Data delivery system, data delivery server and video game device

• US 7,201,659 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2002
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, Inc. (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakayama, Norio, Namba, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn; Corbett B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr.; William H
• Application Number:
  US10/165,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20020187835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29, 463/40, 463 42- 45, 463/47, 705/51, 705/55, 705/56, 725/6, 725/25, 725/26, 725/30, 725/133, 725/153, 902/4, 902/23, 380/251
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• 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 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges

Abstract

In a data delivery system utilizing a network 400, a data delivery server 100 receives a recording medium specifying information stored in a recording medium 300 from a video game device 200, generates and administers an authentication information and a password used to permit the delivery of an event information to the video game device 200 while relating them to the video game device 200, transmits the generated authentication information and password to the video game device 200, and delivers the event information to the video game device 200 upon receiving the password as a response from the video game device 200. The video game device 200 includes a password storage means for receiving the authentication information and the password from the data delivery server 100 and saving the password.

Claims

1. A data delivery system comprising:

a recording medium having recording medium specifying information stored and a program thereon;

a video game device having a main game unit executing the program stored in the recording medium detachably mountable in the main game unit by mounting the recording medium in the main game unit;

a data delivery server for delivering event information to the video game device when connected with each other via a network;

said data delivery server comprising;

user registration request receiving means for receiving at least a recording medium specifying information stored in the recording medium and video game identification information specific to the video game device in which the recording medium is mounted from the video game device,

authentication information administering means for administering authentication information including the recording medium specifying information and the video game identification information, and generating, in response to receipt of a request including said recording medium specifying information, both authentication information and a password used to permit the delivery of the event information to the video game device based on the received recording medium specifying information and said video game identification information, and for comparing a password received from the video game device with a registered password when the password is received as a delivery request from the video game device, said authentication information adminsitering means including;

a provisional registering means for provisionally registering said generated password generated for comparison with a user-inputted password received over the network from said video game device; and

a regular registering means for registering as a regularly registered password said provisionally registered password upon receipt of a user-inputted password received over the network from said video game device which is identical to said generated password;

authentication information presenting means for transmitting the generated authentication information and the generated password to the video game device, and

delivering means for delivering the event information to the video game device upon the receipt of a password as a response from the video game device when the password received matches the regularly registered password in a comparison by the authentication information administering means; and

said video game device comprising;

input receiving means for receiving an input of content from the data delivery server via the network;

user registration request transmitting means for reading the recording medium specifying information stored in the recording medium and said video game identification information and transmitting the same to the data delivery server;

password storage means for receiving the authentication information and the generated password from the data delivery server and saving the generated password;

password registering means for effecting registration of said generated password including;

password receiving means for receiving said generated password from said data delivery server via the network;

password display means for displaying said generated password to the user;

password inputting means for accepting a password input by the user in response to a display of said generated password as said user-inputted password; and

user-inputted password transmitting means for transmitting said user-inputted password to said data delivery server; and

delivery request means for confirming the recording medium is mounted in the main unit, reading the generated password stored in the password storage means after confirming the recording medium is mounted in the main unit, and transmitting the generated password read to the data delivery server as a delivery request for the event information.

2. A data delivery system according to claim 1, wherein the authentication information administering means includes delivery condition administering means for administering a delivery condition associated with the authentication information and concerning the delivery of the event information, and the delivering condition administering means prohibits the delivery of the event information to the video game device if the delivery request from the video game device does not satisfy the delivery condition administered by the delivery condition administering means.

3. A data delivery system according to claim 2, wherein the delivery condition includes at least one of a data amount to be delivered, the number of data deliveries, a data delivery number, and a validity term of the data delivery.

4. The data delivery system according to claim 2, wherein the delivery condition is a frequency of use.

5. A data delivery system according to claim 1, wherein the event information includes an event content and guide information concerning the event content.

6. A data delivery system according to claim 5, wherein the data delivery server includes selection instruction receiving means for receiving a selection instruction for selecting at least one of the event content and the guide information from the video game device, and the delivering means delivers at least one of the event content and the guide information corresponding to the selection instruction to the video game device.

7. The data delivery system according to claim 1, wherein said recording medium and said password storage means are separate memory devices from one another.

8. A data delivery server for delivering an event information via a network to a video game device having a function of executing a program stored in a recording medium detachably mountable in a main game unit by mounting the recording medium in the main game unit, comprising:

user registration request receiving means for receiving at least a recording medium specifying information stored in the recording medium and video game identification information specific to the video game device in which the recording medium is mounted from the video game device,

authentication information administering means for administering authentication information including the recording medium specifying information and the video game identification information, and generating authentication information and a password, in response to receipt of a request including said recording medium specifying information, both used to permit the delivery of the event information to the video game device based on the received recording medium specifying information and said video game identification information, and for comparing a password received from the video game device with a registered password when the password is received as a delivery request from the video game device, said authentication information administering means including;

a provisional registering means for provisionally registering said generated password generated for comparison with a user-inputted password received over the network from said video game device; and

a regular registering means for registering as a regularly registered password said provisionally registered password upon receipt of a user-inputted password received over the network from said video game device which is identical to said generated password;

authentication information presenting means for transmitting the generated authentication information and the generated password to the video game device, and

delivering means for delivering the event information to the video game device upon the receipt of a password as a response from the video game device when the password received matches the generated password in a comparison by the authentication information administering means.

9. The data delivery server according to claim 8, wherein said recording medium and said password storage means are separate memory devices from one another.

10. The data delivery server according to claim 8, wherein:

the authentication information administering means includes delivery condition administering means for administering a delivery condition associated with the authentication information and concerning the delivery of the event information; and

the delivering condition administering means prohibits the delivery of the event information to the video game device if the delivery request from the video game device does not satisfy the delivery condition administered by the delivery condition administering means, wherein the delivery condition is a frequency of use.

11. A video game device having a function of executing a program stored in a recording medium detachably mountable in a main game unit by mounting the recording medium in the main game unit and adapted to receive event information from a data delivery server for delivering the event information via a network, comprising:

input receiving means for receiving an input of content from the data delivery server via the network;

user registration request transmitting means for reading the recording medium specifying information stored in the recording medium and video game identification information specific to the video game in which the recording medium is mounted and transmitting the same to the data delivery server;

authentication information receiving means for receiving authentication information and a password generated to permit the delivery of the event information based on the recording medium specifying information in the data delivery server from the data delivery server;

password storage means for saving the generated password;

password registering means for effecting registration of said generated password including;

password receiving means for receiving said generated password from said data delivery server via the network;

password display means for displaying said generated password to the user;

password inputting means for accepting a password input by the user in response to a display of said generated password as said user-inputted password; and

user-inputted password transmitting means for transmitting said user-inputted password to said data delivery server; and

delivery request transmitting means for confirming the recording medium is mounted in the main unit, reading the generated password stored in the password storage means after confirming the recording medium is mounted in the main unit, and transmitting the generated password read to the data delivery server as a delivery request for the event information.

12. The video game device according to claim 11, wherein said recording medium and said password storage means are separate memory devices from one another.