Wireless communication game system

• US 9,789,398 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2016
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• 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:
  US15/354,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20170065883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• 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 device, comprising:

processing resources, including at least one processor, configured to cause the device to operate in first and second modes, but not at the same time;

a transceiver operably connected to the processing resources, the transceiver being configured to wirelessly transmit self-identifying information to, and wirelessly receive self-identifying information from, other devices within communication range of the transceiver, the self-identifying information being arranged for transmission in a data packet having one of first and second formats based on whether the corresponding device is operating in the first or second mode, the first and second formats being different from one another; and

a computer readable storage medium tangibly storing first and second device lists;

wherein the processing resources are further configured to control the device to at least;

update the first device list stored on the computer readable storage medium to identify which devices, if any, within communication range of the transceiver is/are operating in the first mode, based on self-identifying information received therefrom by the transceiver, and

update the second device list stored on the computer readable storage medium to identify which devices, if any, within communication range of the transceiver is/are operating in the second mode, based on self-identifying information received therefrom by the transceiver.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first mode corresponds to a parent mode and the second mode corresponds to a child mode.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein self-identifying information is transmittable between different devices without having to establish a connection therebetween.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein self-identifying information is transmittable both before and after the device on which it is generated has established a connection with another device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing resources are further configured to control the device to at least generate a display including one or more of the other devices that are connectable with, based on self-identifying information received therefrom by the transceiver.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein each other device included in the generated display is operating in a mode different from the mode in which the device is operating.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the processing resources are further configured to control the device to at least facilitate user input indicative of another device with which a connection is to be established and respond to such user input by attempting to form a connection with the another device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein:

self-identifying information is transmittable between different devices without having to establish a direct or indirect connection therebetween; and

wherein the processing resources are further configured to control the device to at least;

generate a display including one or more of the other devices that are connectable with, based on self-identifying information received therefrom by the transceiver and in dependence on the modes in which the device and the one or more of the other devices are operating; and

receive input indicative of another device included in the generated display with which a connection is to be established and respond to such user input by attempting to form a connection with the another device.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the device and the other devices each are configured to store respective first and second device lists.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein self-identifying information is transmittable between different devices without having to establish a direct or indirect connection therebetween;

and further comprising instructions executable by the processing resources to control the information processing device to at least;

generate a display including one or more of the other devices that are connectable with, based on self-identifying information received therefrom by the transceiver and in dependence on the modes in which the device and the one or more of the other devices are operating; and

receive input indicative of another device included in the generated display with which a connection is to be established and respond to such user input by attempting to form a connection with the another device.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by processing resources, including at least one processor, of an information processing device, to control the information processing device to at least:

operate in first and second modes, but not at the same time;

use a transceiver operably connected to the processing resources to wirelessly transmit self-identifying information to, and wirelessly receive self-identifying information from, other devices within communication range of the transceiver, the self-identifying information being arranged for transmission in a data packet having one of first and second formats based on whether the corresponding device is operating in the first or second mode, the first and second formats being different from one another;

store first and second device lists;

update the first device list to identify which devices, if any, within communication range of the transceiver is/are operating in the first mode, based on self-identifying information received therefrom by the transceiver; and

update the second device list to identify which devices, if any, within communication range of the transceiver is/are operating in the second mode, based on self-identifying information received therefrom by the transceiver.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first mode corresponds to a parent mode and the second mode corresponds to a child mode.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein self-identifying information is transmittable between different devices without having to establish a connection therebetween.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein self-identifying information is transmittable both before and after the device on which it is generated has established a connection with another device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions executable by the processing resources to control the information processing device to at least generate a display including one or more of the other devices that are connectable with, based on self-identifying information received therefrom by the transceiver.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein each other device included in the generated display is operating in a mode different from the mode in which the device is operating.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions executable by the processing resources to control the information processing device to at least facilitate user input indicative of another device with which a connection is to be established and respond to such user input by attempting to form a connection with the another device.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the device and the other devices each are configured to store respective first and second device lists.

19. An information processing system comprising a plurality of information processing devices, wherein at least some of the information processing devices comprise:

processing resources, including at least one processor, configured to cause the respective device to operate in first and second modes, but not at the same time;

a transceiver operably connected to the processing resources, the transceiver being configured to wirelessly transmit self-identifying information to, and wirelessly receive self-identifying information from, other devices within communication range of the transceiver, the self-identifying information being arranged for transmission in a data packet having one of first and second formats based on whether the corresponding device is operating in the first or second mode, the first and second formats being different from one another; and

a computer readable storage medium tangibly storing first and second device lists;

wherein the processing resources are further configured to control the respective device to at least;

update the first device list stored on the computer readable storage medium to identify which devices, if any, within communication range of the transceiver is/are operating in the first mode, based on self-identifying information received therefrom by the transceiver, and

update the second device list stored on the computer readable storage medium to identify which devices, if any, within communication range of the transceiver is/are operating in the second mode, based on self-identifying information received therefrom by the transceiver.

20. A method of operating an information processing device comprising a transceiver, a computer readable storage medium storing first and second device lists, and processing resources including at least one processor, the method comprising:

operating the information processing device in first and second modes, but not at the same time;

using the transceiver to wirelessly transmit self-identifying information to, and wirelessly receive self-identifying information from, other devices within communication range of the transceiver, the self-identifying information being arranged for transmission in a data packet having one of first and second formats based on whether the corresponding device is operating in the first or second mode, the first and second formats being different from one another;

updating the first device list to identify which devices, if any, within communication range of the transceiver is/are operating in the first mode, based on self-identifying information received therefrom by the transceiver; and

updating the second device list to identify which devices, if any, within communication range of the transceiver is/are operating in the second mode, based on self-identifying information received therefrom by the transceiver,

wherein the device and the other devices each are configured to store respective first and second device lists.