Game system and storage medium storing game program

• US 7,635,305 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2005
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamada, Yoichi, Narita, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall; Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US11/121,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20060079329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 463 1- 8, 463/16, 463/20, 463 36- 37, 463 39- 43, 463 46- 47, 463/50, 463/53, 463/56, 463 58- 69, 463 22- 24, 463/29, 463 30- 34, 273/108.1, 273/108.3, 273/108.4, 273/150, 273/317.1, 273/317.3, 273/317.4, 273/317.5, 273/317.6, 273/359, 273329-330, 273406-407, 273/440.1, 273460-461, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/139, 273/141.A, 273/142.A, 273/142.B, 273/142.C, 273/142.H, 273/142.HA, 273/142.J, 273/142.R, 273/143.A, 273/143.C, 273/143.R, 273/148.B, 455/41.2, 455/106, 455/134, 455/136, 455/138, 455/140, 455/151.2, 455/153.2, 455/226.2, 455/300, 455/311, 455/420, 4554261-4262, 455/500, 455512-513, 455/526, 455/554.2, 455/555, 455/575.5, 381/311, 381/315, 370/913, 340/5.61, 340/5.64, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 345/2.3, 902/23, 714 47- 49, 714735-737
• US Class Current: 463/39
• 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 13/31 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 13/92 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 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/405 being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Pico net

Abstract

A game system includes a plurality of game apparatus that can carry out short-range wireless communication with one another. One of the game apparatus functions as a parent apparatus, and at least one other game apparatus functions as a child apparatus. The parent apparatus transmits transmission verification data a predetermined number of times. Accordingly, the child apparatus receives the transmission verification data from the parent apparatus, and transmits to the parent apparatus the same number of piece(s) of reception verification data as those of the received transmission verification data. The parent apparatus receives the reception verification data from the child apparatus, and detects the number of the received piece(s) of reception verification data. Also, the parent apparatus varies a game process according to the number of the received piece(s) of data detected in communication with each child apparatus, and, for example, decides a communication priority rank of each child character based on the number of the received piece(s) of data. In addition, the child apparatus varies a game process according to the number of the received piece(s) of data corresponding to this apparatus itself.

Claims

1. A game system including a first game apparatus and at least one second game apparatus which can carry out short-range wireless communication with one another, wherein

said first game apparatus comprises:

a first transmitter which transmits a predetermined number of pieces of first verification data to verify a wireless communication state to said second game apparatus, wherein the predetermined number of pieces is greater than two;

a first receiver which receives second verification data transmitted from said second game apparatus;

number-of-received data detecting programmed logic circuitry which counts the number of the received pieces of data of second verification data received by said first receiver, wherein the counted number of received pieces of data is the same as or fewer than the predetermined number of pieces of first verification data and the counted number depends on the communication state; and

first game processing programmed logic circuitry which varies a game process according to said counted number of the received pieces of data, and wherein

said second game apparatus comprises;

second receiver which receives said first verification data transmitted from said first game apparatus; and

a second transmitter which transmits the same number of pieces of the second verification data as those of the first verification data received by said second receiver to said first game apparatus.

2. A game system according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of said second game apparatus are included, and

said first game processing programmed logic circuitry changes a priority rank of communication with each of said second game apparatus according to said number of the received pieces of data.

3. A game system according to claim 2, wherein

said first game apparatus further comprises a first display which displays the communication priority rank changed by said first game processing programmed logic circuitry,

said first transmitter transmits data on the communication priority rank changed by said first game processing programmed logic circuitry to each of said second game apparatus, and

said second game apparatus further comprises a second display which displays its communication priority rank, based on the data on communication priority rank transmitted from said first game apparatus.

4. A game system according to claim 1, wherein

said first transmitter transmits the counted number of the received pieces of data by said number-of-received data detecting programmed logic circuitry to said second game apparatus, and

said second game apparatus further comprises second game processing programmed logic circuitry which varies the game process according to said number of the received pieces of data transmitted from said first game apparatus.

5. A game system according to claim 4, wherein

said first game apparatus further comprises at least a first display which displays a game space containing a first player character operated by the player of the first game apparatus and a second player character operated by the player of said second game apparatus,

said first game processing programmed logic circuitry changes the size of at least one of said first player character and said second player character displayed on said first display, depending on said number of the received pieces of data,

said second game apparatus further comprises a second display which displays a game space containing at least said first player character and said second player character, and

said second game processing programmed logic circuitry changes the size of at least one of said first player character and said second player character displayed on said second display, depending on said number of the received pieces of data.

6. A game system according to claim 5, wherein

said first game processing programmed logic circuitry reduces the size of said second player character displayed on said first display as said number of the received pieces of data is smaller, and

said second game processing programmed logic circuitry reduces the size of said first player character displayed on said second display as said number of the received pieces of data is smaller.

