IC card, terminal device and service management server

• US 6,719,634 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2002
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Mishina, Yusuke, Sukeda, Hiroko, Ohki, Masaru, Yamazaki, Naoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kim
• Application Number:
  US10/164,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20020155892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16-22, 463/25, 463/29, 463/30, 463/31, 463/40, 463/42, 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/57 details of game services offered to the player
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity

Abstract

A system for loading, through a shop terminal, a game application into an IC card which disables playing of the game after a plurality of times in the same pattern by invalidating the game pattern when the play is completed and program log data is stored in the IC card. The log data is collected by a management server for each connection of the IC card and the shop terminal so as to administrate the collected data to enable dynamic management of game parameters, thereby the game application may be safely introduced to the IC card system, thereby increasing a user desire to use the card.

Claims

1. An IC card applicable to a point system, which issues merit points each having a value same as money depending on use of the IC card to purchase a product or service, comprising:

an input/output interface for exchanging data through connection with a terminal;

a memory for storing a plurality of application programs, an accumulated merit point value and other data; and

a processor for executing the application programs,

wherein the memory stores, as one of the application programs, a game application including;

a first routine of preparing in the memory a game pattern to be used to judge a result of a game when the game is played by a user, said game pattern being prepared when the IC card is coupled with one of a plurality of shop terminals in association with the point system via the input/output interface to the memory;

a second routine of displaying a game screen corresponding to the game pattern on a display of a user terminal which is independent from the shop terminals and coupled with the IC card via the input/output interface,

a third routine of receiving user input data from the user terminal via the input/output interface, judging the result of a game corresponding to the game screen by evaluating the user input data based on the game pattern stored in the memory, and accumulating a game point value issued depending on the result of the game in the memory, and

a fourth routine of invalidating the game pattern having been played by the user, and recording log data with respect to the game pattern which has been played,

wherein the first routine always prepares a new game pattern different from that indicated by the log data.

2. The IC card according to claim 1, wherein the first routine selects, according to said log data, at least one game pattern to be stored in the memory from among game patterns supplied from one of the shop terminals connected to the input/output interface.

3. The IC card according to claim 2, wherein the game pattern to be stored in the memory is supplied in a form of ciphered data from the shop terminal via the input/output interface and stored in the memory after having been deciphered by the first routine.

4. The IC card according to claim 1, wherein the first routine prepares a plurality of different game patterns in the memory depending on the value of coupon data limiting the number of playing times of the game, said coupon data being supplied from the shop terminal through the input/output interface depending on a merit point newly issued to the IC card by said point system.

5. The IC card according to claim 4, wherein each of the game patterns is generated based on random number generated in the IC card.

6. The IC card according to claim 4, wherein each of the game patterns is generated based on game parameter data designed from the shop terminal, said game parameter data defining winning probabilities of the game or a game point to be issued to the user depending on the result of the game.

7. The IC card according to claim 1, wherein the game pattern comprises a set of a question to be displayed in the game screen and an answer to be replied by the user to the displayed question.

8. The IC card according to claim 1, wherein said game application further includes:

a fifth routine of ciphering the game pattern to back up the game pattern in a storage outside of the IC card coupled through the input/output interface, and storing again the game pattern in the memory after deciphering received game pattern when the backup game pattern is received through the input/output interface later, in response to a user request.

9. The IC card according to claim 1, wherein the second routine includes a display data control routine to display a sequence of different game screens according to the progress of the game, at least one of the game screens corresponding to a part of the game pattern selectively extracted from the game pattern.

10. The IC card according to claim 9, wherein said display data control routine selects a part of the game pattern and generates display data of one of said game screens in response to a parameter received from the user terminal with which the IC card is coupled via the input/output interface, said parameter designating which part of the game screen should be changed according to user input data on the display.

11. The IC card according to claim 1, wherein the game application further includes:

a routine of reducing at least a part of the accumulated game point value for exchanging a service designated by the user.

12. The IC card according to claim 1, wherein the third routine accumulates said game point value as said merit point value in the memory.

13. The IC card according to claim 12, wherein the game application further includes:

a routine of reducing at least a part of the accumulated merit point value for exchanging a service designated by the user.

14. The IC card according to claim 12, wherein said memory further stores a point management application program for conducting management of the game point value, and said game application further has a routine for requesting the point management application program to change the game point value to be issued depending on the result of the game.

15. The IC card according to claim 1, wherein said memory stores electronic money application program for management of electronic money, and said game application further includes a routine for requesting the electronic money application program to exchange the value of the accumulated game point for electronic money value.