JP2002078976A - Game system capable of displaying network state - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a many-participants type game system enabling a coping behavior according to the state of a network connected to a game device of a partner by knowing about the above state and eliminating the need for playing a game while worrying about the run-up of the charge for a call. SOLUTION: Measured data on the time of communications between a game server device and a game device is stored in the storage means of the game server device. Each of the game devices takes out network information from the game server device according to need. The network state is displayed on a screen. The player can judge whether or not to establish the communications with the game device of the partner on the basis of the network information.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a game system capable of measuring the status of a network between a game server and a game device and displaying the status of a network with a communication partner based on the data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a multiplayer game system played through a network, the state of the network is very important information for a player. For example, when trying to communicate with another player, even if the state of one's own network is good, if the state of the other party's network is bad, the state of the network will eventually be bad. For this reason, there is a problem that the communication fee and the like increase if the response is poor even when communicating. Therefore, if you know the network status of the other party you want to communicate with in advance, it will be possible for the player to communicate with the other party due to the various disadvantages caused by the importance of the communicating party and poor response. Can be selected.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-player game system in which the state of a network with an opponent game device is known so that a corresponding action can be taken. An object of the present invention is to provide a game system that does not play while worrying about an increase.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, a game system according to the present invention obtains information such as characters from a game server and plays a game with an opponent game device via a network. The game server or the game device has data communication time measuring means for measuring data transmission / reception time of a network connecting the game server and the game device, and the data communication time measured by the data communication time measuring means. Is stored in the storage means of the game server, and the game device is connected to the game server and retrieves information on data communication time between the opponent game device and the game server from the storage means of the game server. An information display means for displaying the retrieved information on a screen; Ear is configured to allow the partner game device and determines whether or not to communicate on the basis of the information displayed on the screen. In the present invention, the display image of the screen is displayed in the form of a bar graph or a numerical value near the character of the corresponding game device, or is displayed such that the shadow of the character becomes thinner as the response of the network becomes slower. It is configured.

[0005]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a game system according to the present invention. When the game devices 1a (player A) and 1c (player C) are connected to the network and participate in the game, the data of the player A is stored in the access points / branches 4i, 4h, and 4g of the network 3 and the access of the network 2 It is sent to the game server device 3 via the points / branches 4c, 4b, 4a. The data of the player C is transmitted to the game server device 3 via the access points / branches 4d and 4e of the network 2.

The network between the players A and C is
The data is transmitted and received via the access points / branches 4i, 4h, 4g of the network 2 and the access points / branches 4c, 4d of the network 2. Then, it is displayed on the screen of the other party. At that time, if a heavy load is applied to any of the networks 2 and 3, the exchange of data with each other becomes slow, and the response becomes poor.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of the circuit of the game server device of FIG. 1, showing a part of the circuit. The game server device 3 includes a storage unit 5 and a server device main body. The server device main body is configured to include a communication interface 22 and a CPU 6.
Reference numeral 6 has functional units of a data communication time measurement unit 6a and a measurement data transmission unit 6b. The data communication time measuring means 6a measures the communication time with the game device by transmitting and receiving data to and from each game device via the communication interface 22. The measurement data transmitting means 6b transmits the measurement data when there is an access from each game device to transmit the measurement data. The storage unit 5 is a database for storing character data of each game device and the like, and stores data measured by the data communication time measurement unit 6a.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of measuring the communication time of the network. A request for data transmission is sent from the game server device 3 to the game device (step (hereinafter referred to as “S”) 30)
1). The game server device 3 waits for data to be returned from the game device (S302), and measures the time from the transmission of the request to the arrival of the data (S30).
3). Since the state of the network constantly changes, such a measurement operation is performed periodically.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of a circuit of the game apparatus of FIG. Signals input from the cross lever and the switch of the pad 7 are connected to the bus 10 via the input / output control device 8 and transmitted to the CPU 14. CPU
The control unit 14 controls the image processing unit 15 to display a game screen on the monitor 16. The communication RAM 11
Stores a command from the CPU 14 relating to sound.
Used when the PU 14 checks the sound status.
The sound system circuit 12 generates a sound based on a command from the CPU 14.

The work RAM 17 is a work area used by the CPU 14 for calculation. A ROM cassette 20 for storing a game program can be inserted into the ROM storage section 18. The communication interface 9 is connected to the bus 10 and can communicate with the network 2. The ROM cassette 20 stores character data to be used in a built-in game program.

The network state investigating means 14a accesses the game server device 3 via the communication interface 9 by the communication function unit 14c, and requests to transmit data of communication time with each game device. Upon receiving the request, the game server device 3 reads the data of the communication time with each game device from the storage means 5, and sends the data to the game device by the measurement data sending means 6b. Upon receiving the measurement data, the network state checking means 14a passes the data to the information display means 14b. The information display means 14b includes the game server device 3 and each game device 1
The data of the communication time between a, 1b, and 1c is displayed.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation when the game device communicates with another game device. The network state between the game server device and the game device is measured and stored in the storage means of the game server device also at the start of the game (S501, S502). The player extracts data on the communication time between the game server device and the game server device from the game server device as necessary (S50).
3). The extracted information is displayed on the screen of the game device in a form that is easy for the player to understand. For example, the state of the network is displayed in the form of a bar graph or a numerical value near the character of the corresponding game device, and the bar graph or the numerical value becomes larger as the response becomes slower, or the shadow of the character becomes thinner as the response of the network becomes slower. It is displayed in such a form.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the communication time is measured on the game server device side has been described. However, the measurement may be performed on the game device side. In such a case, it is necessary to transmit the measurement result of the communication time acquired on the game device side to the game server side.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the state of the network of the game device of the other party trying to communicate can be known in advance, the state of the network is poor after the communication is started. I noticed that the response was bad. " Therefore, it is not necessary to play while worrying about frustration due to poor response and an increase in communication fee due to the time required until the response is returned. Further, since the state of the network can be known in advance, the player can take a corresponding action.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a game system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of a circuit of the game server device of FIG. 1, showing a part of the circuit.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of measuring a communication time of a network.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of a circuit of the game device in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation when a game device communicates with another game device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a, 1b, 1c Game device 2 Network 3 Game server device 4a-4j Access point / junction point 5 Storage means (database) 6, 14 CUP 6a Data communication time measuring means 6b Measurement data sending means 7 Pad 8 Input / output control device 9 Communication interface 10, 21 Bus 11 Communication RAM 12 Sound system circuit 13 Speaker 14a Network condition investigation means 14b Information determination means 14c Communication function unit 15 Image processing unit 16 Monitor 17 Work RAM 18 ROM storage unit 19 RAM 20 ROM cassette 21 Communication interface

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A game system in which information such as characters is obtained from a game server and a game is played with an opponent game device via a network, wherein the game server or the game device is provided between the game server and the game device. A data communication time measuring unit for measuring a data transmission / reception time of a network connecting the network, and a data communication time measured by the data communication time measuring unit is stored in a storage unit of the game server. Network state investigating means for connecting to the game server and extracting information on data communication time between the opponent game device and the game server from the storage means of the game server, and information display means for displaying the extracted information on a screen. The player communicates with the opponent game device based on the information displayed on the screen. Game system for displaying a network condition characterized by being configured to allow the determination of whether performing Shon. 2. The display image on the screen is displayed in the form of a bar graph or a numerical value near the character of the corresponding game device, or is displayed such that the shadow of the character becomes thinner as the response of the network becomes slower. The game system according to claim 1, wherein the network status is displayed.