Mobile game system and method

• US 20040235568A1
• Filed: 05/12/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Yong-suk
• Application Number:
  US10/843,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20040235568A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• 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 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• 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 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 : for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 : Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A mobile game system including a first mobile device with a first transceiver communicating data with a base station and a second transceiver for short-range data communications; at least one second mobile device communicating with the second transceiver; and a game server communicating with the base station, for sending and receiving data to and from the first mobile device through the base station. The second mobile device communicates with the game server through the first transceiver of the first mobile device. The mobile game system connects slave mobile devices to the mobile communication network and the game server through a few master mobile devices connected to the mobile communication network and the game server so players can enjoy network games. Mobile devices using protocols such as Bluetooth are connected to a master mobile device, even though the mobile devices are not the same, to enable players to enjoy network games.

Claims

1. A mobile game system, comprising:

a first mobile device comprising a first transceiver capable of communicating with a base station and a second transceiver for short-range data communications;

at least one second mobile device capable of communicating with the second transceiver; and

a game server capable of communicating with the base station, for sending and receiving data to and from the first mobile device through the base station, wherein the at least one second mobile device communicates with the game server through the first transceiver of the first mobile device.

2. The mobile game system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first mobile device serves as a proxy server to which the second mobile device can connect.

3. The mobile game system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second mobile device uses a communication protocol used by the second transceiver.

4. The mobile game system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the communication protocol is a Bluetooth protocol.

5. The mobile game system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first mobile device forms a piconet with the second mobile device.

6. The mobile game system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first mobile device acts as a proxy server forming a network with a plurality of mobile devices located in a predetermined range.

15. The mobile game system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first mobile device comprises a first multi-player game and the at least second mobile device comprising a second multi-player game, wherein the first multi-player game is played interactively with the second multi-player game.

16. The mobile game system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first and the second multi-player games are the same.

7. A mobile game method, comprising steps of:

connecting a first mobile device to a base station;

setting the first mobile device as a proxy server;

connecting through a protocol to the first mobile device, at least one of second mobile device located in a predetermined range from the first mobile device; and

communicating by the at least one second mobile device with the base station through the first mobile device.

8. The mobile game method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of connecting the first mobile device to the base station comprises a step of performing predetermined authorization procedures by a game server, the game server being connected to the base station and communicating game data with the first mobile device.

9. The mobile game method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step of performing predetermined authorization procedures is executed only by the first mobile device.

10. The mobile game method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first mobile device can be connected with the at least one second mobile device using the protocol.

11. The mobile game method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one second mobile device uses the protocolused by the first mobile device.

12. The mobile game method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the protocol is the Bluetooth protocol.

13. The mobile game method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first mobile device forms a piconet with the at least one second mobile device.

14. The mobile game method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first mobile device acts as a proxy server forming a network with a plurality of mobile devices located in a predetermined range.

17. The mobile game method as claimed in claim 7 further comprising:

playing a first multi-player game at the first mobile device; and

playing a second multi-player game at the at least second mobile device, wherein the first multi-player game is played interactively with the second multi-player game.

18. The mobile game method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first and the second multi-player games are the same.