Information processing system, computer-readable storage medium having information processing program stored therein, and information processing method

• US 9,144,738 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2012
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Kawamoto, Kouichi, Funahashi, Kiyofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, LAN DAI T
• Application Number:
  US13/343,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20130103789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/203, 709/202, 709/201, 709/238
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8064 Quiz
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

Subject-data-to-be-collected representing an element to be collected is generated or selected, when a server and any one of a plurality of hand-held information terminals cooperate with each other to perform predetermined information processing by using data transmitted and received between the server and the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals. Each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals transmits to and receives from another one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, the subject-data-to-be-collected. Thus, pleasure of collecting the subject-data-to-be-collected by communication among the hand-held information terminals, is provided.

Claims

1. An information processing system including a server, and a plurality of hand-held information terminals connectable to the server via a network, the information processing system comprising:

a first processor configured to

generate or select subject-data-to-be-collected representing an element to be collected, when the server and any one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals cooperate with each other to perform predetermined information processing by using data transmitted and received between the server and the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, and

transmit the generated or selected subject-data-to-be-collected from the server to the one of the plurality of handheld information terminals,

wherein each one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals includes

a first transmitter configured to directly transmit to another one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, the subject-data-to-be-collected transmitted from the server to the one of the plurality of handheld information terminals, and

a first receiver configured to directly receive from other one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals other subject-data-to-be-collected, transmitted from the server to the other one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first processor operates such that any one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals transmits, to the server, associated data which is associated with the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals or a user of the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, and the server generates or selects the subject-data-to-be-collected using the associated data transmitted from the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals further includes a positional information obtaining section configured to obtain positional information about a user or about a corresponding one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, and

the first processor generates or selects the subject-data-to-be-collected by using the positional information.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals further includes a region information obtaining section configured to obtain region information about a user or about a corresponding one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, and

the first processor generates or selects, by using the region information, the subject-data-to-be-collected having been subjected to sorting according to a region.

5. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the server further includes an identification information obtaining section configured to obtain identification information for identifying a relay device which relays communication between each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals and the server, and

the first processor generates or selects, by using the identification information, the subject-data-to-be-collected having been subjected to sorting according to the identification information.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the subject-data-to-be-collected is data representing a portion of one complete content.

7. The information processing system according to claim 6, wherein

the subject-data-to-be-collected is specifying data used for specifying a predetermined portion, a predetermined region, or a predetermined period of the entirety of the one complete content, and

each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals further includes a storage section configured to store all data representing the one complete content, and the specifying data.

8. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the subject-data-to-be-collected is data representing an individual element of a predetermined collection of elements.

9. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first transmitter and receiver connects to another one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, which is a short distance away, and transmits to and receives from the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals connected thereto, the subject-data-to-be-collected.

10. The information processing system according to claim 9, wherein the first transmitter and receiver uses a short distance wireless communication to wirelessly connect to another one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, which is within a communication-allowed range, and transmits to and receives from the other one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals which is wirelessly connected thereto, the subject-data-to-be-collected.

11. An information processing system including a server, and a plurality of hand-held information terminals connectable to the server via a network, the information processing system comprising:

a first processor configured to

generate or select subject-data-to-be-collected representing an element to be collected, when the server and any one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals cooperate with each other to perform predetermined information processing by using data transmitted and received between the server and the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, and

transmit the generated or selected subject-data-to-be-collected from the server to the one of the plurality of handheld information terminals,

wherein each one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals includes

a first transmitter configured to directly transmit to another one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, the subject-data-to-be-collected transmitted from the server to the one of the plurality of handheld information terminals, and

a first receiver configured to directly receive from other one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals other subject-data-to-be-collected, transmitted from the server to the other one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals,

wherein each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals further includes an output processor configured to perform a predetermined output process by combining a plurality of pieces of the subject-data-to-be-collected.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program that causes a computer of an information processing system including a server, and a plurality of hand-held information terminals connectable to the server via a network, to function as:

a first processor configured to

generate or select subject-data-to-be-collected representing an element to be collected, when the server and any one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals cooperate with each other to perform predetermined information processing by using data transmitted and received between the server and the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, and

transmit the generated or selected subject-data-to-be-collected from the server to the one of the plurality of handheld information terminals; and

a section configured to cause each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals to act as

a transmitter configured to directly transmit to another one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, the subject-data-to-be-collected transmitted from the server to the one of the plurality of handheld information terminals, and

a receiver configured to directly receive from other one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals other subject-data-to-be-collected, transmitted from the server to the other one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals.

13. An information processing method that controls an information processing system including a server, and a plurality of hand-held information terminals connectable to the server via a network, the information processing method comprising the steps of:

generating or selecting subject-data-to-be-collected representing an element to be collected, when the server and any one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals cooperate with each other to perform predetermined information processing by using data transmitted and received between the server and the one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals;

transmitting the generated or selected subject-data-to-be-collected from the server to the one of the plurality of handheld information terminals; and

causing each of the plurality of hand-held information terminals to

directly transmit to another one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals, the subject-data-to-be-collected transmitted from the server to the one of the plurality of handheld information terminals, and

directly receive from other one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals other subject-data-to-be-collected, transmitted from the server to the other one of the plurality of hand-held information terminals.