Information processing system, information processing apparatus and information processing system control method, capable of providing, regardless of execution/non-execution of an application, data usable by the application to other information processing apparatus

• US 10,086,290 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2015
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Konno, Hideki, Ooe, Tooru, Shoji, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Salad, Abdullahi E
• Application Number:
  US14/690,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20150229707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A CPU executes a communication partner search process for searching for a communication partner (another game machine). The CPU confirms received data content. If identification information included in the received data matches, application identification information saved in a wireless communication module is compared with application identification information included in the received data. When the pieces of application identification information match, a notice that another game machine having exchange data corresponding to the matched application identification information is found is given to a main body. Then, giving/receiving of exchange data is executed to/from another game machine.

Claims

1. An information processing system including a plurality of portable information processing apparatuses each configured for selectively executing a plurality of application programs, wherein each of the portable information processing apparatuses comprises

a memory shared by the application programs, the memory configured to store, as supply data, for each of one or more executed application programs, one or more pieces of data usable by at least one application program of another portable information processing apparatus of the information processing apparatuses,

communication circuitry for enabling at least direct wireless communication with the other portable information processing apparatus, and

a communication controller for controlling transmitting to the other information processing apparatus, using the direct wireless communication, the supply data stored in the supply data storage, wherein

the transmitting of the supply data to the other portable information processing apparatus is performed automatically and controlled by execution of a background communication program different from the plurality of application programs,

supply data generated during execution of a first application program is stored in the memory during execution of the first application program, and

the communication controller further controls transmitting to the other information processing apparatus, using the direct wireless communication, the supply data for the first application program, whether or not the first application program is being executed.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

identification data for identifying corresponding application programs is set for the supply data, and

the communication controller further controls, when the identification data of the supply data stored in the memory and the identification data of the supply data stored in the memory of the other information processing apparatus are determined to match, transmitting to the other information processing apparatus supply data stored in the memory corresponding to matched identification data.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein:

the communication controller further controls receiving from the other information processing apparatus, using the direct wireless communication, supply data stored in the memory of the other information processing apparatus.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

supply-data-related information, comprising identification information of the application program corresponding to the respective supply data, is stored in the memory, and

the communication controller further controls transmitting to the other information processing apparatus, using the direct wireless communication, supply data stored in the memory based on the supply-data-related information.

5. A portable information processing apparatus capable of selectively executing a plurality of application programs, comprising:

a memory shared by the application programs, the memory configured to store, as supply data, for each of the application programs, one or more pieces of data usable by at least one application program of another portable information processing apparatus;

communication circuitry for enabling at least direct wireless communication with the other information processing apparatus; and

a communication controller for controlling transmitting to the other information processing apparatus, using the direct wireless communication, the supply data stored in the memory, wherein

the transmitting of the supply data to the other portable information processing apparatus is performed automatically and controlled by execution of a background communication program different from the plurality of application programs,

supply data generated during execution of a first application program is stored in the memory during execution of the first application program, and

the communication controller further controls transmitting to the other information processing apparatus, using the direct wireless communication, the supply data for the first application program, whether or not the first application program is being executed.

6. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the communication controller is controlled by execution of the background communication program to search for portable information processing apparatuses in communication range.

7. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the search comprises transmitting a connection request including supply-data-related information.

8. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the supply-data-related information comprises identification information for application programs corresponding to the supply data.

9. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the memory comprises a plurality of slots, each slot for storing supply data for a respective one of the application programs.

10. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each slot stores respective supply data in association with an identifier for an application corresponding to the respective supply data.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing an information processing program which, when executed by a computer of a portable information processing apparatus configured for direct wireless communication with another portable information processing apparatus, causes the information processing program to perform operations comprising:

for each of a plurality of executable application programs, storing, as supply data, in memory shared by the application programs, one or more pieces of data usable by at least one application program of the other information processing apparatus; and

transmitting to the other information processing apparatus, by the direct wireless communication, the supply data stored in the memory, wherein

the transmitting of the supply data to the other portable information processing apparatus is performed automatically and controlled by execution of a background communication program different from the plurality of application programs,

supply data generated during execution of a first application program is stored in the memory during execution of the first application program, and

the supply data for the first application program is transmitted to the other information processing apparatus, using the direct wireless communication, whether or not the first application program is being executed.

12. A method of controlling a portable information processing apparatus configured for direct wireless communication with another portable information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

selectively executing at least one application program among a plurality of application programs;

for each of the application programs, storing, as supply data, in memory shared by the application programs, one or more pieces of data usable by at least one application program of the other portable information processing apparatus; and

transmitting to the other portable information processing apparatus, by the direct wireless communication, the supply data stored in the supply data storage, wherein

the transmitting of the supply data to the other portable information processing apparatus is performed automatically and controlled by execution of a background communication program different from the plurality of application programs,

supply data generated during execution of a first application program is stored in the memory during execution of the first application program, and

the supply data for the first application program is transmitted to the other information processing apparatus, using the direct wireless communication, whether or not the first application program is being executed.