as embossing to diffuse the light. The light emitting unit 56 is provided on a side surface 206 of the case 200. As described above, when the light emitting unit 56 is a tape LED, the tape LED may be attached to the side surface 206 so as to surround the entire periphery of the toy. By attaching the tape LED to the side surface 206, multiple LEDs are provided concentrically around the periphery of the toy, making it possible to light up the side surface 106 of the lid 100 and its vicinity.

[0053] The bottom plate member 300 is provided with a locking component 310 for locking the lid 100. The locking component 310 has a structure in which a lever 306 and a locking device 308 are connected by a connecting shaft. A plurality of locking components 310 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and in this embodiment, three locking components 310 are provided at 120-degree intervals in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the lever 306, which rotates around the connecting shaft, is disposed on the bottom surface 302 side, and the locking device 308 is disposed on the case mounting surface 312 side. In the state shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the locking device 308 protrudes radially outward from the outer periphery of the bottom plate member 300 and is capable of locking the inner peripheral edge 108 of the lid 100.

[0054] A speaker accommodating hole 204 for accommodating the speaker 58 is provided in the central region of the top surface 202 of the case 200, and a plurality of sound emission holes 104 for emitting sound from the speaker 58 to the outside are formed in the central region of the top surface 102 of the lid body 100.

[0055] The bottom plate member 300 has a plurality of protrusions 304a, 304b, 304c, and 304d on the case mounting surface 312, and the case 200 has a plurality of recesses 208a, 208b, 208c, and 208d on the storage surface 212. The plurality of protrusions 304a, 304b, 304c, and 304d (hereinafter referred to as "protrusions 304" unless otherwise specified) are inserted into the plurality of recesses 208a, 208b, 208c, and 208d (hereinafter referred to as "recesses 208" unless otherwise specified) to restrict horizontal movement of the case 200 relative to the bottom plate member 300. Note that the plurality of recesses 208 fit loosely into the plurality of protrusions 304, and do not restrict up-and-down (vertical) movement of the case 200 relative to the bottom plate member 300. That is, the recessed portion 208 and the protruding portion 304 may be fitted together in a loose fit state.

[0056] The multiple protrusions 304 and the multiple recesses 208 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, four protrusions 304 are provided at 90-degree intervals in the circumferential direction, and four recesses 208 are provided at 90-degree intervals in the circumferential direction. Pressure sensors are provided inside the recesses 208, and here, a first pressure sensor 54a may be provided in recess 208a, a second pressure sensor 54b in recess 208b, a third pressure sensor 54c in recess 208c, and a fourth pressure sensor 54d in recess 208d. The pressure sensors are sandwiched between the top surfaces of the protrusions 304 and the end surfaces of the recesses 208. Therefore, the pressure sensors in this embodiment are constantly subjected to pressure due to the weight of the case 200 and the lid 100.

[0057] Although not shown, a circuit board and a battery are fixed on ribs formed on the housing surface 212 of the case 200. The circuit board is equipped with electronic components such as a communication module that constitutes the communication unit 52, the IMU 70, a microcomputer for power management, a memory, and a processor that constitutes the control unit 72, and is supplied with power from the battery. Conductors that transmit sensor values ​​are provided between the pressure sensors provided in the recesses 208 and the circuit board, and the processor acquires the detection values ​​of the multiple pressure sensors via the conductors.

[0058] (Process of Associating Logical IDs with Toy IDs) Before the start of the tug-of-war game, the user lines up five toys 10 in a row and pushes the toys 10 in the order instructed, following the audio guidance output from the speaker 42. This preparation allows the logical ID assignment unit 28 to assign logical IDs for the tug-of-war game to the toys 10 that will actually be used in the game, and associate the logical IDs with the toy IDs.

[0059] A method for easily realizing the process of associating the logical ID with the toy ID will be described below. In order to perform the association process, the positional relationship specification unit 26 in the processing unit 22 has a function of specifying the relative positional relationship between multiple toys 10 used in an application such as a game.

