Communication game device

• US 20050148390A1
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bandai Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Bandai Company Limited, WiZ Co., Ltd. (BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Murase, Kazue, Yokoi, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,545,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• 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 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1018 Calibration; Key and button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8058 Virtual breeding, e.g. tamagotchi

Abstract

A communication game device which is disclosed can communicate with another game device, memorize the information about a communication partner at the time of the communication, and offer the communication game device which can process information for the succeeding game to be reflected in the contents of a game or the simulation. The communication game device has a processing section, a program storage part which memorizes a control program, an image storage section which memorizes character pictures matched with picture IDs, and controlling elements which can be operated by a game player. When the player'"'"'s game device receives parameters from another communication game device, the parameters are stored or the data is renewed. If a parameter containing a body ID and the same body ID as arbitrary data is not stored, the arbitrary data in the parameter is memorized. If the parameter has been memorized, it is updated.

Claims

1. A communication game device comprising:

a data processing section,

a program storage section for storing a control program for controlling said communication game device,

an image storage section for storing a picture ID and a character picture associated with the picture ID,

a controlling element operated by a game player,

a parameter storage section for storing a parameter including the picture ID, a device ID given by said data processing section to said communication game device based on the control program, and arbitrary data given by the game player using said controlling element,

a displaying element for displaying the character picture retrieved by said data processing section from said image storage section corresponding to the picture ID stored in said parameter storage section,

a communicating element capable of communicating the parameters stored in said parameter storage section to another communication game device,

a communication partner memory section for storing a parameter of said another communication device according to a device ID and a name received by said receiving section,

wherein said data processing section is capable of;

controlling the communication game device based on the control program stored in said program storage section so as to display a list of parameters stored in said communication partner memory section,

determining whether the parameter has been stored in said communication partner memory section when said receiving element receives a parameter transmitted by another communication game device,

renewing the parameter stored in said parameter storage section if said data processing section determines that the parameter transmitted has been stored in said communication partner memory section, and

adding new information if said data processing section determines that the parameter transmitted has not been stored in said communication partner memory section.

2. The communication game device as defined in claim 1,

wherein said image storage section further comprises:

a code memory section for storing the player'"'"'s memory picture code which is determined according to a type of character picture and the relationship between the picture ID and the character ID, and

a section for storing a memory code mismatch image,

wherein said communicating element is further capable of transmitting the player'"'"'s memory picture code stored in said code memory section along with the parameters stored in said parameter storage section to another communication game device,

wherein said communicating element is further capable of receiving a partner'"'"'s memory picture code transmitted by the partner'"'"'s communication game device,

wherein said data processing section is further capable of;

comparing the player'"'"'s memory picture code stored in said code memory section with the partner'"'"'s memory picture code,

retrieving a character picture which corresponds to an ID received by said communicating element from said image storage section to display a picture of a virtual living object of the partner'"'"'s communication game device if the partner'"'"'s memory picture code is identified with the player'"'"'s memory picture code stored in said code memory section, and

retrieving the memory code mismatch image from said image storage section to display as the partner'"'"'s virtual living object on said displaying element if the partner'"'"'s memory picture code is not identified with the player'"'"'s memory picture code stored in said code memory section.

3. The communication game device as defined in claim 1, wherein said communicating element further includes an infrared ray emitting element and an infrared ray receiving element capable of receiving data transmitted by another communication game device.

4. The communication game device as defined in claim 1, wherein said communication partner memory section is an EEPROM.

5. The communication game device as defined in claim 1, wherein said controlling element includes a plurality of spaced apart buttons.

6. The communication game device as defined in claim 1, wherein said displaying element is a liquid crystal display.

7. A communication game device comprising:

a data processing section,

a program storage section for storing a control program for controlling said communication game device,

an image storage section for storing a picture ID and a character picture associated with the picture ID,

a parameter storage section for storing a parameter including the picture ID, a device ID given by said data processing section to said communication game device based on the control program, and arbitrary data given by a user,

a communication partner memory section for storing a parameter of another communication device according to a device ID and a character name,

a displaying element for displaying the character picture retrieved by said data processing section from said image storage section corresponding to the picture ID stored in said parameter storage section,

a communicating element capable of communicating the parameters stored in said parameter storage section to another communication game device, and

a controlling element manually operable to enter the arbitrary data.

