Alerts are transmitted to subscribers to an alerts service in response to events that occur within a gaming environment. Communication within the gaming environment is limited to specific game consoles and the gaming service. A subscriber to the alert notification service can be alerted when a friend joins the gaming service to play a game, or can select other events for which an alert is requested to be sent to the subscriber. In response to any predetermined event occurring within the gaming environment, an alerts service provides an alert or message that is transmitted through a secure firewall and outside the gaming environment. The alert message can be in the form of a pop-up that appears on a user's instant messaging service, or an email, or a message that is transmitted through a mobile communication service to a cell phone or other portable communication device.

Sending messages in response to events occurring on a gaming service

Embodiments related to the introduction of new avatar items to a video game environment are disclosed. One embodiment provides a computer-readable medium comprising code executable by a computing device to perform a method of presenting a video game to a user. The code comprises code executable to display in the video game an avatar representing the user, code executable to receive input from a user of the video game during game play, code executable to detect an occurrence of a designated event in the video game during game play that results from input received from the user during game play, code executable to award the user access to an avatar item upon the occurrence of the designated event, and code executable to store code representing the appearance of the avatar item in a location external to the video game.

Awarding of avatar items in video game environment

A system for providing interoperability of electronic games independently-operable from one another includes a network entity and a client. The client can interact with the network entity to play a master electronic game using shared attributes otherwise configured for use in a subordinate electronic game, where the client can interpret the respective shared attributes for use during play of the master electronic game. During play of the master electronic game, the client can receive a selection of at least one subordinate game from within the master electronic game. In response, the client can initiate the selected subordinate game for play using shared attributes otherwise configured for use in the master electronic game and/or another subordinate electronic game. Similarly, the client can interpret the respective shared attributes for use during play of the selected subordinate game.

System and method for providing interoperability of independently-operable electronic games

The game system is capable of executing a game using read objects such as a card, an action figure, and the like. In the game system, the identifying information owned by a read object, for example, a card, a action figure, and the like, itself does not change, a game result of the game performed by using the read object is stored as specific data, for example, historical data showing the history of the game, and the like, and next, on the occasion of executing the game, based on the character specific data, character information is decided, and therefore, according as the game is proceeded, the character information corresponding to the read object changes.

Game system, server, and game control program

A computer implemented method, a data processing system, and a computer program product are provided for collecting user game play data and crediting users in a gaming environment. The aspects of the present invention install and activate a software agent on a client prior to launching a game. The software agent collects game play data of a user on the client if a game state changes. The collected game play data is accumulated locally and sent to a server remotely for processing when the user is online. In turn, the aspects of the present invention credit a user account of the user based on the collected game play data.

Method and apparatus for collecting user game play data and crediting users in an online gaming environment

Characters set corresponding to users are registered in a character server, so the users can download characters from the character server and feature the characters in various games. Also, characters of different players can notify characters of players within a range permitted beforehand regarding their own locations in different games or different virtual spaces, and can send messages one to another. Further, in addition to the appearance of the character, attributes of the character and items which the player have can be stored in the character server, and used throughout various games. Thus, the same characters can be featured in various types of game programs.

Character managing system, character server, character managing method, and program

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system for entering a character common to various game programs and informing the character status. SOLUTION: Characters set corresponding to the respective users are registered in a character server, and the character is down-loaded from the character server to enter the various game programs. The characters of different players are enabled to inform the character of the player in a previously allowable range of the location of own character and transmit a message. In addition to the outline of the character, the attribute of the character and the items possessed by the player are saved as character information in the character server to be used in common in various games.

Character data management system, character server, and character data managing method, and program

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus for ultrasonic flaw detection of shaft members. SOLUTION: Flaw-detection ultrasonic waves of vertical waves are made to be incident onto a face of a shaft member from a phased array probe mounted rotatably in the circumferential direction of the shaft member. The phased array probe is arranged eccentrically so as to tilt with respect to the face of the shaft member. The ultrasonic waves perform flaw detection in the circumferential direction of the shaft member, while a part of the shaft member at which a rotating member is press-fitted is being scanned in the axial direction of the shaft member by a sector scan method. This apparatus includes the phased array probe for transmitting flaw-detection ultrasonic waves of vertical waves; rotating disks for eccentrically fixing the phased array probe; a mechanism for holding the rotating disks at a shaft end of the shaft member for performing ultrasonic flaw detection rotation-freely; and a detector of the rotation angles of the rotating disks. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Method, apparatus, and system for ultrasonic flaw detection of shaft member

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable prescribed characters to be utilized in a plurality of games. SOLUTION: Character information, which is stored in a character server 3 and possessed by a user of a game machine 1, is downloaded from the character server 3 to the game machine 1 through a network 2. More specifically, the user can utilize the characters based on the downloaded character information in the plural games played by means of the game machine 1. The character information is stored with respect to each of the users in the character server 3. The character server 3 supplies the character information housed for the user according to a request from the game machine 1. COPYRIGHT: (C)2002,JPO

Device and method for information processing, and recording medium

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for manufacturing tea enabling reduction of time for manufacturing tea. SOLUTION: The method for manufacturing tea comprises charging fresh tea leaves 17 into a hermetically sealed roasting pot 3, heating the tea leaves at a temperature and pressure exceeding normal temperature and normal pressure while rotating and stirring the tea leaves, and pressurizing the heated tea leaves to deactivate oxidative enzymes in the tea leaves 17 and soften them followed by opening the roasting pot 3 to take out the tea leaves 17. In the method, the tea leaves 17 are taken out from the roasting pot 3 to be dried through a process of expanding and fragmentizing the softened tea leaves 17 by instantaneously releasing the inner pressure in the roasting pot 3. The inner pressure in the roasting pot 3 is released in a short time (within 1 sec), and the inside of the roasting pot 3 is pressurized within 1-12 kgf/cm 2 or 0.1-1.2 Mpa (gage pressure). The roasting pot 3 is heated from outside so as to have the outside temperature of the pot at 80-300 °C when heated. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Masaaki Oka

Papers

Character managing system, character server, character managing method, and program

Character data management system, character server, and character data managing method, and program

Method, apparatus, and system for ultrasonic flaw detection of shaft member

Device and method for information processing, and recording medium

Method for manufacturing tea