Game server, recording medium for storing game action control program and network game action control method for implementing multiple player team alteration

• US 7,300,353 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2002
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, Inc. (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Tatsuya, Nakayama, Norio, Goto, Katsuhiro, Takahashi, Hidehisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones; Scott E.
• Application Number:
  US10/133,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20020160824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 40- 42, 700/91
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• 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 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• 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 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

A search processor associates identifying information regarding terminal devices and stores this in an information memory as a team, an information deletion processor transmits a member deletion request from one terminal device belonging to a team, to the other terminal devices belonging to the team, regarding another terminal device belonging to the team, and deletes from the information memory the identifying information regarding the other terminal device based on the responses from each terminal device, and a replacement processor transmits an admission request from one terminal device belonging to the team to the other terminal devices belonging to the team, selects a terminal device that satisfies the admission criteria included in the admission request based on the responses from the other terminal devices, and stores the identifying information regarding the selected terminal device in the information memory.

Claims

1. A game server that transmits and receives information to and from a plurality of terminal devices over a network, said game server comprising:

a memory;

member information processing means for associating identifying information regarding a first, a second and a third terminal device from said plurality of terminal devices;

said member information processing means storing, as a team, the associated information in said memory from said first, second and third terminal devices;

member information deletion means for transmitting a member deletion request regarding said first terminal device from said second terminal device to said third terminal device;

said member information deletion means deleting the identifying information of said first terminal device from said memory responsive to an agreement to delete said first terminal device from said second and third terminal devices; and

member replacement means for transmitting an admission criteria selection screen to one terminal device of said team responsive to said one terminal device requesting an admission of another terminal device into said team, said another terminal device not belonging to said team, said another terminal device satisfying admission criteria included in said member admission request, said admission criteria being defined by a plurality of criteria;

said member replacement means transmitting a member admission request from said one terminal device to other terminal devices on said team responsive to an agreement to admit another terminal device by said team;

said member replacement means selecting a fourth terminal device from said plurality of terminal devices responsive to member selection criteria provided from the other terminal devices; and

said member replacement means storing the identifying information regarding the fourth terminal device in said memory as a member of said team.

2. The game server according to claim 1, further comprising reference means for enabling reference to game histories of the other terminal devices belonging to said team.

3. The game server according to claim 1, wherein said member information deletion means carries out determination regarding whether or not to grant the member deletion request based on a principle of majority vote.

4. The game server according to claim 1, wherein said member replacement means carries out determination regarding whether or not to grant the member admission request based on a principle of majority vote.

5. The game server according to claim 1, further comprising an e-mail transmission means for transmitting the result of said determination to the terminal devices belonging to said team via e-mail.

6. The game server according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of said admission criteria is selectable from criteria prepared in advance.

7. The game server according to claim 1, wherein said member replacement means prevents the selection of the terminal device that was deleted by the member information deletion means.

8. The game server according to claim 1, wherein the terminal devices that constitute a team are each assigned different roles.

9. The game server of claim 1, wherein said member replacement means transmits a vote screen from said game server to the other team terminal devices, said member replacement means receiving votes for the admission criteria from said other team terminal devices.

10. The game server of claim 1, wherein said member information deletion means sends a vote screen to said third team terminal device for identifying said second team terminal device as the terminal sending said member deletion request.

14. The game server according to claim 1, wherein said team is a band and each of said terminal devices plays a specific part in said band,

11. A recording medium for storing a game action control program, wherein a game server connects over a network to a plurality of terminal devices, said plurality of terminal devices defining one or more teams, said game being played on said server by said teams by transmitting and receiving information over the network between said server and said teams, said action control program causing said game server to perform steps, said steps comprising:

associating identifying information regarding a first, a second and a third terminal device from said plurality of terminal devices;

storing, as one team, said associated identifying information in a memory;

transmitting a member deletion request regarding said first terminal device from said second terminal device to said third terminal device;

deleting the identifying information of said first terminal device from said memory responsive to an agreement to delete said first terminal device from said second and third terminal devices;

transmitting an admission criteria selection screen to one terminal device of said team responsive to said one terminal device requesting an admission of another terminal device into said team, said another terminal device not belonging to said team, said another terminal device satisfying admission criteria included in said member admission request, said admission criteria being defined by a plurality of criteria;

transmitting a member admission request from said one terminal device to other terminal devices on said team responsive to an agreement to admit another terminal device by said team;

selecting a fourth terminal device from said plurality of terminal devices responsive to member selection criteria provided other terminal devices; and

storing the identifying information regarding the fourth terminal device in said memory as a member of said team.

