Server enabled user data exchange between information processing devices

• US 9,981,185 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2015
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Kuwahara, Masato, Murakami, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Brandon J
• Application Number:
  US14/744,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20150283461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2871 Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers

Abstract

A server device includes: a receiving unit configured to receive, from each of a plurality of information-processing devices, location information showing a respective location of each information-processing device; a setting unit configured to set a condition showing that one information-processing device is close to another information-processing device, based on a predetermined parameter; a determining unit configured to determine whether a first information-processing device and a second information-processing device from among the plurality of information-processing devices satisfy the condition based on the location information received by the receiving unit; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit information determined at the determining unit to the first information-processing device and the second information-processing device, in a case that the determining unit determines that the first information-processing device and the second information-processing device satisfy the condition.

Claims

1. A server comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from each of a plurality of information-processing devices, location information of each information-processing device and a user attribute information of each user;

a processor configured to

set a condition for determining whether one information-processing device is close to another information-processing device, the condition being dynamically determined in response to a parameter; and

determine whether a first information-processing device and a second information-processing device from among the plurality of information-processing devices satisfy the condition based on the location information and the user attribute information received by the receiver; and

a transmitter configured to transmit first data to the first information-processing device and second data to the second information-processing device when the first information-processing device and the second processing device satisfy the condition, wherein;

the parameter includes a spatial density of information processing devices in a geographic area;

the condition defines a spatial range and/or temporal range in relation to the first information processing device; and

the condition is dynamically determined in response to the parameter such that the spatial range and/or temporal range decreases as the spatial density increases.

2. The server according to claim 1, wherein the condition is determined so that the condition changes in response to the parameter.

3. The server according to claim 1, wherein the parameter includes the location information of the one information-processing device.

4. The server according to claim 1, wherein the parameter includes the spatial density of information-processing devices whose location is shown by the location information received by the receiver.

5. The server according to claim 4, wherein the processor further configured to calculate the spatial density based on the location information received by the receiver, the spatial density calculated to be included in the parameter.

6. The server according to claim 1, wherein the parameter includes the location information of the other information-processing devices.

7. The server according to claim 1, wherein the parameter includes environmental information of at least one of the plurality of information-processing devices.

8. The server of claim 1, wherein the condition is dynamically determined in response to the parameter such that the condition and the parameter have a nonlinear relationship.

9. The server of claim 1, wherein:

the condition is dynamically determined in response to the parameter such that the spatial range and/or temporal range decreases as the spatial density increases when the spatial density is smaller than a threshold, and such that the spatial range and/or temporal range are constant when the spatial density is larger than the threshold.

10. The server of claim 1, wherein:

the parameter includes the user attribute information.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, from each of a plurality of information-processing devices, location information of each information-processing device and a user attribute information of each user;

setting a condition for determining whether one information-processing device is close to another information-processing device, the condition being dynamically determined in response to a parameter;

determining whether a first information-processing device and a second information-processing device from among the plurality of information-processing devices satisfy the condition based on the location information and the user attribute information received by the receiver; and

transmitting first data to the first information-processing device and second data to the second information-processing device when the first information-processing device and the second processing device satisfy the condition, wherein;

the parameter includes a spatial density of information processing devices in a geographic area;

the condition defines a spatial range and/or temporal range in relation to the first information processing device; and

the condition is dynamically determined in response to the parameter such that the spatial range and/or temporal range decreases as the spatial density increases.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the condition is dynamically determined in response to the parameter such that the condition and the parameter have a nonlinear relationship.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the condition is dynamically determined in response to the parameter such that the spatial range and/or temporal range decreases as the spatial density increases when the spatial density is smaller than a threshold, and such that the spatial range and/or temporal range are constant when the spatial density is larger than the threshold.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the parameter includes the user attribute information.

15. A server comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from each of a plurality of information-processing devices, location information of each information-processing device and a device attribute information of each user;

a processor configured to

set a condition for determining whether one information-processing device is close to another information-processing device, the condition being dynamically determined in response to a parameter; and

determine whether a first information-processing device and a second information-processing device from among the plurality of information-processing devices satisfy the condition based on the location information and the device attribute information received by the receiver; and

a transmitter configured to transmit first data to the first information-processing device and second data to the second information-processing device when the first information-processing device and the second processing device satisfy the condition, wherein;

the parameter includes a spatial density of information processing devices in a geographic areas;

the condition defines a spatial range and/or temporal range in relation to the first information processing device; and

the condition is dynamically determined in response to the parameter such that the spatial range and/or temporal range decreases as the spatial density increases.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, from each of a plurality of information-processing devices, location information of each information-processing device and a device attribute information of each user;

setting a condition for determining whether one information-processing device is close to another information-processing device, the condition being dynamically determined in response to a parameter;

determining whether a first information-processing device and a second information-processing device from among the plurality of information-processing devices satisfy the condition based on the location information and the device attribute information received by the receiver; and

transmitting first data to the first information-processing device and second data to the second information-processing device when the first information-processing device and the second processing device satisfy the condition, wherein;

the parameter includes a spatial density of information processing devices in a geographic area;

the condition defines a spatial range and/or temporal range in relation to the first information processing device; and

the condition is dynamically determined in response to the parameter such that the spatial range and/or temporal range decreases as the spatial density increases.