Game system having a plurality of game machines for competing for card data

• US 7,147,561 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2004
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Yasutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US10/914,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20050043093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/29, 463/40, 463 42- 44
• US Class Current: 463/40
• 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 13/32 using local area network [LAN] connections
• 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 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/404 characterized by a local network connection

Abstract

According to a game system and a storage medium having stored therein a game program of the present invention, among a plurality of game machines communicably connected to each other, a game machine 10a acting as a card reader machine reads card data and sends the card data to a game machine 10b. Game machines 10b to 10d compete against each other in a game and the card data is sent only to a specific game machine(s) 10 based on game results. That is, an amusing game is provided which uses card data to be sent as special prize data which is given only to a specific player(s).

Claims

1. A game system having a data reading apparatus and a plurality of game machines which are communicably connected to each other through a communication cable, comprising:

a master/slave setting mechanism which sets, among the plurality of game machines, a game machine with authority to start communication as a master machine and sets the other game machines as slave machines,

wherein the plurality of game machines each comprise;

an operation input mechanism which inputs operation data in response to an operation by a player;

a communicator which sends and receives data to and from other game machines and the data reading apparatus through the communication cable; and

a game processor which processes a game in accordance with the operation data input from the operation input mechanism, and

wherein the game machine set as the master machine comprises;

a read data acquisition mechanism which acquires, through the communicator, data read into the data reading apparatus, the master machine being the only game machine from among the master and slave machines which acquires the data read into the data reading apparatus prior to start of the game;

a game start instructor which instructs the other game machines to start the game, through the communicator;

a determination mechanism which determines a game machine from among the master and slave machines to which the read data acquired by the read data acquisition mechanism is to be sent, based on processing results of the game processed by each game processor; and

a data transmitter which sends the read data acquired by the read data acquisition mechanism to the game machine determined by the determination mechanism through the communicator.

2. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the game machines set as the slave machines each further comprise game processing result transmitters which send a processing result of the game processed by the game processor to the game machine set as the master machine through the communicator, and

the game machine set as the master machine further comprises a result collector which collects the processing results of the game having been sent from each game processing result transmitter.

3. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the data reading apparatus includes:

a card reader which generates card data by mechanically reading a data storage region of a card, the data storage region having stored therein data and being provided on a main surface of the card, and

the read data acquisition mechanism acquires the card data generated by the card reader as the read data.

4. The game system according to claim 3, wherein the data reading apparatus is a game machine having the card reader installed thereon.

5. The game system according to claim 1, wherein

the read data acquisition mechanism transfers a read data sending program to the data reading apparatus, and

the data reading apparatus executes the read data sending program to send the read data to the game machine set as the master machine.

6. A storage medium for storing a game program to be executed by computers of a plurality of game machines, the game machines and a data reading apparatus being communicably connected to each other through a communication cable, the game program allowing each computer to execute the steps of:

a master/slave setting step of setting, among the plurality of game machines, a game machine with authority to start communication as a master machine and setting the other game machines as slave machines; and

a game processing step of processing a game in accordance with operation data in response to an operation by a player,

wherein if a game machine is set as the master machine at the master/slave setting step, the game program allows the computer of the game machine to execute;

a read data acquisition step of acquiring, through the communication cable, data read into the data reading apparatus, the master machine being the only game machine from among the master and slave machines which acquires the data read into the data reading apparatus prior to start of the game;

a game start instruction step of instructing the other game machines to start the game through the communication cable;

a determination step of determining a game machine to which the read data acquired at the read data acquisition step is to be sent, based on processing results of the game processed by the computers of the plurality of game machines at the game processing step; and

a data sending step of sending the read data acquired at the read data acquisition step to the game machine from among the master and slave machines determined at the determination step through the communication cable.

7. The storage medium according to claim 6, wherein

if a game machine is set as the slave machine at the master/slave setting step, the game program further allows the computer of the game machine to execute a game processing result sending step of sending a processing result of the game processed at the game processing step to the game machine set as the master machine through the communication cable, and

if a game machine is set as the master machine at the master/slave setting step, the game program further allows the computer of the game machine to execute a result collection step of collecting the processing results of the game having been sent from the game machines set as the slave machines.

8. The storage medium according to claim 6, wherein

the data read into the data reading apparatus is card data generated by mechanically reading a data storage region of a card, the data storage region having stored therein data and being provided on a main surface of the card, and

the read data acquisition step acquires the card data as the read data.

9. The storage medium according to claim 6, wherein

the read data acquisition step includes a step of transferring, to the data reading apparatus, a read data sending program for sending the read data, and

the read data acquisition step acquires the read data through the communication cable, by executing the read data sending program to send the read data to the game machine set as the master machine.

10. In a game system having a plurality of game machines and a card reader, a method comprising:

reading card data from at least one card with the card reader;

setting one of the game machines as a master game machine and a remainder of the game machines as slave game machine(s);

transmitting the card data from the card reader to the master game machine so that the master game machine is the only one of the game machines which receives the card data prior to start of a game;

starting the game;

processing results of the game to determine at least one game machine from among the master and slave game machines; and

sending the card data from the master game machine to the determined game machine.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determined game machine has been deemed a winner of the game.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the card data corresponds to prize data.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein only the determined game machine from among the plurality of game machines may use the card data after being sent from the master game machine.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transferring a data transmission program from the master game machine to the card reader; and

executing the transferred data transmission program at the card reader to perform the transmitting of the card data from the card reader to the master game machine.

15. In a game system having a plurality of game machines and a card reader, one of the game machines having been set as a master game machine and a remainder of the game machines having being set as slave game machine(s), a method of operating the master game machine comprising:

receiving card data from the card reader so that only the master game machine from among the master and slave game machines receives the card data prior to start of a game;

storing the card data;

starting the game, the game involving respective users of the master and slave game machines competing against one another;

processing results of the game;

determining a winning game machine from among the master and slave game machines based on the results of the game; and

sending the card data to the winning game machine.

16. The method of operating the master game machine as in claim 15, wherein the card data corresponds to prize data.

17. The method of operating the master game machine as in claim 15, wherein only the winning game machine from among the plurality of game machines may use the card data after the card data is sent to the winning game machine.

18. The method of operating the master game machine as in claim 15, further comprising transferring a data transmission program to the card reader for execution by the card reader so that the card data may be received.