Patent Application
20190121654
The present invention relates to an information processing technique which is implemented in an information processing apparatus such as a game machine.
Game software includes a resource file group for playing a game such as a startup file or a game program, and a file group which an operating system (OS) of a game machine uses. In recent years, the number of files contained in the game software has been increased, and a data size has tended to be large-scaled.
PTL 1 proposes a group structure configured in such a way that game software is divided into a plurality of groups, and a program file and a data file necessary for startup of the game software belong to one group (first group) of a plurality of groups. PTL 1 discloses a technique with which while data recorded in a read-only memory (ROM) medium is read out to a buffer to be presented to a game, data thus read out is recorded in an auxiliary storage apparatus, and the data is then copied from a ROM medium as a low-speed device to the auxiliary storage apparatus as a high-speed device. At this time, the file recording is managed in units of the group, thereby enabling the copying processing to be efficiently executed.
[PTL 1]
US 2014/201209A1
In the case where the game software is recorded in a disc medium such as an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc or a Blu-ray disc, the game software having the large data size is too large to be recorded in one sheet of disc, and is divided every scenario to fit in a plurality of sheets of discs. For this reason, when the scenario progresses, a user needs to exchange the disc in the middle of the scenario progress, which causes the user to feel a trouble as compared with the case of the download acquisition.
Incidentally, one of reasons why the data size of the game software is large-scaled is because the sound data and the image data are created in response to a plurality of languages. Hereinafter, such data will be referred to as “language-dependent” data or a “language-dependent.” file. However, the data size of the language-dependent file accounts for a substantial share of the data size of the whole software.
The game until now adopts a mechanism in which the user selects a use language from a language selection screen presented after the startup of the game, and the selected language-dependent file is installed. There is especially no problem in the case where the game software is recorded in one sheet of disc. However, in the case where a plurality of sheets of discs is present, since the choices are derived in the disc to be set in a drive apparatus, the work of the user is preferably induced in such a way that the user can smoothly start the game play. In addition, even in the case where the game software fits in one sheet of disc, a mechanism with which the language-dependent file can be efficiently installed in such a way that the user can speedily start the game play is preferably presented.
In the light of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a technique for efficiently installing a language-dependent file including a sound file.
In order to solve the problem described above, an information processing apparatus of a certain aspect of the present invention includes a drive apparatus, a language information holding section, and a processing section. In this case, the drive apparatus serves to be loaded with recording media in which a plurality of files composing application software is recorded. The language information holding section serves to hold use language information specifying a use language selected by a user in the information processing apparatus. The processing section serves to copy the files recorded in the recording media to an auxiliary storage apparatus. In addition, in order to cause an application to be in an executable state, the processing section copies the language-dependent files recorded in the recording media to the auxiliary storage apparatus on the basis of the use language information held in the language information holding section.
Another aspect of the present invention is a method of copying data from recording media to an auxiliary storage apparatus. This method includes a first step and a second step. In the first step, use language information specifying a use language selected by a user is held. In the second step, a language-dependent file is read out from a drive apparatus loaded with the recording media, in which a plurality of files composing application software is recorded on the basis of the use language information, and is copied to the auxiliary storage apparatus.
It should be used that aspects obtained by converting an arbitrary combination of the constituent elements described above, and the expression of the present invention among a method, an apparatus, a system, a recording medium, a computer program, and the like are also valid as aspects of the present invention.
The information processing apparatus 10 is connected to an input apparatus 6 which a user manipulates through a wireless or wired manner. The input apparatus 6 outputs manipulation information exhibiting a result of the manipulation by the user to the information processing apparatus 10. The information processing apparatus 10 receives the manipulation information from the input apparatus 6, the information processing apparatus 10 reflects the manipulation information regarding the processing of OS (system software) or game software to cause the output apparatus 4 to output the processing result. The information processing apparatus 10 may be a terminal apparatus of a game machine for carrying out the game software, a personal computer, or the like. The input apparatus 6 may be equipment, such as a game controller, for supplying the information associated with the manipulation by the user to the information processing apparatus 10.
The auxiliary storage apparatus 2 is a large-scale storage apparatus such as a hard disc drive (HDD) or a flash memory. The auxiliary storage apparatus 2 may be an external storage apparatus which is connected to the information processing apparatus 10 through a universal serial bus (USB), or may be a built-in storage apparatus instead. The output apparatus 4 may be a television set having a display for outputting an image, and a speaker for outputting a sound, or may be a computer display. The output apparatus 4 may be connected to the information processing apparatus 10 through a wired cable, or may be connected to the information processing apparatus 10 through a wireless manner.