[0060] In Example 1, the control unit 30 causes the light-emitting units 56 of multiple toys 10 arranged in a row to emit light in different ways, as shown in Fig. 6(b). The acquisition unit 24 acquires images of the multiple toys 10 emitting light in different ways, and the positional relationship identification unit 26 identifies, from the acquired images, the relative positional relationship of the multiple toys 10 on the floor on which the multiple toys 10 are placed. The logical ID assignment unit 28 associates a logical ID used in an application with the toy ID of the toy 10 based on the relative positional relationship of the multiple toys 10.

[0061] 12(a) shows a state in which multiple toys lined up in a row are illuminated in different colors. In the example shown in FIG. 12(a), the control unit 30 generates light-emitting instructions to illuminate the light-emitting unit 56 of toy 10a in "red," the light-emitting unit 56 of toy 10b in "blue," the light-emitting unit 56 of toy 10c in "orange," the light-emitting unit 56 of toy 10d in "green," and the light-emitting unit 56 of toy 10e in "pink," and the communication unit 32 transmits the light-emitting instructions to each of the five toys 10a to 10e. In accordance with the light-emitting instructions, toy 10a is illuminated in red, toy 10b in blue, toy 10c in orange, toy 10d in green, and toy 10e in pink.

[0062] The user uses the camera 44 mounted on the information processing device 20 to capture images of the multiple toys 10 lit up in different colors. The camera 44 is a color camera and records the state of the multiple toys 10 lit up. The acquisition unit 24 acquires the captured image, and the positional relationship identification unit 26 identifies the relative positional relationship of the multiple toys 10 on the floor surface from the acquired image.

[0063] The captured image shows five toys 10, each illuminated in green, orange, red, pink, and blue, starting from the edge. The control unit 30 instructs toy 10d to emit green light, toy 10c to emit orange light, toy 10a to emit red light, toy 10e to emit pink light, and toy 10b to emit blue light. Therefore, the positional relationship identification unit 26 recognizes that, starting from the edge, toys 10d, 10c, 10a, 10e, and 10b are lined up in a row. The logical ID assignment unit 28 can then assign a logical ID (ID_1) to toy 10d, a logical ID (ID_2) to toy 10c, a logical ID (ID_3) to toy 10a, a logical ID (ID_4) to toy 10e, and a logical ID (ID_5) to toy 10b (see FIG. 7(a)).

[0064] 12(b) shows a state in which multiple toys lined up in a row are illuminated with different illumination patterns. The control unit 30 divides the light-emitting unit 56 into four circumferential sections and determines the on / off state of monochromatic light for each divided section, thereby lighting up five toys 10 with non-overlapping illumination patterns. In the example shown in FIG. 12(b), the control unit 30 generates illumination instructions for illuminating the light-emitting unit 56 of toy 10a in a "first illumination pattern," the light-emitting unit 56 of toy 10b in a "second illumination pattern," the light-emitting unit 56 of toy 10c in a "third illumination pattern," the light-emitting unit 56 of toy 10d in a "fourth illumination pattern," and the light-emitting unit 56 of toy 10e in a "fifth illumination pattern," and the communication unit 32 transmits the illumination instructions to each of the five toys 10a to 10e. According to this light-emitting instruction, toy 10a lights up in a first light-emitting pattern, toy 10b lights up in a second light-emitting pattern, toy 10c lights up in a third light-emitting pattern, toy 10d lights up in a fourth light-emitting pattern, and toy 10e lights up in a fifth light-emitting pattern.

[0065] The user uses the camera 44 mounted on the information processing device 20 to capture images of the multiple toys 10 lit up with different light emission patterns. The camera 44 may be a color camera or a monochrome camera, and records the state of the multiple toys 10 being lit up. The acquisition unit 24 acquires the captured image, and the positional relationship identification unit 26 identifies the relative positional relationship of the multiple toys 10 on the floor surface from the acquired image.

