Communication system, information processing apparatus, computer-readable storage medium having a program stored therein, and information processing method
A game apparatus 100 is configured to communicate with a server and at least one other game apparatus 100 via access points. The game apparatus 100 registers, as a communication partner, another specific game apparatus 100 among the at least one other game apparatus 100. The game apparatus 100 automatically and repeatedly searches for a connectable access point among the access points. When a connectable access point has been found, the game apparatus 100 automatically connects to the server via the connectable access point. When the game apparatus 100 has connected to the server by using server connection means, the game apparatus 100 automatically receives, from the server, management information which indicates a communication connection status of the other specific game apparatus 100 registered as the communication partner.
1. A communication system in which a plurality of information processing apparatuses are configured to communicate with each other, and to communicate with a server, via access points, the server storing management information about the plurality of information processing apparatuses, the management information indicating a communication connection status of each information processing apparatus, each information processing apparatus comprising
a first processing system, having one or more processors, configured to:
register, as a communication partner, another specific information processing apparatus among the plurality of information processing apparatuses;
automatically and repeatedly search for a connectable access point among the access points; and
when the search has found a connectable access point, automatically connect to the server via the connectable access point, and when the information processing apparatus has connected to the server, automatically receive the management information about the registered other specific information processing apparatus.
2. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the server comprises a second processing system having at least one processor, the second processing system configured to:
communicate with the plurality of information processing apparatuses via the access points; and
when an information processing apparatus among the plurality of information processing apparatuses has connected to the server, transmit the management information about another specific information processing apparatus, which is a communication partner of the information processing apparatus, to the information processing apparatus, and transmit the management information about the information processing apparatus to the other specific information processing apparatus.
3. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the first processing system is further configured to:
determine whether a predetermined change has occurred to the communication connection status of the other specific information processing apparatus; and
when determined that the predetermined change has occurred to the communication connection status of the other specific information processing apparatus, provide a notification to a user of the information processing apparatus about the predetermined change in the communication connection status of the other specific information processing apparatus.
4. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication connection status is either a status where the information processing apparatus is communicably connected to the server or a status where the information processing apparatus is not communicably connected to the server.
5. The communication system according to claim 3 ,
wherein the communication connection status is either a status where the information processing apparatus is communicably connected to the server or a status where the information processing apparatus is not communicably connected to the server, and
the predetermined change in the communication connection status is a change from the status where the information processing apparatus is not communicably connected to the server into the status where the information processing apparatus is communicably connected to the server.
6. The communication system according to claim 2 , wherein
the first processing system is further configured to transmit identification information of the information processing apparatus to the server,
the communication connection status is either a status where the information processing apparatus is communicably connected to the server or a status where the information processing apparatus is not communicably connected to the server,
the second processing system further configured to:
receive the identification information from each information processing apparatus;
store the management information in at least one storage;
provide, when the server has received the identification information from an information processing apparatus among the plurality of information processing apparatuses, a determination that the information processing apparatus which is the source of the identification information is communicably connected to the server; and
update the management information stored in the at least one storage based on the provided determination, and
transmit the management information stored in the at least one storage.
7. The communication system according to claim 2 , wherein
the first processing system is further configured to transmit identification information of the information processing apparatus to the server when the information processing apparatus has communicably connected to the server,
the communication connection status is either a status where the information processing apparatus is communicably connected to the server or a status where the information processing apparatus is not communicably connected to the server,
the second processing system is further configured to:
receive the identification information from each information processing apparatus;
store the management information in at least one storage;
provide, when the server has received the identification information from an information processing apparatus among the plurality of information processing apparatuses, a determination that the information processing apparatus which is the source of the identification information is communicably connected to the server; and
update the management information stored in the at least one storage based on the provided determination, and
transmit the management information stored in the at least one storage.
8. The communication system according to claim 7 , wherein the second processing system is further configured to
when a predetermined condition is satisfied, provide a determination that the information processing apparatus which is the source of the identification information is not communicably connected to the server,
based on the provided determination, update the management information about the information processing apparatus, which is stored in the at least one storage, and
in response to the provided determination transmit the management information about the information processing apparatus to the registered other specific information processing apparatus.
9. The communication system according to claim 8 , wherein
the first processing system is further configured to transmit the identification information of the information processing apparatus if, during a period in which the information processing apparatus is communicably connected to the server, the information processing apparatus has received from the server a request to transmit the identification information of the information processing apparatus, and
the predetermined condition is that the server does not receive the identification information from the information processing apparatus when the server has requested the information processing apparatus to transmit the identification information of the information processing apparatus.
10. The communication system according to claim 3 , wherein
each information processing apparatus further comprises a plurality of types of informing units including a display, and
the first processing system is configured to perform the notification by using the informing unit that is different from the display.
11. The communication system according to claim 10 , wherein
the plurality of types of informing units include light emitters, and
the first processing system is further configured to perform the notification by using the light emitters.
12. The communication system according to claim 10 , wherein
said each information processing apparatus further comprises a foldable mechanism, and
the foldable mechanism allows the plurality of types of informing units to perform the notification even when the information processing apparatus is in a state of being folded.
13. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the first processing system is further configured to perform
predetermined application processing by using information that is obtained from the other specific information processing apparatus through communication therewith via the connectable access point.
14. The communication system according to claim 1 , wherein each information processing apparatus is a handheld information processing apparatus.
15. An information processing apparatus configured to communicate with a server and at least one other information processing apparatus via access points, the information processing apparatus comprising:
one or more communication interface configured to communicate with the server and the at least one other information processing apparatus; and
a processing system, having one or more processors, configured to:
register, as a communication partner, another specific information processing apparatus among the at least one other information processing apparatus;
automatically and repeatedly search for a connectable access point among the access points;
when the search has found a connectable access point, automatically connect to the server via the connectable access point, and
when the information processing apparatus has connected to the server, automatically receive from the server management information which indicates a communication connection status of the registered other specific information processing apparatus.
16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a program which, when executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus which is configured to communicate with a server and at least one other information processing apparatus via access points, causes the computer to perform operations comprising:
registering, as a communication partner, another specific information processing apparatus among the at least one other information processing apparatus;
automatically and repeatedly searching for a connectable access point among the access points;
when the searching has found a connectable access point, automatically connecting to the server via the connectable access point, and
when the connecting has connected to the server, automatically receiving from the server management information which indicates a communication connection status of the registered other specific information processing apparatus.
17. An information processing method using an information processing apparatus which is configured to communicate with a server and at least one other information processing apparatus via access points, the information processing method comprising:
registering, as a communication partner, another specific information processing apparatus among the at least one other information processing apparatus;
automatically and repeatedly searching for a connectable access point among the access points;
when a connectable access point has been found by the searching, automatically connecting to the server via the connectable access point, and
when a connection to the server has been established by the connecting, automatically receiving from the server management information which indicates a communication connection status of the registered other specific information processing apparatus.
18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the first processing system is further configured to automatically receive the management information from the server without any specific operation by a user of the information processing apparatus to request the management information.
19. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the first processing system is further configured to automatically receive the management information from the server, and wherein the server provides the management information in response to the connecting of the information processing apparatus to the server.