Computer-readable storage medium having information processing program stored therein, handheld terminal apparatus, system, information processing method, and communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9433861-B2
Application number	US-96985510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2010
Priority date	Sep 17, 2010
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A game apparatus automatically receives piece information from another game apparatus by short-range wireless communication. The game apparatus obtains step count data based on an amount of movement of the game apparatus (i.e., a step count of a user of the game apparatus). The game apparatus uses piece information obtained by the short-range wireless communication, thereby performing a predetermined process of an application (i.e., a process of incorporating a piece image into a collection image), or uses step count data (i.e., an owned coin count resulting from conversion of the step count data) instead of piece information obtained by the short-range wireless communication, thereby performing the predetermined process of the application (i.e., the process of incorporating a piece image into a collection image).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication system including a plurality of handheld terminal apparatuses,
each handheld terminal apparatus comprising:
a transmitter configured to automatically transmit first data to another one of the handheld terminal apparatuses by short-range wireless communication;
a receiver configured to automatically receive, by the short-range wireless communication, first data that is transmitted from the transmitter of the other one of the handheld terminal apparatuses; and
processing circuitry configured to perform a predetermined process of an application, either by using the first data received by the short-range wireless communication, or by using, instead of the first data, second data based on the travel distance of the handheld terminal apparatus when the first data is unavailable and/or insufficient for performing the predetermined process of the application, wherein the first data and the second data are usable for completing an objective for the application.

2. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising an information processing program stored therein, the information processing program, when executed by a computer of a handheld terminal apparatus, causing the handheld terminal apparatus to at least:
automatically receive first data from a communication apparatus by short-range wireless communication;
obtain second data based on a travel distance of the handheld terminal apparatus; and
perform a predetermined process of an application, either by using the first data received by the short-range wireless communication, or by using, instead of the first data, the second data based on the travel distance of the handheld terminal apparatus when the first data is unavailable and/or insufficient for performing the predetermined process of the application, wherein the first data and the second data are usable for completing an objective for the application.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein
the first data is stored in a storage device of the handheld terminal apparatus, and
the predetermined process is performed by using the first data if the first data is stored in the storage device, and is performed by using the second data if the first data is absent from the storage device.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein
the first data is stored in a storage device of the handheld terminal apparatus, and
the predetermined process is performed by using the first data if the first data is stored in the storage device, and is performed by using the second data after using, for the predetermined process, the first data stored in the storage device.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4 , wherein
the first data comprises a plurality of pieces, and the plurality of pieces of the first data is stored in the storage device, and
the predetermined process is performed by using the second data after using, for the predetermined process, all of the plurality of pieces of the first data stored in the storage device.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein
the information processing program, when executed, further causes the computer to detect a step count of a user of the handheld terminal apparatus, and
the second data corresponds to step count data which indicates the detected step count.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 6 , wherein
the information processing program, when executed, further causes the computer to:
store, in a storage device of the handheld terminal apparatus, the obtained second data;
either delete or invalidate, among the second data stored in the storage device, second data that has been stored in the storage device for a predetermined period or longer; and
convert the second data stored in the storage device into data that is storable in the storage device for a period longer than the predetermined period, and
the predetermined process is performed by using, instead of the first data, the converted second data.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein
the predetermined process is performed a predetermined number of times during a predetermined period by using the second data.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein the information processing program, when executed, further causes the computer to generate, based on the second data, third data which is of the same type as the first data, and the third data is used in executing the application instead of the first data.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein the information processing program, when executed, further causes the computer to generate third data by using either the first data or the second data, and the third data is used in executing the application.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2 , wherein
the information processing program, when executed, further causes the computer to generate, when the application is executed for the first time, the first data and store the first data in a storage device of the handheld terminal apparatus, and
the first data stored in the storage device is transmitted, by the short-range wireless communication, to another handheld terminal apparatus, which is the communication apparatus, and the first data from the other handheld terminal apparatus is received, and the received first data is stored in the storage device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein
the information processing program, when executed, further causes the computer to select, in response to an input via an input device of the handheld terminal apparatus, either the first data stored in the storage device or the first data received from the other handheld terminal apparatus, and
the selected first data is transmitted.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein
the application is a program for generating one piece of collection data that includes a predetermined number of two or more pieces of piece data, and
a process of generating one piece of collection data is performed as the predetermined process, by using the third data and/or the first data as the predetermined number of two or more pieces of piece data.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein
the application is a program for generating a plurality of pieces of collection data for which different attributes are set, respectively,
one among the respective different attributes set for the plurality of pieces of collection data is set for the first data and the third data, and
as the predetermined process, a process is performed of generating one of the pieces of collection data by using the first data and/or the third data for which the one attribute, which is the same attribute as that set for the one of the pieces of collection data, is set.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein a plurality of pieces of the third data is generated at different generation rates in association with the predetermined number of two or more pieces of piece data, respectively, such that the plurality of pieces of the third data that have been generated correspond to the predetermined number of two or more pieces of piece data, respectively.

Assignees

• Fujiwara Shinya
• Kawamoto Kouichi
• Ito Yuichiro
• Nintendo Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fujiwara Shinya
• Kawamoto Kouichi
• Ito Yuichiro

Classifications

• A63F13/327 Primary

  using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet · CPC title

• A63F13/92

  Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing · CPC title

• A63F13/211

  using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes · CPC title

• A63F13/31 Primary

  Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range · CPC title

• A63F2300/405

  being a wireless ad hoc network, e.g. Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, piconet · CPC title