# US 10,369,464 B2 · Game control method, server device, game system, and computer-readable recording medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,464 B2 - Document ID: US10369464B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/035,368 - Filed: 2018-07-13 - Published: 2018-11-29 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-06-21 - Assignees: GREE, Inc. - Applicants: Gree, Inc. - Inventors: Koichi Suzuki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369464B2 ## CPC - A63F 13/35: Details of game servers - A63F 13/795: for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list - A63F 13/822: Strategy games; Role-playing games (A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence) - A63F 2300/5566: by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A social game and the like that can increase the fun and amusement of a team battle and enhance players' motivation to participate in or continue a game by suppressing an occurrence of any non-participation team not participating in the battle are provided. A guild status determination unit determines, for each guild, whether the guild is in an inactive state or an active state, based on a result of detecting a login state of each player. A guild integrated control unit forcibly disbands a guild (i.e. an inactive guild) determined to be in the inactive state, based on guild activity information notified from the status determination unit. A disbandment notification unit notifies each player belonging to the inactive guild, of the disbandment of the guild. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of controlling a server for providing a battle game between groups, to each of which a plurality of players belong, the method comprising: disbanding, by the server, a group determined to be in an inactive state; acknowledging, by the server, an independent player who does not belong to any group as a formation wait player who waits for forming of a new group, depending on an activity status of the independent player, wherein the independent player includes a player who belonged to the disbanded group; and creating, by the server, a new group when the formation wait player satisfies a setting condition. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining, by the server, a group to be in the inactive state based on at least one of: (1) the group has no battle against another group for a predetermined period or more; (2) no login to the battle game is performed by any player belonging to the group for a predetermined period or more; and (3) the number of players belonging to the group is below a predetermined number for a predetermined period or more. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein acknowledging an independent player comprises: comparing, by the server, the activity status of the independent player with player determination information relating to the independent player; and determining, by the server, whether the independent player is acknowledged as a formation wait player based on the comparison. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the player determination information comprises at least one of progress information of the game and score information of the game. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the setting condition is that the number of the formation wait players reaches a specified number. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the setting condition comprises at least one of: the experience value of the formation wait player is equal to or greater than a specified number; or the formation wait player possesses a specified item. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein acknowledging an independent player comprises: acknowledging, by the server, the formation wait player as a first type of formation wait player if the formation wait player has never belonged to any group, acknowledging, by the server, the formation wait player as a second type of formation wait player if the formation wait player belonged to the disbanded group. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the activity status of the first type of formation wait player differs from the activity status of the second type of formation wait player. ### Claim 9 A server for providing a battle game between groups, to each of which a plurality of players belong, the server comprising circuitry configured to: disband a group determined to be in an inactive state; acknowledge an independent player who does not belong to any group as a formation wait player who waits for forming of a new group, depending on an activity status of the independent player, wherein the independent player includes a player who belonged to the disbanded group; create a new group when the formation wait player satisfies a setting condition. ### Claim 10 A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions, that, when executed by a server, cause circuitry of the server, to: disband a group determined to be in an inactive state; acknowledge an independent player who does not belong to any group as a formation wait player who waits for forming of a new group, depending on an activity status of the independent player, wherein the independent player includes a player who belonged to the disbanded group; create a new group when the formation wait player satisfies a setting condition.