Network game not requiring continuous connectivity

• US 20060046810A1
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix, Sqaure ENIX Company Limited
• Inventors: Tabata, Hajime
• Granted Patent: US 8,088,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/9
• 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 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A cellular phone used to execute a game is connected to a server apparatus when a need arises to transmit or receive information. The game is individually progressed by each cellular phone. A user equips a player character with a material to use a magic in a battle. A party is formed by users of multiple cellular phones and a material possessed by the user belonging to the same party is registered in the server apparatus. When the user transmits a support request to the server apparatus during a battle, the server apparatus returns the support material possessed by other users belonging to the same party. The user of the cellular phone can also use a magic corresponding to the support material in the battle.

Claims

1. A game system comprising a server and multiple terminals each of which progresses a game with a player, the terminals being intermittently connected to said server via a network for transmission and reception of information to and from said server so that the server does not control whether each terminal is in a connection state,

said terminal comprising:

a game element obtaining section that obtains a game element that can be used by a player character during progress of the game;

a terminal-side game element storage that stores the obtained game element;

a terminal-side game element transmitter that establishes a first connection to transmit information of the obtained game element to said server via said network, and subsequently terminates the first connection; and

a game progressing section that progresses the game using a game element selected from the stored game elements, the game progressing section comprising;

a terminal-side support request transmitter that establishes a second connection to transmit a support request to said server via said network in response to an instruction from a player, and subsequently terminates the second connection;

a terminal-side game element receiver that receives information of a game element transmitted from said server in response to the transmitted support request; and

a support progressing section that progresses the game using the game element identified by the received information;

said server comprising;

a server-side game element receiver that receives information of the game element transmitted from said terminal-side game element transmitter;

a server-side game element storage that stores the game element identified by the received information;

a server-side support request receiver that receives the transmitted support request; and

a server-side game element transmitter that establishes a third connection to transmit information of the game element, stored in said server-side game element storage, of another player who is different from the player who originated the support request, to the terminal of the originating player in response to receiving the support request, and subsequently terminates the third connection.

2. The game system according to claim 1,

wherein each game element includes a parameter that provides a degree of advantage in the progress of the game;

wherein said game progressing section further comprises;

a parameter changer that changes the parameter of the selected game element according to a game progress result when the game is progressed using the selected game element; and

a terminal-side support result transmitter that establishes a fourth connection to transmit information of the game progress result to said server via said network when the game is progressed using the game element identified by information received by said terminal-side game element receiver, and subsequently terminates the fourth connection;

wherein said server further comprises;

a server-side support result receiver that receives information of the transmitted game progress result; and

a server-side support result transferring section that establishes a fifth connection to transfer information of the received game progress result via said network to a terminal of the other player corresponding to the game element identified by information transmitted from said server-side game element transmitter, and subsequently terminates the fifth connection;

wherein said terminal of the other player further comprises;

a terminal-side support result receiver that receives information of the transmitted game progress result; and

a support time parameter changer that changes the parameter included in the game element stored in said terminal-side game element storage according to the game progress result indicated by the received information.

3. The game system according to claim 1,

wherein the game element comprises multiple types of game elements;

wherein said terminal-side support request transmitter designates a type of game element selected by the player in the transmitted support request; and

wherein said server-side game element transmitter establishes the third connection to transmit information of the game element of the type designated by the support request to the terminal of the player who originated the support request, and subsequently terminates the third connection, when the game element of the type designated by the received support request is stored in said server-side game element storage.

4. The game system according to claim 1,

wherein said server-side game element storage stores game elements for each group formed by multiple players;

and

wherein the other player belongs to a group including the player who originated the support request.

5. The game system according to claim 1,

wherein said server further comprises:

a server-side support request transmitter that establishes a sixth connection to transmit the received support request to a terminal of the other player, upon receiving the support request, and subsequently terminates the sixth connection; and

a support time game element receiver that receives information of the game element transmitted from the terminal of the other player in response to the transferred support request; and

wherein said terminal of the other player further comprises;

a terminal-side support request receiver that receives the transferred support request; and

a support time game element transmitter that establishes a seventh connection to transmit information of the game element stored in said terminal-side game element storage to said server upon receiving the support request, and subsequently terminates the seventh connection.

