Wireless communication game system

• US 9,174,129 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shoya, Oe, Toru, Yoshioka, Teruyuki, Kuwahara, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): RENWICK, REGINALD A
• Application Number:
  US13/830,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20130196778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• 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 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• 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 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• 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 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM

Abstract

A wireless communication game system includes a plurality of mobile game apparatuses, which function as a parent device or a child device and are capable of making a communication with each other, and broadcasts from the parent device a parent device packet including a parent device PID, a user name UserName, a game name GameName, an OC flag, an E slot, a U slot, and a payload. All the parent device packets are received from the parent device existing within a communicationable range of a user'"'"'s own apparatus, and the user'"'"'s own apparatus creates a parent device list, and displays the parent device list on an LCD. Therefore, a user or a player of his own apparatus looks at the game name of the parent device list, for example, and operates a cross key included in an operation key so as to select one desired parent device. Then, transmitting a child device number CID of the user'"'"'s own apparatus at the E slot designated by the parent device packet, the user'"'"'s own apparatus transmits a connection request to the parent device.

Claims

1. A wireless communication information system using a plurality of information devices, wherein:

at least one of the devices includes;

a program store provided to store a program to be sent to another device, and

a wireless transmitter operable to send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is being executed on the device, wherein the wireless transmitter sends the device self-identifying information and application identifying information when the device has not yet established a connection with any other devices,

at least one other of the devices includes;

a wireless receiver operable to receive device self-identifying information and application identifying information, and

at least one processor configured to at least;

generate for display a screen including device information for devices existing within the communication range and application information for an application which is being executed on each of the devices based on said information received by said wireless receiver,

enable a user to select one of the devices displayed, and

cause a program request to be transmitted toward the device selected,

the wireless transmitter of the at least one of the devices is further operable to transmit, in response to a program request from the at least one other of the devices, the program stored in the program store to the at least one other of the devices, and

the wireless receiver of the at least one other of the devices is further operable to receive the program transmitted.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program related to the application that is being executed on the at least one of the devices.

3. A wireless device, comprising:

a program store provided to store a program to be sent to another device,

a wireless transmitter operable to send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is being executed on the device, wherein the wireless transmitter sends the device self-identifying information and application identifying information when the device has not yet established a connection with any other devices, and wherein the wireless transmitter sends, in response to a program request from another device, the program stored in the program store to the another device,

wireless receiver operable to receive device self-identifying information and application identifying information from other devices existing within a communications range, and

at least one processor configured to at least;

generate for display a screen including device information for the other devices existing within the communication range and application information for an application which is being executed on each of the devices based on said information received by the wireless receiver, and

enable a user to select at least one of the devices displayed,

wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program request toward the at least one device selected, and

wherein the wireless receiver is further operable to receive a program transmitted by the at least one device toward which the program request was transmitted.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the wireless transmitter sends the device self-identifying information and application identifying information without establishing a connection.

5. The device of claim 3, the device is a game device, and the application is a game.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send the device self-identifying information and the application identifying information to plural ones of the plurality of the devices within communications range.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program related to the application that is being executed on the device.

8. A wireless device, comprising:

a program store provided to store a program to be sent to another device,

a wireless transmitter operable to send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is being executed on the device, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send the device self-identifying information and the application identifying information when any opponent to connect with is not yet determined,

at least one processor configured to at least cause, in response to a program request from another device, the program stored in the program store to be transmitted to the another device, and

a wireless receiver operable to receive device self-identifying information and application identifying information from other devices existing within a communications range,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to at least;

generate for display a screen including device information for the other devices existing within the communication range and application information for an application which is being executed on each of the devices based on said information received by said wireless receiver, and

enable a user to select one of the devices displayed,

wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program request toward the device selected, and

wherein the wireless receiver is further operable to receive a program transmitted by the device toward which the program request was transmitted.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program related to the application that is being executed on the device.

10. A wireless device, comprising:

a program store provided to store a program to be sent to another device,

a wireless transmitter operable to send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is being executed on the device, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send the device self-identifying information and the application identifying information when a user of the device has not yet selected any opponent to connect with,

at least one processor configured to at least cause, in response to a program request from another device, the program stored in the program store to be transmitted to the another device, and

a wireless receiver operable to receive device self-identifying information and application identifying information from other devices existing within a communications range,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to at least;

generate for display a screen including device information for the other devices existing within the communication range and application information for an application which is being executed on each of the devices based on said information received by said wireless receiver, and

enable a user to select one of the devices displayed,

wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program request toward the device selected, and

wherein the wireless receiver is further operable to receive a program transmitted by the device toward which the program request was transmitted.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program related to the application that is being executed on the device.

12. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage device storing executable instructions for use in a wireless communication information system comprising a plurality of information devices, the devices having respective program stores storing programs to be sent from the respective devices to other devices, the executable instructions configured to at least:

send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is being executed on a device, wherein the device self-identifying information and application identifying information is sent when the device has not yet established a connection with any other devices,

receive device self-identifying information and application identifying information from other devices existing within a communications range,

display a screen including device information for the other devices existing within the communications range and application information for an application which is being executed on each of these devices based on said received information,

allow a user to select one of the displayed devices,

transmit a program request toward the selected device,

transmit, in response to a program request from another device, the program stored in the program store to the another device, and

receive a program from the device toward which the program request was transmitted.

21. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 12, wherein the executable instructions are further configured to at least cause transmission of a program related to the application that is being executed on the device from which the program is being transmitted.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage device storing executable instructions for use by a wireless device that is a part of a wireless system comprising a plurality of wireless devices, the devices comprising respective program stores storing programs to be sent to other devices, the executable instructions configured to at least:

send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is being executed on the device, wherein the device self-identifying information and application identifying information is sent when the device has not yet established a connection with any other devices,

receive device self-identifying information and application identifying information from other devices existing within a communications range,

display a screen including device information for the other devices existing within the communications range and application information for an application which is being executed on each of the devices based on said received information,

allow a user to select one of the displayed devices,

transmit a program request toward the selected device,

transmit, in response to a program request from another device, the program stored in the program store to the another device, and

receive a transmitted program from the device toward which the program request was transmitted.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the executable instructions are further configured to at least cause transmission of a program related to the application that is being executed on the device.

15. A wireless device, comprising:

a program store provided to store a program to be sent to another device,

a wireless transmitter operable to send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is stored in the program store, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send the device self-identifying information and application identifying information when the device has not yet established a connection with any other devices, and wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send, in response to a program request from another device, the program stored in the program store to the another device,

a wireless receiver operable to receive device self-identifying information and application identifying information from other devices existing within a communications range, and

at least one processor configured to at least;

generate for display a screen including device information for the other devices existing within the communication range and application information for an application which is stored in the program store of each of the devices based on said information received by said wireless receiver, and

enabling a user to select one of the devices displayed,

wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program request toward the device selected, and

wherein the wireless receiver is further operable to receive the program transmitted from the device toward which the program request was transmitted.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program related to the application that is being executed on the device.

17. A wireless game device, comprising:

a program store provided to store a program to be sent to another game device,

a wireless transmitter operable to send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is being executed on the game device, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send the device self-identifying information and application identifying information when the game device has not yet established a connection with any other game devices, and wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send, in response to a program request from another game device, the program stored in the program store to the another game device,

a wireless receiver operable to receive said information from other game devices existing within a communications range, and

at least one processor configured to at least;

generate for display a screen including device information for the other game devices existing within the communication range and application information for an application which is being executed on each of the game devices based on said information received by said wireless transmitter,

enable a user to select one of the game devices displayed,

wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send a program request toward the game device selected, and

wherein the wireless receiver is further operable to receive a program transmitted by the game device toward which the program request was transmitted.

18. The game device of claim 17, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program related to the application that is being executed on the game device.

19. A wireless device, comprising:

a program store provided to store a program to be sent to another device,

a wireless transmitter operable to send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is being executed on the device, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send the device self-identifying information and the application identifying information before the device has started a communicative state with any other devices, and wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit, in response to a program request from another device, the program stored in the program store to the another device,

a wireless receiver operable to receive device self-identifying information and application identifying information from other devices existing within a communications range,

at least one processor configured to at least;

generate for display a screen including device information for the other devices existing within the communication range and application information for an application which is being executed on each of the devices based on said information received by said wireless receiver, and

enable a user to select one of the devices displayed,

wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program request toward the device selected, and

wherein the wireless receiver is further operable to receive a program transmitted by the device toward which the program request was transmitted.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program related to the application that is being executed on the device.

22. A wireless communication information system using a plurality of information devices, wherein:

at least one of the devices includes;

a program store provided to store a program to be sent to another device, and

a wireless transmitter operable to send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is executable on the device, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send the device self-identifying information and application identifying information without establishing a connection with any other devices,

at least one other of the devices includes;

a wireless receiver operable to receive device self-identifying information and application identifying information,

at least one processor configured to at least;

generate for display a screen including device information and application information for an application which is executable on each of the devices based on said information received by said wireless receiver, and

enable a user to select one of the devices displayed, and

cause a program request to be transmitted toward the device selected,

the wireless transmitter of the at least one of the devices is further operable to transmit, in response to a program request from the at least one other of the devices, the program stored in the program store to the at least one other of the devices, and

the wireless receiver of the at least one other of the devices is further operable to receive the program transmitted.

23. A wireless communication information system using a plurality of information devices, wherein:

at least one of the devices includes;

a program store provided to store a program to be sent to another device, and

a wireless transmitter operable to send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application which on the device, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send the device self-identifying information and application identifying information without establishing a connection with any other devices,

at least one other of the devices includes;

a wireless receiver operable to receive device self-identifying information and application identifying information, and

at least one processor configured to at least;

generate for display a screen including device information and application information for an application which is on each of the devices based on said information received by said wireless receiver, and

enable a user to select one of the devices displayed, and

cause a program request to be transmitted toward the device selected, the wireless transmitter of the at least one of the devices is further operable to transmit, in response to a program request from the at least one other of the devices, the program stored in the program store to the at least one other of the devices, and

the wireless receiver of the at least one other of the devices is further operable to receive the program transmitted.

