Method of carrying out communication between different game devices, a game system played by using the method, and a recording medium used in the game system

• US 6,267,678 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2000
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Konami Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Tsutomu, Kubo, Morikuni
• Primary Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US09/653,208
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• Field of Search: 463/43, 463/44, 463/42, 463/41, 463/40, 463/9, 463/10, 463/11, 273/148.B
• US Class Current: 463/44
• 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 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device

Abstract

In a game system comprising a plurality of game machines that are different in structure from each other and that have wireless communication functions, a game can be enjoyed by the different game machines under a common playing environment using the same items. To this end, only element information related to the game executed by one game machine is transferred to another game machine in the form of a wireless signal or an infrared ray signal. The element information is representative of the items and is converted by another game machine into images representative of items corresponding to the element information. The game may be, for example, a card game which has a wide variety of cards numbered and identified by card numbers assigned thereto. The element information may include the card numbers.

Claims

1. A communication method for use in a game system which comprises a memory card device and a portable game machine different in structure from the memory card device;

the memory card device having a communication function and being attachable to and detachable from a main game machine unit and loaded with a device program related to a predetermined game from the main game machine unit;

the portable game machine being loaded with a cassette which stores a game program related to the predetermined game and being communicable with the memory card device;

the method comprising the steps of;

transmitting, from the portable game machine to the memory card device, element information concerned with elements used in the predetermined game; and

receiving and visually displaying the element information in the memory card device.

2. A communication method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined game is specified by a card game played by the use of a plurality of cards while the element information carries card numbers of the cards to identify each card.

3. A communication method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the element information further includes sheet numbers of each card transmitted from the portable game machine to the memory card device.

4. A communication method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication between the memory card device and the portable game machine is carried out by the use of an infrared ray.

5. A communication method as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the portable game machine and the memory card device has the communication function based on the IrDA standard.

6. A communication method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transferring the element information from the memory card device to the main game machine unit, when the memory card device is attached to the main game machine unit; and

executing the predetermined game in the main game machine unit on the basis of the element information transferred from the memory card device.

7. A communication method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the executing step comprises the steps of:

displaying an image corresponding to the element information by the use of the main game machine unit.

8. A communication method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication from the portable game machine to the memory card device is carried out when a prescribed condition is fulfilled in the portable game machine.

9. A game system comprising a memory card device attachable to a main game machine unit and a game machine different in structure from the memory card device, the game machine comprising:

means for displaying, on a display unit of the game machine, a transmission mode for transmitting element information related to elements used in a predetermined game; and

means for transmitting the element information when the transmission mode is selected;

the memory card device comprising;

means for putting the memory card device into a reception mode for receiving the element information; and

means for visually displaying the element information in the reception mode in response to the element information.

10. A game system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the predetermined game is specified by a card game played by the use of a plurality of cards identified by card numbers while the element information carries the card numbers to be transmitted.

11. A game system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the element information is transmitted by the use of an infrared ray from the game machine to the memory card device.

12. A game system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the memory card device further comprises:

means for transferring the element information from the memory card device to the main game machine unit when the memory card device is attached to the main game machine unit.

13. A game system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the game machine is a portable game machine which transmits the element information as an infrared ray signal on the basis of the IrDA standard while the memory card device has the communication function based on the IrDA standard.

14. A game system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the element information carries item numbers used in the game.

15. A game system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the game is a card game using a plurality of cards identified by card numbers;

the element information carrying the card numbers as the item numbers.

23. A game system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the element information also carries sheet numbers of each card.

16. A method of carrying out communication to a first game device from a second game device, the first game device having a first memory capacity and a communication function while the second game device has another communication function and a second memory capacity greater then the first memory capacity, each of the first and the second game devices executing a common predetermined card game by using a plurality of cards, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting, on the second game device, element information which is related to the species of the cards and the card numbers among card information used in the predetermined card game; and

transmitting, from the second game device to the first game device, the element information without any image information related to the cards;

displaying the element information on the first game device in the form of the species of the cards and the card numbers to identify the transmitted cards.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

attaching the first game device to a main game machine unit which has a memory capacity greater than the first memory capacity;

transferring the transmitted species and card numbers from the first game device to the main game machine unit; and

visually displaying the image information of the cards corresponding to the element information.

18. A computer-readable recording medium for use in a portable game machine which has a communication function by a wireless signal, the computer-readable recording medium storing a program which executes a game, the program comprising the steps of:

preparing items which are used in the game and which are identified by item numbers assigned to the respective items and item images;

selecting the item numbers alone without the item images; and

transmitting element information carrying the selected item numbers.

19. A computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 18, wherein the game is specified by a card game which uses a plurality of cards identified by card numbers;

the element information carrying the card numbers as the item numbers.

20. A computer-readable recording medium as claimed in claim 19, wherein the element information further includes sheet numbers of each card transmitted from the portable game machine.

21. A computer-readable storage medium for use in a memory card device communicable with the portable game machine which has the computer-readable recording medium claimed in claim 18, the storage medium storing a program which oomprises the steps of:

receiving the element information carrying the item number; and

displaying the item number on the memory card device.

22. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 21, wherein the program further comprises the steps of:

transferring the element information to a main game machine unit when the memory card device; and

displaying images corresponding to the element information by the use of the main game machine unit.