[0066] The captured image shows five toys 10, and the five toys 10 are lit up in the fourth light-emitting pattern, the third light-emitting pattern, the first light-emitting pattern, the fifth light-emitting pattern, and the second light-emitting pattern, respectively, from the end. Here, the control unit 30 instructs toy 10d to emit light in the fourth light-emitting pattern, instructs toy 10c to emit light in the third light-emitting pattern, instructs toy 10a to emit light in the first light-emitting pattern, instructs toy 10e to emit light in the fifth light-emitting pattern, and instructs toy 10b to emit light in the second light-emitting pattern. Therefore, the positional relationship identification unit 26 recognizes that, from the end, toy 10d, toy 10c, toy 10a, toy 10e, and toy 10b are lined up in a row. Therefore, the logical ID assignment unit 28 can assign a logical ID (ID_1) to toy 10d, a logical ID (ID_2) to toy 10c, a logical ID (ID_3) to toy 10a, a logical ID (ID_4) to toy 10e, and a logical ID (ID_5) to toy 10b (see Figure 7(a)).

[0067] 12(c) shows a state in which multiple toys arranged in a row are illuminated in different color patterns that combine multiple colors. The control unit 30 divides the light-emitting unit 56 into four circumferential regions and assigns different colors to the four divided regions, causing the five toys 10 to light up in non-overlapping color patterns. In this example, the control unit 30 illuminates the light-emitting unit 56 in a color pattern that combines four predetermined colors (e.g., red, blue, green, and pink).

[0068] 12(c), the control unit 30 generates light-emitting instructions to cause the light-emitting unit 56 of the toy 10a to light up in the "first color pattern," the light-emitting unit 56 of the toy 10b to light up in the "second color pattern," the light-emitting unit 56 of the toy 10c to light up in the "third color pattern," the light-emitting unit 56 of the toy 10d to light up in the "fourth color pattern," and the light-emitting unit 56 of the toy 10e to light up in the "fifth color pattern," and the communication unit 32 transmits the light-emitting instructions to each of the five toys 10a to 10e. In accordance with the light-emitting instructions, the toy 10a lights up in the first color pattern, the toy 10b lights up in the second color pattern, the toy 10c lights up in the third color pattern, the toy 10d lights up in the fourth color pattern, and the toy 10e lights up in the fifth color pattern.

[0069] The user uses the camera 44 mounted on the information processing device 20 to capture images of the multiple toys 10 lit up in different color patterns. The camera 44 is a color camera and records the images of the multiple toys 10 lit up. The acquisition unit 24 acquires the captured image, and the positional relationship identification unit 26 identifies the relative positional relationship of the multiple toys 10 on the floor surface from the acquired image.

[0070] The captured image shows five toys 10, and the five toys 10 are lit up in the fourth color pattern, the third color pattern, the first color pattern, the fifth color pattern, and the second color pattern, respectively, from the edge. Here, the control unit 30 instructs toy 10d to emit light in the fourth color pattern, instructs toy 10c to emit light in the third color pattern, instructs toy 10a to emit light in the first color pattern, instructs toy 10e to emit light in the fifth color pattern, and instructs toy 10b to emit light in the second color pattern. Therefore, the positional relationship identification unit 26 recognizes that, from the edge, toy 10d, toy 10c, toy 10a, toy 10e, and toy 10b are lined up in a row. Therefore, the logical ID assignment unit 28 can assign a logical ID (ID_1) to toy 10d, a logical ID (ID_2) to toy 10c, a logical ID (ID_3) to toy 10a, a logical ID (ID_4) to toy 10e, and a logical ID (ID_5) to toy 10b (see Figure 7(a)).

[0071] At this time, the positional relationship specifying unit 26 can specify the orientation of each toy 10. For example, if the light emission color of the first region 60a is set to "red" in all color scheme patterns, the positional relationship specifying unit 26 can recognize the orientation of the toy 10 from the position of red on the toy 10 included in the captured image. By lighting up the toys 10 in this color scheme pattern, the positional relationship specifying unit 26 can specify not only the relative positional relationship between the multiple toys 10 but also the orientation of each individual toy 10. Note that even in the color scheme pattern shown in FIG. 12( c), there may be an area in which light emission is turned off, as in the light emission pattern shown in FIG. 12( b).