24. A wireless device, comprising:

a program store provided to store a program to be sent to another device,

a wireless transmitter operable to send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is on the device, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send the device self-identifying information and application identifying information when the device has not yet established a connection with any other devices, and wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send, in response to a program request from another device, the program stored in the program store to the another device,

a wireless receiver operable to receive device self-identifying information and application identifying information from other devices, and

at least one processor configured to at least;

generate for display a screen including device information and application information for an application which is on each of the devices based on said information received by said wireless receiver, and

enable a user to select at least one of the devices displayed,

wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program request toward the at least one device selected, and

wherein the wireless receiver is further operable to receive a program transmitted by the at least one device toward which the program request was transmitted.

25. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage device storing executable instructions for use in a wireless communication information system comprising a plurality of information devices, the devices having respective program stores storing programs to be sent from the respective devices to other devices, the executable instructions configured to at least:

send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application on a device, wherein the device self-identifying information and application identifying information is sent when the device has not yet established a connection with any other devices,

receive device self-identifying information and application identifying information from other devices,

display a screen including device information for the other devices and application information for an application which is on each of these devices based on said received information,

allow a user to select one of the displayed devices,

transmit a program request toward the selected device,

transmit, in response to a program request from another device, the program stored in the program store to the another device, and

receive a program from the device toward which the program request was transmitted.

26. A non-transitory computer readable storage device storing executable instructions for use by a wireless device that is a part of a wireless system comprising a plurality of wireless devices, the devices comprising respective program stores storing programs to be sent to other devices, the executable instructions configured to at least:

send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is on the device, wherein the device self-identifying information and application identifying information is sent when the device has not yet established a connection with any other devices,

receive device self-identifying information and application identifying information from other devices,

display a screen including device information for the other devices and application information for an application which is on each of the devices based on said received information,

allow a user to select one of the displayed devices,

transmit a program request toward the selected device,

transmit, in response to a program request from another device, the program stored in the program store to the another device, and

receive a transmitted program from the device toward which the program request was transmitted.

27. A wireless device, comprising:

a program store provided to store a program to be sent to another device,

a wireless transmitter operable to send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is stored in the program store, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send the device self-identifying information and application identifying information when the device has not yet established a connection with any other devices, and wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit, in response to a program request from another device, the program stored in the program store to the another device,

a wireless receiver operable to receive device self-identifying information and application identifying information from other devices, and

at least one processor configured to at least;

generate for display a screen including device information for the other devices and application information for an application which is stored in the program store of each of the devices based on said information received by said wireless receiver, and

enable a user to select one of the devices displayed,

wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program request toward the device selected, and

wherein the wireless receiver is further operable to receive a program transmitted from the device toward which the program request was transmitted.

28. A wireless game device, comprising:

a program store provided to store a program to be sent to another game device,

a wireless transmitter operable to send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is on the game device, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send the device self-identifying information and application identifying information when the game device has not yet established a connection with any other game devices, and wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit, in response to a program request from another game device, the program stored in the program store to the another game device,

a wireless receiver operable to receive said information from other game devices, and

at least one processor configured to at least;

generate for display a screen including device information for the other game devices and application information for an application which is on each of the game devices based on said information received by said wireless receiver, and

enable a user to select one of the game devices displayed,

wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program request toward the game device selected, and

wherein the wireless receiver is further operable to receive a program transmitted by the game device toward which the program request was transmitted.

29. A wireless device, comprising:

a program store provided to store a program to be sent to another device,

a wireless transmitter operable to send device self-identifying information and application identifying information for an application which is on the device, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send the device self-identifying information and the application identifying information before the device has started a communicative state with any other devices, and wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit, in response to a program request from another device, the program stored in the program store to the another device,

a wireless receiver for receiving device self-identifying information and application identifying information from other devices, and

at least one processor configured to at least;

generate for display a screen including device information for the other devices and application information for an application which is on each of the devices based on said information received by said wireless receiver, and

enable a user to select one of the devices displayed,

wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program request toward the device selected, and

wherein the wireless receiver is further operable to receive a program transmitted by the device toward which the program request was transmitted.

30. A wireless device, comprising:

a program store provided to store a program to be sent to another device,

a wireless transmitter operable to send device self-identifying information and application identifying information, wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to send the device self-identifying information and the application identifying information before the device has started a communicative state with any other devices, and wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit, in response to a program request from another device, the program stored in the program store to the another device,

a wireless receiver operable to receive device self-identifying information and application identifying information from other devices,

at least one processor configured to at least;

generate for display a screen including device information and application information for the other devices based on said information received by said wireless receiver, and

enable a user to select one of the devices displayed,

wherein the wireless transmitter is further operable to transmit a program request toward the device selected, and

wherein the wireless receiver is further operable to receive a program transmitted by the device toward which the program request was transmitted.