INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING INFORMATION PROCESSING PROGRAM STORED THEREIN, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20130103789A1
• Filed: 01/04/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Kawamoto, Kouichi, Funahashi, Kiyofumi
• Granted Patent: US 9,144,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8064 Quiz
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

Subject-data-to-be-collected representing an element to be collected is generated or selected, when a server and any one of a plurality of hand-held information terminals cooperate with each other to perform predetermined information processing by using data transmitted and received between the server and the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals. Each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals transmits to and receives from another one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, the subject-data-to-be-collected. Thus, pleasure of collecting the subject-data-to-be-collected by communication among the hand-held information terminals, is provided.

Claims

1. An information processing system including a server, and a plurality of hand-held information terminals connectable to the server via a network, the information processing system comprising:

a first processor configured to generate or select subject-data-to-be-collected representing an element to be collected, when the server and any one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals cooperate with each other to perform predetermined information processing by using data transmitted and received between the server and the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, and

the plurality of hand-held information terminals each including

a first transmitter and receiver configured to transmit to and receive from another one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, the subject-data-to-be-collected.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the first processor operates such that the server generates or selects the subject-data-to-be-collected by using data transmitted and received between the server and any one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, and transmits, to the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, the subject-data-to-be-collected having been generated or selected, and

the first transmitter and receiver transmits to and receives from the other one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, the subject-data-to-be-collected transmitted from the server.

3. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the first processor operates such that any one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals transmits, to the server, associated data which is associated with the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals or a user of the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, and the server generates or selects the subject-data-to-be-collected using the associated data transmitted from the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals further includes a positional information obtaining section configured to obtain positional information about a user or about a corresponding one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, and

the first processor generates or selects the subject-data-to-be-collected by using the positional information.

5. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals further includes a region information obtaining section configured to obtain region information about a user or about a corresponding one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, and

the first processor generates or selects, by using the region information, the subject-data-to-be-collected having been subjected to sorting according to a region.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the server further includes an identification information obtaining section configured to obtain identification information for identifying a relay device which relays communication between each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals and the server, and

the first processor generates or selects, by using the identification information, the subject-data-to-be-collected having been subjected to sorting according to the identification information.

7. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the subject-data-to-be-collected is data representing a portion of one complete content.

8. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the subject-data-to-be-collected is data representing an individual element of a predetermined collection of elements.

9. The information processing system according to claim 7, wherein

the subject-data-to-be-collected is specifying data used for specifying a predetermined portion, a predetermined region, or a predetermined period of the entirety of the one complete content, and

each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals further includes a storage section configured to store all data representing the one complete content, and the specifying data.

10. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals further includes an output processor configured to perform a predetermined output process by combining a plurality of pieces of the subject-data-to-be-collected.

11. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first transmitter and receiver connects to another one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, which is a short distance away, and transmits to and receives from the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals connected thereto, the subject-data-to-be-collected.

12. The information processing system according to claim 11, wherein the first transmitter and receiver uses a short distance wireless communication to wirelessly connect to another one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, which is within a communication-allowed range, and transmits to and receives from the other one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals which is wirelessly connected thereto, the subject-data-to-be-collected.

13. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program that causes a computer of an information processing system including a server, and a plurality of hand-held information terminals connectable to the server via a network, to function as:

a first processor configured to generate or select subject-data-to-be-collected representing an element to be collected, when the server and any one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals cooperate with each other to perform predetermined information processing by using data transmitted and received between the server and the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals; and

a section configured to cause each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals to act as a transmitter and receiver configured to transmit to and receive from another one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, the subject-data-to-be-collected.

14. An information processing method that controls an information processing system including a server, and a plurality of hand-held information terminals connectable to the server via a network, the information processing method comprising the steps of:

generating or selecting subject-data-to-be-collected representing an element to be collected, when the server and any one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals cooperate with each other to perform predetermined information processing by using data transmitted and received between the server and the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals; and

causing each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals to transmit to and receive from another one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, the subject-data-to-be-collected.