Information processing system, apparatus, method and control program capable of executing efficient data communication dispensing with communication with once communicated partner

• US 9,450,917 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2010
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ooe, Tooru, Shoji, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Christensen, Scott B
• Application Number:
  US12/871,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20110060825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,213 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• 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 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

An exchange data communication determining unit determines, based on a received reception wireless frame, whether or not a communication partner is an exchange partner with which the exchange data can be exchanged. Receiving a notice that exchange of the exchange data is possible, a data communication control unit executes a process for giving/receiving the exchange data. A machine identification information registration unit stores an MAC address of a portable game machine in an MAC address list saving area. Again, the wireless frame transmitting/receiving unit sets a transmission wireless frame and executes an exchange partner searching process. An exchange data communication determining unit determines whether or not an MAC address included in the received reception wireless frame is registered with the MAC address list saving area, and if it is registered, the data communication is terminated.

Claims

1. An information processing system including a plurality of information processing apparatuses, wherein

each information processing apparatus includes

storage;

wireless communication circuitry configured to receive information comprising apparatus identification information and application program identification information, transmitted from another one of the information processing apparatuses, the apparatus identification information identifying the other information processing apparatus and the application program identification information identifying an application program;

processing circuitry comprising at least one hardware processor, the processing circuitry configured to control the information processing apparatus to at least;

determine, based on the received apparatus identification information and the received application program identification information, whether or not to execute an exchange data communication process for transmitting transmission exchange data to the other information processing apparatus and/or for receiving, as reception exchange data, transmission exchange data transmitted from the other information processing apparatus;

control the exchange data communication process based on the determination;

register in the storage, if the exchange data communication process is executed with respect to the other information processing apparatus, at least the apparatus identification information of the other information processing apparatus, in order to identify the other information processing apparatus as a partner with which the exchange data communication process has been performed;

wherein

if the received apparatus identification information is already registered in the storage, the processing circuitry determines not to execute the exchange data communication process,

if the received apparatus identification information is not already registered in the storage, the processing circuitry further determines if the received application program identification information corresponds to application identification information for an application program executable by the information processing apparatus by comparing the received application program identification information to application program identification information for multiple different application programs executable by the information processing apparatus,

if the received apparatus identification information is not already registered in the storage and the received application program identification information does not correspond to application program identification information for any of the multiple different executable application programs, the processing circuitry determines not to execute the exchange data communication process, and

if the received apparatus identification information is not already registered in the storage and the received application program identification information corresponds to application program identification information for any of the multiple different executable application programs, the processing circuitry determines to execute the exchange data communication process.

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

the at least one hardware processor comprises at least one first processor and at least one second processor, the at least one first processor being configured to provide an exchange data communication control unit for the control of the exchange data communication process and the at least one second processor being configured to provide an exchange data communication determining unit for the determining of whether or not to execute an exchange data process, an apparatus identification information registration control unit for the registering in the storage of at least the apparatus identification information, and a notifying unit;

and

each information processing apparatus further comprises a wireless module including

the wireless communication circuitry, and

the at least one second processor,

the notifying unit configured to send a notice to the exchange data communication control unit, if the exchange data communication determining unit determines that the exchange data communication process is to be executed; and

the exchange data communication control unit is configured to transition to a sleep state, wherein the exchange data communication control unit cancels the sleep state and executes the exchange data communication process when the notice is received from the notifying unit.

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

the wireless communication circuitry receiver is configured to repeatedly execute a searching process of transmitting a search signal including information comprising apparatus identification information and application program identification information to an unspecified partner or waiting until a search signal is received, to receive information comprising apparatus identification information and application program identification information;

and

the processing circuitry is configured to determine whether or not to execute the exchange data communication process, each time information comprising apparatus identification information and application program identification information is received in accordance with the searching process.

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

after the exchange data communication process with the other information processing apparatus is executed, the wireless communication circuitry repeatedly executes a searching process of transmitting a search signal including information comprising apparatus identification information and application program identification information to an unspecified partner or waiting until a search signal is received, to receive information comprising apparatus identification information and application program identification information;

the processing circuitry is configured to determine whether or not to execute the exchange data communication process, each time information comprising apparatus identification information and application program identification information is received in accordance with the searching process; and

the processing circuitry executes the exchange data communication process for every determination to execute the exchange data communication process.

