GAME TERMINAL, GAME SYSTEM THEREFOR, COMPUTER PROGRAM THEREFOR, AND COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM THEREWITH

• US 20100105456A1
• Filed: 01/17/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Marufuji, Yohei
• Application Number:
  US12/523,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20100105456A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/53 details of basic data processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/80 specially adapted for executing a specific type of game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8064 Quiz

Abstract

The present invention provides a game terminal (10). In a quiz, processor (150) of game terminal (10) performs a process of asking a quiz question, receiving an answer to the quiz question, and notifying a result of the quiz after the quiz is completed (SD6, SD10, SD12, SD14, SF3, SF9, SF10, SF11), a process of converting answer data representing a received answer in such a manner that, when the answer is correct, the encoded bit string is the shortest (SD7, Sf4), a process of transmitting the converted answer data to another game terminal (10) (SD9, SF5), and a process of reverse-converting the answer data after receiving the answer data from another game terminal (10) SD11, SD13, SF8, SF14).

Claims

1. A game terminal for enabling a player to play a quiz game including a quiz, the game terminal comprising:

a quiz processor that, in the quiz, asks the player a quiz question, that receives an answer for the quiz question, and that informs a result of the quiz after the quiz is completed;

a converter that converts answer data representing the answer in such a manner that a bit string of the answer data will be the shortest after the conversion when the answer is correct;

a transmitter that transmits to another game terminal the answer data converted by the converter;

a receiver that receives the answer data from another game terminal; and

a reverse-converter that reverse-converts the answer data received by the receiver.

2. A game terminal according to claim 1,

the converter comprising:

an encoding-decoding dictionary storage device that stores an encoding-decoding dictionary in which a to-be-encoded bit string and an encoded bit string are stored in a correlated manner for each of plural pieces of data that are different from one another; and

an encoder that encodes the answer data by using the encoding-decoding dictionary stored in the encoding-decoding dictionary storage device,

wherein the answer data encoded by the encoder is treated as the answer data converted by the converter.

3. A game terminal according to claim 1,

the converter comprising:

an encoding-decoding dictionary storage device that stores an encoding-decoding dictionary in which a to-be-encoded bit string and an encoded bit string are stored in a correlated manner for each of plural pieces of data that are different from one another;

an encoder that encodes the answer data by using the encoding-decoding dictionary stored in the encoding-decoding dictionary storage device; and

an extractor that extracts a portion that is included in the bit string of the answer data encoded by the encoder and that is not included in another encoded bit string;

wherein the portion extracted by the extractor is treated as the answer data converted by the converter.

4. A game system including plural game terminals, each for enabling a player to play a quiz game including a quiz,

each of the plural game terminals comprising:

a quiz processor that, in the quiz, asks the player a quiz question, that receives an answer for the quiz question, and that informs a result of the quiz after the quiz is completed;

a converter that converts answer data showing the answer in such a manner that a bit string of the answer data will be the shortest after the conversion when the answer is correct;

a transmitter that transmits to another game terminal the answer data converted by the converter;

a receiver that receives the answer data from another game terminal; and

a reverse-converter that reverse-converts the answer data received by the receiver.

5. A game system according to claim 4,

further comprising a server device for communicating with each of the plural game terminals,

the server device comprising:

a calculation mandatory data storage device that stores, for each quiz question, data of parameters mandatory for accuracy rate calculation as calculation mandatory data; and

a calculation mandatory data updater that updates, based on the result of the quiz, the calculation mandatory data stored in the calculation mandatory data storage device,

wherein the converter converts answer data showing the answer in such a manner that a bit string of the answer data after the conversion will be the shortest when the answer is correct, the conversion being performed in a case in which an accuracy rate of a quiz question calculated based on the calculation mandatory data stored in the calculation mandatory data storage device is equal to or greater than a standard accuracy rate.

6. A computer program for running on a computer that enables a player to play a quiz game including a quiz, the computer program, when run on the computer, at least including computer-readable instructions for performing the steps of:

processing a game, the processing including asking the player a quiz question, receiving an answer for the quiz question, and informing a result of the quiz after the quiz is completed;

converting answer data showing the answer in such a manner that a bit string of the answer data will be the shortest after the conversion when the answer is correct;

transmitting to another game terminal the answer data converted in the converting step;

receiving the answer data from another game terminal; and

reverse-converting the answer data received in the receiving step.

7. A computer-readable recording medium that stores a computer program for running on a computer that enables a player to play a quiz game including a quiz, the program, when run on the computer, at least including computer readable instructions for performing the steps of:

processing a game, the processing including asking the player a quiz question, receiving an answer for the quiz question, and informing a result of the quiz after the quiz is completed;

converting answer data showing the answer in such a manner that a bit string of the answer data will be the shortest after the conversion when the answer is correct;

transmitting to another game terminal the answer data converted in the converting step;

receiving the answer data from another game terminal; and

reverse-converting the answer data received in the receiving step.