# US 10,946,286 B2 · Game system, game processing method, information processing apparatus, and storage medium having stored therein information processing program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,946,286 B2 - Document ID: US10946286B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/822,418 - Filed: 2017-11-27 - Published: 2018-06-21 - Granted: 2021-03-16 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-15 - Assignees: Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Wataru Hinoshita; Haruna Sugano - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10946286B2 ## CPC - A63F 13/79: involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories - A63F 13/35: Details of game servers - A63F 13/48: Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session - A63F 13/52: involving aspects of the displayed game scene - A63F 13/795: for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list - A63F 13/95: Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A non-limiting example game system includes a plurality of terminal apparatuses operated by a plurality of players, and connect to a network. The computer system creates a virtual lobby that allows up to a predetermined number of players to participate therein, and sets a player who operates one of the terminal apparatuses as a player who is virtually present in the lobby in response to a request from that terminal apparatus. The game system also automatically selects one from a plurality of games including at least games requiring different numbers of participant players, according to the number of players who are present in the lobby and are not playing a game and are ready to play, and automatically selects participant players in the selected game from the players ready to play. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A game system including a plurality of terminal apparatuses configured to be operated by a plurality of players, the game system being further configured to connect to a network, the system comprising: at least one computer system including at least one computer processor, wherein the computer system is configured to: create a virtual lobby that allows up to a predetermined number of players to participate therein in response to a first request from one of the terminal apparatuses; in response to a second request from another one of the terminal apparatuses, designate as being virtually present in the lobby a player operating the another one of the terminal apparatuses that sent the second request; determine a game type, from a plurality of possible game types requiring different numbers of participant players, based on (a) the number of players who are present in the lobby and are not playing a multiplayer game and are ready to play, as well as (b) player states and/or game states related to games being played by the players; automatically select the game type based on the determination; automatically select participant players for the selected game type from the players ready to play; and perform a game process for the selected game type according to an operation performed by the selected participant players, wherein the terminals apparatuses are operable to provide single player games to the respective players when the respective players are designated as being virtually present in the lobby. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The game system according to claim 1, wherein the computer system is configured to, after an end of the game process for the selected game type, maintain the participant players as being present in the lobby, and set the participant players as being ready to play. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The game system according to claim 1, wherein the computer system is configured to generate a lobby image indicating a state of the lobby, at least when the participant players are ready to play. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The game system according to claim 3, wherein the lobby image contains at least information about the participant players in the game process for the selected game type, and information about a state of the game process for the selected game type. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The game system according to claim 3, wherein when the game process for the selected game type is being executed, the lobby image contains an image in which a game icon indicating the selected game type that is being played is associated with player icons indicating the participant players in the game process for the selected game type that is being played, and a player icon indicating readiness to play. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The game system according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the terminal apparatuses is a multiplayer terminal apparatus configured to be operated by multiple players associated therewith, the computer system is configured to, when requested by one of the multiplayer terminal apparatuses, set each of the multiple players associated with the one of the multiplayer terminal apparatuses as being virtually present in the lobby, and the computer system is configured to generate an image containing player icons each indicating a corresponding one of the multiple players associated with a single one of the multiplayer terminal apparatuses, the player icons being associated with each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The game system according to claim 5, wherein the computer system is configured to, after the selection of the game type and the participant players, generate an image containing a game icon indicating the selected game type, and player icons indicating the selected participant players, the game icon being associated with the player icons. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The game system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the terminal apparatuses is a multiplayer terminal apparatus configured to be operated by multiple players associated therewith, and the computer system is configured to, in response to being requested by one of the multiplayer terminal apparatuses, set each of the multiple players associated with the one of the multiplayer terminal apparatuses as being virtually present in the lobby. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The game system according to claim 1, further comprising: a storage medium configured to store history information about a previously-played game that was played by the plurality of players when the plurality of players were present in the lobby, wherein the computer system is configured to select the game type, in the automatic selection, based on the history information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The game system according to claim 1, wherein the computer system is configured to determine whether the game process for the selected game type is nearly finished, based on states of the participant players in the game process for the selected game type and/or an elapsed time from a start of the game process, and the computer system is configured to, when determining that the game process for the selected game type is nearly finished, not select a new game type until an end of the game process for the selected game type that has been determined to be nearly finished, and select a new game type after an end of the game process for the selected game type that has been determined to be nearly finished. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The game system according to claim 1, further comprising: a storage medium configured to store player information that is group information indicating a group of players allowed to play games according to the possible game types, and indicates each of the players included in the group, wherein the computer system is configured to update the player information so that the player information contains information about a player present in the lobby. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The game system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of terminal apparatuses is a master terminal apparatus, and a computer system included in the master terminal apparatus is configured to: automatically select a game, and automatically select participant players in the selected game; and in response to the selection of the game, set one of the terminal apparatuses operated by the selected participant players, as a game management terminal apparatus, and a computer system included in the terminal apparatus set as the game management terminal apparatus is configured to manage data that is used in a game process for the selected game. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The game system according to claim 12, wherein: the computer system included in the master terminal apparatus is configured to send information indicating a state of the lobby to a slave terminal apparatus of the plurality of terminal apparatuses, the slave terminal apparatus being different from the master terminal apparatus, and a computer system included in the slave terminal apparatus is configured to generate a lobby image indicating the state of the lobby based on the information sent from the master terminal apparatus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The game system according to claim 1, wherein the virtual lobby is at least initially managed by and/or for the one of the terminal apparatuses that issued the first request. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The game system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of possible game types belong to a predefined game group. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The game system according to claim 15, wherein the game types in the predefined game group represent different categories of games. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The game system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of possible game types include at least competitive and cooperative game types. