Game system and storage medium storing game program

• US 20060079329A1
• Filed: 05/05/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamada, Yoichi, Narita, Minoru
• Granted Patent: US 7,635,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/39
• 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 13/31 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 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net

Abstract

A game system includes a plurality of game apparatuses that can carry out short-range wireless communication with one another. One of the game apparatuses functions as a parent apparatus, and at least one other game apparatus functions as a child apparatus. The parent apparatus transmits transmission verification data a predetermined number of times. Accordingly, the child apparatus receives the transmission verification data from the parent apparatus, and transmits to the parent apparatus the same number of piece(s) of reception verification data as those of the received transmission verification data. The parent apparatus receives the reception verification data from the child apparatus, and detects the number of the received piece(s) of reception verification data. Also, the parent apparatus-varies a game process according to the number of the received piece(s) of data detected in communication with each child apparatus, and, for example, decides a communication priority rank of each child character based on the number of the received piece(s) of data. In addition, the child apparatus varies a game process according to the number of the received piece(s) of data corresponding to this apparatus itself.

Claims

1. A game system including a first game apparatus and at least one second game apparatus which can carry out short-range wireless communication with one another, wherein

said first game apparatus comprises:

a first transmitting means for transmitting to said second game apparatus a predetermined number of piece(s) of first verification data for verifying a communication state;

a first receiving means for receiving second verification data transmitted from said second game apparatus;

a number-of-received data detecting means for detecting the number of the received piece(s) of data of second verification data received by said first receiving means; and

a first game processing means for varying a game process according to said number of the received piece(s) of data, and wherein

said second game apparatus comprises;

a second receiving means for receiving said first verification data transmitted from said first game apparatus; and

a second transmitting means for transmitting to said first game apparatus the same number of piece(s) of the second verification data as those of the first verification data received by said second receiving means.

2. A game system according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of said second game apparatuses are included, and

said first game processing means changes a priority rank of communication with each of said second game apparatuses according to said number of the received piece(s) of data.

3. A game system according to claim 2, wherein

said first game apparatus further comprises a first displaying means for displaying the communication priority rank changed by said first game processing means,

said first transmitting means transmits to each of said second game apparatuses data on the communication priority rank changed by said first game processing means, and

said second game apparatus further comprises a second displaying means for displaying its communication priority rank, based on the data on communication priority rank transmitted from said first game apparatus.

4. A game system according to claim 1, wherein

said first transmitting means transmits to said second game apparatus the number of the received piece(s) of data detected by said number-of-received data detecting means, and

said second game apparatus further comprises a second game processing means for varying the game process according to said number of the received piece(s) of data transmitted from said first game apparatus.

5. A game system according to claim 4, wherein

said first game apparatus further comprises at least a first displaying means for displaying a game space containing a first player character operated by the player of the first game apparatus and a second player character operated by the player of said second game apparatus,

said first game processing means changes the size of at least one of said first player character and said second player character displayed on said first displaying means, depending on said number of the received piece(s) of data,

said second game apparatus further comprises a second displaying means for displaying a game space containing at least said first player character and said second player character, and

said second game processing means changes the size of at least one of said first player character and said second player character displayed on said second displaying means, depending on said number of the received piece(s) of data.

6. A game system according to claim 5, wherein

said first game processing means reduces the size of said second player character displayed on said first displaying means as said number of the received piece(s) of data is smaller, and

said second game processing means reduces the size of said first player character displayed on said second displaying means as said number of the received piece(s) of data is smaller.

7. A game system according to claim 1, wherein

said first game apparatus further comprises a sound outputting means for outputting a sound, and

said first game processing means changes sound data to be output to said sound outputting means according to said number of the received piece(s) of data.

8. A storage medium storing a game program to be executed by a game apparatus in a game system that includes a plurality of said game apparatuses capable of carrying out short-range wireless communication with one another and in which one of said game apparatuses functions as a parent apparatus and at least one other game apparatus functions as a child apparatus, wherein

said game program causes a processor of said game apparatus functioning as a parent apparatus to perform:

a first transmitting step of transmitting to the child apparatus a predetermined number of piece(s) of first verification data for verifying a communication state;

a first receiving step of receiving second verification data transmitted from said child apparatus;

a number-of-received data detecting step of detecting the number of the received piece(s) of data of second verification data received in said first receiving step; and

a first game processing step of varying the game process according to said number of the received piece(s) of data, and wherein

said game program causes a processor of said game apparatus functioning as a child apparatus to perform;

a second receiving step of receiving the first verification data transmitted from said parent apparatus; and

a second transmitting step of transmitting the same number of piece(s) of the second verification data as those of the first verification data received in said second receiving step to said parent apparatus.

9. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 8, wherein

said game system includes a plurality of game apparatuses functioning as child apparatuses, and

said first game processing means changes a priority rank of communication with each of said child game apparatuses according to said number of the received piece(s) of data.

10. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 9, wherein

said game program further causes the processor of said game apparatus functioning as a parent apparatus to perform a first displaying step of displaying the communication priority rank changed in said first game processing step,

in said first transmitting step, data on the communication priority rank changed in said first game processing step is transmitted to each of said child game apparatuses, and

said game program further causes the processor of said game apparatus functioning as a child apparatus to perform a second displaying step of displaying its communication priority rank, based on said data on communication priority rank transmitted from said parent game apparatus.

11. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 8, wherein

in said first transmitting step, the number of the received piece(s) of data detected in said number-of-received data detecting step is transmitted to said child game apparatus, and

said game program further causes the processor of said game apparatus functioning as a child apparatus to perform a second game processing step of varying the game process according to said number of the received piece(s) of data transmitted from said parent game apparatus.

12. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 11, wherein

said game program further causes the processor of said game apparatus functioning as a parent apparatus to perform a first displaying step of displaying a game space containing at least a first player character operated by the player of this parent game apparatus and a second player character operated by the player of said child game apparatus,

in said first game processing step, the size of at least one of said first player character and said second player character displayed in said first displaying step is changed depending on said number of the received piece(s) of data,

said game program further causes the processor of said game apparatus functioning as a child apparatus to perform a second displaying step of displaying a game space containing at least said first player character and said second player character, and

in said second game processing step, the size of at least one of said first player character and said second player character displayed in said second displaying step is changed depending on said number of the received piece(s) of data.

13. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 12, wherein

in said first game processing step, the size of said second player character displayed in said first displaying step is reduced as said number of the received piece(s) of data is smaller, and

in said second game processing step, the size of said first player character displayed in said second displaying step is reduced as said number of the received piece(s) of data is smaller.

14. A storage medium storing a game program according to claim 8, wherein

said game apparatus further comprises a sound outputting means for outputting a sound, and

in said first game processing step, sound data to be output to said sound outputting means is changed according to said number of the received piece(s) of data.