7. A game system according to claim 1, wherein

said first game apparatus further comprises a sound output which outputs a sound, and

said first game processing programmed logic circuitry changes sound data to be output to said sound output according to said number of the received pieces of data.

8. The game system of claim 1, wherein the first game processing programmed logic circuitry varies the game process based at least in part on a variance between the said counted number of pieces of received data and said predetermined number of pieces of first verification data.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing a game program to be executed by a game apparatus in a game system that includes a plurality of said game apparatus capable of carrying out short-range wireless communication with one another and in which one of said game apparatus functions as a parent apparatus and at least one other game apparatus functions as a child apparatus, wherein

execution of said game program causes a processor of said game apparatus functioning as a parent apparatus to perform the steps of:

transmitting a predetermined number of pieces of first verification data to verify a wireless communication state to the child apparatus, wherein the predetermined number of pieces is greater than two;

receiving second verification data transmitted from said child apparatus;

counting the number of the received pieces of second verification data received in said receiving second verification data step, wherein the counted number of received pieces of data is the same as or fewer than the predetermined number of pieces of first verification data and the counted number depends on the communication state; and

varying a first game process according to said counted number of the received pieces of second verification data, and wherein

said game program causes a processor of said game apparatus functioning as a child apparatus to perform;

receiving the first verification data transmitted from said parent apparatus; and

transmitting the same number of pieces of the second verification data as those of the first verification data received in said receiving first verification data step to said parent apparatus.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing a game program according to claim 9, wherein

said game system includes a plurality of game apparatus functioning as child apparatus, and

said varying a first game process includes changing a priority rank of communication with each of said child game apparatus according to said counted number of the received pieces of data.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing a game program according to claim 10, wherein

execution of said game program further causes the processor of said game apparatus functioning as a parent apparatus to perform the step of displaying the communication priority rank changed in said varying a first process step,

in said transmitting first game data step, data on the communication priority rank changed in said varying a first process step is transmitted to each of said child game apparatus, and

said game program further causes the processor of said game apparatus functioning as a child apparatus to perform the step of displaying its communication priority rank, based on said data on communication priority rank transmitted from said parent game apparatus.

12. A computer-readable storage medium storing a game program according to claim 9, wherein in said transmitting a predetermined number of pieces of first verification data step, the counted number of the received pieces of data is transmitted to said child game apparatus, and

execution of said game program further causes the processor of said game apparatus functioning as a child apparatus to perform varying of a second game process according to said number of the received pieces of data transmitted from said parent game apparatus.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing a game program according to claim 12, wherein execution of said game program further causes the processor of said game apparatus functioning as a parent apparatus to perform the step of displaying a first game space containing at least a first player character operated by the player of this parent game apparatus and a second player character operated by the player of said child game apparatus,

in said varying a first process step, the size of at least one of said first player character and said second player character displayed in said displaying a first game space step is changed depending on said number of the received pieces of data,

execution of said game program further causes the processor of said game apparatus functioning as a child apparatus to perform the step of displaying a second game space containing at least said first player character and said second player character, and

in said varying a second process step, the size of at least one of said first player character and said second player character displayed in said displaying a second game space step is changed depending on said number of the received pieces of data.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing a game program according to claim 13, wherein

in said varying a first process step, the size of said second player character displayed in said first displaying step is reduced as said number of the received pieces of data is smaller, and

in said varying a second process step, the size of said first player character displayed in said second displaying step is reduced as said number of the received pieces of data is smaller.

15. A computer-readable storage medium storing a game program according to claim 9, wherein

said game apparatus further comprises a sound output which outputs a sound, and

in said varying a first process step, sound data to be output to said sound output is changed according to said number of the received pieces of data.

16. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the varying a first game process includes varying a game process based at least in part on a variance between said counted number of the received pieces of second verification data and said predetermined number of pieces of first verification data.

17. A method for determining a state of short-range wireless communication between a first game apparatus and a second game apparatus comprising the steps of:

transmitting by the first game apparatus a predetermined number of pieces of first verification data to verify a wireless communication state to the second game apparatus, wherein the predetermined number of pieces is greater than two;

receiving at the second game apparatus the transmitted first verification data;

transmitting from the second game apparatus a number of pieces of second verification data equal in number to the pieces of the first verification data received by the second game apparatus;

receiving at the first game apparatus the transmitted second verification data;

counting the received pieces of second verification data, and

determining the state of the short-range wireless communication based on the counted number of received pieces of second verification data, wherein the counted number of received pieces of second verification data is the same as or fewer than the predetermined number of pieces of first verification data.