Game system, server apparatus and register terminal

• US 8,182,345 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2008
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Saito, Hajime, Migitera, Osamu, Komatsu, Hotaru, Inoue, Chihiro, Kawamura, Kazuyasu, Tada, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Eric M
• Application Number:
  US12/113,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20080214311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29, 463 40- 42
• 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 13/335 using Internet
• 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 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions

Abstract

Each of game machines sends result information indicating an individual ID and play result to a server. The server has a common ID control file and an individual game control file, which store common points, a common ID and an individual ID, associated with each other. A CPU converts the result information into common points, and allows the converted common points to be reflected in the common points in the common ID control file corresponding to the individual ID.

Claims

1. A game system comprising:

a plurality of game machines; and

a server in communication with said game machines,

each of said game machines capable of playing different kinds of games from each other,

each of said game machines comprising a first sending device for sending sending-information including;

identification-information to identify a user,

said server comprising;

a point storage device for storing the identification-information and points and corresponding identification-information with the points,

the points are given in accordance with contents of a user'"'"'s playing in each game on each of said game machines and have a trading value unified thorough the games;

a data storage device for storing user available data that the identification-information and at least one of the plurality of unique datas available to the user are associated with each other;

a storage control device for, when said server receives a trading request to trade any one of the plurality of unique datas together with the identification-information, updating the points, corresponding to the received identification-information in said point storage device, to a value obtained by subtracting points corresponding to the unique data to be traded,

a trading device for trading the points for any one of a plurality of unique datas, each of which is used uniquely in any one of the games, and allows the unique data to be traded to be reflected in the user available data corresponding to the received identification-information in said data storage device; and

a second sending device for sending the traded unique data,

wherein one of said game machines each and said server comprises a converting device for converting play-information indicating the contents of user'"'"'s playing in each game on each of said game machines into the points;

wherein when said server receives a donation request including;

the identification-information of a sender;

the identification-information of a receiver, and;

points to be donated from the sender to the receiver;

said storage control device subtracts the points to be donated from the points stored in said point storage device in association with the identification-information of the sender, and adds the points to be donated to the points stored in said point storage device in association with the identification-information of the receiver.

2. The game system according to claim 1,

wherein said server comprises:

a notification device for notifying a user to be the receiver of donation, when said storage control device updates the points stored in said point storage device according to the donation request.

3. A server for communicating with a plurality of game machines capable of playing different kinds of games from each other, comprising:

a point storage device for storing identification-information for identifying a user and points so as to be corresponded with each other, the points being given in accordance with contents of user'"'"'s playing in each game on each of said game machines and having a trading value unified through the games;

a trading device for trading the points for any one of a plurality of unique datas, each of which is used uniquely in any one of the games;

a sending device for sending the traded unique data to said game machines;

a converting device for converting play-information indicating the contents of user'"'"'s playing in each game on each of said game machines to the points;

a storage control device which, upon reception of the identification-information and the play-information from said game machine, allows the converted points to be reflected in the points stored in the point storage device in association with the received identification-information, and upon reception of a trading request to trade any one of the plurality of unique datas together with the identification-information, updates the points, corresponding to the received identification-information in said point storage device, to a value obtained by subtracting points corresponding to the unique data to be traded;

a first storage device for storing a plurality of unique datas and designating information each of which designates each of the plurality of unique data so as to be associated with each other; and

a second storage device for storing the designating information, each of which designates the unique data available to the user among the designating information stored in said first storage device, and the identification-information so as to be associated with each other;

wherein upon reception of the identification-information from said game machine, said sending device reads the designating information stored in association with the received identification-information from said second storage device and sends the read designating information to said game machine, and upon reception of a designating information selected among the sent designating information from said game machine, said sending device reads the unique data stored in association with the received designating information from said first storage device and sends the read unique data to said game machine;

wherein when said server receives a donation request including the identification-information of a sender, the identification-information of a receiver, and points to be donated from the sender to the receiver, said storage control device subtracts the points to be donated from the points stored in said point storage device in association with the identification-information of the sender, and adds the points to be donated to the points stored in said point storage device in association with the identification-information of the receiver.

4. The server according to claim 3, comprising a notification device for notifying a user to be the receiver that donation has been done, when said storage control device updates the points stored in said point storage device according to the donation request.