Network game system, and game terminal device and storage medium used therefor

• US 7,618,320 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
• Inventors: Yoshida, Chie, Uryu, Takashi, Hashimoto, Haruyuki, Shida, Toru, Hashimoto, Hirotada, Hayashi, Masami, Ohara, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): SAGER, MARK ALAN
• Application Number:
  US10/852,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20050026696A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,002 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• 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 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 : for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 : Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video

Abstract

In this game system, a plurality of game devices are connected to a game parent station over a communication network, and an online game application may be executed on the game devices by means of the game parent station. In this game system, the game devices are provided with a personal information processing means that can exchange personal information with other players while the online game application is executed among the game devices. Therefore, personal information in the form of a business card may be exchanged with an opponent by means of the personal information processing means either after a game has ended or when a game begins.

Claims

1. A network game system, comprising:

a plurality of game servers, each storing a plurality of game application programs;

a plurality of game terminal devices, each connected to one of the plurality of game servers via a network and configured to execute at least one of the plurality of game application programs; and

an authentication server connected to the plurality of game terminal devices and the plurality of game servers, the authentication server configured to control whether a connection between one of the plurality of game terminal devices and at least one of the plurality of game servers is permitted,

wherein the at least one of the plurality of game servers sends play information to the authentication server, the play information including information regarding an execution status of the at least one of the plurality of game application programs executed by the one of the plurality of game terminal devices, the authentication server stores the play information and, in accordance with the play information, determines whether the connection between the one of the plurality of game terminal devices and the at least one of the plurality of game servers is permitted.

2. The network game system according to claim 1, wherein, in accordance with the result of the determination, the authentication server stops the connection between the one of the plurality of game terminal devices and the at least one of the plurality of game servers for a predetermined period of time.

3. The network game system according to claim 2, wherein the play information includes historical information indicating that the one of the plurality of game terminal devices has ended execution of the at least one of the plurality of the game application programs in a method different from an official method.

4. A server system connected to a game terminal device via a network, the server system enabling the game terminal device to execute a plurality of game application programs, the server system comprising:

a plurality of game servers, each storing the plurality of game application programs; and

an authentication server connected to the game terminal device and to the plurality of game servers, the authentication server configured to control whether a connection between the game terminal device and at least one of the plurality of game servers is permitted,

wherein the at least one of the plurality of game servers sends play information to the authentication server, the play information including information regarding an execution status of at least one of the plurality of game application programs executed by the game terminal device, the authentication server stores the play information and, in accordance with the play information, determines whether the connection between the game terminal device and the at least one of the plurality of game servers is permitted.

5. The server system according to claim 4, wherein, in accordance with the result of the determination, the authentication server stops the connection between the game terminal device and the at least one of the plurality of game servers for a predetermined period of time.

6. The server system according to claim 5, wherein the play information includes historical information indicating that the game terminal device has ended execution of the at least one of the plurality of the game application programs in a method different from an official method.

7. A network game system arranged such that a plurality of game terminal devices are connected to a server system via a network and the plurality of game terminal devices communicate with each other via the server system to execute a plurality of game application programs, the server system comprising:

a plurality of game servers storing the plurality of game application programs, the plurality of game application programs being executed amongst the plurality of game terminal devices; and

an authentication server connected to the plurality of game terminal devices and the plurality of game servers,

wherein, upon execution of at least one of the plurality of game application programs, at least one of the plurality of game servers determines whether at least one of the plurality of game terminal devices has performed a predetermined act and reports a determination result to the authentication server, and based on the determination result, the authentication server registers identification information for identifying a particular one of the plurality of game terminal devices that has been identified as having performed the predetermined act, and based on the identification information, the authentication server controls whether the particular one of the plurality of game terminal devices is permitted a future connection to the at least one of the plurality of game servers.

8. The network game system according to claim 7, wherein, based on the identification information, the authentication server restricts a connection from the particular one of the plurality of game terminal devices to the at least one of the plurality of game servers for a predetermined period of time.

9. The network game system according to claim 7, wherein when the authentication server permits or restricts the connection from the particular one of the plurality of game terminal devices to the at least one of the plurality of game servers based on the identification information, the authentication server sends to the particular one of the plurality of game terminal devices a signal that indicates whether the connection is permitted or restricted.

10. A server system for use in a game system, the game system arranged such that a plurality of game terminal devices are connected to the server system via a network, and the plurality of game terminal devices communicate with each other via the server system to execute a plurality of game application programs, the server system comprising:

a plurality of game servers storing the plurality of game application programs, the game application programs being executed amongst the plurality of game terminal devices; and

an authentication server connected to the plurality of game terminal devices and to the plurality of game servers,

wherein, upon execution of at least one of the plurality of game application programs, at least one of the plurality of game servers determines whether at least one of the plurality of game terminal devices has performed a predetermined act, and reports a determination result to the authentication server, and based on determination result from the at least one of the plurality of game servers, the authentication server registers identification information for identifying a particular one of the plurality of game terminal devices that has been recognized as having performed the predetermined act, and based on the identification information, the authentication server controls whether the particular game terminal device is permitted a future connection to the at least one of the plurality of game servers.

11. The server system according to claim 10, wherein, based on the identification information, the authentication server restricts a connection from the particular one of the plurality of game terminal devices to the at least one of the plurality of game servers for a predetermined period of time.

12. The server system according to claim 10, wherein when the authentication server permits or restricts the connection from the particular one of the plurality of game terminal devices to the at least one of the plurality of game servers based on the identification information, the authentication server sends to the particular one of the plurality of game terminal devices a signal that indicates whether the connection is permitted or restricted.

13. A game terminal device used with a server system, the server system connected to the game terminal device via a network, the server system enabling the game terminal device to execute at least one of a plurality of game application programs with a plurality of other game terminal devices, the server system determining, upon execution of the at least one of a plurality of the game application programs, whether at least one of the game terminal device and the plurality of other game terminal devices has performed a predetermined bad act, the server system registering identification information for identifying a particular one of the game terminal devices that has been recognized as having performed the predetermined bad act, the game terminal device comprising:

a communication unit controlling a connection with the server system;

writable memory;

a warning information writing unit configured to obtain the identification information from the server system, and if the identification information indicates that the game terminal devices is registered as the particular one of the plurality of game terminal devices that has performed the bad act, write warning information indicating the registration to the writable memory; and

a display control unit configured to display whether the connection is permitted or restricted, on a display unit, if the warning information is written in the writable memory and if the communication unit attempts the connection to the server system.

14. A game terminal device used with a server system connected to the game terminal device via a network, the server system enabling the game terminal device to execute at least one of a plurality of game application programs with a plurality of other game terminal devices, the server system determining, upon execution of the at least one of a plurality of the game application programs, whether at least one of the game terminal device and the plurality of other game terminal devices has performed a predetermined bad act, the server system registering identification information for identifying a particular one of the game terminal devices that has been recognized as having performed the predetermined bad act, the game terminal device comprising:

a communication unit controlling a connection with the server system;

writable memory;

a warning information writing unit configured to obtain the identification information from the server system, and if the identification information indicates that the game terminal device is registered as the particular one of the game terminal devices that has performed the bad act, write warning information indicating the registration to the writable memory; and

a function restricting unit configured to restrict certain functions, if the warning information is written in the writable memory and if the communication unit attempts the connection to the server system.