GAME SYSTEM, GAME APPARATUS, STORAGE MEDIUM STORING GAME PROGRAM AND GAME DATA EXCHANGE METHOD

• US 20170113130A1
• Filed: 01/06/2017
• Published: 04/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: TANAKA, Shoya, KUWAHARA, Masato, OE, Toru, YOSHIOKA, Teruyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,873,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 13/327 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 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/24 for communication between two or more posts wireless communication networks H04W

Abstract

A game system including a plurality of mobile game apparatuses, and a mobile game apparatus that can communicate with another game apparatus that exists within a communicable range by use of a radio communications unit. When a communicated state is established, exchanging conditions for exchanging game data are received and transmitted, and in a case the exchange conditions are coincident with each other, the game data are exchanged.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a processor configured to cooperate with the wireless transceiver and cause the device to at least;

wirelessly transmit information of a first type, the information of the first type including (a) self-identifying information, and (b) representing data providable from and/or required by the device;

wirelessly receive transmitted information of the first type from other devices; and

request that a connection be established with an other device from which transmitted information of the first type has been wirelessly received, based at least in part on the data providable from and/or required by the device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the representing data is application-related data represented in the information of the first type that specifies deliverable information and/or information required for delivery.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the representing data represents data to be derived from execution of an application.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the wireless transmission is wireless broadcasting, and the request that a connection be established is a part of a connection process that is responsive to reception of wirelessly broadcasted information of the first type from an other device and based at least in part on the application-related data represented therein.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein broadcasted information of the first type is wirelessly receivable from other devices during a waiting period.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the device to wirelessly transmit information of the first type by broadcasting, and wirelessly receive broadcasted information of the first type.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to wirelessly transmit and wirelessly receive information of the first type without establishing a connection.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the connection process is performed in response to user input that confirms that a connection should be established.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein information of the first type is wirelessly transmittable while the device is operating in a power-saving mode.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein information of the first type is wirelessly transmittable while application software is being executed by the device.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmission and the wireless reception are performed cyclically.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the request that a connection be established is automatic, responsive to reception of information of the first type from an other device.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to cooperate with the wireless transceiver and cause the device to automatically respond to an other device from which the request has been wirelessly transmitted, responsive to reception of the request.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to cooperate with the wireless transceiver and cause the device to automatically connect with the other device from which the response has been wirelessly transmitted, responsive to reception of the response.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmission and the wireless reception alternately repeat.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmission includes consecutive transmissions of information of the first type.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein repeated wireless reception of information of the first type is enabled.

18. A device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a processor configured to cooperate with the wireless transceiver and cause the device to at least;

wirelessly receive transmitted information of a first type from other devices, the information of the first type including (a) self-identifying information, and (b) representing data providable from and/or required by the device; and

request that a connection be established with an other device from which transmitted information of the first type has been wirelessly received, based at least in part on the data providable from and/or required by the device.

19. A device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a processor configured to cooperate with the wireless transceiver and cause the device to at least;

wirelessly transmit information of a first type, the information of the first type including (a) self-identifying information, and (b) representing data providable from and/or required by the device,

the information of the first type, when received by an other device, causing the other device to request that a connection be established with the device, based at least in part on the data providable from and/or required by the device.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly storing instructions executable by a processor of a device comprising a wireless transceiver to cause the device to at least:

wirelessly transmit information of a first type, the information of the first type including (a) self-identifying information, and (b) representing data providable from and/or required by the device;

wirelessly receive transmitted information of the first type from other devices; and

request that a connection be established with an other device from which transmitted information of the first type has been wirelessly received, based at least in part on the data providable from and/or required by the device.