6. The game system according to claim 5,

wherein said terminal further comprises:

an additional support request transmitter that establishes a eighth connection to transmit an additional support request to said server via said network in response to a second instruction from the player who received the game element, and subsequently terminates the eighth connection;

wherein said server further comprises;

an additional support request receiver that receives the transmitted additional support request; and

an additional support request transferring section that establishes a ninth connection to transfer the received additional support request to the terminal of the other player, upon receiving the additional support request, and subsequently terminates the ninth connection.

7. The game system according to claim 5,

wherein said game element obtaining section comprises a support time game element obtaining, section that obtains a new game element according to the player'"'"'s instruction upon receiving the transferred support request;

and

wherein said support time game element transmitter establishes the seventh connection to transmit information of the new game element obtained by said support time game element obtaining section to said server, and subsequently terminates the seventh connection.

8. The game system according to claim 1, wherein said support progressing section progresses the game according to a quantity of game elements received by said terminal-side game element receiver.

9. The game system according to claim 1, wherein said support progressing section progresses the game according to sum of a number of game elements received by said terminal-side game element receiver and a number of game elements stored in said terminal-side game element storage.

10. A game system comprising a server and multiple terminals each of which progresses a game with a player, the terminals being intermittently connected to said server via a network for transmission and reception of information to and from said server so that the server does not control whether each terminal is in a connection state,

said terminal comprising:

a game element obtaining section that obtains a game element that can be used by a player character during progress of the game;

a game element storage that stores the obtained game element;

a game progressing section that progresses the game using a game element selected from the stored game elements, the game progressing section comprising;

a terminal-side support request transmitter that establishes a first connection to transmit a support request to said server via said network in response to an instruction from a player, and subsequently terminates the first connection;

a terminal-side game element receiver that receives information of a support game element transmitted from said server in response to the transmitted support request; and

a support progressing section that progresses the game using the support game element identified by the received information;

said server comprising;

a server-side support request receiver that receives the transmitted support request;

a support request transferring section that establishes a second connection to transfer the received support request to the terminal of the other player, who is different from the player who originated the support request, and subsequently terminates the second connection;

a server-side game element receiver that receives information of the support game element transmitted from the terminal of the other player in response to the transferred support request; and

a game element transferring section that establishes a third connection to transfer information of the received support game element to the terminal of a player who originated the support request, and subsequently terminates the third connection;

wherein said terminal of the other player further comprises;

a terminal-side support request receiver that receives the transferred support request; and

a game element transmitter that establishes a fourth connection to transmit information of the support game element selected by the other player to said server upon receiving the support request from said server, and subsequently terminates the fourth connection.

11. The game system according to claim 10,

wherein each game element includes a parameter that provides a degree of advantage in the progress of the game,

wherein a game progressing section further comprises;

a parameter changer that changes a parameter of a selected game element according to a game progress result when the game is progressed using the selected game element; and

a support result transmitter that establishes a fifth connection to transmit information of the game progress result to said server via said network when the game is progressed using the support game element from said terminal, and subsequently terminates the fifth connection;

wherein said server further comprises;

a server-side support result receiver that receives information of the transmitted game progress result; and

a support result transferring section that establishes a sixth connection to transfer information of the received game progress result via said network to the terminal of the other player who transmitted to the support game element, and subsequently terminates the sixth connection;

wherein said terminal further comprises;

a terminal-side support result receiver that receives information of the transmitted game progress result, and

a support time parameter changer that changes the parameter included in the game element stored in said terminal-side game element storage according to the game progress result indicated by the received information.

12. The game system according to claim 10,

wherein said server further comprises a group storage that stores a group to which each player belongs;

and

wherein said support request transferring section establishes the second connection to transfer the received support request to the terminal of each player belonging to the same group as the player sending the support request, and subsequently terminates the second connection.

13. The game system according to claim 10,

wherein said game element obtaining section comprises a support time game element obtaining section that obtains a new game element according to a player'"'"'s instruction upon receiving the transferred support request;

and

wherein said game element transmitter establishes the fourth connection to transmit information of the new game element obtained by said support time game element obtaining section to said server, and subsequently terminates the fourth connection.

14. The game system according to claim 10, wherein said support progressing section progresses the game according to a quantity of game elements received by said terminal-side game element receiver.

