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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9873041-B2
Application number	US-201715399875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2017
Priority date	Jun 17, 2003
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

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 wireless transceiver;
a processor configured to cooperate with the wireless transceiver and cause the device to at least:
wirelessly transmit to unknown and/or unspecified devices information of a first type, the information of the first type including (a) self-identifying information, and (b) representing data that is representative of application-related data providable from and/or required by the device;
wirelessly receive transmitted information of the first type from other devices; and
request that a connection be established with an other device from which transmitted information of the first type has been wirelessly received, based at least in part on the application-related data providable from and/or required by the device,

wherein the request that a connection be established is a part of a connection process that is responsive to reception of information of the first type wirelessly transmitted and based at least in part on the application-related data represented therein.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the representing data represents data to be derived from execution of an application.

3. A device, comprising:
a wireless transceiver;
a processor configured to cooperate with the wireless transceiver and cause the device to at least:
wirelessly transmit information of a first type, the information of the first type including (a) self-identifying information, and (b) representing data representative of data providable from and/or required by the device;
wirelessly receive transmitted information of the first type from other devices; and
request that a connection be established with an other device from which transmitted information of the first type has been wirelessly received, based at least in part on the data providable from and/or required by the device,

wherein broadcasted information of the first type is wirelessly receivable from other devices during a wait time.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured cause the device to wirelessly transmit and wirelessly receive information of the first type without establishing a connection.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the connection process is performed in response to user input that confirms that a connection should be established.

6. A device, comprising:
a wireless transceiver;
a processor configured to cooperate with the wireless transceiver and cause the device to at least:
wirelessly transmit information of a first type, the information of the first type including (a) self-identifying information, and (b) representing data representative of data providable from and/or required by the device;
wirelessly receive transmitted information of the first type from other devices; and
request that a connection be established with an other device from which transmitted information of the first type has been wirelessly received, based at least in part on the data providable from and/or required by the device,

wherein information of the first type is wirelessly transmittable while the device is operating in a power-saving mode.

7. A device, comprising:
a wireless transceiver;
a processor configured to cooperate with the wireless transceiver and cause the device to at least:
wirelessly transmit information of a first type, the information of the first type including (a) self-identifying information, and (b) representing data representative of data providable from and/or required by the device;
wirelessly receive transmitted information of the first type from other devices; and
request that a connection be established with an other device from which transmitted information of the first type has been wirelessly received, based at least in part on the data providable from and/or required by the device,

wherein information of the first type is wirelessly transmittable while application software is being executed by the device.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless transmission and the wireless reception are performed cyclically.

9. A device, comprising:
a wireless transceiver;
a processor configured to cooperate with the wireless transceiver and cause the device to at least:
wirelessly transmit information of a first type, the information of the first type including (a) self-identifying information, and (b) representing data representative of data providable from and/or required by the device;
wirelessly receive transmitted information of the first type from other devices; and
automatically request that a connection be established with an other device from which transmitted information of the first type has been wirelessly received, responsive to reception of information of the first type from that other device, and conditioned on the representing data.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the device to automatically respond to an other device from which the request has been wirelessly transmitted, responsive to reception of the request.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the device to automatically connect with the other device from which the response has been wirelessly transmitted, responsive to reception of the response.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless transmission and the wireless reception alternately repeat.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless transmission includes consecutive transmissions of information of the first type.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein repeated wireless reception of information of the first type is enabled.

15. The device of claim 6 , wherein the wireless transmission is wireless sending to unknown devices, and the request that a connection be established is a part of a connection process that is responsive to reception information of the first type wirelessly sent to unknown devices from an other device and based at least in part on application-related data represented therein.

16. The device of claim 6 , wherein the representing data is representative of data derived from and/or created by an application executable on the device.

17. The device of claim 6 , wherein the request that a connection be established is automatic, responsive to reception of information of the first type from an other device.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the device to automatically respond to an other device from which the request has been wirelessly transmitted, responsive to reception of the request.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the device to automatically connect with the other device from which the response has been wirelessly transmitted, responsive to reception of the response.

20. The device of claim 7 , wherein the wireless transmission is wireless sending to unknown devices, and the request that a connection be established is a part of a connection process that is responsive to reception information of the first type wirelessly sent to unknown devices from an other device and based at least in part on application-related data represented therein.

21. The device of claim 7 , wherein the representing data is representative of data derived from and/or created by an application executable on the device e.

22. The device of claim 7 , wherein the request that a connection be established is automatic, responsive to reception of information of the first type from an oth

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

• G07F17/3225

  Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users · CPC title

• A63F13/327

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

• A63F13/235 Primary

  using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet · CPC title