Computer-readable storage medium having display control program stored therein, display control device, and display control system

• US 8,949,396 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2009
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yoshinobu, Tomoaki, Fujii, Hideki, Kato, Shunsaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US12/510,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20100093442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,016 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• 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 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• 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 13/79 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 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/40 characterised by details of platform network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• 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 2300/535 : for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 : for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 : using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 : Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 : by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• 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

A game apparatus 3A includes: a registration information storage section 171 that stores pieces of individual information about game apparatuses 3 registered as communication partners, with which the game apparatus 3A communicates, and pieces of distinguishing information, about the game apparatuses 3, associated with the pieces of individual information; a connection determination section 101 that determines whether a game apparatus 3B, corresponding to one of the stored pieces of individual information, is connected to a server device 8; a first acquisition section 103 that acquires, when the game apparatus 3B is connected to the server device 8, a piece of individual information about a game apparatus 3C communicating with the game apparatus 3B; and a communication state display section 104 that visibly displays, based on the pieces of individual information, communication states of the game apparatus 3B and the game apparatus 3C associated with each other.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable display control program stored therein, the display control program instructing a first computer included in a plurality of computers on a network, to display communication states of the plurality of computers, the display control program comprising executable instructions that instruct the first computer to perform:

registration information storage including storing pieces of individual information about computers that are registered as communication partners, which are partners with which the first computer communicates via the network, and pieces of distinguishing information, about the computers, associated with the pieces of individual information;

connection determining including determining whether or not a second computer, which is a computer that corresponds to at least one of the pieces of individual information stored by the registration information storage, is connected to the network;

first acquisition including acquiring, when the connection determining has determined that the second computer is connected to the network, a piece of individual information about a third computer that is communicating with the second computer; and

communication state display including visibly displaying before the first computer communicates with the second computer or the third computer, based on the piece of individual information about the third computer acquired by the first acquisition and the piece of individual information about the second computer, state of communication of the second computer with the third computer, and for also displaying information about the second computer, based on a piece of distinguishing information about the second computer, so as to be distinguishable from other computers.

2. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein:

the display control program further instructs the first computer to perform;

second acquisition including acquiring a piece of distinguishing information about the third computer based on the piece of individual information about the third computer; and

wherein the communication state display further displays information about the third computer, based on the piece of distinguishing information about the third computer, so as to be distinguishable.

3. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein:

the display control program further instructs the first computer to perform;

second acquisition including acquiring a piece of distinguishing information about the third computer based on the piece of individual information about the third computer, and

storage determination including determining whether or not the piece of individual information about the third computer is stored in the registration information storage; and

only when the storage determination has determined that the piece of individual information about the third computer is stored in the registration information storage, the communication state display displays information about the third computer, based on the piece of distinguishing information about the third computer, so as to be distinguishable.

4. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein

the display control program further instructs the first computer to perform:

number-of-computers determination including determining whether or not the number of computers that are communicating with the second computer is equal to or smaller than a predetermined number; and

communicability display including, when the number-of-computers determination has determined that the number of computers is equal to or smaller than a predetermined number, visibly displaying that it is possible to communicate with the second computer.

5. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 4, wherein,

when the number-of-computers determination has determined that the number of computers is equal to or smaller than a predetermined number, the communicability display visibly displays the number of computers that can communicate with the second computer.

6. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein:

the display control program further instructs the first computer to perform;

second acquisition including acquiring a piece of distinguishing information about the third computer based on the piece of individual information about the third computer, and

informing determination including, when the connection determination has determined that the second computer is connected to the network, determining whether or not it is permitted, in the second computer, to inform the first computer of the piece of distinguishing information about the third computer; and

only when the informing determination has determined that it is permitted to inform the first computer, the communication state display displays information about the third computer, based on the piece of distinguishing information about the third computer, so as to be distinguishable.

7. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 6, wherein

the display control program further instructs the first computer to perform:

informability storage including storing each of the pieces of individual information stored in the registration information storage, in association with a piece of informability information indicating whether or not it is permitted to inform another computer, which corresponds to said each of the pieces of individual information, of a piece of distinguishing information about yet another computer that is communicating with the first computer.

8. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 7, wherein

the display control program further instructs the first computer to perform:

informability setting including receiving an external operation input, setting, based on the received operation input, the piece of informability information with respect to each of the pieces of individual information stored in the registration information storage, and storing the set piece of informability information in the informability storage.

9. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 6, wherein:

the second computer is configured to store therein a piece of informability information indicating whether or not it is permitted to inform the first computer of the piece of distinguishing information about the third computer; and

the informing determination acquires the piece of informability information from the second computer and determines, based on the piece of informability information, whether or not it is permitted to inform the first computer of the piece of distinguishing information about the third computer.

10. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein

the pieces of individual information are pieces of ID information assigned in advance to the plurality of computers.

11. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein

each of the pieces of distinguishing information includes at least either name information or face image information that is an image representing a person'"'"'s face.

12. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of computers are connected to each other so as to communicate externally input voice information to each other providing voice chat between the plurality of computers.

13. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of computers are connected to each other so as to communicate externally input character information to each other.

14. The computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the display control program according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of computers are connected to each other so as to communicate externally input operation input information to each other, and so as also to communicate game information about a game executed based on the operation input information to each other.

15. A display control device for displaying, in a first computer included in a plurality of computers on a network, communication states of the plurality of computers, the display control device comprising:

a registration information storage configured to store therein pieces of individual information about computers that are registered as communication partners, which are partners with which the first computer communicates via the network, and pieces of distinguishing information, about the computers, associated with the pieces of individual information;

a connection determiner configured to determine whether or not a second computer, which is a computer that corresponds to at least one of the pieces of individual information stored in the registration information storage, is connected to the network;

a first acquisition structure configured to, when the connection determiner has determined that the second computer is connected to the network, acquire a piece of individual information about a third computer that is communicating with the second computer; and

a communication state display configured to visibly display before the first computer communicates with the second computer or the third computer, based on the piece of individual information about the third computer acquired by the first acquisition structure and the piece of individual information about the second computer, state of communication of the second computer with the third computer, and for also displaying information about the second computer, based on a piece of distinguishing information about the second computer, so as to be distinguishable from other computers.

16. A display control system, provided with a plurality of computers and a server on a network, for displaying, in a first computer included in the plurality of computers, communication states of the plurality of computers:

the server comprising

communication partner storage configured to store therein a piece of individual information about each of the plurality of computers in association with pieces of individual information about others of the plurality of computers that are communicating with each of the plurality of computers; and

the first computer comprising

registration information storage configured to store therein pieces of individual information about computers that are registered as communication partners, which are partners with which the first computer communicates via the network, and pieces of distinguishing information, about the computers, associated with the pieces of individual information,

a connection determiner configured to determine whether or not a second computer, which is a computer that corresponds to at least one of the pieces of individual information stored in the registration information storage, is connected to the network,

a first acquisition structure that is configured so that, when the connection determination determiner has determined that the second computer is connected to the network, the first acquisition structure acquires a piece of individual information, stored in the communication partner storage of the server, about a third computer that is communicating with the second computer, and

a communication state display configured to visibly display before the first computer communicates with the second computer or the third computer, based on the piece of individual information about the third computer acquired by the first acquisition structure and the piece of individual information about the second computer, state of communication of the second computer with the third computer, and for also displaying information about the second computer, based on a piece of distinguishing information about the second computer, so as to be distinguishable from other computers.

17. A method for use with a first computer included in a plurality of computers on a network, the method comprising:

storing, with the first computer, pieces of individual information about computers that are registered as communication partners, which are partners with which the first computer communicates via the network, and pieces of distinguishing information, about the computers, associated with the pieces of individual information;

determining whether or not a second computer, which is a computer that corresponds to at least one of the pieces of individual information stored in the registration information storage means, is connected to the network;

acquiring, when the connection determining has determined that the second computer is connected to the network, a piece of individual information about a third computer that is communicating with the second computer; and

before the first computer communicates with the second computer or the third computer, visibly displaying, based on the piece of individual information about the third computer acquired by the acquiring and the piece of individual information about the second computer, state of communication of the second computer with the third computer, and for also displaying information about the second computer, based on a piece of distinguishing information about the second computer, so as to be distinguishable from other computers.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a display control program, the program when executed by display a first computer included in a plurality of computers on a network, control the first computer to display communication states of the plurality of computers, the display control program comprising instructions that cause the first computer to:

store therein pieces of individual information about computers that are registered as communication partners, which are partners with which the first computer communicates via the network, and pieces of distinguishing information, about the computers, associated with the pieces of individual information;

determining whether or not a second computer, which is a computer that corresponds to at least one of the stored pieces of individual information is connected to the network;

acquiring, when the connection determining has determined that the second computer is connected to the network, a piece of individual information about a third computer that is communicating with the second computer; and

before the first computer participates in a group communication with the second computer and the third computer, visibly displaying, based on the piece of individual information about the third computer acquired by the acquiring and the piece of individual information about the second computer, states of communication between the second computer and the third computer.

19. The storage medium of claim 18 wherein the visibly displayed communication states comprises displaying a graphical indicator that the second and third computers are actively communicating with one another.

20. The storage medium of claim 18 wherein the visibly displayed communication states comprises displaying a graphical indicator that the second and third computers are actively engaged in a voice chat.