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The game system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of possible game types include different modes of the same game. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The game system according to claim 1, wherein possible game states include indications of whether the respective games are nearly finished. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The game system according to claim 1, wherein possible player states include indications of whether multiple players are grouped together for gameplay. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The game system according to claim 1, wherein possible player states include indications of what game is being played. ### Claim 22 A game processing method executable in a game system including a plurality of terminal apparatuses configured to be operated by a plurality of players, and connect to a network, the method comprising, in connection with the game system: creating a virtual lobby that allows up to a predetermined number of players to participate therein in response to a first request from one of the terminal apparatuses; in response to a second request from another one of the terminal apparatuses designating as being virtually present in the lobby a player operating the another one of the terminal apparatuses that sent the second request; determining a game type, from a plurality of possible game types requiring different numbers of participant players, based on (a) the number of players who are present in the lobby and are not playing a multiplayer game and are ready to play, as well as (b) player states and/or game states related to games being played by the players; automatically selecting the game type based on the determination; automatically selecting participant players for the selected game type from the players ready to play; and performing a game process for the selected game type according to an operation performed by the selected participant players, wherein the terminals apparatuses are operable to provide single player games to the respective players when the respective players are designated as being virtually present in the lobby. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The game processing method according to claim 22, wherein the game system, after an end of the game process for the selected game performed by the game process, maintains the participant players present in the lobby, and sets the participant players as being ready to play. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The game processing method according to claim 22, wherein at least one of the terminal apparatuses is a multiplayer terminal apparatus configured to be operated by multiple players associated therewith, and the game system, in response to being requested by one of the multiplayer terminal apparatuses, sets each of the multiple players associated with the one of the multiplayer terminal apparatuses as being virtually present in the lobby. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The game processing method according to claim 22, wherein the game system is configured to store history information about a previously-played game that was played by the plurality of players when the plurality of players were present in the lobby, and the game system selects the game type, in the automatic selection, based on the history information. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The game processing method according to claim 22, wherein the game system determines whether the game process for the selected game type is nearly finished, based on states of the participant players in the game process for the selected game type and/or an elapsed time from a start of the game process, and the game system, when determining that the game process for the selected game type is nearly finished, does not select a new game type until an end of the game process for the selected game type that has been determined to be nearly finished, and selects a new game type after an end of the game process for the selected game type that has been determined to be nearly finished. ### Claim 27 (depends on 22) The game processing method according to claim 22, wherein the game system stores player information that is group information indicating a group of players allowed to play games according to the possible game types, and indicates each of the players included in the group, and the game system updates the player information so that the player information contains information about a player present in the lobby. ### Claim 28 (depends on 22) The game processing method according to claim 22, wherein at least one of the plurality of terminal apparatuses is a master terminal apparatus, and the master terminal apparatus is configured to: automatically select a game, and automatically select participant players for the selected game; and in response to the selection of the game, set one of the terminal apparatuses operated by the selected participant players, as a game management terminal apparatus, and the terminal apparatus set as the game management terminal apparatus is configured to manage data that is used in a game process for the selected game. ### Claim 29 An information processing apparatus configured to be operated by at least one player, and communicate with an information processing apparatus of another player, the apparatus comprising: a computer system including at least one computer processor, wherein the computer system is configured to: cause a virtual lobby that allows up to a predetermined number of players to participate therein to be created in response to a first request from the information processing apparatus; determine a game type, from a plurality of possible game types requiring different numbers of participant players, based on (a) the number of players who are present in the lobby and are not playing a multiplayer game and are ready to play, as well as (b) player states and/or game states related to games being played by the players; automatically select the game type based on the determination; automatically select participant players for the selected game type from the players ready to play; and perform a game process for the selected game type according to an operation performed by the selected participant players, wherein the apparatuses are operable to provide single player games to the respective players when the respective players are designated as being virtually present in the lobby. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The information processing apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising: a storage medium configured to store player information that is group information indicating a group of players allowed to play games according to the possible game types, and indicates each of the players included in the group, and the computer system is configured to update the player information so that the player information contains information about a player present in the lobby. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) The information processing apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the computer system is configured to, in response to the selection of the game type, set one of the terminal apparatuses operated by the selected participant players, as a game management terminal apparatus, and the terminal apparatus set as the game management terminal apparatus is configured to manage data that is used in the game process for the selected game type. ### Claim 32 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program executable by a computer system in an information processing apparatus that is configured to be operated by at least one player, and communicate with an information processing apparatus of another player, the information processing program, when executed, causing the computer system to perform functionality comprising: causing a virtual lobby that allows up to a predetermined number of players to participate therein to be created in response to a first request from the information processing apparatus; determining a game type, from a plurality of possible game types requiring different numbers of participant players, based on (a) the number of players who are present in the lobby and are not playing a multiplayer game and are ready to play, as well as (b) player states and/or game states related to games being played by the players; automatically selecting the game type based on the determination; automatically selecting participant players for the selected game type from the players ready to play; and performing a game process for the selected game type according to an operation performed by the selected participant players, wherein the apparatuses are operable to provide single player games to the respective players when the respective players are designated as being virtually present in the lobby. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The storage medium according to claim 32, wherein the storage medium is configured to store player information that is group information indicating a group of players allowed to games according to the possible game types, and indicates each of the players included in the group, and the information processing program, when executed, is configured to cause the computer system to further execute updating the player information so that the player information contains information about a player present in the lobby. ### Claim 34 (depends on 32) The storage medium according to claim 32, wherein the information processing program, when executed, is configured to cause the computer system to further execute, in response to the selection of the game type, setting one of the terminal apparatuses operated by the selected participant players, as a game management terminal apparatus, and the terminal apparatus set as the game management terminal apparatus is configured to manage data that is used in the game process for the selected game.