The input apparatus 6 is configured to have a plurality of input sections of a plurality of push type manipulation buttons, an analog stick which can input an analog amount, and a rotary button. A camera 7 as an image pickup apparatus is provided in the vicinity of the output apparatus 4, and images the space in the circumference of the output apparatus 4. Although
The main system 60 is provided with a main central processing unit (CPU), a memory and a memory controller as a main storage apparatus, a graphics processing unit (GPU), and the like. The GPU is mainly utilized in arithmetic operation processing for a game program. These functions may be configured in the form of a system on-chip to be formed on one chip. The main CPU has a function of executing the game software recorded in the auxiliary storage apparatus 2 or a ROM medium 44.
The sub-system 50 is provided with a sub-CPU, a memory and a memory controller as a main storage apparatus, and the like, and is not provided with the GPU, and does not have a function of executing the game software. The number of circuit gates of the sub-CPU is smaller than the number of circuit gates of the main CPU, and the power consumption for an operation of the sub-CPU is less than the power consumption for an operation of the main CPU. The sub-CPU operates even while the main CPU is in a standby state. Then, the processing function of the sub-CPU is limited in order to suppress the power consumption to a low level.
The main power source button 20 is a button with which a manipulation input from the user is carried out. The main power source button 20 is provided on the front surface of the chassis of the information processing apparatus 10, and is manipulated in order to turn ON or OFF the power source supply to the main system 60 of the information processing apparatus 10. The LED 21 for power source ON is lighted when the main power source button 20 is turned ON, and the LED 22 for standby is lighted when the main power source button 20 is turned OFF.
The system controller 24 detects the press-down of the main power source button 20 by the user. If the main power source button 20 is pressed down when the main power source is held in an OFF state, then, the system controller 24 acquires the press-down manipulation as “an ON instruction.” On the other hand, if the main power source button 20 is pressed down when the main power source is held in an ON state, then, the system controller 24 acquires the press-down manipulation as “an OFF instruction.”
The clock 26 is a real-time clock, and produces the current data and time information to supply the resulting current data and time information to the system controller 24 or the sub-system 50, and the main system 60.
The device controller 30 is configured in the form of a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI) for carrying out the acceptance or delivery of information between the devices like a south bridge. As depicted in the figure, the devices such as the system controller 24, the media drive 32, the USB module 34, the flash memory 36, the wireless communication module 38, the wired communication module 40, the sub-system 50, and the main system 60 are connected to the device controller 30. The device controller 30 absorbs differences of the electric characteristics, or differences of the data transfer speeds in the respective devices, thereby controlling the timing of the data transfer.
The media drive 32 is a drive apparatus which is loaded with the ROM medium 44 in which the application software such as the game is recorded in order to drive the ROM medium 44, thereby reading out the program or the data from the ROM medium 44. Hereinafter, in the case where the program and the data are not especially distinguished from each other, the program and the data are also collectively referred to as the data in some cases. However, “the data” is used as the word expressing the element composing the file. The ROM medium 44 is read only recording media such as the optical disc, the magneto-optical disc, or the Blu-ray disc.
The USB module 34 is a module which is connected to external equipment through a USB cable. The USB module 34 may be connected to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2 and the camera 7 through the USB cable. The flash memory 36 is an auxiliary storage apparatus configuring an internal storage. The wireless communication module 38 is a communication protocol such as a Bluetooth (registered trademark) protocol or an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 protocol and, for example, is communicated with the input apparatus 6 in the wireless manner. It should be noted that the wireless communication module 33 may respond to a third generation digital mobile phone system complying with the international mobile telecommunication 2000 (IMT-2000) standards decided by the international telecommunication union (ITU), or may further respond to another generation digital mobile phone system. The wired communication module 40 is communicated with the external equipment in the wired manner, and is connected to the network through the AP 8.
