Ranking display method for game machine

• US 6,839,435 B1
• Filed: 06/09/1999
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Namco Limited (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Odake, Shinichi, Saita, Eiichi, Iijima, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): STULBERGER, CAS P
• Application Number:
  US09/329,652
• Time in Patent Office: 2,036 Days
• Field of Search: 380/251, 713/152, 713/191, 713/201, 463/42, 463/29
• US Class Current: 380/251
• 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 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation

Abstract

Ranking display method for a game machine wherein, when a score along with an E mail address is inputted from a personal computer, a server stores the inputted score and E mail address, and when there is a change in ranking of score, the server transmits a message by E mail to the corresponding personal computer.

Claims

1. A ranking display method for a game machine wherein a server is connected to a communication line, score ranking information of said game machine is provided to a client accessing to said server through said communication line, said server comprising steps of:

accepting a score of the game machine and an electronic mail address in said server;

storing the accepted score and electronic mail address in said server;

adding the received score into the ranking information;

detecting a score making a change in ranking by the addition; and

transmitting a message showing occurrence of a change by electronic mail to an a mail address shown by the electronic mail address corresponding to the score making the change in ranking;

wherein said transmitting comprises a step for selecting a mail address from the stored mail addresses corresponding to the detected score to obtain at least one electronic mail address to be used in said transmitting and said message is not transmitted to the mail addresses in which the corresponding scores stored do not make the change in ranking.

2. The ranking display method for a game machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said score is encrypted along with identification information, said server decrypts the encrypted identification information and score, and determines requirement of addition of said score to said score ranking information on the basis of said decrypted identification information.

3. The ranking display method for a game machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said game machine encrypts and prints out a score at the time of game over and said identification information.

4. The ranking display method for a game machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said server when accepting the encrypted identification and score and the electronic mail address from said client, makes overlapping determination as to whether or not the same electronic mail address as the received electronic mail address is stored internally, if presence of overlapping is determined, the score corresponding to the internally stored electronic mail address or the accepted score, whichever is greater, is stored internally, whereby a plurality of scores are not allowed to the same electronic mail address.

5. The ranking display method for a game machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a comment is accepted from said client and stored in relation to said score so that said comment is regarded as part of said ranking information.

10. The ranking display method for a game machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the message comprises transmitting the message exclusively to the address shown by the electronic mail address corresponding to the score making the change in ranking.

11. The ranking display method for a game machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the received score is added into the ranking of a plurality of scores, each score having a corresponding electronic mail address, the step of transmitting the message comprising transmitting, by electronic mail, a message showing occurrence of a change in the ranking, the message being transmitted only to those electronic mail addresses corresponding to scores whose rank has changed as a result of the ranking of the received score.

6. A ranking display method for a game machine, wherein a server is connected to a communication line, score ranking information of said game machine is provided to a client accessing to said server through said communication, said server comprising steps of:

accepting a score of said game machine and an electronic mail address from said client; and

when at least one of said score, said electronic email address, and a player name is received from the client encrypted, performing an overlapping determination as to whether or not the same information as said player'"'"'s name is internally stored, if presence of overlapping is determined, the score corresponding to the internally stored player name or the accepted score, whichever greater, is stored internally, whereby a plurality of scores are not allowed for a player of the same name.

7. The ranking display method for a game machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said server accepts not only the score of said game machine but also other encrypted information.

8. The ranking display method for a game machine as claimed in claim 7, wherein said game machine prints out at least a score at the time of game over.

9. The ranking display method for a game machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein a further comment is accepted from said client and stored in relation to said score so that said comment is regarded as part of said ranking information.

12. A ranking display method for a game machine wherein a server is connected to a communication line, score ranking information of said game machine is provided to a client accessing to said server through said communication line, said server comprising steps of:

accepting a plurality of scores and a plurality of electronic mail addresses, each of the plurality of electronic mail addresses corresponding to one of the plurality of scores;

storing the accepted plurality of scores and plurality of electronic mail addresses in the server;

ranking each of the accepted scores;

accepting a new score and corresponding electronic mail address;

ranking the new score relative to the ranked plurality of scores;

identifying the scores whose rank has changed as a result of the ranking of the new score; and

transmitting, by electronic mail, a message showing occurrence of a change in ranking, the message being transmitted only to those electronic mail addresses corresponding to scores whose rank has changed as a result of the ranking of the new score.

13. The ranking display method for a game machine as claimed in claim 12, wherein the new score is encrypted along with identification information, the server decrypts the encrypted identification information and the new score, and determines requirement of ranking of the new score on the basis of the decrypted identification information.

14. The ranking display method for a game machine as claimed in claim 13, wherein said server when accepting the encrypted identification and new score and the electronic mail address, makes overlapping determination as to whether or not the same electronic mail address as the electronic mail address associated with the new score is stored internally, if presence of overlapping is determined, the score corresponding to the internally stored electronic mail address or the new score, whichever is greater, is stored internally, whereby a plurality of scores are not allowed to the same electronic mail address.

15. The ranking display method for a game machine as claimed in claim 12, wherein a comment is accepted and stored in relation to the new score so that the comment is regarded as part of ranking information associated with the new score.

16. The ranking display method for a game machine as claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of transmitting of the message showing occurrence of a change in ranking may take place while one or more clients are still playing the game with which the score ranking information is concerned.