SERVER APPARATUS, CELLULAR PHONE, OPPONENT SELECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD, PROGRAM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20090005172A1
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: TAKEMURA, Jun, SHIBAHARA, Mitsuru, SUZUKI, Aya
• Granted Patent: US 8,257,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• 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 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 : involving process of starting or resuming a game

Abstract

Disclosed is a technology that allows a user of a mobile phone having a game execution function to easily find another mobile phone user who can immediately play a match-up with him/her in the game. A page of an opponent selection site that is provided by a server apparatus is individually created for each mobile phone user who logs on while assigning the kind of a game for a match-up. On the opponent selection site, match-up opponent candidates who are liable to play a match-up in the game of the kind assigned by the mobile phone user who logs on are listed. A predetermined value is added to the score of goodness of fit of each user, which is used to select a match-up opponent candidate, according to whether or not the user has played a match-up in the game of that kind, whether or not the user has obtained a high score in the game of that kind, whether or not the user has challenged another user to a match-up in the game of that kind, or whether or not the user has played a match-up with the mobile phone user, who logs on, in the past. In addition, a value according to a time elapsed from a last login date-and-time is added to the score of the goodness of fit.

Claims

1. A server apparatus that is connected to a plurality of mobile phones having a function to execute a game through a network including a mobile phone network, the server apparatus comprising:

a user information storage unit that, for each user, stores information about the utilization indicating the users of the plurality of mobile phones have played a match-up with other users in the game or the users have tried to play a match-up with other users in the game;

a selection request receiving unit that receives a selection request for selecting an opponent to play a match-up in the game from each of the plurality of mobile phones through the network;

a candidate extracting unit that, in response to the selection request received by the selection request receiving unit, as an opponent candidate with whom a user of a match-up challenger mobile phone, which transmits the selection request, plays a match-up, extracts a user, who is liable to immediately play a match-up in the game, among the users of other mobile phones according to the information about the utilization of each user stored in the user information storage unit;

a list transmitting unit that transmits a candidate list, on which the opponent candidates extracted by the candidate extracting unit are listed, to the challenger mobile phone through the network;

a selected opponent information receiving unit that receives, from the match-up challenger mobile phone, information about a user selected on the candidate list transmitted from the list transmitting unit;

a match-up challenge mail transmitting unit that transmits, to the mobile phone of the user corresponding to the information received by the selected opponent information receiving unit through the network, a match-up challenge mail, which indicates a match-up challenge from the user of the match-up challenger mobile phone;

a match-up acceptance information receiving unit that receives, from a match-up acceptor mobile phone, which accepts the match-up challenge of the match-up challenge mail, information about the acceptance of the match-up challenge in regards to the match-up challenge mail transmitted from the match-up challenge mail transmitting unit; and

a match-up start mail transmitting unit that, when the match-up acceptance information receiving unit receives the information about the acceptance of the match-up challenge, transmits a match-up start mail, which instructs to start a match-up in the game, to both the match-up challenger mobile phone and the match-up acceptor mobile phone through the network.

2. The server apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a game result receiving unit that receives information about the result of the game, which starts according to the match-up start mail transmitted from the match-up start mail transmitting unit, from the match-up challenger mobile phone and the match-up acceptor mobile phone through the network; and

a match-up end mail transmitting unit that, when the game result receiving unit receives the information about the result of the game from both the match-up challenger mobile phone and the match-up acceptor mobile phone, transmits a match-up end mail purporting the end of the match-up in the game to both the match-up challenger mobile phone and the match-up acceptor mobile phone through the network.

3. The server apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the game, which is executed on the match-up challenger mobile phone and the match-up acceptor mobile phone according to the match-up start mail, is a stand-alone type game, and a score until a predetermined time elapses after the game starts becomes the result of the game.

4. The server apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the match-up end mail includes information that grants a predetermined incentive to the user of the match-up challenger mobile phone and/or the user of the match-up acceptor mobile phone according to the match-up result of the game.