The auxiliary storage apparatus 2 is an HDD or a flash memory. On the other hand, the media drive 32 is loaded with the ROM medium 44 and reads out the data from the ROM medium 44. It should be noted that the recording media with which the media drive 32 is loaded is by no means limited to the ROM medium 44, and may be writable recording media. When a data reading speed of the auxiliary storage apparatus 2 and a data reading speed of the media drive 32 are compared with each other, the data reading speed of the auxiliary storage apparatus 2 is relatively higher than the data reading speed of the media drive 32. Then, the information processing apparatus 10 of the embodiment, during the execution of the game, copies the data from the ROM medium 44 in the background to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2. With regard to the file for which the copy to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2 has been completed, the information processing apparatus 10 reads out the data not from the ROM medium 44, but from the auxiliary storage apparatus 2, thereby enabling the high-speed data reading to be carried out.
The game software which is recorded in the ROM medium 44 is configured to include a resource file group, such as a startup file, and a game program, for executing the game, and a file group which the OS of the information processing apparatus 10 uses. The game program is a program necessary for execution of the game, and the game progresses by the running the game program. The startup file is a program for starting up the game program. When the startup file is executed, the game program is called to be executed. The file group which the OS uses, for example, includes a game icon image or the like displayed on a menu screen in the information processing apparatus 10.
The game software has a tree type directory structure, and the start-up file is included in a route directory of the uppermost layer. The sub-directory of the lower layer is classified every kind of the file. For example, a sub-directory for a three-dimensional (3D) model, the sub-directory for texture, the sub-directory for script, and the like are formed. Each the sub-directories includes corresponding files. The sub-directory for 3D model includes a plurality of 3D model files, the sub-directory for texture includes a plurality of texture files, and the sub-directory for script includes a plurality of script files. For example, the sub-directory for texture includes a texture file for a scenario 1 of a game, a texture file for a scenario 2 of a game, a texture file for a scenario 3 of a game, and the like.
The game in the recent years is created in response to a plurality of languages in many cases. For this reason, the sound data and the image data are created every plurality of languages, and the sound files and the image files of a plurality of languages fit in one package software. Hereinafter, the sound file and the image file created every language are referred to as a language-dependent file.
In such a language-dependent file, it is known that owing to the lengthening of the game scenario, the data size of the sound file is very large. Then, the game software in the embodiment has a format having a resource file in which the sound file and the image file are assembled every language in such a way that only the language-dependent file required for the user can be installed.
The information associated with the language which is used by the user is set in the information processing apparatus 10. For example, if the user is Japanese, then, the language to be used is set to Japanese, and if the user is American, then, the language to be used is set to English. The OS of the information processing apparatus 10 holds the use language information selected by the user, and the screen such as a home screen which the OS presents is produced on the basis of the use language information.
In the past game, before the play start after the startup of the game, the user selects the use language, and the game produces the output sound and the output screen by using the selected the use language. The embodiment proposes the mechanism in which the OS automatically selects the use language in the game, and the corresponding language-dependent file is automatically installed from the ROM medium 44 to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2, thereby quickly adjusting a state in which the game can be executed.
Specifically, the information processing apparatus 10 automatically copies the resource file for the language corresponding to the use language information of the language-dependent files of a plurality of languages which are recorded in the ROM medium 44 to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2 on the basis of the use language information set in the OS. It should be noted that any of the resource files for the languages not corresponding to the use language information is not copied to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2. For example, if “Japanese” is set as the use language information of the user, then, when the media drive 32 is loaded with the ROM medium 44, the information processing apparatus 10 automatically reads out a Japanese resource file from the ROM medium 44, and copies the Japanese resource file to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2. The possibility that the user plays the game with the same language as the use language set in the information processing apparatus 10 is very high. Therefore, only the resource file for the same language as the use language of the OS is copies to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2, resulting in that the recording capacity of the auxiliary storage apparatus 2 is not wastefully consumed, and the state in which the game can be executed is rapidly adjusted
After the user purchases the information processing apparatus 10, he/she initializes the information processing apparatus 10. As an example, the user connects the information processing apparatus 10 to the power source through a power source cable, and connects the information processing apparatus 10 and the output apparatus 4 through a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) (registered trademark) cable. In this case, when the user presses the main power source button 20, the screen producing section 100 displays a guidance screen depicting a situation in which the input apparatus 6 is connected to the information processing apparatus 10 on the output apparatus 4. The user connects the input apparatus 6 as the game controller to the information processing apparatus 10 by using the USB cable. Thereafter, the screen producing section 100 displays a selection screen for the language on the output apparatus 4.
