| Game system and game device -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
 
Game system and game deviceGame system and game device description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070225076, Game system and game device. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001]This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-080380. The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-080380 is hereby incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002]The present invention relates to a game system and game device to be installed in a game facility or the like. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003]A known example of this type of game system is the system described in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,602. This system comprises a server that stores a plurality of game programs and a plurality of game terminals, and the server can execute a plurality of game programs. Each client can access a plurality of game programs to be executed by the server, and the game screen of the accessed game program is displayed on the relevant client. [0004]The player can choose a game program from among a plurality of game programs stored on the server by performing a game selection operation on the game terminal operation unit of the client game terminal. The player can play the relevant game program executed by the server by performing game operations at the client. [0005]However, with this kind of game system, problems that arise are that the player that operates the operation accepting unit of the game terminal takes time in performing a game selection operation because he/she has trouble selecting which game to play, or the operations to be performed until a game is selected are time-consuming. [0006]This kind of problem is not limited to game systems comprising a server and a plurality of clients. This problem also arises with a standalone game device storing a plurality of game programs from which the player can select a game. [0007]In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved game system and game device that can reduce the amount of time needed for the player to select a game when selecting a game with the operation accepting unit. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008]According to a first aspect of the present invention, a game system is disclosed in which a server device configured to execute at least one game program, and a plurality of game terminals configured to communicate with the server device and provide a player with game data of the game program, are connected in a manner enabling two-way communication. [0009]Each game terminal comprises an input accepting unit configured to accept player-specifying information specifying a player prior to game commencement; an operation accepting unit configured to accept game selection operations for selection of a game program, and game operations for a game in progress, from the player; a terminal communication processing unit configured to transmit to the server device the player-specifying information, a use request for a game program corresponding to the game selection operation, and game operation information specifying the game operations, and receive game data provided by execution of the game program by the server device; a display unit configured to display a game screen based on image information contained in game data received by the terminal communication processing unit; and a display processing unit that controls the display on the display unit. [0010]The server device comprises a server communication processing unit configured to receive the player-specifying information, the use request, and the game operation information from the game terminals; a program storage unit configured to store at least one game program; a player information storage unit configured to store the player-specifying information; a control unit configured to read from the program storage unit a game program corresponding to the use request received from a game terminal, execute the read game program, and control game data of a game being executed by the game program in accordance with the game operation information; and an action history processing unit configured to associate action history based on the game operation information or game progress status with the player-identifying information and store the same in the player information storage unit. [0011]Here, the server communication processing unit is configured to transmit, to the display processing unit of a game terminal, the action history associated with the player-specifying information in the player information storage unit via the terminal communication processing unit of the game terminal. In addition, the display processing unit of the game terminal is configured to generate an assist display image based on the action history associated with the player-specifying information, and perform control so that the same is displayed on the display unit in the period prior to acceptance by the operation accepting unit of the game selection operation. [0012]With this game system, the action history (play history) of players is associated with player-specifying information and stored. When the input accepting unit has accepted input of player-specifying information, an assist display image based on a specified play history associated with accepted player-specifying information is displayed on the display unit prior to acceptance of game selection operation by the operation accepting unit. Here, a player in many cases will select a game after referring to his/her own play history, such as the type of games played, number of times each type was played, and play performance. When players select a game, displaying an assist display image based on their own play history enables players to check their own play history and shorten the time spent deciding which game to play. [0013]According to a second aspect of the present invention, the action history of the first aspect contains the number of times a game program has been executed. [0014]When selecting a game, a player can check an assist display screen based on the number of times he/she played various games. Thus, a player can use the number of times he/she played a game as an aid to game selection and shorten the time taken to decide which game to select. [0015]According to a third aspect of the present invention, the action history of the first aspect includes game play results for each game program. [0016]This game system stores an action history containing game play results. Because an assist display image based on assist information generated using game play results is displayed, the player can check his/her own past play performance on an individual game basis. Thus, the player can use play results as an aid to game selection and shorten the time taken deciding which game to select. [0017]According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the display processing unit, in place of, or together with, the assist display image, is configured to generate an assist display image based on action history associated with player-specifying information other than the player-specifying information inputted into the input accepting unit, and perform display processing in order to cause such assist display image to be displayed on the display unit of the game terminal or other display unit in the period prior to acceptance by the operation accepting unit of the game selection operation. [0018]This game system displays assist display images based not only on the play history of a player but the play history of other players. A player can check the assist display image based on information containing the play histories of other players such as game popularity ranking, and ranking based on play history. Thus, the player can use the play histories of other players as an aid to game selection and shorten the time taken to decide which game to select. [0019]According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a game system is configured to enable two-way communication between a server device on which at least one game program is stored and a plurality of game terminals. [0020]Each game terminal comprises an input accepting unit configured to accept player-specifying information that specifies a player prior to game commencement; an operation accepting unit configured to accept a game selection operation for selection of a game program, and game operations for a game in progress, from a player; a terminal communication processing unit configured to transmit to the server device the player-specifying information, a use request for a game program corresponding to the game selection operation, and game operation information specifying the game operations, and receive from the server device a game program corresponding to the use request; a control unit configured to execute a game program received by the terminal communications processing unit, and control game data of the game to be executed by the game program in accordance with the game operation information; a display unit configured to display game images based on image information contained in the game data; and a display processing unit configured to control the display on the display unit. Continue reading about Game system and game device... Full patent description for Game system and game device Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Game system and game device patent application. Patent Applications in related categories: 20090298595 - Game system, and game apparatus and management apparatus constituting the same - A game system, and arcade game apparatus and management apparatus constituting the same are disclosed. In the game system, each game apparatus change at the same timing to a second mode in which a jackpot drawing is carried out in a state that a jackpot prize winning probability is high. ... 20090298594 - Media/tag-based word games - A method of creating a word game comprising receiving a seed value from a browser, obtaining from a media database a plurality of words associated with the seed value, creating a word game from at least a subset of the obtained plurality of words, integrating the word game into a ... 20090298593 - Server apparatus and game system - In a game system, a server apparatus (3) that communicates with a plurality of game devices (1) stores play data elements for a plurality of players and public IDs for identifying a plurality of players in a latest play data table (T1) and a public ID table (T2). The server ... ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Game system and game device or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Personal game device and method Next Patent Application: Sensory video game machine Industry Class: Amusement devices: games ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Game system and game device patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.19051 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Tyco , Unilever , Warner-lambert , 3m 174 |
 * Protect your Inventions * US Patent Office filing 
PATENT INFO |
|