5. The server apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the user information storage unit stores, as the information about the utilization, login/logout information about time at which each of the plurality of mobile phones lastly logs on to and/or logs out of the server apparatus, and

the candidate extracting unit preferentially extracts, as the opponent candidate, a user who most lastly logs on to or logs out of the server apparatus.

6. The server apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the login/logout information is information that specifies a mobile phone, which is currently logging on to the server apparatus, and

the candidate extracting unit most preferentially extracts, as the opponent candidate, a user of a mobile phone that is currently logging on to the server apparatus.

7. The server apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the user information storage unit stores, for the individual users of the plurality of mobile phones, match-up history information, which specifies another user with whom the user has played a match-up in the game, as the information about the utilization, and

the candidate extracting unit preferentially extracts a user, with whom the user of the match-up challenger mobile phone has played a match-up, as the opponent candidate.

8. The server apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of kinds of games are executed by the plurality of mobile phones, and each mobile phone executes at least one of the plurality of kinds of games,

the selection request assigns the kind of a game to play a match-up,

the user information storage unit stores information about the kinds of games in which each mobile phone user has played a match-up with other users, and

the candidate extracting unit preferentially extracts a user, who has played a match-up in the game of the kind assigned by the selection request, as the opponent candidate.

9. The server apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the user information storage unit stores, for each user, the information about the kind of game assigned by the selection request, and

the candidate extracting unit preferentially extracts a user who made a selection request, which assigns the kind of game assigned by the selection request, as the opponent candidate.

10. The server apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the user information storage unit stores information that specifies whether or not each mobile phone user has obtained a predetermined score or more in a game, in which each mobile phone user has played a match-up with other users, and

the candidate extracting unit preferentially extracts a user, who has obtained a predetermined score or more in the game by the match-up, as the opponent candidate.

11. The server apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the user information storage unit stores information that specifies how many times each mobile phone user plays a match-up with other users in the game, and

the candidate extracting unit preferentially extracts a user, who has played a match-up with other users in the game many times, as the opponent candidate.

12. The server apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when information about the acceptance of the match-up challenge is received within a predetermined time after the match-up challenge mail is transmitted, the match-up start mail transmitting unit transmits the match-up start mail to both the match-up challenger mobile phone and the match-up acceptor mobile phone.

18. The server apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the match-up end mail includes information that grants a predetermined incentive to the user of the match-up challenger mobile phone and/or the user of the match-up acceptor mobile phone according to the match-up result of the game.

13. An opponent selection system, comprising:

a plurality of mobile phones having a game execution function for executing a game; and

a server apparatus that is connected to the plurality of mobile phones through a network including a mobile phone network,

wherein a user of a predetermined mobile phone among the plurality of mobile phones selects another user as an opponent with whom the user plays a match-up in the game,

the predetermined mobile phone includes;

a selection request transmitting unit that transmits a selection request for selecting a user of another mobile phone connected to the server apparatus as a match-up opponent in the game to the server apparatus through the network;

a candidate list receiving unit that, in response to the selection request from the selection request transmitting unit, receives a candidate list, on which other users as the opponent candidates transmitted from the server apparatus are listed;

a list display unit that displays the candidate list received by the candidate list receiving unit;

a candidate selection unit that selects another user to challenge to a match-up in the game on the candidate list displayed by the list display unit according to a user'"'"'s operation;

a match-up challenge transmitting unit that transmits match-up challenge information indicating another user selected by the candidate selection unit to the server apparatus through the network;

a match-up start mail receiving unit that, when another user accepts a match-up of a match-up challenge mail, receives a match-up start mail from the server apparatus; and

a game start unit that starts the game execution unit to execute the game according to the match-up start mail received by the match-up start mail receiving unit,

the server apparatus includes;

a user information storage unit that, for each user, stores information about the utilization indicating the users of the plurality of mobile phones have played a match-up with other users in the game or the users have tried to play a match-up with other users in the game;