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

the processing circuitry is configured to designate transmission exchange data to be transmitted to the other information processing apparatus.

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

the storage is configured to store data usable by at least one application program among the multiple different application programs as the transmission exchange data designated to be transmitted to the other information processing apparatus;

and

the processing circuitry is configured to transmit the stored transmission exchange data to the other information processing apparatus and/or receive, as the reception exchange data, transmission exchange data stored in the other information processing apparatus, based on the determination to execute the exchange data communication process.

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

the processing circuitry is configured to erase the apparatus identification information registered in the storage, based on prescribed conditions.

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

the processing circuitry is configured to erase the apparatus identification information registered in the storage after a prescribed time period.

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

the processing circuitry is further configured to designate transmission exchange data to be transmitted to the other information processing apparatus and to erase, when the transmission exchange data is designated, the apparatus identification information registered in the storage.

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

the storage is configured to store data usable by at least one application program among the multiple different application programs as the transmission exchange data to be transmitted to the other information processing apparatus;

and

the processing circuitry is further configured to

determine whether or not apparatus identification information corresponding to the received apparatus identification information is registered in the storage, and

determine whether or not the received application program identification information corresponds to application program identification information for the transmission exchange data stored in the storage.

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

the processing circuitry is configured to designate transmission exchange data to be transmitted to the other information processing apparatus;

the received information includes obtaining conditions data for determining whether or not the exchange data is to be obtained in accordance with a combination of transmission exchange data to be transmitted to the other information processing apparatus and/or reception exchange data to be received from the other information processing apparatus; and

the processing circuitry is further configured to

determine whether or not apparatus identification information corresponding to the received apparatus identification information is registered in the storage, and

determine whether or not the obtaining conditions data satisfy prescribed conditions.

12. The information processing system according to claim 11, wherein

the information further includes comparison identification data for designating the obtaining conditions data to be one comparing method among a plurality of comparing methods.

13. The information processing system according to claim 11, wherein

the obtaining conditions data includes offering attribute data related to the transmission exchange data to be transmitted to the other information processing apparatus and requested attribute data related to the reception exchange data to be received from the other information processing apparatus;

and

the processing circuitry is further configured to

determine whether or not the offering attribute data included in the obtaining conditions data transmitted to the other information processing apparatus corresponds to the requested attribute data included in the obtaining conditions data received from the other information processing apparatus, and

determine whether the requested attribute data included in the obtaining conditions data transmitted to the other information processing apparatus corresponds to the offering attribute data included in the obtaining conditions data received from the other information processing apparatus.

14. The information processing system according to claim 13, wherein

the obtaining conditions data includes determination setting data setting whether or not data used for determination is valid/invalid;

the processing circuitry is configured to determine whether or not mask offering attribute data in accordance with the determination setting data related to the offering attribute data included in the obtaining conditions data transmitted to the other information processing apparatus matches mask requested attribute data in accordance with the determination setting data related to the requested attribute data included in the obtaining conditions data received from the other information processing apparatus; and

the processing circuitry is further configured to determine whether or not the mask requested attribute data in accordance with the determination setting data related to the requested attribute data included in the obtaining conditions data transmitted to the other information processing apparatus matches the mask offering attribute data in accordance with the determination setting data related to the offering attribute data included in the obtaining conditions data received from the other information processing apparatus.

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

the processing circuitry is further configured to change the apparatus identification information under prescribed conditions.

16. The information processing system according to claim 15, wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to change the apparatus identification information at prescribed time periods.

17. The information processing system according to claim 15, wherein

the storage includes first and second storage areas for registering apparatus identification information of the other information processing apparatus corresponding to currently used apparatus identification information, and apparatus identification information of the other information processing apparatus corresponding to last used apparatus identification information, respectively;

the processing circuitry is further configured to erase apparatus identification information registered in the storage based on the prescribed conditions and to erase the apparatus identification information stored in the second storage area, when the currently used apparatus identification information is changed.

