Wireless communication game system

• US 9,504,915 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2016
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shoya, Kuwahara, Masato, Oe, Toru, Yoshioka, Teruyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): RENWICK, REGINALD A
• Application Number:
  US15/092,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20160220899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 236 Days
• 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. An information processing system including a plurality of devices, wherein:

at least one of the devices includes;

a first wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit self-identifying information and application identifying information identifying an application that is being executed on the respective device, wherein the first wireless transceiver is further configured to send the self-identifying information and the application identifying information before the respective device has established a connection with any other device in the plurality of devices, and

at least one other of the devices includes;

a second wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly receive, from first wireless transceivers of devices existing within communication range of the second wireless transceiver, self-identifying information and application identifying information, and

at least one processor configured to at least generate a display of indications of the devices existing within communications range, based on the application identifying information received by the second wireless transceiver.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to at least enable a user to select at least one of the displayed indications of the devices, and cause the second wireless transceiver to transmit a corresponding connection request based on the selection(s).

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to at least enable a user to select at least one of the displayed indications of the devices and, for a selected indication, cause the second wireless transceiver to transmit a connection request toward the corresponding device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to at least enable a user to select at least one of the displayed indications of the devices and, for a selected indication, cause the second wireless transceiver to transmit a connection request for the corresponding device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the displayed indications are representative of devices that execute an application that are communicative with an application that is being executed on the at least one of the devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second wireless transceivers are further configured to send and receive said information among unspecified devices.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first wireless transceiver is configured to wirelessly broadcast the self-identifying information and the application identifying information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the devices in the plurality of devices are game devices.

9. A wireless handheld device comprising:

at least one processor; and

a wireless transceiver controllable by the at least one processor to at least;

wirelessly send self-identifying information and application identifying information identifying at least one application on the device, and

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

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

generate a display including an indication of each other device that exists within communications range and that is communicative with an application on the device, as determined based on corresponding application identifying information received by the wireless transceiver, wherein established connections are not prerequisites to generation of the display.

10. The device of claim 9 being a game device, and wherein the at least one application comprises a communicative game.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the application identifying information identifies an application that is being executed on the device.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the wireless transceiver is further configured to send the self-identifying information and the application identifying information so that that information is receivable by undetermined other devices within communications range.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the transceiver is further configured to send and receive said information among unspecified devices.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the application identifying information identifies an application that is being executed on the device that is sending it.

15. A wireless handheld device comprising:

at least one processor; and

a wireless transceiver controllable by the at least one processor to at least;

wirelessly send self-identifying information and application identifying information identifying at least one application on the device, and

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

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

generate a display including an indication of each other device that exists within communications range and that is communicative with an application on the device, as determined based on corresponding application identifying information received by the wireless transceiver and without having to establish connections with any other devices.

16. The device of claim 15 being a game device, and wherein the at least one application comprises a communicative game.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the application identifying information identifies an application that is being executed on the device.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the wireless transceiver is further configured to send the self-identifying information and the application identifying information so that that information is receivable by undetermined other devices within communications range.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the transceiver is further configured to send and receive said information among unspecified devices.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the application identifying information identifies an application that is being executed on the device that is sending it.

21. A wireless communication method for use with a device comprising at least one processor and a wireless transceiver controllable by the at least one processor, the method comprising:

enabling wireless sending, using the wireless transceiver, of self-identifying information and application identifying information identifying at least one application on the device;

wirelessly receiving, using the wireless transceiver, self-identifying information and application identifying information from other devices; and

generating a display including an indication of each other device that exists within communications range and that is communicative with an application on the device, as determined based on corresponding application identifying information received by the wireless transceiver, wherein established connections are not prerequisites to generation of the display.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to enable the sending of self-identifying information and application identifying information so that that information is receivable by undetermined other devices within communications range.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the transceiver is configured to send and receive said information among unspecified devices.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the application identifying information identifies an application that is being executed on the device that is sending it.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

enabling a user to select at least one indication included in the generated display; and

responsive to a selection, transmitting a corresponding connection request based on the selection(s) using the wireless transceiver.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the transceiver is configured to send and receive said information without establishing connections with any other devices.