a selection request receiving unit that receives the selection request transmitted from the selection request receiving unit;

a candidate extracting unit that, in response to the selection request received by the selection request receiving unit, extracts an opponent candidate, with whom the user of the predetermined mobile phone plays a match-up in the game, among the users of other mobile phones according to the information about the utilization of each user stored in the user information storage unit;

a list transmitting unit that transmits the candidate list, on which the opponent candidates extracted by the candidate extracting unit are listed, to the predetermined mobile phone through the network;

a match-up challenge information receiving unit that receives the match-up challenge information transmitted from the match-up challenge transmitting unit;

a match-up challenge mail transmitting unit that transmits the match-up challenge mail, which indicates the match-up challenge from the user of the predetermined mobile user, to the mobile phone of another user, which corresponds to the match-up challenge information received by the match-up challenge information receiving unit, through the network;

a match-up acceptance information receiving unit that, from a mobile phone of a user who accepts the match-up challenge of the match-up challenge mail, receives information about the acceptance of the match-up challenge in regards to the match-up challenge mail transmitted from the match-up challenge mail transmitting unit; and

a match-up start mail transmitting unit that, when the match-up acceptance information receiving unit receives the information about the acceptance of the match-up challenge, transmits the match-up start mail, which instructs to start a match-up in the game, to both the predetermined mobile phone and the mobile phone, which transmits the information about the acceptance of the match-up challenge through the network,

the mobile phone of another user indicated by the match-up challenge information includes;

a match-up challenge mail receiving unit that receives the match-up challenge mail transmitted from the match-up challenge mail transmitting unit;

a match-up challenge mail display unit that displays the match-up challenge mail received by the match-up challenge mail receiving unit;

a match-up acceptance instruction unit that instructs to accept the match-up challenge of the match-up challenge mail displayed by the match-up challenge mail display unit according to a user'"'"'s operation;

a match-up acceptance information transmitting unit that, when the match-up acceptance instruction unit instructs to accept the match-up challenge, transmits the information about the acceptance of the match-up of the match-up challenge mail to the server apparatus through the network, and causes the match-up acceptance information receiving unit to receive the information;

a match-up start mail receiving unit that receives the match-up start mail transmitted from the match-up start mail transmitting unit; and

a game start unit that starts the game execution unit to execute the game according to the match-up start mail received by the match-up start mail receiving unit.

14. A mobile phone, comprising:

a network connection unit that performs connection to a network in a server apparatus;

a game execution unit that executes a game;

a selection request transmitting unit that transmits a selection request for selecting a user of another mobile phone connected to the server apparatus as a match-up opponent in the game to the server apparatus through the network;

a candidate list receiving unit that, in response to the selection request from the selection request transmitting unit, receives a candidate list, on which other users as the opponent candidates transmitted from the server apparatus are listed;

a list display unit that displays the candidate list received by the candidate list receiving unit;

a candidate selection unit that selects another user to challenge to a match-up in the game on the candidate list displayed by the list display unit according to a user'"'"'s operation;

a match-up challenge transmitting unit that transmits an instruction to transmit a match-up challenge mail to a mobile phone of another user selected by the candidate selection unit to the server apparatus through the network;

a match-up challenge mail receiving unit that receives the match-up challenge mail transmitted from the server apparatus on the basis of the instruction from the mobile phone of another user;

a match-up challenge mail display unit that displays the match-up challenge mail received by the match-up challenge mail receiving unit;

a match-up acceptance instruction unit that instructs to accept the match-up challenge of the match-up challenge mail displayed by the match-up challenge mail display unit according to the user'"'"'s operation;

a match-up acceptance information transmitting unit that, when the match-up acceptance instruction unit instructs to accept the match-up challenge, information about the acceptance of the match-up of the match-up challenge mail to the server apparatus through the network;

a match-up start mail receiving unit that receives a match-up start mail, which is transmitted from the server apparatus to both the mobile phone, which transmits the match-up challenge mail, and the mobile phone, which transmits the information about the acceptance of the match-up in response to the information about the acceptance of the match-up;

a game result transmitting unit that executes the game through the game execution unit according to the match-up start mail received by the match-up start mail receiving unit, and transmits the result of the game, which started according to the match-up start mail, to the server apparatus through the network; and

a match-up end mail receiving unit that receives a match-up end mail transmitted from the server apparatus according to the information about the result of the game transmitted from the game result transmitting unit and the information about the result of the game transmitted from another mobile phone.