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

the processing circuitry is further configured to designate transmission exchange data to be transmitted to the other information processing apparatus;

after the exchange data communication process with the other information processing apparatus is executed, the wireless communication circuitry repeatedly executes a searching process of transmitting a search signal including information comprising apparatus identification information and application program identification information to an unspecified partner or waiting until a search signal is received, to receive information comprising apparatus identification information and application program identification information;

the processing circuitry is further configured to

determine whether or not apparatus identification information corresponding to the received apparatus identification information is registered in the storage, each time the information comprising apparatus identification information and application program identification information is received in accordance with the searching process; and

execute the exchange data communication process for every determination to execute the exchange data communication process.

19. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

storage;

wireless communication circuitry configured to receive information comprising apparatus identification information and application program identification information, transmitted from another information processing apparatus, the apparatus identification information identifying the other information processing apparatus and the application program identification information identifying an application program;

processing circuitry including at least one hardware processor, the processing circuitry configured to control the information processing apparatus to at least;

determine, based on the received apparatus identification information and the received application program identification information, whether or not to execute an exchange data communication process for transmitting transmission exchange data to the other information processing apparatus and/or for receiving, as reception data,

transmission exchange data transmitted from the other information processing apparatus;

control the exchange data communication process based on the determination;

register in the storage, if the exchange data communication process is executed with respect to the other information processing apparatus, at least the apparatus identification information of the other information processing apparatus, in order to identify the other information processing apparatus as a partner with which the exchange data communication process has been performed;

wherein

if the received apparatus identification information is already registered in the storage, the processing circuitry determines not to execute the exchange data communication process,

if the received apparatus identification information is not already registered in the storage, the processing circuitry further determines if the received application program identification information corresponds to application identification information for an application program executable by the information processing apparatus by comparing the received application program identification information to application program identification information for multiple different application programs executable by the information processing apparatus,

if the received apparatus identification information is not already registered in the storage and the received application program identification information does not correspond to application program identification information for any of the multiple different executable application programs, the processing circuitry determines not to execute the exchange data communication process, and

if the received apparatus identification information is not already registered in the storage and the received application program identification information corresponds to application program identification information for any of the multiple different executable application programs, the processing circuitry determines to execute the exchange data communication process.

20. A method of controlling an information processing apparatus, comprising:

receiving information comprising apparatus identification information and application program identification information, transmitted from another information processing apparatus, the apparatus identification information identifying the other information processing apparatus and the application program identification information identifying an application program;

determining, based on the received apparatus identification information and the received application program identification information, whether or not to execute an exchange data communication process for transmitting transmission exchange data to the other information processing apparatus and/or for receiving, as reception exchange data, transmission exchange data transmitted from the other information processing apparatus;

controlling the exchange data communication process based on the execution determination;

registering in storage, if the exchange data communication process is executed with respect to the other information processing apparatus, at least the apparatus identification information of the other information processing apparatus, in order to identify the other information processing apparatus as a partner with which the exchange data communication process has been performed;

wherein

if the received apparatus identification information is already registered in the storage, the determining determines that the exchange data communication process is not to be executed,

if the received apparatus identification information is not already registered in the storage, the determining further determines if the received application program identification information corresponds to application identification information for an application program executable by the information processing apparatus by comparing the received application program identification information to application program identification information for multiple different application programs executable by the information processing apparatus,

if the received apparatus identification information is not already registered in the storage and the received application program identification information does not correspond to application program identification information for any of the executable application programs, the determining determines that the exchange data communication process is not to be executed, and

if the received apparatus identification information is not already registered in the storage and the received application program identification information corresponds to application program identification information for any of the multiple different executable application programs, the determining determines that the exchange data communication process is to be executed.

