Game device

• US 7,677,966 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Company Limited (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kimura, Seitaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOSSER, ROBERT E
• Application Number:
  US10/670,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20040063479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,363 Days
• Field of Search: 463 40- 42, 463 1- 4, 463/7, 463/9, 463/23, 700 90- 93
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/55 Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/828 Managing virtual sport teams
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8052 Ball team management

Abstract

In order to output event content of a related match during execution of a main match, there is provided a virtual start time decider for deciding virtual start times for a plurality of matches, a related match selector for selecting, from the plurality of matches, at least one match, taking place at least partially at the same time as a main match a player'"'"'s team is taking part in, as one or more matches related to the main match based on virtual start times for each match, a related match simulator for simulating the related matches, event storage unit for storing event time and event content for prescribed types of events occurring in the related matches, a main match executor for executing the main match, an event time arrival monitor for monitoring for arrival of the event time stored by the event storage unit during execution of the main match, and an event content output unit for outputting event content corresponding to the event time when it is determined that the event time has arrived during execution of the main match.

Claims

1. A game device comprising:

virtual start time deciding means for deciding virtual start times for a plurality of matches, the virtual start times comprising an artificial time in a virtual game space;

related match selection means for selecting at least one match, from the plurality of matches, taking place at least partially at the same virtual time as a main match a player'"'"'s team is taking part in as one or more matches related to the main match based on virtual start times for each match decided by the virtual start time deciding means, the at least one selected match being different from the main match;

related match simulation means for simulating the one or more related matches, the simulating of the one or more related matches performed without human player input;

event storage means for storing event content and a virtual event time at which the event content occurs for prescribed types of events occurring in the one or more related matches;

match decider means for deciding matches based upon information stored in a game database storage means;

main match execution means for executing the main match;

event time arrival monitoring means for monitoring arrival of the virtual event time stored by the event storage means during execution of the main match; and

event content output means for outputting, during the executing of the main match, event content corresponding to the virtual event time if it is determined by the event time arrival monitoring means that the virtual event time has arrived during execution of the main match,

wherein the related match simulation means simulates the one or more related matches prior to the main match executing means executing the main match, and

wherein the match decider means receives match results from the main match execution means and related match simulation means for deciding a next plurality of matches.

2. The game device of claim 1, wherein the event storage means stores replay data for reproducing and displaying prescribed types of events occurring in the one or more related matches as the event content;

and

the event content output means reproduces and displays prescribed types of events occurring in the one or more related matches based on the replay data.

3. The game device of claim 1, further comprising:

game database storage means for storing information prepared for a virtual game space.

4. The game device of claim 3, wherein the main match execution means receives instructions from a player for executing the main match based on information stored in the game database storage means.

5. The game device of claim 1, wherein the one or more related matches includes at least one of a team that is close to the player'"'"'s team in a standings or a team that the player'"'"'s team plays in a future match.

6. The game device of claim 1, wherein the virtual start time comprises a virtual date having at least one of a month value and a day value and a virtual time.

7. The game device of claim 1, wherein the virtual start times include at least one of an hour value and a minute value.

8. The game device of claim 1, wherein the event content output means outputs to the main match the event content occurring at the virtual event time, the event content being output at the virtual event time at which the event content occurs during the execution of the main match.

9. The game device of claim 1, wherein the related match simulation means for simulating the one or more related matches simulates the one or more related matches without the player'"'"'s input based on at least one of artificial intelligence and a computational algorithm for determining an outcome of the one or more related matches, and

wherein the main match execution means for executing the main match executes the main match based on instructions input by the player.

10. An information storage medium for storing a program enabling a computer to function as:

virtual start time deciding means for deciding virtual start times for a plurality of matches, the virtual start times comprising an artificial time in a virtual game space;

related match selection means for selecting at least one match, from the plurality of matches, taking place at least partially at the same virtual time as a main match a player'"'"'s team is taking part in as one or more matches related to the main match based on virtual start times for each match decided by the virtual staff time deciding means, the at least one selected match being different from the main match;

related match simulation means for simulating the one or more related matches, the simulating of the one or more related matches performed without human player input;

event storage means for storing and event content and a virtual event time at which the event content occurs for prescribed types of events occurring in the one or more;

match decider means for deciding matches based upon information stored in a game database storage means;

main match execution means for executing the main match;

event time arrival monitoring means for monitoring arrival of the virtual event time stored by the event storage means during execution of the main match; and

event content output means for outputting, during the executing of the main match, event content corresponding to the virtual event time if it is determined by the event time arrival monitoring means that the virtual event time has arrived during execution of the main match,

wherein the related match simulation means simulates the one or more related matches prior to the main match executing means executing the main match and

wherein the match decider means receives match results from the main match execution means and related match simulation means for deciding a next plurality of matches.

11. The information storage medium of claim 10, wherein the event content output means outputs to the main match the event content occurring at the virtual event time, the event content being output at the virtual event time at which the event content occurs during the execution of the main match.

12. The information storage medium of claim 10, wherein the related match simulation means for simulating the one or more related matches simulates the one or more related matches without the player'"'"'s input based on at least one of artificial intelligence and a computational algorithm for determining an outcome of the one or more related matches, and

wherein the main match execution means for executing the main match executes the main match based on instructions input by the player.

13. A program distribution device for reading and distributing a program, comprising an information storage medium for storing the program enabling a computer to function as:

virtual start time deciding means for deciding virtual start times for a plurality of matches, the virtual start times comprising an artificial time in a virtual game space;

related match selection means for selecting at least one match, from the plurality of matches, taking place at least partially at the same virtual time as a main match a player'"'"'s team is taking part in as one or more matches related to the main match based on virtual start times for each match decided by the virtual staff time deciding means, the at least one selected match being different from the main match;

related match simulation means for simulating the one or more related matches, the simulating of the one or more related matches performed without human player input;

event storage means for storing event content and a virtual event time at which the event content occurs for prescribed types of events occurring in the one or more;

match decider means for deciding matches based upon information stored in a game database storage means;

main match execution means for executing the main match;

event time arrival monitoring means for monitoring arrival of the virtual event time stored by the event storage means during execution of the main match; and

event content output means for outputting, during the executing of the main match, the event content corresponding to the virtual event time if it is determined by the event time arrival monitoring means that the virtual event time has arrived during execution of the main match,

wherein the related match simulation means simulates the one or more related matches prior to the main match executing means executing the main match, and

wherein the match decider means receives match results from the main match execution means and related match simulation means for deciding a next plurality of matches.

14. The program distribution device of claim 13, wherein the event content output means outputs to the main match the event content occurring at the virtual event time, the event content being output at the virtual event time at which the event content occurs during the execution of the main match.

15. The program distribution device of claim 13, wherein the related match simulation means for simulating the one or more related matches simulates the one or more related matches without the player'"'"'s input based on at least one of artificial intelligence and a computational algorithm for determining an outcome of the one or more related matches, and

wherein the main match execution means for executing the main match executes the main match based on instructions input by the player.