15. The game system according to claim 10, wherein said support progressing section progresses the game according to a sun of a number of the game elements received by said terminal-side game element receiver and a number of the game elements stored in said terminal-side game element storage.

16. A server apparatus intermittently connected to multiple terminals via a network for transmission and reception of information so that the server apparatus does not control whether each terminal is in a connection state, each of said terminals progressing a game by causing a player character to use a game element obtained by a player during progress of the game, said server apparatus comprising:

a game element receiver that receives information of a game element obtained in at least one of the terminals via said network;

a game element storage that stores the game element identified by the received information;

a support request receiver that receives a support request transmitted via said network in response to a player'"'"'s instruction during progress of the game from a terminal of a player who initiates the support request; and

a game element transmitter that establishes a connection to transmit information of a support game element, stored in said game element storage, of another player, to the terminal of the player, who originated the support request, upon receiving the support request, and subsequently terminates the connection.

17. The server apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the game element comprises includes multiple types of game elements;

wherein the support request designates a type of game element selected by the player who originated the support request; and

wherein said game element transmitter transmits information of a game element of the type designated by the support request to the terminal of the player who originated the support request, when the game element of the type designated by the support request is stored in said game element storage.

18. The server apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein said game element storage stores game elements for each group formed by multiple players;

and

wherein the other player belongs to a group including the player who originated the support request.

19. A server apparatus intermittently connected to multiple terminals via a network for transmission and reception of information so that the server apparatus does not control whether each terminal is in a connection state, each of said terminals progressing a game by causing a player character to use a game element obtained by a player during progress of the game, said server apparatus comprising:

a support request receiver that receives a support request sent from one of the terminals via said network;

a support request transferring section that establishes a first connection to transfer the received support request to another terminal, which is different from the terminal which sent the support request, upon receiving the support request, and subsequently terminates the first connection;

a support game element receiver that receives information of a support game element transmitted from the other terminal in response to the transferred support request; and

a game element transferring section that establishes a second connection to transfer information of the received support game element to the terminal that sent the support request, and subsequently terminates the second connection.

20. The server apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

a group storage that stores a group to which each player belongs,

wherein a player of the other terminal belongs to the same group as the player of the terminal that sent the support request.

21. A game apparatus intermittently connected to a server via a network for transmission and reception of information so that the server does not control whether the game apparatus is in a connection state, said game apparatus comprising;

a game element obtaining section that obtains a game element that can be used by a player character during progress of a game;

a game element storage that stores the obtained game element; and

a game progressing section that progresses the game using a game element selected from the stored game elements, said game progressing section comprising;

a support request transmitter that establishes a first connection to transmit a support request to said server via said network in response to an instruction from a player, and subsequently terminates the first connection;

a game element receiver that receives information of a game element of another player transmitted from said server in response to the transmitted support request; and

a support progressing section that progresses the game using the game element identified by the received information.

22. The game apparatus according to claim 21,

wherein said game element receiver receives a game element newly obtained by the other player.

23. The game apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:

an additional support request transmitter that establishes a second connection to transmit an additional request via said network and said server to another game apparatus in response to an additional instruction of the player, and subsequently terminates the second connection;

wherein said game element receiver further receives information of an additional game element transmitted in response to the additional support request from the other game apparatus.

24. The game apparatus according to claim 21,

wherein the game element includes a parameter that fixes a degree of advantage in the progress of the game;

wherein said game progressing section further comprises;

a parameter changer that changes the parameter included in a used game element according to a game progress result when the game is progressed using the game element stored in the game element storage; and

a support result transmitter that establishes a third connection to transmit information of the game progress result via said network and said server to a game apparatus of the other player corresponding to the used game element when the game is progressed using the game element indicated by information received by said game element receiver, and subsequently terminates the third connection.

25. The game apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said support progressing section progresses the game according to a quantity of game elements received by said game element receiver.

26. The game apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said support progressing section progresses the game according to a sum of a number of game elements received by said game element receiver and a number game elements stored in said game element storage.

