Game playing system

• US 4,958,835 A
• Filed: 09/29/1988
• Issued: 09/25/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc.
• Original Assignee: Namco Limited (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Tashiro, Koichi, Okamoto, Shinichiro, Okamoto, Tatsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRISON, JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US07/250,569
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 273/1 E, 273/85 G, 273/DIG. 28, 273/138 A, 364/410, 364/411, 364/412
• 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 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A game playing system for business use includes a plurality of independent game machines and transmission lines for connecting the game machines into a loop, data calculated in each of the game machines being sequentially transmitted to the other game machines through the looped transmission lines, whereby the game machines can be played in a game simultaneously within the same game space. Each of the game machines includes a count data calculating section for clearing running count data when data relating to the game machine itself are transmitted thereinto and for incrementing the running count data and transmitting the incremented data to the next game machine when data relating to the other game machines are transmitted thereinto and a date erasing section for discriminating whether or not the running count data is higher than a given reference level at each time when data are transmitted to the respective game machine and for forcedly clearing the game state data if the running count data is higher than the reference level, whereby even if there is created any abnormality in any one of the game machines defining the loop, the remaining game machines can be normally played in the game.

Claims

1. A game playing system comprising a plurality of independent game machines, each of said game machines being playable in a single-player game and a multi-player game with the other game machines simultaneously in the same game space by the reception and transmission of data between one player'"'"'s game machine and the other game machines through data transmission lines which connect said game machines together into a loop, each of said game machines comprising:

communication interface means for performing the reception and transmission of data between the one player'"'"'s game machine and the other game machines through said data transmission lines,

said data including game state data representative of the progress of the game for each of said game machines, data identification codes representative of each game machine corresponding to said game state data, and running count data incremented at each time when said game state data passes through a respective one of said game machines; and

game calculating means for performing the reception and transmission of data between the one player'"'"'s game machine and the other game machines through the communication interface means to make a calculation of the game in a common game space, said game calculating means comprising;

a data discriminating section means for checking, at each time when data are transmitted to the one player'"'"'s game machine, a data identification code included in said transmitted data to discriminate whether or not said transmitted data belongs to the one player'"'"'s game machine;

a count data calculating section means for clearing running count data and transmitting the cleared running count data to a next game machine when data belonging to the one player'"'"'s game machine are transmitted to the one player'"'"'s game machine, and for incrementing the running count data and transmitting the incremented running count data to the next game machine when data relating to any one of the other game machines are transmitted to the one player'"'"'s game machine; and

a data erasing section means for discriminating whether or not the running count data is higher than a given reference level each time data are transmitted to the one player'"'"'s game machine, and for forcedly clearing the game state data if the running count data is higher than the reference level, whereby even if there is created any abnormality in any one of the game machines defining said loop, the remaining game machines can be normally played in the game.

2. A game playing system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said game machines comprises group setting means for grouping said game machines, including the one players game machine to play a game simultaneously together with the other game machines grouped into a predetermined group in the same game space.

3. A game playing system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said game machines includes input and output sections for the transmitted data, and bypass means for automatically by-passing the input and output sections of any game machine in a fault or power-off condition.

4. A game playing system as defined in claim 1, wherein said game calculating means comprises a memory means for storing, prior to the start of the game, data identification codes for all of the game machines belonging to a group to which the one player'"'"'s game machine belongs;

a data discriminating means for comparing, at each time data are transmitted to the one player'"'"'s game machine, a data identification code included in said data with a corresponding code stored in said memory to discriminate whether or not said transmitted data are data of the group to which the one player'"'"'s game machine belongs; and

calculating and processing means for performing a calculation of the game in accordance with the game state data when the transmitted data belongs to the group to which the one player'"'"'s game belongs, whereby the reception and transmission of transmitted data between the game machines within the group occurs through the data transmission lines,

said transmitted data including game state data representative of the progress of the game and data identification codes representative of game machines corresponding to each of the game state data, thereby enabling players to group the game machines into any group and to play a game simultaneously within the same game space through the grouped game machines.

5. A game playing system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said game machines comprises player input means for inputting, by a player, of a game start command signal into the one player'"'"'s game machine, group setting means for grouping said game machines, including the one player'"'"'s game machine, to participate in a game within the same game space in accordance with the game start command signal from said player input means and at least one signal received from the other game machines through the communications interface means, whereby the grouped game machines can be played in the game simultaneously within the same game space.

6. A game playing system as defined in claim 5, wherein said group setting means comprises:

game starting timer means;

a first calculation means for driving said timer means and switching its own calculation mode from an attractive mode to a game start mode, and for transmitting, at the same time, a game ready signal to the other game machines when a game start command signal is inputted into the one player'"'"'s game machine in the attractive mode;

a second calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the game start mode to a game mode and for transmitting, at the same time, a game start signal to the other game machines when said timer means is timed up in the game start mode;

a third calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the attractive mode to a game ready mode when a game ready signal is inputted into the one player'"'"'s game machine from any one of the other game machines in the attractive mode;

a fourth calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the game ready mode to the game start mode when the game start command signal is inputted into the one player'"'"'s game machine from said player input means in the game ready mode; and

a fifth calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the game start mode to the game mode when a game start signal is inputted into the one player'"'"'s game machine from any one of the other game machines in the game start mode, whereby said plurality of independent game machines interconnected with one another through the transmission lines can be started simultaneously within the same game space.

7. A game playing system as defined in claim 5, wherein said grouping means comprises:

game starting timer means;

a first calculation means for driving said timer means and switching its own calculation mode from an attractive mode to a game start mode and for transmitting, at the same time, a game ready signal to the other game machines when a game start command signal is inputted into the one player'"'"'s game machine in the attractive mode;

a second calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the game start mode to a game mode when said timer means is timed up in the game start mode;

a third calculation means for driving said timer means and switching its own calculation mode from the attractive mode to a game ready mode when a game ready signal is inputted into the one palyer'"'"'s game machine from any one of the other game machines in the attractive mode; and

a fourth calculation means for switching its own calculation mode from the game ready mode to the game start mode when the game start command signal is inputted into the one player'"'"'s game machine from said player input means in the game ready mode, whereby said plurality of independent game machines interconnected with one another through the transmission lines can be started simultaneously within the same game space.