[0072] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the positional relationship determination unit 26 determines the relative positional relationship of the plurality of toys 10 based on images of the plurality of toys 10 lit up in different modes, and the logical ID assignment unit 28 assigns logical IDs to be used in an application to the toys 10 based on the relative positional relationship of the plurality of toys 10, thereby associating the logical IDs with the toy IDs. Note that the control unit 30 may cause the light-emitting units 56 of the plurality of toys 10 to emit light in different blinking patterns, and the positional relationship determination unit 26 may determine the relative positional relationship of the plurality of toys 10 based on images of the plurality of toys 10 lit up in different blinking patterns.

[0073] (Example 2) In Example 1, after the user arranges the plurality of toys 10 in a line on the floor, the control unit 30 causes the light-emitting units 56 of the plurality of toys 10 to emit light in different modes. In Example 2, the user stacks the plurality of toys 10 in the height direction before arranging the plurality of toys 10 in a line on the floor.

[0074] When the speaker 42 outputs a voice message saying, "Please stack the five devices," the user stacks the five toys 10. FIG. 13( a) shows the state in which the user has stacked five toys 10. In this example, the toys 10b, 10e, 10a, 10c, and 10d are stacked in this order from the bottom up. The communication unit 52 of each toy 10 periodically transmits the detection values ​​(sensor values) of the sensor unit 54 along with its own toy ID to the information processing device 20. The transmitted sensor values ​​include the detection values ​​detected by the first pressure sensor 54a, the second pressure sensor 54b, the third pressure sensor 54c, and the fourth pressure sensor 54d. In the information processing device 20, the communication unit 32 receives the sensor values ​​and toy IDs of all the toys 10a to 10e, and the acquisition unit 24 acquires the sensor values ​​and toy IDs of all the toys 10a to 10e. The positional relationship specifying unit 26 averages the pressures detected by the four pressure sensors in each toy 10 and compares the average pressures detected by the multiple toys 10 .

[0075] In the embodiment, the pressure sensor incorporated in the toy 10 is constantly subjected to pressure due to the weight of the case 200 and the lid 100. In the state shown in Fig. 13(a), four toys 10 are placed on the toy 10b. Therefore, the pressure sensor of the toy 10b detects pressure due to the weight of the four toys 10 in addition to the pressure due to the weight of the four toys 10. The pressure sensor of the toy 10e detects pressure due to the weight of the three toys 10 in addition to the pressure due to the weight of the three toys 10, the pressure sensor of the toy 10a detects pressure due to the weight of the two toys 10 in addition to the pressure due to the weight of the two toys 10, the pressure sensor of the toy 10c detects pressure due to the weight of the one toy 10 in addition to the pressure due to the weight of the one toy 10, and the pressure sensor of the toy 10d detects only the pressure due to the weight of the one toy 10.

[0076] The positional relationship determination unit 26 determines the relative positional relationship of the multiple toys 10 in the stacking direction from sensor detection values ​​acquired from the multiple toys 10. Specifically, the positional relationship determination unit 26 compares the average pressures detected by the multiple toys 10 and determines that the average pressures are greatest in the order of toy 10b, toy 10e, toy 10a, toy 10c, and toy 10d, and therefore determines that the toys are stacked from bottom to top in the order of toy 10b, toy 10e, toy 10a, toy 10c, and toy 10d. Once the positional relationship determination unit 26 has determined the relative positional relationship of the multiple toys 10 in the stacking direction in this way, the logical ID assignment unit 28 assigns logical IDs to be used in the application to the toys 10 based on the relative positional relationship of the multiple toys 10.

[0077] Here, the logical ID assignment unit 28 may assign logical IDs in order from the top to the bottom of the toy 10. The logical ID assignment unit 28 assigns a logical ID (ID_1) to the toy 10d, a logical ID (ID_2) to the toy 10c, a logical ID (ID_3) to the toy 10a, a logical ID (ID_4) to the toy 10e, and a logical ID (ID_5) to the toy 10b.

[0078] When the logical ID assignment unit 28 associates the logical ID with the toy ID, the control unit 30 outputs a voice message from the speaker 42 saying, "Please arrange the multiple terminals in a line on the floor in the order in which they were stacked, with the top terminal at one end and the bottom terminal at the other end." Upon receiving this voice guidance, the user arranges the five stacked toys 10 in a line on the floor, maintaining the stacking order.