When the system language is decided, the user carries out the work for the setup for the information processing apparatus 10 in accordance with the guidance screen which the screen producing section 100 displays on the output apparatus 4. In the setup work, the setting of the Internet connection, the connection setting of the camera 7 the setting of the date and time, and the like are carried out. These works are completed, resulting in that the information processing apparatus 10 becomes an enable state
It should be noted that the user can change the use language set in the initial setting to a desired language at any time. The screen producing section 100 causes the output apparatus 4 to display the language selection screen in response to the request made from the user. The language setting processing section 108 records the language information selected by the user in the language information holding section 110. In such a manner, the language information holding section 110 holds the use language information used to specify the use language selected by the user in the information processing apparatus 10. When the use language is changed, the screen producing section 100 shall create the system screen in accordance with the use language after the change.
Hereinafter, the game recorded in the ROM medium 44 will be referred to as “a disc game,” and a description will now be given with respect to a procedure until the disc game becomes an executable state. Incidentally, although the game software may be recorded in one sheet of ROM medium 44, in the following, a description will be given with respect to the case where the game software is recorded over a plurality of sheets of ROM media 44.
A file group of the program, the scenario resource file, and the like is recorded in the play disc 44a. In addition, the language-dependent files of a plurality of languages are recorded in the data disc 44b. For example, in case of the game software responding to ten kinds of languages, ten kinds of language-dependent files are recorded in the data disc 44b. It should be noted that the language-dependent file of the language (for example, English) which the game maker sets as a default language may not be recorded in the data disc 44b, but may be especially recorded in the data disc 44a.
In the disc structure depicted in
Therefore, although the game software is recorded in a plurality of sheets of ROM media 44, since the data disc 44b is used only before the game is started up, firstly, and thereafter, the play disc 44a is used, the work for exchanging the disc in the middle of the game becomes unnecessary. Incidentally, in the information processing apparatus 10 of the embodiment, when the media drive 32 is loaded with the play disc 44a after completion of the automatic copy of the language-dependent file, all the files in the play disc 44a are copied to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2 by using the copy processing technique disclosed in PTL 1. For this reason, when a lapse of certain time after the media drive 32 is loaded with the play disc 44a, the files necessary for the game progress are arranged in the auxiliary storage apparatus 2. At this time, the execution section 112 reads out the game data from the auxiliary storage apparatus 2, but does not read out the game data from the play disc 44a. However, the information processing apparatus 10 is configured in such a way that the right information is recorded in the play disc 44a, and thus the execution section 212 cannot execute the game unless the state in which the media drive 32 is loaded with the play disc 44a is obtained.
Hereinafter, a description will be given with respect to an operation of the information processing apparatus 10 when a disc game entitled “ABC Tennis” is started up by using a display screen of the input apparatus 6.
When the user desires to start up “ABC Tennis” for the first time to cause the media drive 32 to be loaded with the play disc 44a, a guidance screen depicted in
In the case where the language-dependent file of the same language as the system language set in the language information holding section 110 is recorded in the play disc 44a, the recording processing section 104 copies the language-dependent file of the language concerned to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2. After completion of the copy of the language-dependent file by the recording processing section 104, the ABC Tennis game becomes the executable state.
On the other hand, if the language-dependent, file of the same language as the system language is not recorded in the play disc 44a, then, the execution determining section 102 determines that the language-dependent file concerned cannot be copied from the play disc 44a to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2, and informs the guidance presenting section 106 of this effect. In response to this information, the guidance presenting section 106 produces the guidance screen depicted in
When the user looks at the guidance message depicted in
In such a way, according to the information processing apparatus 10 of the embodiment, when the media drive 32 is loaded with the data disc 44b, the recording processing section 104 automatically copies the language-dependent file of the game software on the basis of the use language information held in the language information holding section 110. For this reason, as compared with the case where after the user selects the use language in the game, the language-dependent file of the selected language is installed, the installation of the language-dependent file can be smoothly carried out. In addition, in the case where the game software is recorded in a plurality of sheets of discs in a division manner, a plurality of sheets of discs is divided into the play disc 44a for execution of the game, and the data disc 44b for recording of the language-dependent file. Therefore, if firstly, the language-dependent file is read out from the data disc 44b to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2, then, after that, the data disc 44b may not be used, and the work for exchanging the disc in the middle of the game is unnecessary.
