Method and device for supporting wireless multi-player gaming with a multi-player game hub

Abstract

The present invention relates to wireless multi-player gaming with mobile game devices. It also relates to a method and a device capable of reducing the communication load of mobile game devices in wireless multi-player gaming. The method of the present invention is provided to support wireless multi-player gaming with a multi-player game hub, wherein in said method said hub is setting up wireless connections to at least two mobile game devices by performing an initialization procedure according to an initialization protocol. These connections form a hub-to all wireless network, wherein each connected game device is wirelessly connected as a slave device in said wireless network. In the method the hub further comprises controlling the transfer of game execution data between said at least two game devices. Thereby a method and a game system is provided to separate the communication load from the game execution load keeping the processing resources of the gaming devices clear for executing the game software in wireless multi-player gaming.

1 . Method for supporting wireless multi-player gaming with a multi-player game hub, said method comprising at said hub: 
 setting up wireless connections to at least two mobile game devices by performing an initialization procedure according to an initialization protocol, forming a hub-to-all wireless network, wherein each of said connected game devices is wirelessly connected as a slave device in said wireless network, and    controlling the transfer of game execution data between said at least two game devices.    
   
   
       2 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said setting up of a wireless connection comprises: 
 sending initialization messages, to search for new wireless mobile game devices,    receiving identification messages from said game devices, and    setting up a connection to said game devices.    
   
   
       3 . Method according to claim l, further comprising 
 connecting a mass storage, and    reading data contained in said mass storage.    
   
   
       4 . Method according to  claim 3 , wherein said reading of data comprises initialization control data and transfer control data for performing said connection setup and said game data transfer.  
   
   
       5 . Method according to  claim 3 , wherein said read data comprises game data, and said method further comprises 
 transferring said game data to each of said connected slave devices via a wireless interface.    
   
   
       6 . Method according to  claim 5 , further comprising generating a video/audio output according to said game data from a connected mass storage, and according to said transferred game execution data.  
   
   
       7 . Method according to  claim 5 , further comprising executing said game data received from said connected mass storage according to said transferred game execution data.  
   
   
       8 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said setting up of a wireless connection and said transferring of game execution data is performed according to a Bluetooth protocol.  
   
   
       9 . Method according to  claim 1 , wherein said setting up of a wireless connection and said transferring of game execution data is performed according to a WLAN protocol.  
   
   
       10 . Method for performing wireless multi-player gaming at a wireless multi-player game system comprising a game hub and at least two mobile gaming devices, wherein said method comprises the hub based procedures of  claim 1  and further comprises at said mobile gaming devices, 
 receiving of user input,    executing a game software according to said received user input,    generating game execution data to be transferred to other mobile gaming devices,    transferring said data to said hub via a wireless connection,    receiving game execution data from other mobile gaming devices via said hub, and    executing said game software according to said received game execution data.    
   
   
       11 . Software tool comprising program code means stored on a computer readable medium for carrying out the method of  claim 1  when said software tool is run on a computer or network device.  
   
   
       12 . Computer program product comprising program code means stored on a computer readable medium for carrying out the method of  claim 1  when said program product is run-on a computer or network device.  
   
   
       13 . Computer program product comprising program code, downloadable from a server for carrying out the method of  claim 1  when said program product is run on a computer or network device.  
   
   
       14 . Multi-player game hub comprising a wireless interface, initialization engine and a game communication control engine, wherein said wireless interface is connected to said initialization engine and said game communication control engine.  
   
   
       15 . Multi-player game hub according to  claim 14 , further comprising a processing unit and an interface for a mass storage, said processing unit being connected to said mass storage interface and to said wireless interface.  
   
   
       16 . Multi-player game hub according to  claim 15 , further comprising a display controller and a display interface, wherein said display controller is connected to said display interface and to said processing unit.  
   
   
       17 . Multi-player game hub according to  claim 14 , further comprising a user interface.  
   
   
       18 . Multi-player game hub according to  claim 14 , further comprising a desktop charger unit.  
   
   
       19 . Multi-player game hub according to  claim 14 , further comprising a modem.  
   
   
       20 . Multi-player game hub according to  claim 14 , wherein said multi-player game hub is implemented in a wireless mobile game device.  
   
   
       21 . Multi-player game system, wherein said game system comprises a multi-player game hub according to  claim 14 , and wireless mobile game devices being connectable to said multi-player game hub via a wireless communication links, wherein said multi-player game hub is in the master role of said links and said mobile game devices are each in a slave role of said links.