Patents by Inventor Hiroaki IWANO

Hiroaki IWANO has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11344798
    Abstract: A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game is provided. In the video game, a plurality of players addresses a common task. The video game processing apparatus includes a processor and a display controller. The processor specifies a task corresponding to a task providing request of a first player and generates player related information of a second player corresponding to the specified task. The display controller displays, on a task screen, an image in association with the second player. The image satisfies a display condition during progress of the specified task. The task screen indicates the specified task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sato, Naofumi Takuma, Hiroaki Iwano
  • Publication number: 20200215431
    Abstract: A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game is provided. In the video game, a plurality of players addresses a common task. The video game processing apparatus includes a processor and a display controller. The processor specifies a task corresponding to a task providing request of a first player and generates player related information of a second player corresponding to the specified task. The display controller displays, on a task screen, an image in association with the second player. The image satisfies a display condition during progress of the specified task. The task screen indicates the specified task.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventors: Yasuhiro SATO, Naofumi TAKUMA, Hiroaki IWANO
  • Patent number: 10625154
    Abstract: A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game is provided. In the video game, a plurality of players addresses a common task. The video game processing apparatus includes a processor and a display controller. The processor specifies a task corresponding to a task providing request of a first player and generates player related information of a second player corresponding to the specified task. The display controller displays, on a task screen, an image including a character string in association with the second player. The character string satisfies a display condition during progress of the specified task. The task screen indicates the specified task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sato, Naofumi Takuma, Hiroaki Iwano
  • Publication number: 20190046875
    Abstract: A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game is provided. In the video game, a plurality of players addresses a common task. The video game processing apparatus includes a processor and a display controller. The processor specifies a task corresponding to a task providing request of a first player and generates player related information of a second player corresponding to the specified task. The display controller displays, on a task screen, an image including a character string in association with the second player. The character string satisfies a display condition during progress of the specified task. The task screen indicates the specified task.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUA RE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventors: Yasuhiro SATO, Naofumi TAKUMA, Hiroaki IWANO
  • Patent number: 10124254
    Abstract: A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game is provided. In the video game, a plurality of players addresses a common task. The video game processing apparatus includes a processor and a display controller. The processor specifies a task corresponding to a task providing request of a first player and generates player related information of a second player corresponding to the specified task. The display controller displays, on a task screen, an image including a character string in association with the second player. The character string satisfies a display condition during progress of the specified task. The task screen indicates the specified task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sato, Naofumi Takuma, Hiroaki Iwano
  • Publication number: 20170282064
    Abstract: A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game is provided. In the video game, a plurality of players addresses a common task. The video game processing apparatus includes a processor and a display controller. The processor specifies a task corresponding to a task providing request of a first player and generates player related information of a second player corresponding to the specified task. The display controller displays, on a task screen, an image including a character string in association with the second player. The character string satisfies a display condition during progress of the specified task. The task screen indicates the specified task.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventors: Yasuhiro SATO, Naofumi TAKUMA, Hiroaki IWANO
  • Patent number: 9656164
    Abstract: A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game is provided. A plurality of players addresses a common task in the video game. Task related information that indicates a task that a player can challenge in the video game is stored in a task related information memory. When a task providing request is received from the player, the video game processing apparatus specifies a task corresponding to the task providing request, and generates other player related information. The other player related information indicates other player corresponding to the specified task. A task screen showing the specified task is then displayed. At least part of the generated other player related information is also displayed on the task screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sato, Naofumi Takuma, Hiroaki Iwano
  • Patent number: 9656170
    Abstract: The present invention provides a game apparatus in which the variation width of a computation result in a battle between a player character and an enemy character is increased, and a difference in result can be brought about even with the same attack by a player's operation, and furthermore, a player can play a game while he/she feels the sense of realism and tension where he/she manipulates the character that is difficult to manipulate as intended. A chain used by a main character to manipulate a dragon is displayed on a display screen. A player manipulates the dragon by loosening or tightening the chain by performing an operation on a touch panel. The control level of the dragon is represented by an uncontrollability parameter. A status such as the offensive power of the dragon changes according to the uncontrollability parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX
    Inventors: Takehiro Ando, Hiroaki Iwano
  • Patent number: 9022863
    Abstract: A video game processing apparatus includes a virtual card information memory for storing virtual card information on virtual cards used for a fighting in a video game and a player information memory for storing player information. The virtual card information indicates the attack content and an attack condition. The player information contains setup virtual card information indicating a setup virtual card set up by the player as a virtual card used for the fighting. It is determined whether there is a setup virtual card whose attack condition is satisfied among the setup virtual cards on the basis of a time measured by a timer. In a case where there are plural setup virtual cards for which it is determined that their attack conditions are respectively satisfied within a predetermined time interval, bonus processing according to a combination of the plural setup virtual cards is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
    Inventors: Takehiro Ando, Hiroaki Iwano, Akihide Hoshi
  • Publication number: 20140302923
    Abstract: A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game is provided. A plurality of players addresses a common task in the video game. Task related information that indicates a task that a player can challenge in the video game is stored in a task related information memory. When a task providing request is received from the player, the video game processing apparatus specifies a task corresponding to the task providing request, and generates other player related information. The other player related information indicates other player corresponding to the specified task. A task screen showing the specified task is then displayed. At least part of the generated other player related information is also displayed on the task screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventors: Yasuhiro SATO, Naofumi TAKUMA, Hiroaki IWANO
  • Publication number: 20140213356
    Abstract: A video game processing apparatus for controlling progress of a video game is provided. A plurality of players carries out actions in turn in the video game, by which a predetermined action effect is generated. Action information in which an action and a support effect are associated with each other is stored in an action information memory. A player of the video game processing apparatus can carry out the action in the video game. The support effect is an effect generated in the video game due to an action. When an action executing request is received from the player, a support effect is set up in correspondence with the received action executing request. The support effect that has been set up before the action executing request is received is generated in a case where the action executing request is received.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX (also trading as SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.)
    Inventors: Hiroaki IWANO, Naofumi TAKUMA, Yasuhiro SATO
  • Publication number: 20140011585
    Abstract: The present invention provides a game apparatus in which the variation width of a computation result in a battle between a player character and an enemy character is increased, and a difference in result can be brought about even with the same attack by a player's operation, and furthermore, a player can play a game while he/she feels the sense of realism and tension where he/she manipulates the character that is difficult to manipulate as intended. A chain used by a main character to manipulate a dragon is displayed on a display screen. A player manipulates the dragon by loosening or tightening the chain by performing an operation on a touch panel. The control level of the dragon is represented by an uncontrollability parameter. A status such as the offensive power of the dragon changes according to the uncontrollability parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Takehiro ANDO, Hiroaki IWANO