Incidentally, when the user desires to start up “ABC Tennis” for the first time and loads the media drive 32 with the data disc 44b in which the language-dependent file of the same language as the system language is recorded, the guidance screen depicted in
The user can change the use language in the initial setting over to the desired language at any time. For this reason, after the language-dependent file is automatically copied from the data disc 44b to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2, the user changes the system language in some cases. Hereinafter, a description will be given with respect to an operation in the case where the user changes the system language in the state in which the media drive 32 is loaded with the play disc 44a of the ABC Tennis game.
At this time, the system language is changed to “English,” and only the language-dependent file of Japanese is copied to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2. The play disc 44a is in a state in which the media drive 32 is loaded with the play disc 44a, and the execution determining section 102 determines that the language-dependent file of the same language as the system language is not copied to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2. At this time, if the language-dependent file of the system language (English) after the change is recorded in the play disc 44a, then, the recording processing section 104 copies the language-dependent file of English recorded in the play disc 44a to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2. In the case where the use language information held in the language information holding section 110 is changed in such a manner, the recording processing section 104 executes the processing for automatically copying the language-dependent file to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2 oh the basis of the use language information after the change.
On the other hand, if the language-dependent file of the language (English) after the change is not recorded in the play disc 44a, then, the guidance presenting section 106 displays the guidance screen depicted in
The processing for automatically copying the language-dependent file to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2 on the basis of the system language by the recording processing section 104 has been described so far. In the information processing apparatus 10, the OS may have a function of causing the user to select the language to be used in the application. In this case as well, the recording processing section 104 automatically copies the corresponding language-dependent file to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2 on the basis of the language which the user selects in the language selection screen of the game presented by the OS.
Next, a description will now be given with respect to an operation when the use language is changed from the language selection screen presented by the game after the ABC Tennis game has been started up. It should be noted that the information processing apparatus 10 is in the state in which the language-dependent file of Japanese is copied to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2, and the media drive 32 is loaded with the play disc 44a, thereby starting up the ABC Tennis game.
When English is selected as the use language in the game, the game informs the execution determining section 102 of the selected language information. The execution determining section 102 determines whether the language-dependent file of the same language as the language in the informed language information (in a word, the language-dependent file of English) is already copied to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2.
In the case where the language-dependent file of the same language as the language selected in the game is already copied to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2, the execution determining section 102 determines that the ABC Tennis game is continuously executable. As a result, the user can continuously play the game.
On the other hand, in the case where the language-dependent file of the same language as the language selected in the game is not already copied to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2, the execution determining section 102 determines whether the language-dependent file concerned is recorded in the play disc 44a. In the case where the language-dependent file of the same language as the selected language is recorded in the play disc 44a, the recording processing section 104 copies the language-dependent file of the language concerned to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2. After completion of the copy of the language-dependent file by the recording processing section 104, the ABC Tennis game becomes the executable state, and the user can start the game play again.
On the other hand, if the language-dependent file of the same language as the system language is not recorded in the play disc 44a, the execution determining section 102 determines that the language-dependent file concerned cannot be copied from the play disc 44a to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2, and informs the guidance presenting section 106 of this effect. In response to this information, the guidance presenting section 106 produces the guidance screen depicted in
When in the guidance screen depicted in
When the user looks at the guidance message depicted in
It should be note that although the user selects the language in the language selection screen (refer to
It is understood by a person skilled in the art that the above embodiment is merely an exemplification, and various modified changes can be made in the constituent elements thereof and in a combination of processing processes, and such modified changes fall within the scope of the present invention. Although in the embodiment, the game is explained as an example of the application, any of applications other than the game may also be available.
Although in the embodiment, it is explained that the recording processing section 104 automatically copies the language-dependent file of the same language as the system language to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2, the recording processing section 104 does not have the language-dependent file of the same language as the system language depending on some pieces of game software. In such a case, the recording processing section 104 may automatically copy the language-dependent file of the language set as the default language in the game to the auxiliary storage apparatus 2.
Although
1 . . . Information processing system, 2 . . . Auxiliary storage apparatus, 4 . . . Output apparatus, 6 . . . Input apparatus, 10 . . . Information processing apparatus, 60 . . . Main system, 100 . . . Screen producing section, 102 . . . Execution determining section, 104 . . . Recording processing section, 106 . . . Guidance presenting section, 108 . . . Language setting processing section, 310 . . . Language information holding section, 112 . . . Execution section
The present invention can be utilized in a technical field for copying data.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-091147 | Apr 2016 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2017/006671 | 2/22/2017 | WO | 00 |
