Game System, Game Server Device Therefor, and Method of Controlling Game Server Device, and Game Device Therefor and Method of Controlling Game Device

• US 20080125229A1
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Jonishi, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,007,363 B2
• 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 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• 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 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• 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: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games

Abstract

A game system has a plurality of game devices (1), and a game server device (3) that communicates the game devices (1) to obtain a game result for each of a plurality of players, and a plurality of portable terminals (terminal devices) (4) operated individually by at least one of the players. The game server device (3) stores a private player identifier for identifying each of a plurality of players in association with a game result. The game server device (3) also stores a private player identifier of one of the players in association with a private player identifier of a competitor player specified by the one player. The game server device (3), upon receiving a view request from the game device (1) a view request instructing that a game result of the competitor player be transmitted as a response, transmits a view response containing the game result.

Claims

1. A game system comprising a plurality of game devices, a game server device that communicates with said plurality of game devices to obtain game results of each of a plurality of players, and a plurality of terminal devices operated individually by at least one of said players,

wherein said game server device comprises a storage unit that stores a player identifier for identifying each of said players in association with a recording medium identifier for identifying an information recording medium used by said each player in playing said game device, that stores said player identifier in association with result information indicating a game result, and that stores a player identifier of one of said players in association with a player identifier of another of said players, said another player being specified by said one player;

wherein each of said terminal devices comprises;

an inputter that receives player'"'"'s instructions;

an identifying unit that identifies said player identifier of said another player when said one player specifies said another player by operating said inputter;

a player-identifier storage that stores said player identifier of said one player;

a registration requester that generates a registration request containing said player identifier of said one player and said player identifier of said another player identified by said identifying unit and instructing that said another player be registered in association with said one player, said registration request then being transmitted to said game server device;

wherein each of said game devices comprises;

a display;

a reader that reads said recording medium identifier from said information recording medium;

a generator that generates said result information according to a game result;

a transmitter that transmits said result information and said recording medium identifier to said game server device;

a notification requester that, when said recording medium identifier is read from said information recording medium by said reader, transmits to said game server device a notification request containing said recording medium identifier and instructing that a player identifier of said another player registered in association with said player identifier corresponding to said recording medium identifier be transmitted as a response;

a notification response receiver that receives from said game server device a notification response containing said player identifier of said another player registered in association with said player identifier corresponding to said recording medium identifier, said notification response being a response to said notification request;

a view requester that generates a view request containing said player identifier contained in said notification response received by said notification response receiver and instructing that said result information of said another player registered in association with said player identifier contained in said notification response be transmitted as a response, said view request then being transmitted to said game server device; and

a response processor that, upon receiving from said game server device a view response containing result information of said another player, causes said result information to be displayed on said display, said result information having been registered in association with said player identifier of said another player and said view response being a response to said view request; and

wherein said game server device executes;

a process of, upon receiving from one of said terminal devices said registration request, storing, in said storage unit, said player identifier of said one player and said player identifier of said another player in association with each other;

a process of, upon receiving from one of said game devices said result information and said recording medium identifier, storing in said storage unit said result information in association with said player identifier corresponding to said recording medium identifier;

a process of, upon receiving from said game device said notification request, obtaining a player identifier of said another player registered in association with said player identifier corresponding to said recording medium identifier contained in said notification request and replying with said game device said notification response containing said obtained player identifier; and

a process of, upon receiving from said game device said view request, obtaining result information corresponding to said player identifier contained in said view request and replying to said game device with said view response containing said obtained result information.

2. A game server device capable of communicating with a plurality of terminal devices and a plurality of game devices, comprising:

a storage unit that stores a player identifier for identifying each of said players in association with a recording medium identifier for identifying an information recording medium used by said each player in playing a game at said game device, that stores said player identifier in association with result information indicating a game result, and that stores a player identifier of one of said players in association with a player identifier of another of said players, said another player being specified by said one player;

a registrator that, upon receiving from one of said terminal devices a registration request containing said player identifier of said one player and said player identifier of said another player, with said registration request instructing that said another player be registered in association with said one player, registers in said storage unit said player identifier of said another player in association with said player identifier of said one player;

a first replier that, upon receiving from one of said game devices a notification request containing said recording medium identifier and instructing that a player identifier of said another identifier registered in association with said player identifier corresponding to said recording medium identifier, identifying said player identifier of said another player stored in association with said player identifier of said one player to obtain said identified player identifier from said storage unit, and that transmits to said game device a notification response as a response to said notification request, with said notification response containing said obtained player identifier of said another player; and

a second replier that, upon receiving from said game device a view request containing said obtained player identifier and instructing that said result information of said another player registered in association with said player identifier contained in said view request be transmitted as a response, obtains said result information corresponding to said player identifier from said storage unit and that transmits to said game device a view response as a response to said view request, with said view response containing said result information.

