Game device, program, information storage medium, game device control method, game distribution method, and game distribution device

• US 7,651,397 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Naohiro, Yoshida, Yumi, Takase, Yasumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmed; Masud
• Application Number:
  US10/504,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20050090309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,525 Days
• Field of Search: 463/43, 463/45, 463/1, 463/31
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/207 for accessing game resources from local storage, e.g. streaming content from DVD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game

Abstract

To provide a game device capable of selecting game data to be played by a player when playing a game in a straightforward manner. One or a plurality of primary play candidate data names are selected from secondary play candidate data containing one or a plurality of items of game data and names for this game data. A primary play candidate data file configured so as to contain primary play candidate data name information necessary for displaying the selected primary play candidate name(s) is stored in a storage media. One or a plurality of primary play candidate data names is then displayed based on the stored primary play candidate data name information. One or a plurality of the displayed primary play candidate data names is selected as one or a plurality of play target data names. A game can then be controlled based on game data for the selected play target data name(s).

Claims

1. A game device comprising:

secondary data storage means for storing secondary data containing one or more game data used in playing a game and a name for the game data;

primary data name selection means for user selection of one or more game data names from the secondary data as one or more primary game data names;

primary data storage means for storing at least one primary data file including primary data name information for displaying said one or more selected primary game data names and user-designated priority and non-priority primary game data corresponding to said primary game data names;

means for storing one or more game data corresponding to said one or more primary game data names, as primary game data, in a priority region or a non-priority region of the at least one primary data file based on user selection, and storing said one or more primary game data names in a primary data name information region of the at least one primary data file;

primary data collective reading means for collectively reading out the priority region and the primary data name information region of the primary data file, and storing the priority region and the primary data name information region of the primary data file in main memory;

primary data name display means for displaying said one or more primary game data names stored in the primary data name information region of the primary data file stored in the main memory;

target data name selection means for selecting one or more game data names from the displayed primary game data names as one or more target data names;

target data acquisition means for acquiring game data relating to said one or more selected target data names as target data from the priority region of the primary data file stored in the main memory if game data relating to said one or more selected target data names is stored in the priority region of the primary data file, and acquiring game data relating to said one or more selected target data names as target data from the non-priority region of the primary data file stored in the primary data storage means if game data relating to said one or more selected target data names is stored in the non-priority region of the primary data file; and

game control means for controlling a game based on game data acquired by the target data acquisition means.

2. The game device of claim 1, further comprising secondary data deletion means for deleting game data corresponding to primary game data stored in the primary data storage means and the game data name from the secondary data storage means.

3. A computer readable information storage media storing a program, said program containing instructions for causing a computer to function as:

secondary data storage means for storing secondary data containing one or more game data used in playing a game and a name for the game data;

primary data name selection means for user selection of one or more game data names from the secondary data as one or more primary game data names;

primary data storage means for storing at least one primary data file including primary data name information for displaying said one or more selected primary game data names and user-designated priority and non-priority primary game data corresponding to said primary game data names;

means for storing one or more game data corresponding to said one or more primary game data names, as primary game data, in a priority region or a non-priority region of the at least one primary data file based on user selection, and storing said one or more primary game data names in a primary data name information region of the at least one primary data file;

primary data collective reading means for collectively reading out the priority region and the primary data name information region of the primary data file, and storing the priority region and the primary data name information region of the primary data file in main memory;

primary data name display means for displaying said one or more primary game data names stored in the primary data name information region of the primary data file stored in the main memory;

target data name selection means for selecting one or more game data names from the displayed primary game data names as one or more target data names;

target data acquisition means for acquiring game data relating to said one or more selected target data names as target data from the priority region of the primary data file stored in the main memory if game data relating to said one or more selected target data names is stored in the priority region of the primary data file, and acquiring game data relating to said one or more selected target data names as target data from the non-priority region of the primary data file stored in the primary data storage means if game data relating to said one or more selected target data names is stored in the non-priority region of the primary data file; and

game control means for controlling a game based on game data acquired by the target data acquisition means.

4. A control method for a game device comprising:

a secondary data storage step of storing secondary data containing one or more game data used in playing a game and a name for the game data in a non-volatile storage device;

a primary data name selection step of accepting user selection of one or more game data names from the secondary data as one or more primary game data names;

a primary data storage step of storing at least one primary data file including primary data name information for displaying said one or more selected primary game data names and user-designated priority and non-priority primary game data corresponding to said primary game data names in the non-volatile storage device;

a step of storing one or more game data corresponding to said one or more primary game data names, as primary game data, in a priority region or a non-priority region of the at least one primary data file based on user selection, and storing said one or more primary game data names in a primary data name information region of the at least one primary data file;

a primary data collective reading step for collectively reading out the priority region and the primary data name information region of the primary data file, and storing the priority region and the primary data name information region of the primary data file in main memory;

a primary data name display step for displaying said one or more selected primary game data names stored in the primary data name information region of the primary data file stored in the main memory;

a target data name selection step for accepting selection of one or more game data names from the displayed primary game data names as one or more target data names;

a target data acquisition step for acquiring game data relating to said one or more selected target data names as target data from the priority region of the primary data file stored in the main memory if game data relating to said one or more selected target data names is stored in the priority region of the primary data file, and acquiring game data relating to said one or more selected target data names as target data from the non-priority region of the primary data file stored in the non-volatile storage device if game data relating to said one or more selected target data names is stored in the non-priority region of the primary data file; and

a game control step for controlling a game based on game data acquired in the target data acquisition step.

