Network game system, network game device, network game method and readable storage medium storing network game program

• US 6,855,057 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2001
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Computer Entertainment Studios, Inc. (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamaoka, Masatoshi, Namba, Kazuhiro, Yotsugi, Hirotomo, Goto, Katsuhiro, Naito, Satoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Sager, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASHBURN, STEVEN L
• Application Number:
  US09/820,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20010027130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 7- 9, 463 29- 31, 463/36, 463 40- 43, 705/1, 705/14
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/086 played via telephone, e.g. using a modem
• 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

Abstract

A network game having bi-directional characteristics by means of a network, wherein prescribed data corresponding to a game result is transmitted to a game-player and the game result is provided with general applicability and future development possibilities. The character training game system consists of a web (WWW) server 1 located on the Internet and a mobile telephone device 20. The server 1 comprises a character training-type game device 10. This game device 10 comprises internal hardware and software for a character training game, for example, at the least, a training processing section 100, and a transmission and reception control section 112 for controlling data reception and transmission processing with respect to the Internet. The network center 30 mediates the connection between the mobile telephone device 20 and the Internet. Game images from the game device 10 are displayed on the monitor of the mobile telephone device 20, and a game is developed by sending back response data by operating keys. A training result is transmitted from the server 1 to the mobile telephone device 20.

Claims

1. A network game device, which is a server side game device for performing game processing on the basis of received data, said network game device comprising:

transmitting and receiving means for transmitting and receiving game data, via a network, to and from an input device provided with a monitor and an operating member;

said transmitting and receiving means transmitting all entered data from the input device to the server without intended delay;

game development processing means for performing game processing in response to all entered input data during a game;

means for creating prescribed data corresponding to game results;

wherein said transmitting and receiving means transmits said created prescribed data to said input device, via the network; and

clock means for monitoring passage of real time, wherein said transmitting and receiving means delays transmission of the prescribed data until a passage of a predetermined time period from a time of termination of access of the input device to the network after completion of the game and performs transmission via the network of the prescribed data in response to the passage of the predetermined time period.

2. The network game device according to claim 1, wherein said prescribed data represents one of the acquired points, game performance, and special benefits corresponding to the game result.

3. The network game device according to claim 1, wherein said game data is data relating to the training of a game character, and said game data includes training command request data transmitted by said server side game device and response data from said input device in response to said command request data.

4. The network game device according to claim 1, wherein said input device is a mobile communication device.

5. The network game device according to claim 1, wherein the game data transmitted by said transmitting and receiving means includes image data and text data.

6. The network game device according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting and receiving means including a first transmission means and a second transmission means and said network game device further comprising:

storing means for storing character training game images including command requests and said first transmission means transmits character training game images stored in said storing means to said input device;

receiving means for receiving response data from said input device in response to said command requests; and

training processing means for executing character training program processing based on the received response data and wherein said second transmitting means transmits training result data obtained based on the character training processing to said input device.

7. The network game device according to claim 6, wherein said first transmitting means transmits the training game images stored in said storing means to said input device one at a time.

8. A network game method for a server side game device for performing game processing on the basis of received data, that is configured so as to transmit and receive game data, via a network, to and from an input device provided with a monitor and an operating member, said network game method comprising the steps of:

transmitting and receiving all entered data from the input device to the server without intended delay;

performing game processing in response to all entered input data during a game;

creating prescribed data corresponding to game results at the end of a game;

transmitting said created prescribed data to said input device, via the network; and

monitoring passage of a real time so that said transmission of said created prescribed data to said input device is delayed until a passage of a predetermined time period from a time of a termination of access to the input device after completion of the game and transmission via the network of the created prescribed data is performed in response to the passage of the predetermined time period.

9. A readable storage medium storing a network game program for operating a server side game device for performing game processing on the basis of received data, that is configured so as to transmit and receive game data, via a network, to and from an input device provided with a monitor and an operating member;

said network game program comprising the steps of;

transmitting and receiving all entered data from the input device to the server without intended delay;

performing game processing in response to all entered input data during a game;

creating prescribed data corresponding to game results at the end of a game; and

transmitting said created prescribed data to said input device, via the network so that transmission of the created prescribed data is delayed until a passage of a predetermined time period from a time of termination of access of the input device to the network after completion of the game and transmission is performed via the network in response to the passage of the predetermined time period.

10. A network game system comprising a server side game device located on a network for performing game processing and transmission and reception of game data, and an input device for of transmitting and receiving game data to and from said server side game device via the network, comprising:

transmitting and receiving means for transmitting and receiving game data, via the network, to and from the input device;

said transmitting and receiving means transmitting all entered data from the input device to the server without intended delay;

said server side game device including;

game development processing means for performing game processing in response to all entered input data during a game;

means for creating prescribed data corresponding to game results; and

means for transmitting said created prescribed data to said input device, via the network; and

clock means for monitoring passage of a real time, wherein said transmitting means delays transmission of the prescribed data until a passage of a predetermined time period from a time of termination of access of the input device to the network after completion of the game and performs transmission via the network of the prescribed data in response to passage of the predetermined time period; and

said input device including;

a monitor;

an operating member;

means for creating response data by operating said operating member in response to game data received from said server side game device and transmitting said response data to said server side game device; and

means for receiving said prescribed data from said server side game device.

11. The network game system according to claim 10, wherein said prescribed data represents one of the acquired points, game performance, and special benefits corresponding to the game result.