27. A server apparatus intermittently connected to multiple terminals via a network for transmission and reception of information so that the server apparatus does not control whether each terminal is in a connection state, each of said terminals progressing a game by causing a player character to use a game element obtained by a player during progress of the game, said server apparatus comprising:

a program memory that stores a program;

a data memory that stores data;

a processor that executes the program; and

a communications device that communicates with each terminal for transmission and reception of information;

wherein the program causes;

the communications device to receive information of a game element obtained in at least one of the terminals;

the data memory to store information of the game element identified by the received information;

the communications device to receive a support request transmitted via the network in response to a player'"'"'s instruction during progress of the game from a terminal of a player who initiates the support request; and

the communications device to establish a connection to transmit information of the game element, stored in the data memory, of another player, to the terminal of the player who originated the support request, upon receiving the support request, and subsequently terminate the connection.

28. A server apparatus intermittently connected to multiple terminals via a network for transmission and reception of information so that the server apparatus does not control whether each terminal is in a connection state, each of said terminals progressing a game by causing a player character to use a game element obtained by a player during progress of the game, said server apparatus comprising:

a program memory that stores a program;

a processor that executes the program; and

a communications device that communicates with each terminal for transmission and reception of information;

wherein the program causes;

the communications device to receive a support request sent from one of the terminals via said network;

the communications device to establish a first connection to transfer the received support request to another terminal, which is different from the terminal which sent the support request, upon receiving the support request, and subsequently terminate the first connection;

the communications device to receive information of a support game element transmitted from the other terminal in response to the transferred support request; and

the communications device to establish a second connection to transfer information of the received support game element to the terminal that sent the support request, and subsequently terminate the second connection.

29. A game apparatus intermittently connected to a server via a network for transmission and reception of information so that the server does not control whether the game apparatus is in a connection state, said game apparatus comprising:

a program memory that stores a program;

a processor that executes the program; and

a communications device that communicates with the server for transmission and reception of information;

wherein the program causes;

the processor to obtain a game element that can be used by a player character during progress of a game;

the data memory to store the obtained game element;

the processor to progress the game using a game element selected from the game elements stored in said data memory;

the communications device to establish a connection to transmit a support request to said server via said network in response to an instruction from a player, and subsequently terminate the connection;

the communications device to receive information of a game element of another player transmitted from said server in response to the transmitted support request; and

the processor to progress the game using the game element identified by the received information.

30. A computer-readable storage medium that records a program executed by a server connected to multiple terminals via a network for transmission and reception of information so that the server does not control whether each terminal is in a connection state, each of said terminals progressing a game by causing a player character to use a game element obtained by a player during progress of the game,

wherein the program comprises:

a game element receiving code section that receives information of a game element obtained in at least one of the terminals;

a game element storing code section that stores information of the game element identified by the received information in a data memory of said server;

a support request receiving code section that receives a support request transmitted via the network in response to a player'"'"'s instruction during progress of the game from a terminal of a player who initiates the support request; and

a game element transmitting code section that establishes a connection to transmit information of the game element, stored in the data memory, of another player, to the terminal of the player who originated the support request, upon receiving the support request, and subsequently terminates the connection.

31. A computer-readable storage medium that records a program executed by a server connected to multiple terminals via a network for transmission and reception of information so that the server does not control whether each terminal is in a connection state, each of said terminals progressing a game by causing a player character to use a game element obtained by a player during progress of the game,

wherein the program comprises:

a support request receiving code section that receives a support request transmitted from one of the terminals via said network;

a support request transferring code section that establishes a first connection to transfer the received support request to another terminal, which is different from the terminal which sent the support request, upon receiving the support request, and subsequently terminates the first connection;

a game element receiving code section that receives information of a support game element transmitted from the other terminal in response to the transferred support request; and

a game element transferring code section that establishes a second connection to transfer information of the received support game element to the terminal that sent the support request, and subsequently terminates the second connection.

32. A computer-readable storage medium that records a program executed by a terminal intermittently connected to a server via a network for transmission and reception of information so that the server does not control whether the terminal is in a connection state,

wherein the program comprises:

a game element obtaining code section that obtains a game element that can be used by a player character during progress of a game;

a game element storing code section that stores the obtained game element in a data memory of said terminal;

a first game progressing code section that progresses the game using a game element selected from the game elements stored in said data memory;

a support request transmitting code section that establishes a connection to transmit a support request to said server via said network in response to an instruction from a player, and subsequently terminates the connection;

a game element receiving code section that receives information of a game element of another player transmitted from said server in response to the transmitted support request; and

a second game progressing code section that progresses the game using the game element identified by the received information.

