Using transferred operation key status data to synchronize...

Details Using transferred operation key status data to synchronize... Using transferred operation key status data to synchronize...

2001-12-19

2004-11-02

Walberg, Teresa (Department: 3713)

Amusement devices: games

Including means for processing electronic data

With communication link

C463S001000, C463S043000, C345S539000, C709S200000, C710S053000, C710S055000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06811487

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an on-line game system as well as a game apparatus and a game information storage device for use with the on-line game system. More particularly, the present invention relates to an on-line game system including a plurality of game apparatuses which are interconnected to one another so as to allow communications to occur therebetween with predetermined communication timing, as well as a game apparatus and a game information storage device for use with such an on-line game system.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, “on-line” game systems are available which comprise a plurality of game machines that are mutually interconnected so as to allow data communications to occur therebetween. In such an on-line game system, a plurality of players can operate their respective game machines to simultaneously participate in a game (such as a duel-type game), such that the players may generally share the same game content at each given moment.
In such an on-line game system, various kinds of trigger information, which may be generated in response to specific key operations made by a player on one game machine, are transmitted to the other game machines so that all of the interconnected game machines can perform predetermined game processing based on the shared information. For example, if a player on one game machine performs a key operation for causing a character “A” in the game to jump, then trigger information indicating that “character A jumps” is transmitted to the other game machines. All of the interconnected game machines perform appropriate game processing based on the trigger information. Thus, the key operation performed by the player on each game machine is reflected in the game content on the other game machines.
However, since the individual game machines in the above-described on-line game system are run with their own clocks, there may be some inconsistencies in the game progression or contents experienced on different game machines. For example, consider a case in which each game machine transmits data to the other game machines during the machine's own V blanking period. During the time one V blanking period transitions to another on a relatively “slow” game machine, two V blanking periods could occur on a relatively “fast” game machine. In this situation, the data which is transmitted by the relatively fast game machine during the first V blanking period may be overwritten by the data which is transmitted during the second V blanking period, even before the first data can be properly processed by the relatively slow game machine. As a result, the data which is transmitted during the first V blanking period fails to be reflected in the game processing of the relatively slow game machine. This may result in an inconsistency such that, for example, while character A appears to jump in the game as played on the relatively fast game machine, it does not appear to jump in the same game as played on the relatively slow game machine.
As a proposal to solve the aforementioned problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 4-176235 discloses a communication adapter for game machines. The disclosed communication adapter is capable of, in accordance with its own clock, transmitting or receiving data concerning a given game to/from a plurality of interconnected game machines. Data communication occurs on a communication-cycle-by-communication-cycle basis. In each communication cycle, the data which are received from the respective game machines in a previous communication cycle are transmitted to all of the game machines; in the meantime, the next communication data are received from the respective game machines. After the communication cycle is over, each game machine performs its game processing in accordance with the data received from all of the interconnected game machines, and also prepares itself to be ready for a next communication cycle. In other words, the game machines perform their game processing in accordance with a data communication timing scheme which is governed by the communication adapter, thereby generally preventing inconsistencies in game content between different game machines.
However, in accordance with an on-line game system employing the aforementioned communication adapter for game machines, data communication is effectuated without confirming whether or not any valid transmission data has become ready at each game machine prior to the communication. As a result, if one of the game machines has not been able to prepare any transmission data in time due to delay in its game processing or for any other reasons, then the transmission data which may be left in a transmission data buffer from the previous communication, or some other irrelevant or invalid data, may end up being transmitted. As a result, some inconsistencies may still result between the game content as played on that game machine and the game content as played on the other game machines.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an objective of the present invention is to provide an on-line game system which allows a game to be simultaneously played on a plurality of game machines while preventing any inconsistencies in game content between different game machines.
A first aspect of a presently preferred example illustrative but non-limiting embodiment of the present invention is directed to an on-line game system comprising a plurality of interconnected game apparatuses (
100
a
to
100
d
) to allow a plurality of users to simultaneously play the same game software program. Each of the plurality of game apparatuses comprises:
at least one operation key (
10
) for user manipulation;
communication means (
30
,
40
) for being coupled to the other game apparatus or game apparatuses to receive and transmit operation key status data representing a state of the at least one operation key;
buffer storage means (
50
) for sequentially storing operation key status data associated with the plurality of game apparatuses in response to a round of data communication; and
operation data storage means (
60
) for storing operation key status data associated with each of the plurality of game apparatuses, the operation key status data being for use with game processing.
When the operation key status data stored in the buffer storage means as a result of a given round of data communication include valid operation key status data and invalid data, only the valid operation key status data among the operation key status data resulting from a plurality of rounds of data communication including the given round are transferred to the operation data storage means, without transferring the invalid data, so that at least one such valid operation key status data is transferred for each of the plurality of game apparatuses.
Thus, even if a plurality of data which are stored in the buffer storage means in response to a given round of data communication include invalid data, valid operation key status data is retrieved for each game apparatus from among the data stored in the buffer storage means in response to a plurality of rounds of data communication including the given round (the valid operation key status data being used for game processing). As a result, inconsistencies in game content between different game apparatuses can be prevented.
According to a further aspect, when the operation key status data stored in the buffer storage means as a result of a given round of data communication include invalid data, none of the operation key status data resulting from the given round of data communication is transferred (
FIG. 5
(
b
)). When all of the operation key status data resulting from the given round of data communication are valid, all of the operation key status data resulting from the given round of data communication are transferred (FIG.
5
(
a
), (
c
)).
Thus, according to this further

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