[0079] 13B shows a state in which a plurality of toys 10 are arranged in a line on the floor in order. In Example 2, logical IDs are assigned to the toys 10 when the plurality of toys 10 are stacked on top of each other, and when the toys 10 are rearranged on the floor by the user, the toy IDs of the toys 10 are already associated with the logical IDs.

[0080] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the positional relationship determination unit 26 determines the relative positional relationship of the multiple toys 10 in the stacking direction based on the sensor detection values ​​acquired from the multiple stacked toys 10. This allows the logical ID assignment unit 28 to assign logical IDs to be used in the application to the toys 10, and associate the logical IDs with the toy IDs.

[0081] (Example 3) In Example 3, after a user arranges multiple toys 10 in a line on the floor, the positional relationship determination unit 26 determines the relative positional relationship of the multiple toys 10 based on distance information between the toys 10. In Example 3, the toy 10 has a function of measuring the strength of a signal transmitted from another toy 10 present in the vicinity and transmitting reception information including the toy ID and received signal strength of the other toy 10 that transmitted the signal to the information processing device 20. Below, a method will be described in which the positional relationship determination unit 26 in the information processing device 20 determines the relative positional relationship of the multiple toys 10 based on the reception information provided by the toys 10. For convenience of explanation, the transmission strength of the signals transmitted by all of the toys 10 may be constant.

[0082] (Example 1) Figure 14(a) shows how two toys 10 transmit and receive signals. The signal transmitted from a toy 10 includes the toy ID of that toy 10. When the communication unit 52 of toy 10a receives a signal transmitted from toy 10b, it measures the strength of the received signal and transmits reception information including the toy ID (ID_B) of toy 10b that transmitted the signal and the received signal strength to the information processing device 20. The received signal strength may be RSSI information. Similarly, when the communication unit 52 of toy 10b receives a signal transmitted from toy 10a, it measures the strength of the received signal and transmits reception information including the toy ID (ID_A) of toy 10a that transmitted the signal and the received signal strength to the information processing device 20.

[0083] In the information processing device 20, the acquisition unit 24 acquires, from the toy 10a and the toy 10b, received information relating to another toy 10 present in the vicinity of each of them. Here, the acquisition unit 24 acquires received information relating to the toy 10b from the toy 10a, and acquires received information relating to the toy 10a from the toy 10b. The positional relationship determination unit 26 can determine the distance between the toy 10a and the toy 10b based on the received information relating to the toy 10b acquired from the toy 10a and the received information relating to the toy 10a acquired from the toy 10b.

[0084] 14(b) shows how three toys 10 transmit and receive signals. The communication unit 52 of toy 10a measures the strength of the signal transmitted from toy 10b, and transmits reception information including the toy ID (ID_B) of toy 10b that transmitted the signal and the received signal strength to the information processing device 20. The communication unit 52 of toy 10a also measures the strength of the signal transmitted from toy 10c, and transmits reception information including the toy ID (ID_C) of toy 10c that transmitted the signal and the received signal strength to the information processing device 20.

[0085] The communication unit 52 of the toy 10b measures the strength of the signal transmitted from the toy 10c, and transmits reception information including the toy ID (ID_C) of the toy 10c that transmitted the signal and the received signal strength to the information processing device 20. The communication unit 52 of the toy 10b also measures the strength of the signal transmitted from the toy 10a, and transmits reception information including the toy ID (ID_A) of the toy 10a that transmitted the signal and the received signal strength to the information processing device 20.

[0086] The communication unit 52 of the toy 10c measures the strength of the signal transmitted from the toy 10a, and transmits reception information including the toy ID (ID_A) of the toy 10a that transmitted the signal and the received signal strength to the information processing device 20. The communication unit 52 of the toy 10c also measures the strength of the signal transmitted from the toy 10b, and transmits reception information including the toy ID (ID_B) of the toy 10b that transmitted the signal and the received signal strength to the information processing device 20.

