Apparatus and method for generating and delivering entertainment data

• US 20020055385A1
• Filed: 11/06/2001
• Published: 05/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Otsu, Tamichi
• Application Number:
  US09/992,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20020055385A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• 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 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

A game server delivers entertainment data to entertainment terminal devices with the same contents at the same time through a broadband broadcast line. The entertainment data to be delivered may be scrambled. This relieves the load of processing on the game server, prevents time lags in transmission of the data from occurring, and simplifies the fee collection system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating entertainment data, comprising:

means for receiving terminal data from each of a plurality of entertainment terminal devices through a low-speed communication line; and

means for generating entertainment data including data necessary for each of the plurality of entertainment terminal devices to execute a predetermined entertainment process on the basis of the terminal data received from the plurality of entertainment terminal devices.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for transmitting the entertainment data to a data delivery machine, the machine delivering the entertainment data to each of the plurality of entertainment terminal devices at the same time through a broadband broadcast communication line.

3. An apparatus for generating entertainment data, comprising:

a unit operable to receive terminal data from each of a plurality of entertainment terminal devices through a low-speed communication line; and

a unit operable to generate entertainment data including data necessary for each of the plurality of entertainment terminal devices to execute a predetermined entertainment process on the basis of the terminal data received from the plurality of entertainment terminal devices.

4. A method for generating entertainment data, comprising:

receiving terminal data from each of a plurality of entertainment terminal devices through a low-speed communication line; and

generating entertainment data including data necessary for each of the plurality of entertainment terminal devices to execute a predetermined entertainment process on the basis of the terminal data received from the plurality of entertainment terminal devices.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

transmitting the entertainment data to a data delivery machine;

delivering the entertainment data from the machine to each of the plurality of entertainment terminal devices at the same time through a broadband broadcast communication line.

6. A specified entertainment terminal device, comprising:

means for selecting, from common data delivered to a plurality of entertainment terminal devices at the same time through a broadband broadcast communication line, data necessary for the specified entertainment terminal device to execute a predetermined entertainment process;

means for executing the predetermined entertainment process on the basis of the selected data and operation input data obtained from an operation terminal; and

means for transmitting data generated as a result of executing the predetermined entertainment process to a low-speed communication line.

7. A specified entertainment terminal device, comprising:

a unit for selecting, from common data delivered to a plurality of entertainment terminal devices at the same time through a broadband broadcast communication line, data necessary for the specified entertainment terminal device to execute a predetermined entertainment process;

a unit for executing the predetermined entertainment process on the basis of the selected data and operation input data obtained from an operation terminal; and

a unit for transmitting data generated as a result of executing the predetermined entertainment process to a low-speed communication line.

8. A method for executing an entertainment process, comprising:

selecting, from common data delivered to a plurality of entertainment terminal devices at the same time through a broadband broadcast communication line, data necessary for executing a predetermined entertainment process;

executing the predetermined entertainment process on the basis of the selected data and operation input data obtained from an operation terminal; and

transmitting data generated as a result of executing the predetermined entertainment process to a low-speed communication line.

9. An entertainment system, comprising:

a plurality of entertainment terminal devices, each one of the entertainment terminal devices selecting, from common entertainment data delivered to the plurality of entertainment terminal devices at the same time through a broadband broadcast communication line, data necessary for the one of the entertainment terminal devices to execute a predetermined entertainment process on the basis of the selected data and operation input data obtained from an operation terminal, and then sending out terminal data generated as a result of executing the predetermined entertainment process to a low-speed communication line;

an entertainment data generation apparatus that receives the terminal data from the plurality of entertainment terminal devices through the low-speed communication line, and then generates entertainment data including data necessary for each one of the entertainment terminal devices to execute the predetermined entertainment process on the basis of the terminal data received from the plurality of entertainment terminal devices; and

a data delivery machine for delivering the entertainment data to the plurality of entertainment terminal devices at the same time through the broadband broadcast communication line.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the data delivery machine includes a scrambling unit operable to scramble the entertainment data to be delivered.

11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising receivers for receiving the scrambled entertainment data from the data delivery machine, descrambling the entertainment data, and then sending the descrambled entertainment data to each one of the entertainment terminal devices.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the data delivery machine demands payment from the users of each one of the entertainment terminal devices that received the descrambled entertainment data.

14. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the processing program further comprises:

transmitting the entertainment data to a data delivery machine; and

delivering the entertainment data from the machine to each of the plurality of entertainment terminal devices at the same time through a broadband broadcast communication line.

13. A storage medium storing therein a processing program to be executed on a computer, the processing program comprising:

receiving terminal data from each of a plurality of entertainment terminal devices through a low-speed communication line; and

generating entertainment data including data necessary for each of the plurality of entertainment terminal devices to execute a predetermined entertainment process on the basis of the terminal data received from the plurality of entertainment terminal devices.

15. A storage medium storing therein a processing program to be executed on a computer, the processing program comprising:

selecting, from common data delivered to a plurality of entertainment terminal devices at the same time through a broadband broadcast communication line, data necessary for executing a predetermined entertainment process;

executing the predetermined entertainment process on the basis of the selected data and operation input data obtained from an operation terminal; and

transmitting data generated as a result of executing the predetermined entertainment process to a low-speed communication line.