33. A carrier wave superimposed with a data signal of a program executed by a server intermittently connected to multiple terminals via a network for transmission and reception of information so that the server does not control whether each terminal is in a connection state, each of said terminals progressing a game by causing a player character to use a game element obtained by a player during progress of the game,

wherein the program comprises:

a game element receiving code section that receives information of a game element obtained in at least one of the terminals;

a game element storing code section that stores information of the game element identified by the received information in a data memory of said server;

a support request receiving code section that receives a support request transmitted via the network in response to a player'"'"'s instruction during progress of the game from a terminal of a player who initiates the support request; and

a game element transmitting code section that establishes a connection to transmit information of the game element, stored in the data memory, of another player, to the terminal of the player who originated the support request, upon receiving the support request, and subsequently terminates the connection.

34. A carrier wave superimposed with a data signal of a program executed by a server intermittently connected to multiple terminals via a network for transmission and reception of information so that the server does not control whether each terminal is in a connection state, each of said terminals progressing a game by causing a player character to use a game element obtained by a player during progress of the game,

wherein the program comprises:

a support request receiving code section that receives a support request transmitted from one of the terminals via said network;

a support request transferring code section that establishes a first connection to transfer the received support request to another terminal, which is different from the terminal which sent the support request, upon receiving the support request, and subsequently terminates the first connection;

a game element receiving code section that receives information of a support game element transmitted from the other terminal in response to the transferred support request; and

a game element transferring code section that establishes a first connection to transfer information of the received support game element to the terminal that sent the support request, and subsequently terminates the first connection.

35. A carrier wave superimposed with a data signal of a program executed by a terminal intermittently connected to a server via a network for transmission and reception of information so that the server does not control whether the terminal is in a connection state,

wherein the program comprises:

a game element obtaining code section that obtains a game element that can be used by a player character during progress of a game;

a game element storing code section that stores the obtained game element in a data memory of said terminal;

a first game progressing code section that progresses the game using a game element selected from the game elements stored in said data memory;

a support request transmitting code section that establishes a connection to transmit a support request to said server via said network in response to an instruction from a player, and subsequently terminates the connection;

a game element receiving code section that receives information of a game element of another player transmitted from said server in response to the transmitted support request; and

a second game progressing code section that progresses the game using the game element identified by the received information.

36. A game progressing method for progressing a game by a server and multiple terminals each of which progresses a game with a player, each of said terminals being intermittently connected to said server via a network for transmission and reception of information so that the server does not control whether each terminal is in a connection state, said method comprising:

progressing the game by each of the terminals individually to obtain a game element that can be used by a player character;

storing the obtained game element in a memory of the terminal in which the game element was obtained;

establishing a first connection to transmit the obtained game element to the server from the terminal in which the game element was obtained, and subsequently terminating the first connection;

storing the transmitted game element in a memory of the server;

establishing a second connection to transmit a support request to the server from a terminal in which the game is being progressed in response to an instruction from a player of the terminal, and subsequently terminating the second connection;

establishing a third connection to transmit a support game element, stored in the memory of the server, of a player, who is different from the player who originated the support request, to the terminal which transmitted the support request from the server, and subsequently terminating the third connection; and

progressing the game in each terminal using a game element selected from the game elements stored in the memory of the terminal and/or using the support game element.

37. A game progressing method for progressing a game by a server and multiple terminals each of which progresses a game with a player, each of said terminals being intermittently connected to said server via a network for transmission and reception of information so that the server does not control whether each terminal is in a connection state, said method comprising:

progressing the game by each of the terminals individually to obtain a game element that can be used by a player character;

storing the obtained game element in a memory of the terminal in which the game element was obtained;

establishing a first connection to transmit a support request from one of the terminals in which the game is being progressed in response to an instruction from a player of the terminal to another terminal via the server, and subsequently terminating the first connection;

establishing a second connection to transmit a support game element from the other terminal in response to receiving the support request to the terminal which transmitted the support request via the server, and subsequently terminating the second connection; and

progressing the game in each terminal using a game element selected from the game elements stored in the memory of the terminal and/or using the support game element.