[0087] In the information processing device 20, the acquisition unit 24 acquires, from toy 10a, toy 10b, and toy 10c, received information relating to other toys 10 present in the vicinity of each of them. Here, the acquisition unit 24 acquires received information relating to toys 10b and 10c from toy 10a, receives received information relating to toys 10c and 10a from toy 10b, and receives received information relating to toys 10a and 10b from toy 10c. The positional relationship determination unit 26 can determine the distances between toys 10a, 10b, and 10c based on the received information relating to toys 10b and 10c acquired from toy 10a, the received information relating to toys 10c and 10a acquired from toy 10b, and the received information relating to toys 10a and 10b acquired from toy 10c. By being able to determine the distances between the toys 10a, 10b, and 10c, the positional relationship determination unit 26 can determine the relative positional relationship between the toys 10a, 10b, and 10c. Note that when Bluetooth (registered trademark) is employed, the positional relationship determination unit 26 may determine the relative positional relationship between the toys 10a, 10b, and 10c by determining the relative directions between the toys 10 using the reception angle (AoA: Angle of Arrival) and / or the emission angle (AoD: Angle of Departure) instead of the received signal strength. Alternatively, the positional relationship determination unit 26 may determine the relative positional relationship between the toys by using a directional antenna.

[0088] (Example 3) FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the transmission and reception of signals between toys. Here, the positions of three toys 10x, 10y, and 10z are fixed and placed in predetermined positions by the user in advance. Toys 10x, 10y, and 10z are placed in the environment to identify the position of toy 10a used in the game, but are not used in the game. To confirm whether toys 10x, 10y, and 10z are correctly placed in the predetermined positions, the distance between the toys may be determined using the received signal strength between the toys, as shown in (Example 2), and the relative positional relationship derived from the distance between the toys may be checked to see if it matches the expected positional relationship. Note that toys 10x, 10y, and 10z only need to have the function of communicating with toy 10a and transmitting the received signal strength to the information processing device 20. Therefore, some or all of toys 10x, 10y, and 10z may be replaced with other devices capable of transmitting and receiving signals to toy 10a.

[0089] The communication unit 52 of the toy 10a measures the strength of the signal transmitted from each of the toys 10x, 10y, and 10z, and transmits reception information including the toy ID of the toy 10x, 10y, and 10z that transmitted the signal and the received signal strength to the information processing device 20. Similarly, the communication unit 52 of the toys 10x, 10y, and 10z measures the strength of the signal transmitted from the toy 10a, and transmits reception information including the toy ID of the toy 10a that transmitted the signal and the received signal strength to the information processing device 20.

[0090] In the information processing device 20, the acquisition unit 24 acquires received information about the toys 10x, 10y, and 10z present in the vicinity from the toy 10a. The acquisition unit 24 also acquires received information about the toy 10a present in the vicinity from the toys 10x, 10y, and 10z. The positional relationship determination unit 26 can determine the distance between the toy 10a and each of the toys 10x, 10y, and 10z based on this received information. Because the positions of the toys 10x, 10y, and 10z are fixed (known), the positional relationship determination unit 26 can determine the absolute position of the toy 10a by being able to determine the distance between the toy 10a and each of the toys 10x, 10y, and 10z. When Bluetooth (registered trademark) is employed as described above, the positional relationship determination unit 26 may determine the absolute position of the toy 10a by determining the relative direction between the toys 10 using the angle of arrival (AoA) and / or angle of departure (AoD) instead of the received signal strength.

[0091] By using the techniques shown in (Example 2) and (Example 3) above, the positional relationship determination unit 26 can determine the positional relationship between multiple toys 10. FIG. 16 shows a state in which five toys 10 are lined up in a row. When the technique of (Example 2) is used, the positional relationship determination unit 26 can determine the distance between the toys. In this example, it is assumed that the five toys 10 are lined up in a row with an interval of distance L between them. The positional relationship determination unit 26 determines the distance between the toys as follows. Distance between toy 10a and toy 10b: 2L Distance between toy 10a and toy 10c: L Distance between toy 10a and toy 10d: 2L Distance between toy 10a and toy 10e: L Distance between toy 10b and toy 10c: 3L Distance between toy 10b and toy 10d: 4L Distance between toy 10b and toy 10e: L Distance between toy 10c and toy 10d: L Distance between toy 10c and toy 10e: 2L Distance between toy 10d and toy 10e: 3L

[0092] From the distances between these toys, the positional relationship determination unit 26 can determine that, from the edge, toy 10d, toy 10c, toy 10a, toy 10e, and toy 10b are lined up in a row. The logical ID assignment unit 28 can then assign a logical ID (ID_1) to toy 10d, a logical ID (ID_2) to toy 10c, a logical ID (ID_3) to toy 10a, a logical ID (ID_4) to toy 10e, and a logical ID (ID_5) to toy 10b.