3. A game device capable of communicating with a game server device that stores a player identifier for identifying a plurality of players and a recording medium identifier for identifying an information recording medium used by each of said players in playing a game at said game device, that stores said player identifier and result information indicating a game result of each player in association with each other, and that stores a player identifier of one of said players and a player identifier of another of said players specified by said one player in association with each other, said game device comprising:

a display;

a reader that reads said recording medium identifier from said information recording medium;

a generator that generates said result information according to a game result;

a transmitter that transmits said result information and said recording medium identifier to said game server device;

a notification requester that, when said recording medium identifier is read from said information recording medium by said reader, transmits to said game server device a notification request containing said recording medium identifier and instructing that a player identifier of said another player registered in association with said player identifier corresponding to said recording medium identifier be transmitted as a response;

a notification response receiver that receives from said game server device a notification response containing said player identifier of said another player registered in association with said player identifier corresponding to said recording medium identifier, with said notification response being a response to said notification request;

a view requester that generates a view request containing said player identifier contained in said notification response received by said notification response receiver and instructing that said result information of said another player registered in association with said player identifier be transmitted as a response, said view request then being transmitted to said game server device; and

a response processor that, upon receiving from said game server device a view response containing result information of said another player, causes said result information to be displayed on said display, said result information having been registered in association with said player identifier of said another player and said view response being a response to said view request.

4. A method of controlling a game server device capable of communicating with a plurality of terminal devices and a plurality of game devices, comprising:

storing a player identifier for identifying each of a plurality of players in association with a recording medium identifier for identifying an information recording medium used by said each player in playing a game at said game device;

storing, upon receiving from one of said terminal devices a registration request containing a player identifier for identifying one of said players and a player identifier corresponding to another of said players specified by said one player and instructing that said another player be registered in association with said one player, said player identifier of said another player in association with said player identifier of said one player;

identifying, upon receiving from one of said game devices a recording medium identifier and result information, a player identifier that is associated with said recording medium identifier, and storing said result information in association with said identified player identifier; and

obtaining, upon receiving from said game device a notification request containing said recording medium identifier and instructing that a player identifier of said another player registered in association with said recording medium identifier be transmitted as a response, from said storage unit said player identifier of said another player that is registered in association with said recording medium identifier, and transmitting to said game device a notification response containing said obtained player identifier of said another player as a response to said notification request; and

obtaining, upon receiving from said game device a view request containing said player identifier and instructing that result information of said another player registered in association with said player identifier be transmitted as a response, from said storage unit result information that is associated with said player identifier, and transmitting to said game device a view response containing said result information as a response to said view request.

5. A method of controlling a game device capable of communicating with a game server device that stores a player identifier for identifying each of a plurality of players in association with a recording medium identifier for identifying an information recording medium used by each of said players in playing a game using a game device, that stores said player identifier and result information indicating a game result in association with each other, and that stores a player identifier of one of said plurality of players and a player identifier of another of said players specified by said one player in association with each other, said method comprising:

reading a recording medium identifier from said information recording medium;

generating result information in accordance with a game result;

transmitting said recording medium identifier and said result information to said game server device;

transmitting to said game server device a notification request, upon reading said recording medium identifier from said information recording medium, said notification request containing said recording medium identifier and instructing that a player identifier of said another player registered in association with said player identifier corresponding to said recording medium identifier be transmitted as a response;

receiving from said game server device a notification response containing said player identifier of said another player registered in association with said player identifier corresponding to said recording medium identifier, said notification response being a response to said notification request;

generating a view request containing said player identifier contained in said notification response and instructing that result information of said another player registered in association with said player identifier be transmitted as a response, and transmitting said view request to said game server device; and

displaying, upon receiving from said game server device a view response containing said result information of said another player registered in association with said player identifier, said received result information, said view response being a response to said view request.