Server Apparatus And Game System

• US 20090298593A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Kenji, Nakamura, Masaru, Sato, Yukihiro, Terao, Yukizumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,409,007 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• 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 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games

Abstract

In a game system, a server apparatus (3) that communicates with a plurality of game devices (1) stores play data elements for a plurality of players and public IDs for identifying a plurality of players in a latest play data table (T1) and a public ID table (T2). The server apparatus (3) transmits to a mobile terminal (4), which is being used by a player, information depending on latest play data elements stored in the latest play data table (T1), the latest play data elements belonging to other players who have been registered with the personal relationship table (T3) as a friend of the player possessing the mobile terminal (4). Upon receiving a public-ID-change request from a mobile terminal (4), which is being used by a player, the server apparatus (3) changes the public ID of the player stored in the public ID table (T2).

Claims

1. A server apparatus communicatable with each of a plurality of operation devices that can be operated by a plurality of users, respectively, comprising:

a memory unit comprising a personal data area for storing data written therein and a personal relationship data area for storing data written therein;

a personal data writer that writes into the personal data area public identifiers identifying the plurality of users and operation status data elements indicating statuses of operations on at least one of the operation devices, in such a manner that a public identifier for an individual user is associated with an operation status data element indicating a status of operation by the individual user;

a self-public-identifier transmitter that, upon writing a public identifier into the personal data area, transmits to a user identified by the written public identifier an information element imparting the written public identifier to the user;

a personal relationship data writer that, upon receiving a public identifier identifying a first user from a second user, writes into the personal relationship data area the received public identifier for the first user in association with the second user;

a friend-play-history transmitter that transmits to the second user an information element indicating an operation status data element of the first user stored in the personal data area and identified by the public identifier associated with the second user in the personal relationship data area; and

a public identifier changer for changing a public identifier for a user stored in the personal data area upon receiving a request for changing the public identifier from the user.

3. The server apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a relationship clearer that clears a public identifier in the personal relationship data area that is the same as the public identifier in the personal data area changed by the public identifier changer.

2. A server apparatus communicatable with each of a plurality of game devices that can be operated by a plurality of players, respectively, comprising:

a memory unit comprising a personal data area for storing data written therein and a personal relationship data area for storing data written therein;

a personal data writer that writes into the personal data area nonpublic identifiers identifying the plurality of players, public identifiers identifying the plurality of players, and play status data elements indicating results of plays on at least one of the game devices, in such a manner that a nonpublic identifier for an individual player is associated with a public identifier for the individual player and a play status data element indicating a result of play by the individual player;

a self-public-identifier transmitter that, upon writing a public identifier into the personal data area, transmits to a player identified by the written public identifier the written public identifier;

a personal relationship data writer that, upon receiving a public identifier identifying a first player from a second player, writes into the personal relationship data area the received public identifier for the first player in association with a nonpublic or public identifier for the second player;

a friend-play-history transmitter that transmits to the second player an information element indicating a play status data element of the first player stored in the personal data area and identified by the public identifier associated with the nonpublic or public identifier for the second player in the personal relationship data area; and

a public identifier changer for changing a public identifier for a player stored in the personal data area upon receiving a request for changing the public identifier from the player.

4. A game system comprising:

a server apparatus communicatable with each of a plurality of game devices that can be operated by a plurality of players, respectively, and

a plurality of terminals communicatable with the server apparatus,

the server apparatus comprising;

a memory unit comprising a personal data area for storing data written therein and a personal relationship data area for storing data written therein;

a personal data writer that writes into the personal data area nonpublic identifiers identifying the plurality of players, public identifiers identifying the plurality of players, and play status data elements indicating results of plays on at least one of the game devices, in such a manner that a nonpublic identifier for an individual player is associated with a public identifier for the individual player and a play status data element indicating a result of play by the individual player;

a self-public-identifier transmitter that, upon writing a public identifier into the personal data area, transmits to a player identified by the written public identifier the written public identifier;

a personal relationship data writer that, upon receiving a public identifier identifying a first player from a terminal used by a second player, writes into the personal relationship data area the received public identifier for the first player in association with a nonpublic or public identifier for the second player;

a friend-play-history transmitter that transmits to the terminal used by the second player an information element indicating a play status data element of the first player stored in the personal data area and identified by the public identifier associated with the nonpublic or public identifier for the second player in the personal relationship data area; and

a public identifier changer for changing a public identifier for a player stored in the personal data area upon receiving a request for changing the public identifier from a terminal used by the player;

each of the terminals comprising;

a friend-public-identifier input unit into which a player can input a public identifier for another player;

a friend registration processor that transmits to the server apparatus the public identifier input into the friend-public-identifier input unit;

a receiver that receives information destined for the terminal from the server apparatus;

a self-public-identifier-change-instruction input unit into which a player can input an instruction for changing a public identifier for the player; and

a public-identifier-change-processor that, upon inputting the instruction into the self-public-identifier-change-instruction input unit, transmits to the server apparatus a request for changing the public identifier for the player.

6. The game system according to one of claims 4 and 5, wherein the server apparatus further comprising a relationship clearer that clears a public identifier in the personal relationship data area that is the same as the public identifier in the personal data area changed by the public identifier changer.

5. A game system comprising:

a plurality of game devices that can be operated by a plurality of players, respectively, and

a server apparatus communicatable with each of the game devices,

each of the game devices comprising;

a play data generator that generates a play data element indicating a result of a game whenever a player plays on the game device;

a reader that reads a recording medium identifier from an information recording medium of a player used for playing on the game device, the recording medium identifier being recorded in the information recording medium for identifying the information recording medium; and

a transmitter that transmits the generated play data element together with the read recording medium identifier whenever a player plays using the recording medium of the player;

the server apparatus comprising;

a memory unit comprising a personal data area for storing data written therein and a personal relationship data area for storing data written therein;

a play status data generator that generates a play status data element for a player on the basis of a play data element whenever receiving a play data element together with a recording medium identifier from one of the game devices;

a personal data writer that writes into the personal data area the recording medium identifier, the play status data element for the player, and a public identifier identifying the player, in such a manner that the recording medium identifier is associated with the public identifier and the play status data element;

a self-public-identifier transmitter that, upon writing a public identifier into the personal data area, transmits to a player identified by the written public identifier the written public identifier;

a personal relationship data writer that, upon receiving a public identifier identifying a first player from a second player, writes into the personal relationship data area the received public identifier for the first player in association with a recording medium identifier for an information recording medium of the second player or a public identifier for the second player;

a friend-play-history transmitter that transmits to the second player an information element indicating a play status data element of the first player stored in the personal data area and identified by the public identifier associated with the recording medium identifier for the information recording medium of the second player or public identifier for the second player in the personal relationship data area; and

a public identifier changer for changing a public identifier for a player stored in the personal data area upon receiving a request for changing the public identifier from the player.