15. An opponent selection method that is executed on a computer apparatus, which is connected to a plurality of mobile phones having a function to execute a game through a network including a mobile phone network, the opponent selection method comprising:

for each user, storing and managing, in a storage device provided in the computer apparatus, information about the utilization indicating the users of the plurality of mobile phones have played a match-up in the game or the users have tried to play a match-up in the game;

causing a communication device provided in the computer apparatus to receive a selection request for selecting an opponent to play a match-up in the game transmitted from each of the plurality of mobile phones through the network;

in response to the received selection request, extracting an opponent candidate, with whom the user of a mobile phone, which transmits the selection request, plays a match-up in the game, among the users of other mobile phones according to the information about the utilization of each user managed by the storage device;

transmitting a candidate list, on which the opponent candidates extracted by the candidate extracting unit are listed, from the communication device to the mobile phone, which transmits the selection request, through the network;

causing the communication device to receive information indicating another user selected by the mobile phone, which receives the candidate list, according to the candidate list and transmitted therefrom;

transmitting a match-up challenge mail, which indicates a match-up challenge from the user of the mobile phone, which selects another user according to the candidate list, from the communication device to the mobile phone of another user corresponding to the received information through the network;

transmitting the match-up challenge mail and causing the communication device to receive information about the acceptance of the match-up challenge transmitted from the mobile phone, which accepts the match-up challenge of the match-up challenge mail; and

when the information about the acceptance of the match-up challenge is received, transmitting a match-up start mail, which instructs to start a match-up in the game, from the communication device to both the mobile phone, which transmits the information indicating another user selected according to the candidate list, and the mobile phone, which transmits the information about the acceptance of the match-up challenge, through the network.

16. A program that is executed on a computer apparatus, which is connected to a plurality of mobile phones having a function to execute a game through a network including a mobile phone network, the program causes the computer apparatus to execute:

for each user, storing and managing, in a storage device provided in the computer apparatus, information about the utilization indicating the users of the plurality of mobile phones have played a match-up in the game or the users have tried to play a match-up in the game;

causing a communication device provided in the computer apparatus to receive a selection request for selecting an opponent to play a match-up in the game transmitted from each of the plurality of mobile phones through the network;

in response to the received selection request, extracting an opponent candidate, with whom the user of a mobile phone, which transmits the selection request, plays a match-up in the game, among the users of other mobile phones according to the information about the utilization of each user managed by the storage device;

transmitting a candidate list, on which the opponent candidates extracted by the candidate extracting unit are listed, from the communication device to the mobile phone, which transmits the selection request, through the network;

causing the communication device to receive information indicating another user selected by the mobile phone, which receives the candidate list, according to the candidate list and transmitted therefrom;

transmitting a match-up challenge mail, which indicates a match-up challenge from the user of the mobile phone, which selects another user according to the candidate list, from the communication device to the mobile phone of another user corresponding to the received information through the network;

transmitting the match-up challenge mail and causing the communication device to receive information about the acceptance of the match-up challenge transmitted from the mobile phone, which accepts the match-up challenge of the match-up challenge mail;

when the information about the acceptance of the match-up challenge is received, transmitting a match-up start mail, which instructs to start a match-up in the game, from the communication device to both the mobile phone, which transmits the information indicating another user selected according to the candidate list, and the mobile phone, which transmits the information about the acceptance of the match-up challenge, through the network.

17. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon the program according to claim 16.