Game system, game apparatus, storage medium storing game program and game data exchange method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9457268-B2
Application number	US-201514825657-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2015
Priority date	Jun 17, 2003
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

A game system including a plurality of mobile game apparatuses, and a mobile game apparatus that can communicate with another game apparatus that exists within a communicable range by use of a radio communications unit. When a communicated state is established, exchanging conditions for exchanging game data are received and transmitted, and in a case the exchange conditions are coincident with each other, the game data are exchanged.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a transceiver configured to perform wireless radio communication; and
a processing system including a processor, the processing system being configured to cooperate with the transceiver and control the device to at least execute a first function to send broadcasts for other devices during a first period and a second function to receive broadcasts from other devices during a second period, the first function intermittently sending broadcasts plural times during the first period,
wherein the first and second functions are executable in a plurality of cycles; and
wherein the processing system is further configured to, in cooperation with the transceiver, control the device executing the second function to automatically send responding data, in response to receiving a broadcast, to the other device that sent the received broadcast.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the broadcasts are searches for other devices.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the responding data is sent based on a received search satisfying a predetermined condition.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to control the device executing the first function to receive responding data sent from one of the other devices in response to the device's own broadcast.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to, after responding data is received, cooperate with the transceiver and control the device to execute a connection process with the other device that sent the received responding data.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless radio communication is short-distance wireless radio communication.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless radio communication is direct wireless radio communication.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is handheld.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein determinations of when to transition between the first and second functions are made independent of determinations of when to transition between first and second functions on other devices.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein determinations as to when to transition between the first and second functions are made by the device.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to control the device to execute the first function and the second function in a time-sharing system.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second periods comprises a variable length of time.

13. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a timer, wherein transitions are determined based on the timer.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second functions follow one another, consecutively.

15. The device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first and second periods comprises a randomized length of time.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the functions are executed in the cycles in a predetermined order, the predetermined order being defined as a first function followed by a second function.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the functions are executed in the cycles in a predetermined order, the predetermined order being defined as a first function immediately followed by a second function.

18. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the cycles consist of a first function followed by a second function.

19. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the cycles consist of a first function followed by a second function followed by another first function.

20. A device, comprising:
a transceiver configured to perform wireless radio communication; and
a processing system including a processor, the processing system being configured to cooperate with the transceiver and control the device to at least execute a first function to send broadcasts for other devices during a first period and a second function to receive broadcasts from other devices during a second period, the first function intermittently sending broadcasts plural times during the first period,
wherein the first and second functions are executable in a plurality of cycles; and
wherein at least one of the first and second periods in at least one of the cycles comprises a randomized length of time.

21. The device of claim 20 , wherein at least one of the first and second periods comprises a periodically randomized length of time.

22. The device of claim 21 , wherein at least one of the first and second periods comprises a length of time randomized with each cycle.

23. The device of claim 21 , wherein one of the first and second periods comprises a fixed length of time and the other of the first and second period comprises a randomized length of time.

24. The device of claim 23 , wherein the second period comprises a randomized length of time.

25. The device of claim 20 , wherein the functions are executed in the cycles in a predetermined order, the predetermined order being defined as a first function followed by a second function.

26. The device of claim 20 , wherein the functions are executed in the cycles in a predetermined order, the predetermined order being defined as a first function immediately followed by a second function.

27. The device of claim 20 , wherein at least some of the cycles consist of a first function followed by a second function.

28. The device of claim 20 , wherein at least some of the cycles consist of a first function followed by a second function followed by another first function.

29. A device, comprising:
a transceiver configured to perform wireless radio communication, and
a processing system including a processor, the processing system being configured to cooperate with the transceiver and control the device to at least execute a first function that sends broadcasting data during a first period and a second function that waits to receive broadcasting data during a second period, the first function intermittently sending broadcasting data plural times during the first period,
wherein the first and second functions are executable in a plurality of cycles, and
wherein the first function and the second function are executed in a time-sharing system.

30. The device of claim 29 , wherein at least one of the first and second periods in at least one of the cycles comprises a randomized length of time.

31. The device of claim 29 , wherein the processing system is further configured to, in cooperation with the transceiver, control the device executing the second function to send responding data in response to receiving broadcasting data to another device that sent the broadcasting data.

32. The device of claim 31 , wherein the responding data is sent automatically in response to receiving broadcasting data.

33. The device of claim 32 , wherein the responding data is sent based on the broadcasting data satisfying a predetermined condition.

34. The device of claim 31 , wherein the processing system is further configured to, in cooperation with the transceiver, control the device to execute the first function to receive responding data from another device in response to the device's own broadcasting data.

35. The device of claim 34 , wherein the processing system is further configured to, after respo

Assignees

• Nintendo Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tanaka Shoya
• Kuwahara Masato
• Oe Toru
• Yoshioka Teruyuki

Classifications

• A63F13/31

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

• A63F13/34

  using peer-to-peer connections · CPC title

• H04B7/24 Primary

  for communication between two or more posts (wireless communication networks H04W) · CPC title

• A63F2300/406

  Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM · CPC title

• A63F9/24

  Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for · CPC title