8. A communication game device comprising:

a processing unit including;

a data processing section,

a program storage section for storing a control program for controlling said communication game device,

an image storage section for storing a picture ID and a character picture associated with the picture ID,

a non-volatile memory including;

a parameter storage section for storing at least one parameter including the picture ID, a device ID given by said data processing section to said communication game device based on the control program and arbitrary data input by a game player, and

a communication partner memory section for storing a parameter of said another communication device by device ID and character name,

a displaying element connected to said processing unit for displaying the character picture retrieved by said data processing section from said image storage section corresponding to the picture ID stored in said parameter storage section,

a communicating element connected to said processing unit and being capable of communicating the parameters stored in said parameter storage section to another communication game device, and

a controlling element connected to said processing unit and operated by the game player.

9. The communication game device as defined in claim 8, wherein said communicating element further comprises an infrared ray emitting device and an infrared ray receiving device.

10. The communication game device as defined in claim 8, wherein said controlling element includes a plurality of spaced apart buttons.

11. The communication game device as defined in claim 8, wherein said non-volatile memory further includes a storage section where a picture ID mismatch image is stored.

12. The communication game device as defined in claim 11, wherein said non-volatile memory is an EEPROM.

13. A communication game device comprising:

a data processing section,

a program storage section for storing a control program for controlling said communication game device,

an image storage section for storing a picture ID and a character picture associated with the picture ID,

a parameter storage section for storing a parameter including the picture ID, a device ID given by said data processing section to said communication game device based on the control program, and arbitrary data given by a user,

a communication partner memory section for storing a parameter of a partner'"'"'s communication game device according to a device ID and a character name,

a displaying element for displaying the character picture retrieved by said data processing section from said image storage section corresponding to the picture ID stored in said parameter storage section,

a communicating element for communicating the parameters stored in said parameter storage section to the partner'"'"'s communication game device, and

a controlling element manually operable to enter the arbitrary data,

wherein said data processing section further comprises;

means for displaying an image of a virtual living object having a plurality of growth stages, and

means for determining various parameters including a life time of the virtual living object according to the growth stages of the living object

14. The communication game device as defined in claim 13, wherein said communicating element further comprises an infrared ray emitting device and an infrared ray receiving device.

15. The communication game device as defined in claim 13, wherein said parameter storage section further comprises a recognition code memory section in which a recognition code and a mystery mark are stored, and

wherein said data processing section further comprises means for comparing a recognition code transmitted by said communicating element with the recognition code stored in said recognition code memory section and means for displaying the mystery mark when the recognition code transmitted by said communicating element is not identified with the recognition code stored in said recognition code memory section.

16. A communication game device comprising:

a data processing section,

a program storage section for storing a control program for controlling said communication game device,

an image storage section for storing a picture ID and a character picture associated with the picture ID,

a parameter storage section for storing a parameter including the picture ID, a device ID given by said data processing section to said communication game device based on the control program, and arbitrary data given by a user,

a communication partner memory section for storing a parameter of a partner'"'"'s communication game device according to a device ID and a character name,

a displaying element for displaying the character picture retrieved by said data processing section from said image storage section corresponding to the picture ID stored in said parameter storage section,

a communicating element for communicating the parameters stored in said parameter storage section to the partner'"'"'s communication game device, and

a controlling element manually operable to enter the arbitrary data,

wherein said data processing section displays an image of a virtual living object and determines various parameters including a lifetime of the virtual living object according to a growth stage of the virtual living object.

17. The communication game device as defined in claim 16, wherein said communicating element further comprises an infrared ray emitting device and an infrared ray receiving device.

18. The communication game device as defined in claim 16, wherein said parameter storage section further comprises a recognition code memory section for storing a recognition code and a mystery mark, and

wherein said data processing section further compares a recognition code transmitted by said communicating element with the recognition code stored in said recognition code memory section and displays the mystery mark when the recognition code transmitted by said communicating element is not identified with the recognition code stored in said recognition code memory section.