WIRELESS COMMUNICATION GAME SYSTEM

• US 20130196778A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: TANAKA, Shoya, KUWAHARA, Masato, OE, Toru, YOSHIOKA, Teruyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,174,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• 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 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• 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 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• 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 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM

Abstract

A wireless communication game system includes a plurality of mobile game apparatuses, which function as a parent device or a child device and are capable of making a communication with each other, and broadcasts from the parent device a parent device packet including a parent device PID, a user name UserName, a game name GameName, an OC flag, an E slot, a U slot, and a payload. All the parent device packets are received from the parent device existing within a communicationable range of a user'"'"'s own apparatus, and the user'"'"'s own apparatus creates a parent device list, and displays the parent device list on an LCD. Therefore, a user or a player of his own apparatus looks at the game name of the parent device list, for example, and operates a cross key included in an operation key so as to select one desired parent device. Then, transmitting a child device number CID of the user'"'"'s own apparatus at the E slot designated by the parent device packet, the user'"'"'s own apparatus transmits a connection request to the parent device.

Claims

1. A wireless communication information system using a plurality of information devices, wherein,

at least one of the devices includes:

a program storing unit for storing a program to be sent to another device, and

a sending unit for sending own device identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is being executed on the apparatus,

at least one other of the devices includes;

a receiving unit for receiving said own device identifying information and said application identifying information,

a displaying unit for displaying a screen including device information existing within the communication range and application information for an application which is being executed on each of the devices, based on said information received by said receiving unit,

a selecting unit for allowing a user to select one of the devices displayed by the displaying unit, and

a program request transmitting unit for transmitting a program request toward the device selected by said selecting unit,

the at least one of the devices further includes;

a program transmitting unit for transmitting, in response to a program request from the at least one other of the devices, the program stored in the program storing unit to the at least one other of the devices,

the at least one other of the devices further includes;

a program receiving unit for receiving the program transmitted by the program transmitting unit.

2. A wireless device comprising,

a program storing unit for storing a program to be sent to another device,

a sending unit for sending own device identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is being executed on the device,

a program transmitting unit for transmitting, in response to a program request from the another device, the program stored in the program storing unit to another device,

a receiving unit for receiving said information from said sending unit existing within a communications range,

a displaying unit for displaying a screen including device information existing within the communication range and application information for an application which is being executing executed on each of the devices, based on said information received by said receiving unit,

a selecting unit for allowing a user to select one of the devices displayed by the displaying unit,

a program request transmitting unit for transmitting a program request toward the apparatus selected by said selecting unit, and

a program receiving unit for receiving the program transmitted by the program transmitting unit.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the sending unit sends own device identifying information and application identifying information when the device has not yet established a connection with any other devices.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the sending unit sends own device identifying information and application identifying information without establishing a connection.

5. The device of claim 2, the device is a game device, and the application is a game.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the sending unit is configured to send the own device identifying information and the application identifying information when any opponent to connect with is not yet determined.

7. The device of claim 2, wherein the sending unit is configured to send the own device identifying information and the application identifying information when a user of the apparatus has not yet selected any opponent to connect with.

8. The device of claim 2, wherein the sending unit is configured to send the own device identifying information and the application identifying information to plural ones of the plurality of the devices within communications range.

9. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage device storing executable instructions for use by a wireless communication information system using a plurality of information devices, the devices having a program storing unit for storing a program to be sent from at least one of the devices to another device,

the executable instructions configured to provide at least:

sending own device identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is being executed on the at least one device,

receiving with at least one other of the devices, said information from said sending unit existing within a communications range,

displaying a screen including device information existing within the communications range and application information for an application which is being executed on each of the devices, based on said received information,

allowing a user to select one of the displayed devices, and

transmitting a program request toward the selected apparatus,

transmitting, in response to a program request from the at least one other of the devices, the program stored in the program storing unit to the at least one other of the devices, and

device receiving the transmitted program.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage device storing executable instructions for use by a wireless device, the devices comprising a program storing unit for storing a program to be sent to another device,

the executable instructions configured to provide at least:

sending own device identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is being executed on the device,

receiving said own device identifying information and said application identifying information from said sending unit existing within a communications range,

displaying a screen including device information existing within the communications range and application information for an application which is being executed on each of the devices, based on said received information,

allowing a user to select one of the displayed devices,

transmitting a program request toward the selected apparatus,

transmitting, in response to a program request from another device, the program stored in the program storing unit to another device, and

receiving the transmitted program.

11. A wireless device comprising,

a program storing unit for storing a program to be sent to another device,

a sending unit for sending own device identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is stored in the program storing unit,

a program transmitting unit for transmitting, in response to a program request from the another device, the program stored in the program storing unit to the another device,

a receiving unit for receiving said information from said sending unit existing within a communications range,

a displaying unit for displaying a screen including device information existing within the communication range and application information for an application which is stored in the program storing unit of each of the devices, based on said information received by said receiving unit,

a selecting unit for allowing a user to select one of the devices displayed by the displaying unit,

a program request transmitting unit for transmitting a program request toward the apparatus selected by said selecting unit, and

a program receiving unit for receiving the program transmitted by the program transmitting unit.

12. A wireless game device comprising,

a program storing unit for storing a program to be sent to another game device,

a sending unit for sending own device identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is being executed on the game device,

a program transmitting unit for transmitting, in response to a program request from the another game device, the program stored in the program storing unit to another game device,

a receiving unit for receiving said information from said sending unit existing within a communications range,

a displaying unit for displaying a screen including device information existing within the communication range and application information for an application which is being executing executed on each of the game devices, based on said information received by said receiving unit,

a selecting unit for allowing a user to select one of the game devices displayed by the displaying unit,

a program request transmitting unit for transmitting a program request toward the apparatus selected by said selecting unit, and

a program receiving unit for receiving the program transmitted by the program transmitting unit.