SYSTEM AND METHOD TO REPRESENT A RESOURCE OBJECT IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT

• US 20130217489A1
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Bronstein Bendayan, Manuel Uris, Bagwell, Wright, McCarthy, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,248,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for representing a resource object in a virtual environment are presented. To begin, a graphical user interface may be provided to a player. The graphical user interface may display a virtual environment that includes the resource object and a game object. A resource production event may be detected. The resource production event may be generated based on a resource production attribute that specifies that a quantity of resource units have been generated. Based on the detected resource production event, at least some portion of the quantity of generated resource units is allocated to the resource pool. Then, responsive to detecting a user initiated game action being applied to the game object, a determinable amount of resource units is removed from the resource pool.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing a graphical user interface to a player, the graphical user interface displaying a virtual environment, the virtual environment including a resource object and a game object;

detecting a resource production event generated based on a resource production attribute of the resource object, the resource production event specifying that a quantity of resource units have been generated;

based on the detected resource production event, allocating at least some portion of the quantity of generated resource units to a resource pool belonging to a user; and

responsive to detecting a user initiated game action applied to the game object, removing a determinable amount of resource units from the resource pool.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the resource object is depicted as a well, a river, a lake, a stream, a reservoir, a dam, or a water tower.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising updating a visual representation of the resource object based on an amount of resource units in the resource pool.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising generating a visual indication of the resource pool, the visual indication of the resource pool including an indication of an amount of resource units collected by the user.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising updating the visual indication of the amount of resource collected by the user in response to allocating the at least some portion of the quantity of generated resource units to the resource pool belonging to the user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the resource object having been previously created responsive to the user selecting tiles within the virtual environment.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the quantity of resource units generated is dependent on a number of tiles selected by the user.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, based further on the detected resource production event, updating a visual image of the resource object, the visual image representing a resource ready state.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein removing the determinable amount of resource units from the resource pool is based on the game action being mapped to the resource pool.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a user placement of an additional resource object within the virtual environment;

responsive to detecting the user placement of the additional resource object, increasing a resource capacity of the resource pool, the resource capacity specifying a number of resource units that the resource pool may store.

11. A computer system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a resource module implemented by the at least one processor and configured to;

providing a graphical user interface to a player, the graphical user interface displaying a virtual environment, the virtual environment including a resource object and a game object;

detecting a resource production event generated based on a resource production attribute of the resource object, the resource production event specifying that a quantity of resource units have been generated;

based on the detected resource production event, allocating at least some portion of the quantity of generated resource units to a resource pool belonging to a user; and

responsive to detecting a user initiated game action applied to the game object, removing a determinable amount of resource units from the resource pool.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the resource module depicts the resource object as a well, a river, a lake, a stream, a reservoir, a dam, or a water tower.

13. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising updating a visual representation of the resource object based on an amount of resource units in the resource pool.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the resource module is further configured to generate a visual indication of the resource pool, the visual indication of the resource pool including an indication of an amount of resource units collected by the user.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the resource module is further configured to update the visual indication of the amount of resource collected by the user in response to allocating the at least some portion of the quantity of generated resource units to the resource pool belonging to the user.

16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the resource object having been previously created responsive to the user selecting tiles within the virtual environment.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the resource module is further configured to generate the quantity of resource units based at least in part on a number of tiles selected by the user.

18. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the resource module is further configured to, based further on the detected resource production event, update a visual image of the resource object, the visual image representing a resource ready state.

19. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the resource module is further configured to:

detect a user placement of an additional resource object within the virtual environment;

responsive to detecting the user placement of the additional resource object, increase a resource capacity of the resource pool, the resource capacity specifying a number of resource units that the resource pool may store.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

providing a graphical user interface to a player, the graphical user interface displaying a virtual environment, the virtual environment including a resource object and a game object;

detecting a resource production event generated based on a resource production attribute of the resource object, the resource production event specifying that a quantity of resource units have been generated;

based on the detected resource production event, allocating at least some portion of the quantity of generated resource units to a resource pool belonging to the user; and

responsive to detecting a user initiated game action being applied to the game object, removing a determinable amount of resource units from the resource pool.