Massive role-playing games or other multiplayer games system and method using cellular phone or device

• US 20070099703A1
• Filed: 09/14/2004
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Innovation Ulster Limited
• Original Assignee: Innovation Ulster Limited
• Inventors: Terebilo, Yakir
• Application Number:
  US10/595,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20070099703A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• 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 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• 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 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device

Abstract

A massive multiplayer role-playing game platform utilizing mobile devices such as cellular phones is disclosed. The invention links massive amounts of players, each holding at least one mobile device, via a cellular or wireless network. The system provides the user with the game data in a client-server method or in a streaming/buffering mode of operation. Most of the game data is stored on the game servers, and only the minimal amount of data is temporarily stored on the device'"'"'s memory. The user may play in a single mode or group mode and several groups can join together to make a larger group. A game may be downloaded onto the mobile devices which may be linked to a base station. The base station in turn is connected to the network, which links it to the game server.

Claims

1. A network game system implemented over a wireless data network, enabling real time simultaneous game sessions of multiple players, said system comprised of:

At least one network server for managing and controlling games sessions, including the core game application wherein parallel sessions of the game are preformed simultaneously;

At least two wireless devices having a first transceiver enabling wireless connection to the server (TCP/IP connection, iMode, FOMA, Wi-Fi technologies).

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless device further includes a second transceiver enabling short range communication with other wireless devices (Bluetooth, infrared, USB/USB2.0).

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising game console devices communicating with the wireless devices or directly connected to the backbone network.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the network servers include a players'"'"' database which comprises profile data and history data of players'"'"' activities.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the network server (or the wireless device) further comprises location base module enabling to identify real location of each user wherein the virtual game location is changed in the relation to the real location.

6. The system of claim 2 further comprising real entities at predefined locations wherein said interaction with player (such as buying credit) can affect the virtual game activities (such as gaining power) according to pre-defined rules.

7. The game system of claim 1 further comprising a base station, and a game server, wherein the cellular network interconnects the base station and the game server, and wherein the mobile phone communicates with the game server via the base station utilizing the first transceiver.

8. The game system of claim 1 wherein the network server may support one of the following services:

SMS, email, MMS, video.

9. The game system of claim 1 wherein the system further includes behavior analysis for predicting the user'"'"'s next moves and providing the user with the respective data in advance for improving the system'"'"'s performance.

10. The game system of claim 1 wherein the users are divided into groups, each group having a specific IP range.

11. The game system of claim 1 may also use HSDPA (High speed Downlink Packet Access) technology.

12. The game system of claim 1 further enabling players to talk on the phone while playing the game—

Multi-access allows subscribers to communicate by voice while simultaneously using packet transmissions.

13. The game system of claim 1 further enabling players to create communities based on game activities.

14. The game system of claim 1 wherein the wireless device includes a touch sensitive interface for playing the game.

15. The game system of claim 1 wherein the wireless device includes voice operated interface for playing the game.

16. The game system of claim 1 wherein the wireless device includes display screen including one of the following technologies:

touch screen or 3D imaging.

17. The game system of claim 1 wherein the wireless device includes a speaker and microphone.

18. The game system of claim 1 wherein the wireless device includes a camera.

19. The game system of claim 1 wherein the game continues uninterrupted, while at least one user is in offline mode enabling the user to return to online mode at any time and to continue the game with no effect on user'"'"'s or other players'"'"' game experience

20. The game system of claim 17 wherein the system provides the users with information status of other players.

21. The game system of claim 1 wherein at least one device is selected by the server enabling said device to function as mirror of the server for a specific group of players, allocating said device the highest priority.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said device distributes the commands of the main server to all group members.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the server switches the role of the selected device between the devices of different users using a round-robin technique.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the server switches the role of the selected device between the devices of different users randomly.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein server postpones the delivery of user command for a short interval of time until receiving commands from the other players, processes it, and distributes the result of the respective actions simultaneously to all the players.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein the server sends only the changes in the display of the screen from the last action of the game

27. The system of claim 1 further Implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology into the game for anticipating at least one user'"'"'s next move, enabling preloading of data in accordance with user expected move.

28. The system of claim 1 wherein the server uses the processing power of the local mobile device for processing data.

29. The system of claim 1 further comprising stationary game interfaces, wherein user using said interface are enable to participate within the network game.