Video game system for fighting game and method for executing fighting game

• US 6,371,850 B1
• Filed: 09/01/1999
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD. (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD. (SEGA Sammy Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Sonoda, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BINH AN DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/319,871
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 463/8, 463/1, 463/6, 463/7, 463/29, 463/30, 463/31, 463/34, 463/36, 463/37, 463/40, 463/42, 463/43, 463/44, 463/46, 463/47, 700/91, 700/92, 273/148.B, 273/440, 273/440.1, 273/441, 273/453, 273/460, 273/461, 709/200, 709/220, 709/230
• US Class Current: 463/8
• 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 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/833 Hand-to-hand fighting, e.g. martial arts competition A63F13/837 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8029 Fighting without shooting

Abstract

A plurality of video game units are connected in a ring configuration by means of a communications line. Each of the plurality of video game units comprises: a memory for storing a program for implementing competitive games, whereby a contest is conducted on a display screen by controlling the actions of two characters; control means for controlling the implementation of the program stored in the memory; input means for inputting first data controlling the actions of one of the two characters; and a communications interface circuit for receiving second data controlling the actions of the other of the two characters from one video game unit of a plurality of video game units, and transmitting the first data input via the input means to the one video game unit. The control means controls the display of the two characters on the display screens on the basis of the first data and the second data in accordance with the implementation of said program. By means of this composition, a video game system is provided, whereby a competitive game can be conducted between any of a plurality of video game units.

Claims

1. A video game system for conducting competitive games comprising:

a plurality of video game units connected in a ring configuration by means of a communication line, each of said plurality of video game units comprising;

a memory for storing a program for implementing competitive games whereby a contest is conducted on a display screen by controlling the actions of a plurality of characters;

control means for controlling the implementation of the program stored in said memory;

input means for inputting first data controlling the actions of one of said plurality of characters; and

a communications interface circuit for receiving second data from another of said plurality of video game units, said second data controlling the actions of another of said plurality of characters, and transmitting the first data input via said input means to said another video game unit through said ring configuration;

wherein status information of the other of said plurality of video game units of said video game system is displayed on each respective display screen and each of said video game units can issue a request for a competitive game to a selected one of the other of said plurality of video game units within said ring configuration, and wherein said status information includes the availability of the other of said plurality of video game units to accept a request for a competitive game, and wherein said selected video game unit is selected by an operator of the requesting game unit, and

wherein said control means controls the display of the respective character and another character on the respective display screens on the basis of said first data and said second data in accordance with the implementation of said program.

2. The video game system for conducting competitive games according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of video game units are accommodated, respectively in pairs, in common video game device frames.

3. The video game system for conducting competitive games according to claim 1, wherein said communications interface circuit transmits said first data onto said communications line by writing said first data to a respective prescribed position of a plurality of prescribed positions in a packet-type data format, each respective video game unit being assigned a respective prescribed position of said packet-type data, and receives said second data written to a prescribed position assigned to said another video game unit relating to a game opponent, from said communications line.

4. The video game system according to claim 1, wherein each video game unit identifies said another video game unit which is to form an opponent in a competitive game by means of a competition-enabled flag written to a prescribed position assigned to said another video game unit in a packet-type data format.

5. The video game system according to claim 4, wherein a competitive game request is transmitted by writing the address of the video game unit requesting the competitive game to the prescribed position assigned to said identified another video game unit which is to form an opponent in the competitive game.

6. A method for conducting competitive games, whereby a competitive game is conducted between different video game units, comprising the steps of:

connecting a plurality of video game units storing a program for implementing competitive games, whereby a contest is conducted on a display screen by controlling the actions of two characters, in a ring configuration by means of a communication line;

displaying status information of other video game units on a respective display screen of each of said plurality of video game units within said ring configuration, said status information including the availability of said other video game units to accept a competitive game request;

subsequent to said displaying step, transmitting a competitive game request from a first video game unit to a selected any other video game unit through said ring configuration, said selected video game unit transmitting a competitive game request acceptance confirmation to said first video game unit if said competitive game request is accepted, and wherein said selected video game unit is selected by an operator of said first video game unit;

exchanging data for controlling characters corresponding respectively to said two characters between said first video game unit and said selected video game unit of said plurality of video game units; and

executing said program by synchronizing said first video game unit and said selected video game unit.

7. The method for conducting competitive games according to claim 6, wherein competitive games can be conducted respectively between a plurality of groups of video game units, said any one video game unit and said any other video game unit being taken as one group.

8. The method for conducting competitive games, whereby a competitive game is conducted between different video game units, according to claim 6, wherein if said competitive game request acceptance confirmation is transmitted, said method further comprises:

exchanging competitive game conditions between said selected any other video game unit and said any one video game unit, wherein implementation of said program is started.

9. The method for conducting competitive games, whereby a competitive game is conducted between different video game units, according to claim 8, wherein said competitive game conditions set the game time and number of set games.

10. The method for conducting competitive games according to claim 9, wherein, when said competitive game conditions are completed, either one of said any one video game unit and said any other video game unit determines which one of the characters operated by said any one video game unit and said any other video game unit has the higher number of points in the game.