12. A network game action control method for enabling communication of information between a server and a plurality of terminal devices over a network, said method comprising the steps of:

associating identifying information regarding a first, a second and a third terminal device from said plurality of terminal devices;

storing, as a team, the associated information for said first, second and third terminal devices in a memory of said server;

transmitting a member deletion request regarding said first terminal device from said second terminal device to said third terminal device;

deleting the identifying information of said first terminal device from said memory responsive to an agreement to delete said first terminal device from said second and third terminal devices;

transmitting an admission criteria selection screen to one terminal device of said team responsive to said one terminal device requesting an admission of another terminal device into said team, said another terminal device not belonging to said team, said another terminal device satisfying admission criteria included in said member admission request, said admission criteria being defined by a plurality of criteria;

transmitting a member admission request from said one terminal device to other terminal devices on said team responsive to an agreement to admit another terminal device by said team;

selecting a fourth terminal device from said plurality of terminal devices responsive to member selection criteria provided from the other terminal devices; and

storing the identifying information regarding the fourth terminal device in said memory as a member of said team.

13. A game server for transmitting and receiving information to and from a plurality of terminal devices over a network, said game server comprising:

a memory;

member information processing means for associating identifying information regarding a first, a second and a third terminal device from said plurality of terminal devices;

said member information processing means staring, as a team, the associated information in said memory;

reference means for enabling any of said terminal devices to refer to game histories of the other terminal devices on said team for deciding whether to execute one of a member deletion or a member replacement;

member information deletion means for transmitting a member deletion request regarding said first terminal device from said second terminal device to said third terminal device;

said member information deletion means deleting the identifying information of said first terminal device from said memory responsive to an agreement to delete said first terminal device from said second and third terminal devices;

member replacement means for transmitting an admission criteria selection screen to one terminal device of said team responsive to said one terminal device requesting an admission of another terminal device into said team, said another terminal device not belonging to said team, said another terminal device satisfying admission criteria included in said member admission request, said admission criteria being defined by a plurality of criteria;

said member replacement means transmitting a member admission request from said one terminal device to other terminal devices on said team responsive to an agreement to admit another terminal device by said team;

said member replacement means selecting a fourth terminal device from said plurality of terminal devices responsive to member selection criteria provided from the other terminal devices; and

said member replacement means storing the identifying information regarding the fourth terminal device in said memory as a member of said team.

15. A game server for, transmitting and receiving information to and from a plurality of terminal devices over a network, said game server comprising;

a memory;

member information processing means for associating identifying information regarding a first, a second and a third terminal device from said plurality of terminal devices;

said member information processing means storing, as a team, the associated information in said memory;

reference means for enabling any of said terminal devices to refer to game histories of the other terminal devices on said team in order to decide whether or not to execute one of a member deletion or a member replacement;

member information deletion means for transmitting a member deletion request regarding said first terminal device, which concurrently is actively involved in playing the game with the team, from said second terminal device to said third terminal device;

said member information deletion means deleting the identifying information of said one of the terminal device from said memory responsive to an agreement to delete said first terminal device from said second and third terminal devices;

member replacement means for transmitting an admission criteria selection screen to one terminal device of said team responsive to said one terminally device requesting an admission of another terminal device into said team, said another terminal device not belonging to said team, said another terminal device satisfying admission criteria included in said member admission request, said admission criteria being defined by a plurality of criteria;

said member replacement means transmitting a member admission request from said one terminal device to other terminal devices on said team responsive to an agreement to admit another terminal device by said team;

said member replacement means selecting a fourth terminal device from said plurality of terminal devices responsive to member section criteria provided from the other terminal device; and

said member replacement means storing the identifying information regarding the fourth terminal device in said memory as a member of said team.