[0093] Furthermore, when the technology of (Example 3) is used, the positional relationship determination unit 26 can determine the absolute positions of all of the toys 10a to 10e, and can therefore determine that the toys 10d, 10c, 10a, 10e, and 10b are lined up in a row, starting from the edge. The logical ID assignment unit 28 can then assign a logical ID (ID_1) to the toy 10d, a logical ID (ID_2) to the toy 10c, a logical ID (ID_3) to the toy 10a, a logical ID (ID_4) to the toy 10e, and a logical ID (ID_5) to the toy 10b.

[0094] As described above, according to the third embodiment, the positional relationship determination unit 26 determines the relative positional relationship between the multiple toys 10 based on the distances between the toys and the relative directions between the toys derived from the received information acquired from the multiple toys 10. This allows the logical ID assignment unit 28 to assign logical IDs to be used in the application to the toys 10, and associate the logical IDs with the toy IDs.

[0095] The present disclosure has been described above based on a number of embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of the respective components and processing processes, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure. In the embodiments, a toy 10 that a user can play with by touching it with their hands or stepping on it with their feet has been described, but the toy 10 may be one aspect of an electronic device.

[0096] In the embodiment, the bottom plate member 300 has multiple protrusions 304 on the case mounting surface 312, and the case 200 has multiple recesses 208 on the storage surface 212, but in a modified example, the bottom plate member 300 may have multiple recesses on the case mounting surface 312, and the case 200 may have multiple protrusions on the storage surface 212.

[0097] In the first embodiment, it has been described that the positional relationship determination unit 26 determines not only the relative positional relationship among the plurality of toys 10 but also the orientation of each of the toys 10 by lighting up the toys 10 in a color pattern. As another method for determining the orientation of each of the toys 10, a user can walk along the row of toys immediately beside the plurality of toys 10 lined up in a row as shown in FIG. 6( b), and the positional relationship determination unit 26 can determine the orientation of each of the toys 10 based on fluctuations in the detection values ​​of the pressure sensors or the IMU 70 at that time.

[0098] The present disclosure may include the following aspects. [Item 1] An information processing device communicatively connected to a plurality of toys having a communication function, the information processing device comprising: a circuit configured to: acquire, from each of the plurality of toys, unique identification information for identifying the toy; determine a relative positional relationship between the plurality of toys; and associate logical identification information used in an application with the unique identification information of the toy based on the relative positional relationship between the plurality of toys. [Item 2] The information processing device according to item 1, wherein the toy comprises a light-emitting unit having a plurality of light-emitting bodies, and the circuit causes the light-emitting units of the plurality of toys to emit light in different modes, acquires images capturing the plurality of toys emitting light in different modes, and identifies, from the acquired images, a relative positional relationship between the plurality of toys on a placement surface on which the plurality of toys are placed. [Item 3] The information processing device according to item 2, wherein the circuit causes the light-emitting units of the plurality of toys to emit light in different colors. [Item 4] The information processing device according to item 2, wherein the circuit causes the light-emitting units of the plurality of toys to emit light in different monochromatic light emission patterns. [Item 5] The information processing device according to item 2, wherein the circuit causes the light-emitting units of the plurality of toys to emit light in different color patterns. [Item 6] The information processing device according to item 1, wherein the toy has a pressure sensor that detects pressure in a thickness direction, and the circuit acquires detection values ​​of the pressure sensor from the plurality of stacked toys and determines the relative positional relationship of the plurality of toys in the direction in which the plurality of toys are stacked from the sensor detection values ​​acquired from the plurality of toys. [Item 7] The information processing device according to item 1, wherein the toy has a function of measuring the strength of a signal transmitted from another toy present in the vicinity and transmitting received information including unique identification information of the other toy that transmitted the signal and the received signal strength, and the circuit acquires received information regarding the other toys present in the vicinity from the plurality of toys, and determines the relative positional relationship of the plurality of toys from the received information acquired from the plurality of toys.[Item 8] An information processing system in which a plurality of toys that a user can touch with their hands or step on with their feet are communicatively connected to an information processing device, wherein the toys have unique identification information, and the information processing device has a circuit configured to: acquire the unique identification information of the toy from each of the plurality of toys; determine the relative positional relationship of the plurality of toys; and assign logical identification information to be used in an application to the unique identification information of the toy based on the relative positional relationship of the plurality of toys.

