Server device for net games, method for controlling progress of net game and program for executing net game

• US 20020096831A1
• Filed: 01/14/2002
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Computer Entertainment Osaka Inc (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakayama, Norio, Yamaoka, Masatoshi, Namba, Kazuhiro, Yotsugi, Hirotomo, Goto, Katsuhiro, Naito, Satoko
• Granted Patent: US 7,113,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 273/430
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 2001/085 Partner search devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A server device for net game is provided with a party organizing section 101 for organizing a plurality of members participating in a virtual party, a question preparing section 102 for preparing a specified number of questions to be presented to organized mobile communication terminals, a matching section 104 for selecting two members from those participating in the party based on answers to the prepared questions and a congeniality evaluation parameter value, a question drafting section 105 for letting the selected two members to draft a specified number of questions and possible answers corresponding to the questions, an access setting section 106 for enabling an access time and an imaginary access place to be set based on answers to the drafted questions and the congeniality evaluation parameter value, and an access judging section 107 for judging whether the two selected members have accessed at the set time and imaginary place and giving mailboxes.

Claims

1. A server device for a net game applicable on a network and enabling data communication with mobile communication terminals registered as members, the server device comprising:

organizing means for organizing groups consisting of a specified number of members upon a member registration request from the respective mobile communication terminals,

question storage means for storing contents of a plurality of questions,

question preparing means for selecting and preparing a specified number of questions from the contents stored in the question storage means,

transmitting/receiving means for transmitting the prepared questions to the respective mobile communication terminals in the group and receiving an answer information from the respective mobile communication terminals corresponding to the questions presented on monitors of the respective mobile communication terminals,

first answer information storage means for storing the answer information in correspondence with the respective mobile communication terminals, and

congeniality judging means for judging the congeniality of each possible pair of the respective mobile communication terminals in the group based on the respective pieces of answer information stored in the first answer information storage means and pairing the mobile communication terminals having the answer information showing congeniality.

2. A server device according to claim 1, further comprising:

question drafting means for letting one of the paired mobile communication terminals draft a specified number of questions and expected answers thereto based on the storage contents of the question storage means in order to transmit the questions and the possible answers to the partner,

second answer information storage means for storing the questions transmitted from the one of the paired mobile communication terminals and an information on answers transmitted from the partner mobile communication terminal in correspondence with the respective mobile communication terminals, and

information exchanging means for judging a degree of congeniality based on the respective pieces of answer information stored in the second answer information storage means and said expected answers and permitting an information exchange to the paired mobile communication terminals if the degree of congeniality is high.

3. A server device according to claim 1, wherein the question drafting means enables the paired mobile communication terminals to select the questions and the expected answers from the storage contents of the question storage means and to draft a specified number of questions.

4. A server device according to claim 2, wherein the information exchange means includes access setting means for permitting the paired mobile communication terminals selected to set an access time and an imaginary place in a game space, and an access judging means for judging whether an access has been made at the set access time and place by both players through the paired mobile communication terminals respectively.

5. A server device according to claim 4, wherein a mailbox is given to each of the paired mobile communication terminals judged to have accessed by the access judging means.

6. A server device according to claim 1, further comprising individual data storage means for storing possession information of mailboxes in correspondence with the registered members.

7. A server device according to claim 1, further comprising ranking means for ranking the members in a decreasing order of possessed mailboxes and making the ranking readable in the server device.

8. A program for executing a net game on a net game server device applicable on a network and enabling data communication with mobile communication terminals registered as members, said program comprising the steps of:

organizing groups consisting of a specified number of members upon a member registration request from the respective mobile communication terminals,

storing contents of a plurality of questions,

selecting and preparing a specified number of questions from the stored contents,

transmitting the prepared questions to the respective mobile communication terminals in the group and receiving an answer information from the respective mobile communication terminals corresponding to the questions presented on monitors of the respective mobile communication terminals,

storing the answer information in correspondence with the respective mobile communication terminals, and

judging the congeniality of each possible pair of the respective mobile communication terminals in the group based on the stored contents and pairing the mobile communication terminals having the answer information showing congeniality.

9. A net game progress controlling method by a net game server device applicable on a network and enabling data communication with mobile communication terminals registered as members, comprising the steps of:

organizing groups consisting of a specified number of members upon a member registration request from the respective mobile communication terminals,

storing contents of a plurality of questions,

selecting and preparing a specified number of questions from the stored contents,

transmitting the prepared questions to the respective mobile communication terminals in the group and receiving an answer information from the respective mobile communication terminals corresponding to the questions presented on monitors of the respective mobile communication terminals,

storing the answer information in correspondence with the respective mobile communication terminals, and

judging the congeniality of each possible pair of the respective mobile communication terminals in the group based on the stored contents and pairing the mobile communication terminals having the answer information showing congeniality.

10. A computer-readable storing medium storing a net game progress control program implementable on a net game server device applicable on a network and enabling data communication with mobile communication terminals registered as members, said program comprising the steps of:

organizing groups consisting of a specified number of members upon a member registration request from the respective mobile communication terminals,

storing contents of a plurality of questions,

selecting and preparing a specified number of questions from the stored contents,

transmitting the prepared questions to the respective mobile communication terminals in the group and receiving an answer information from the respective mobile communication terminals corresponding to the questions presented on monitors of the respective mobile communication terminals,

storing the answer information in correspondence with the respective mobile communication terminals, and

judging the congeniality of each possible pair of the respective mobile communication terminals in the group based on the stored contents and pairing the mobile communication terminals having the answer information showing congeniality.