12. The network game system according to claim 10, wherein said game data is data relating to the training of the game character, and said game data includes training command request data transmitted by said server side game device and response data from said input device in response to said command request data.

13. The network game system according to claim 10, wherein said input device is a mobile communication device.

14. The network game system according to claim 10, wherein the game data transmitted by said transmitting means includes image data and text data.

15. The network game system according to claim 10, wherein said transmitting means including a first transmission means and a second transmission means and

said network game device further comprising:

storing means for storing character training game images including command requests and said first transmission means transmits character training game images stored in said storing means to said input device;

receiving means for receiving response data from said input device in response to said command requests; and

training processing means for executing character training program processing based on the received response data and wherein said second transmitting means transmits training result data obtained based on the character training processing to said input device.

16. The network game system according to claim 15, wherein said first transmitting means transmits the training game images stored in said storing means to said input device one at a time.

17. A network game device, which is a server side game device for performing game processing on the basis of received data, said network game device comprising:

a processing section including;

a game day number managing section for performing processing one day of a time frame in a game space that is different from one day in real time;

a clock section for counting a real time and monitoring that a game for one round consisting of a plurality of days in the game space time is not executed within one day of the real time, and said clock section monitoring that a predetermined time period in the real time has passed after a completion of each one of the rounds and prohibiting a continuation of a game play from the previous round unless the predetermined time period in the real time has passed;

transmitting and receiving means for transmitting and receiving game data, via a network, to and from an input device provided with a monitor and an operating member;

said transmitting and receiving means transmitting all entered data from the input device to the server without intended delay;

game development processing means for performing game processing in response to all entered input data during a game;

means for creating prescribed data corresponding to game results;

wherein said transmitting and receiving means transmits said created prescribed data to said input device, via the network after completion of the game; and

wherein said transmitting and receiving means performs transmission of the prescribed data only after passage of a predetermined constant time period monitored by said clock section from the time of completion of termination of access by the input device to the network after each one of the rounds.

18. The network game device according to claim 17, wherein said prescribed data represents one of the acquired points, game performance, and special benefits corresponding to the game result.

19. The network game device according to claim 17, wherein said game data is data relating to the training of the game character, and said game data includes training command request data transmitted by said server side game device and response data from said input device in response to said command request data.

20. The network game device according to claim 17, wherein said input device is a mobile communication device.

21. The network game device according to claim 17, wherein the game data transmitted by said transmitting and receiving means includes image data and text data.

22. The network game device according to claim 17, wherein said transmitting and receiving means including a first transmission means and a second transmission means and said network game device further comprising:

storing means for storing character training game images including command requests and said first transmission means transmits character training game images stored in said storing means to said input device;

receiving means for receiving response data from said input device in response to said command requests; and

training processing means for executing character training program processing based on the received response data and wherein said second transmitting means transmits training result data obtained based on the character training processing to said input device.

23. The network game device according to claim 22, wherein said first transmitting means transmits the training game images stored in said storing means to said input device one at a time.

24. A network game device, which is a server side game device for performing game processing on the basis of received data, said network game device comprising:

transmitting and receiving means for transmitting and receiving game data, via a network, to and from an input device provided with a monitor and an operating member;

said transmitting and receiving means transmitting all entered data from the input device to the server without intended delay;

game development processing means for performing game processing in response to all entered input data during a game;

means for creating prescribed data corresponding to game results;

wherein said transmitting and receiving means transmits said created prescribed data to said input device, via the network; and

clock means for monitoring passage of real time, wherein said transmitting and receiving means performs transmission of the prescribed data after passage of a predetermined time period from a time of a termination of access of the input device to the server side game device after completion of the game.

25. The network game device according to claim 24, wherein said prescribed data represents one of the acquired points, game performance, and special benefits corresponding to the game result.

26. The network game device according to claim 24, wherein said game data is data relating to the training of the game character, and said game data includes training command request data transmitted by said server side game device and response data from said input device in response to said command request data.

27. The network game device according to claim 24, wherein said input device is a mobile communication device.

28. The network game device according to claim 24, wherein the game data transmitted by said transmitting and receiving means includes image data and text data.

29. The network game device according to claim 24, wherein said transmitting and receiving means including a first transmission means and a second transmission means and said network game device further comprising:

storing means for storing character training game images including command requests and said first transmission means transmits character training game images stored in said storing means to said input device;

receiving means for receiving response data from said input device in response to said command requests; and

training processing means for executing character training program processing based on the received response data and wherein said second transmitting means transmits training result data obtained based on the character training processing to said input device.

30. The network game device according to claim 29, wherein said first transmitting means transmits the training game images stored in said storing means to said input device one at a time.

31. A network game device, which is a server side game device for performing game processing on the basis of received data, said network game device comprising:

transmitting and receiving means for transmitting and receiving game data, via a network, to and from an input device provided with a monitor and an operating member;

said transmitting and receiving means transmitting all entered data from the input device to the server without intended delay;

game development processing means for performing game processing in response to all entered input data during a game such that the network game is a non-turn based game;

means for creating prescribed data corresponding to game results;

wherein said transmitting and receiving means transmits said created prescribed data to said input device, via the network; and

clock means for monitoring passage of real time, wherein said transmitting and receiving means delays transmission of the prescribed data until a passage of a predetermined time period from a time of termination of access of the input device to the network after completion of the game and performs transmission via the network of the prescribed data in response to the passage of the predetermined time period.