21. A non-transitory storage medium storing a control program which is executable by a computer of an information processing apparatus, wherein

the control program includes:

receiving instructions to receive information comprising apparatus identification information and application program identification information transmitted from another information processing apparatus, the apparatus identification information identifying the other information processing apparatus and the application program identification information identifying an application program;

exchange data communication determining instructions to determine whether or not to execute an exchange data communication process for transmitting transmission exchange data to the other information processing apparatus and/or for receiving, as reception exchange data, transmission exchange data transmitted from the other information processing apparatus, based on the received apparatus identification information and the received application program identification information;

exchange data communication control instructions to control the exchange data communication process based on the determination by the exchange data communication determining instructions; and

apparatus identification information registration control instructions to register in storage, if the exchange data communication process is executed with respect to the other information processing apparatus, at least the apparatus identification information of the other information processing apparatus, in order to identify the other information processing apparatus as a partner with which the exchange data communication process has been performed; and

wherein

the exchange data communication determining instructions determine that the exchange data communication process is not to be executed, if the received apparatus identification information is already registered in the storage,

if the received apparatus identification information is not already registered in the storage, the exchange data communication determining instructions further determine if the received application program identification information corresponds to application identification information for an application program executable by the information processing apparatus by comparing the received application program identification information to application program identification information for multiple different application programs executable by the information processing apparatus,

if the received apparatus identification information is not already registered in the storage and the received application program identification information does not correspond to application program identification information for any of the executable application programs, the exchange data communication determining instructions determine that the exchange data communication process is not to be executed, and

if the received apparatus identification information is not already registered in the storage and the received application program identification information corresponds to application program identification information for any of the executable application programs, the exchange data communication determining instructions determine that the exchange data communication process is to be executed.

22. An information processing system including a plurality of information processing apparatuses and a plurality of fixed terminals, wherein

each information processing apparatus includes

storage;

wireless communication circuitry configured to receive information comprising first identification information identifying an information processing apparatus or a fixed terminal and second identification information identifying an application program, transmitted from another one of the information processing apparatuses or from a fixed terminal;

processing circuitry including at least one hardware processor, the processing circuitry configured to control the information processing apparatus to at least;

determine, based on the received first and second identification information, whether or not to execute an exchange data communication process for transmitting transmission exchange data to the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal and/or for receiving, as reception exchange data, transmission exchange data transmitted from the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal;

control the exchange data communication process based on the determination;

register in the storage, if the exchange data communication process is executed with respect to the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal, at least the identification information of the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal, in order to identify the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal as a partner with which the exchange data communication process has been performed;

wherein

if the received first identification information is already registered in the storage, the processing circuitry determines not to execute the exchange data communication process;

if the received first identification information is not already registered in the storage, the processing circuitry further determines if the received second identification information corresponds to application identification information for an application program executable by the information processing apparatus by comparing the received second identification information to application program identification information for multiple different application programs executable by the information processing apparatus,

if the received first identification information is not already registered in the storage and the received second identification information does not correspond to application program identification information for any of the executable application programs, the processing circuitry determines not to execute the exchange data communication process, and

if the received first identification information is not already registered in the storage and the received second identification information corresponds to application program identification information for any of the executable application programs, the processing circuitry determines to execute the exchange data communication process.

23. The information processing system according to claim 22, wherein

the storage includes a first area registering the identification information of the other information processing apparatus, and a second area registering the identification information of the fixed terminal.

24. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

storage;

wireless communication circuitry configured to receive information comprising first identification information identifying an information processing apparatus or a fixed terminal and second identification information identifying an application program, transmitted from another information processing apparatus or from a fixed terminal;

processing circuitry including at least one hardware processor, the processing circuitry configured to control the information processing apparatus to at least;

determine, based on the received first and second identification information, whether or not to execute an exchange data communication process for transmitting transmission exchange data to the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal and/or for receiving, as reception exchange data, transmission exchange data transmitted from the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal;

control the exchange data communication process based on the determination;

register in the storage, if the exchange data communication process is executed with respect to the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal, at least the identification information of the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal in order to identify the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal as a partner with which the exchange data communication process has been performed;

wherein

if the received first identification information is already registered in the storage, the processing circuitry determines not to execute the exchange data communication process;

if the received first identification information is not already registered in the storage, the processing circuitry further determines if the received second identification information corresponds to application identification information for an application program executable by the information processing apparatus by comparing the received second identification information to application program identification information for multiple different application programs executable by the information processing apparatus,

if the received first identification information is not already registered in the storage and the received second identification information does not correspond to application program identification information for any of the executable application programs, the processing circuitry determines not to execute the exchange data communication process, and

if the received first identification information is not already registered in the storage and the received second identification information corresponds to application program identification information for any of the executable application programs, the processing circuitry determines to execute the exchange data communication process.