5. A game distribution method for distributing a program collectively or divided into parts comprising a program embodied in a computer readable medium, said program containing instructions for causing a computer to function as:

secondary data storage means for storing secondary data containing one or more game data used in playing a game and a name for the game data;

primary data name selection means for user selection of one or more game data names from the secondary data as one or more primary game data names;

primary data storage means for storing at least one primary data file including primary data name information for displaying said one or more selected primary game data names and user-designated priority and non-priority primary game data corresponding to said primary game data names;

means for storing one or more game data corresponding to said one or more primary game data names, as primary game data, in a priority region or a non-priority region of the at least one primary data file based on user selection, and storing said one or more primary game data names in a primary data name information region of the at least one primary data file;

primary data collective reading means for collectively reading out the priority region and the primary data name information region of the primary data file, and storing the priority region and the primary data name information region of the primary data file in main memory;

primary data name display means for displaying said one or more primary game data names stored in the primary data name information region of the primary data file stored in the main memory;

target data name selection means for selecting one or more game data names from the displayed primary game data names as one or more target data names;

target data acquisition means for acquiring game data relating to said one or more selected target data names as target data from the priority region of the primary data file stored in the main memory if game data relating to said one or more selected target data names is stored in the priority region of the primary data file, and acquiring game data relating to said one or more selected target data names as target data from the non-priority region of the primary data file stored in the primary data storage means if game data relating to said one or more selected target data names is stored in the non-priority region of the primary data file; and

game control means for controlling a game based on game data acquired by the target data acquisition means.

6. A game distribution device for distributing a program collectively or divided into parts, said program having a computer to function as:

secondary data storage means for storing secondary data containing one or more game data used in playing a game and a name for the game data;

primary data name selection means for user selection of one or more game data names from the secondary data as one or more primary game data names;

primary data storage means for storing at least one primary data file including primary data name information for displaying said one or more selected primary game data names and user-designated priority and non-priority primary game data corresponding to said primary game data names;

means for storing one or more game data corresponding to said one or more primary game data names, as primary game data, in a priority region or a non-priority region of the at least one primary data file based on user selection, and storing said one or more primary game data names in a primary data name information region of the at least one primary data file;

primary data collective reading means for collectively reading out the priority region and the primary data name information region of the primary data file, and storing the priority region and the primary data name information region of the primary data file in main memory;

primary data name display means for displaying said one or more primary game data names stored in the primary data name information region of the primary data file stored in the main memory;

target data name selection means for selecting one or more game data names from the displayed primary game data names as one or more target data names;

target data acquisition means for acquiring game data relating to said one or more selected target data names as target data from the priority region of the primary data file stored in the main memory if game data relating to said one or more selected target data names is stored in the priority region of the primary data file, and acquiring game data relating to said one or more selected target data names as target data from the non-priority region of the primary data file stored in the primary data storage means if game data relating to said one or more selected target data names is stored in the non-priority region of the primary data file; and

game control means for controlling a game based on game data acquired by the target data acquisition means.

7. A game device comprising:

a non-volatile storage device for storing at least one primary data file and secondary data;

a microprocessor for selecting, based on user input, one or more game data names from the secondary data stored in non-volatile storage device as one or more primary game-data names, storing one or more game data corresponding to said one or more primary game data names, as primary game data, in a priority region or a non-priority region of the at least one primary data file based on user selection, storing said one or more primary game data names in a primary data name information region of the at least one primary data file, selecting one or more game data names from primary game data names as one or more target data names, collectively reading out the priority region and the primary data name information region of the primary data file, storing the priority region and the primary data name information region of the primary data file in main memory, acquiring game data relating to said one or more selected target data names as target data from the priority region of the primary data file stored in the main memory if game data relating to said one or more selected target data names is stored in the priority region of the primary data file, and acquiring game data related to said one or more selected target data names as target data from the non-priority region of the primary data file stored in the non-volatile storage device if game data relating to said one or more selected target data names is stored in the non-priority region of the primary data file;

a video display for displaying said one or more selected primary game data names stored in the primary data name information region of the primary data file stored in the main memory; and

a game controller for controlling a game based on the acquired target data.

8. The game device according to claim 7, wherein the at least one primary data file comprises primary data name information for displaying said one or more primary game data names selected by the microprocessor and user-designated priority and non-priority primary game data corresponding to said primary game data names.

9. The game device according to claim 7, wherein the secondary data comprises one or more game data used in playing a game and a name for the game data.

10. A game system comprising:

a microprocessor which controls the game system based on game programs and user selected target data;

a media player which reads the game programs from readable media in accordance with instructions from the microprocessor;

main memory which stores the game programs read from the media player;

secondary memory which stores user-designated priority and non-priority primary game data comprising primary game data names and secondary data comprising secondary game data names; and

a game controller which provides a user interface for selecting a target data name from the prioritized primary game data names,

wherein the priority and non-priority primary game data is stored in the secondary memory in a priority region or a non-priority region, respectively, of at least one primary data file based on user prioritization,

wherein the priority region and the primary data name information region of the primary data file are read out and stored in the main memory, and

wherein target data related to the target data name is acquired from the priority region of the primary data file stored in the main memory if target data relating to the target data name is stored in the priority region of the primary data file, and target data related to the target data name is acquired from the non-priority region of the primary data file stored in the secondary memory if game data relating to the target data name is stored in the non-priority region of the primary data file, and the game program is controlled based on the acquired target data.

11. The game system according to claim 10 further comprising a graphics processing unit which draws a game screen image based on receive data from the microprocessor.

12. The game system according to claim 11 further comprising a video display unit which displays the game screen images created by the graphics processing unit.