System and method for downloadinng video game programs

• US 20100248823A1
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Smith, Darren C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,986,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• 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 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• 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 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• 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

An example video game program download system and method apparatus for downloading a video game program to a target video game platform in which a processing system receives a download request from the target video game platform requesting downloading of a video game program that executes on a native video game platform different than the target video game platform. In response thereto, the requested video game program is sent along with a program for providing compatibility between the target and native video game platforms.

Claims

1. A video game program download apparatus for downloading a video game program to a target video game platform, comprising:

a processing system that receives a download request from the target video game platform requesting downloading of a video game program that executes on a native video game platform different than the target video game platform and, in response thereto, sends the requested video game program along with a program for providing compatibility between the target and native video game platforms.

2. The video game program download apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the program for providing compatibility comprises an emulator program.

3. The video game program download apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing system comprises part of a server connected to the internet.

4. The video game program download apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing system also sends data for showing relationships among different input devices for the target and native video game platforms.

5. A video game program download method comprising:

receiving a download request from a target video game platform requesting downloading of a video game program that executes on a native video game platform different than the target video game platform; and

in response to the received request, sending the video game program for the requested game along with a program for providing compatibility between the target and native video game platforms.

6. The video game program download method according to claim 5, wherein the program for providing compatibility comprises an emulator program.

7. The video game program download method according to claim 5, further comprising:

in response to the received request, sending data for showing relationships among different input devices for the target and native video game platforms.

8. A computer-readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for use in the execution in a computer of a method according to claim 5.

9. A target video game platform comprising:

an input device;

communication circuitry for contacting a remotely located video game source and receiving therefrom in response to a video game selection made using the input device a video game program that executes on a native platform different than the target video game platform along with a program for providing compatibility between the target and native video game platforms; and

game program executing circuitry for executing the received video game program and the program for providing compatibility.

10. The target video game platform according to claim 9, wherein the program for providing compatibility comprises an emulator program.

11. The target video game platform according to claim 9, wherein the communication circuitry contacts the video game source over the internet.

12. The target video game platform according to claim 9, embodied as a hand-held video game system.

13. The target video game platform according to claim 9, embodied as a video game console including audio and video outputs supplied to a television.

14. A video game program download method comprising:

contacting a remotely located video game source;

receiving from the video game source in response to a video game selection a video game program that executes on a native platform different than the target video game platform along with a program for providing compatibility between the target and native video game platforms; and

executing the downloaded video game program and the program for providing compatibility.

15. The video game program download method according to claim 14, wherein the program for providing compatibility comprises an emulator program.

16. The video game program download method according to claim 14, further comprising:

showing relationships among different input devices for the target and native video game platforms based on data received along with the video game program and the program for providing compatibility.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for use in the execution in a computer of a method according to claim 14.

18. An internet-enabled video game system comprising:

an input device;

an optical disk drive for receiving an optical disk on which is stored a video game program;

a video game program executing system for directly executing the video game program stored on the optical disk;

an interne connection for accessing a source of video game programs which are not directly executable by the video game program executing system and, in response to a video game selection made using the input device, for receiving both a selected one of the video game programs that is not directly executable by the video game program executing system and an emulator program for enabling the video game program executing system to emulate a video game program executing system on which the selected video game is directly executable.