25. A method of controlling an information processing apparatus, comprising:

receiving information comprising first identification information identifying an information processing apparatus or a fixed terminal and second identification information identifying an application program, transmitted from another information processing apparatus or from a fixed terminal;

determining, based on the received first and second identification information, whether or not to execute an exchange data communication process for transmitting transmission exchange data to the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal and/or for receiving, as reception exchange data, transmission exchange data transmitted from the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal;

controlling the exchange data communication process based on the execution determination; and

registering in a storage, if the exchange data communication process is executed with respect to the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal, at least the identification information of the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal, in order to identify the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal as a partner with which the exchange data communication process has been performed;

wherein

if the received first identification information is already registered in the storage, the determining determines that the exchange data communication process is not to be executed;

if the received first identification information is not already registered in the storage, the determining further determines if the received second identification information corresponds to application identification information for an application program executable by the information processing apparatus by comparing the received second identification information to application program identification information for multiple different application programs executable by the information processing apparatus,

if the received first identification information is not already registered in the storage and the received second identification information does not correspond to application program identification information for any of the executable application programs, the determining determines that the exchange data communication process is not to be executed, and

if the received first identification information is not already registered in the storage and the received second identification information corresponds to application program identification information for any of the executable application programs, the determining determines that the exchange data communication process is to be executed.

26. A non-transitory storage medium storing a control program executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus, wherein

the control program includes:

receiving instructions to receive information comprising first identification information for identifying an information processing apparatus or a fixed terminal and second identification information for identifying an application program, transmitted from another information processing apparatus or a fixed terminal;

exchange data communication determining instructions to determine whether or not to execute an exchange data communication process for transmitting transmission exchange data to the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal and/or for receiving, as reception exchange data, transmission exchange data transmitted from the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal based on the received first and second identification information;

exchange data communication control instructions to control the exchange data communication process based on the determination by the exchange data communication determining instructions; and

identification information registration control instructions to register in storage, if the exchange data communication process is executed with respect to the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal, at least the identification information of the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal, in order to identify the other information processing apparatus or the fixed terminal as a partner with which the exchange data communication process has been performed; and

wherein

the exchange data communication determining instructions determine that the exchange data communication process is not to be executed, if the received first identification information is already registered in the storage,

if the received first identification information is not already registered in the storage, the exchange data communication determining instructions further determine if the received second identification information corresponds to application identification information for an application program executable by the information processing apparatus by comparing the received second identification information to application program identification information for multiple different application programs executable by the information processing apparatus,

if the received first identification information is not already registered in the storage and the received second identification information does not correspond to application program identification information for any of the executable application programs, the exchange data communication determining instructions determines that the exchange data communication process is not to be executed, and

if the received first identification information is not already registered in the storage and the received second identification information corresponds to application program identification information for any of the executable application programs, the exchange data communication determining instructions determine that the exchange data communication process is to be executed.

27. A portable information processing apparatus comprising:

a wireless transmitter/receiver for receiving partner identifier information and application program identifier information for an application program transmitted from a possible data exchange partner;

memory for storing partner identifier information of one or more data exchange partners with which the information processing apparatus has previously exchanged data;

a processor configured to determine whether the received partner identifier information corresponds to any partner identifier information stored in the memory, to determine whether the received application program identifier information corresponds to application program identifier information associated with any one of multiple different application programs executable by the portable information processing apparatus, and to exchange data with the possible data exchange partner if the received partner identifier information is determined to not correspond to any partner identifier information stored in the memory and if the received application program identifier information corresponds to application program identifier information associated with any of the executable application programs.

28. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the partner identifier information comprises a MAC address.

29. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the possible data exchange partner is another portable information processing apparatus.

30. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the possible data exchange partner is a fixed terminal apparatus.

31. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the information processing apparatus is embodied as a portable telephone.

32. The portable information processing apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the information processing apparatus is embodied as a portable game machine.