[0099] The present disclosure can be used in the technical field of controlling toys used in games.

[0100] 1...information processing system, 10...toy, 20...information processing device, 22...processing unit, 24...acquisition unit, 26...positional relationship determination unit, 28...logical ID assignment unit, 30...control unit, 32...communication unit, 40...display, 42...speaker, 44...camera, 50...processing unit, 52...communication unit, 54...sensor unit, 54a...first pressure sensor, 54b...second pressure sensor, 54c...third pressure sensor, 54d...fourth pressure sensor, 56...light emitting unit, 58...speaker, 60a...first area, 60b...second area, 60 c...third region, 60d...fourth region, 70...IMU, 72...control unit, 100...lid, 102...top surface, 104...sound emission hole, 106...side surface, 108...inner peripheral edge, 200...case, 202...top surface, 204...speaker accommodating hole, 206...side surface, 208a, 208b, 208c, 208d...depressions, 212...accommodating surface, 300...bottom plate member, 302...bottom surface, 304a, 304b, 304c, 304d...protrusions, 306...lever, 308...locking device, 310...locking part, 312...case mounting surface.

Claims

1. An information processing device that is communicatively connected to a plurality of toys having communication capabilities, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires, from each of the plurality of toys, unique identification information for identifying the toy; a positional relationship determination unit that determines the relative positional relationship between the plurality of toys; and an assignment unit that associates logical identification information used in an application with the unique identification information of the toy based on the relative positional relationship between the plurality of toys.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the toy is equipped with a light-emitting unit having a plurality of light-emitting bodies, the information processing device further comprises a control unit that causes the light-emitting units of the plurality of toys to emit light in different ways, the acquisition unit acquires images of the plurality of toys that are each emitting light in different ways, and the positional relationship identification unit identifies, from the acquired images, the relative positional relationship of the plurality of toys on a placement surface on which the plurality of toys are placed.

3. The information processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit causes the light-emitting units of the plurality of toys to emit light in different colors.

4. The information processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit causes the light-emitting units of the plurality of toys to emit light in different monochromatic light-emitting patterns.

5. The information processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit causes the light-emitting units of the plurality of toys to emit light in different color patterns.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the toy has a pressure sensor that detects pressure in the thickness direction, the acquisition unit acquires detection values ​​of the pressure sensor from the multiple toys that are stacked, and the positional relationship determination unit determines the relative positional relationship of the multiple toys in the direction in which the multiple toys are stacked from the sensor detection values ​​acquired from the multiple toys.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the toy has a function of measuring the strength of a signal transmitted from another toy in the vicinity and transmitting reception information including the unique identification information of the other toy that transmitted the signal and the received signal strength, the acquisition unit acquires reception information regarding the other toys in the vicinity from each of the multiple toys, and the positional relationship determination unit determines the relative positional relationship of the multiple toys from the reception information acquired from the multiple toys.

8. An information processing system in which a plurality of toys that a user can touch with their hands or step on with their feet are communicatively connected to an information processing device, wherein the toys have unique identification information, and the information processing device comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires the unique identification information of the toy from each of the plurality of toys; a positional relationship determination unit that determines the relative positional relationship of the plurality of toys; and an allocation unit that assigns logical identification information to be used in an application to the unique identification information of the toy based on the relative positional relationship of the plurality of toys.

Images