Techniques for use with computerized games having cards

• US 8,092,289 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2007
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mai, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre Eddy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kamal, Shahid
• Application Number:
  US11/820,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20080311984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,667 Days
• Field of Search: 463/9, 463/11, 463/31, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/11
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/537 for exchanging game data using a messaging service, e.g. e-mail, SMS, MMS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/663 for simulating liquid objects, e.g. water, gas, fog, snow, clouds
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/80 specially adapted for executing a specific type of game

Abstract

Techniques are described for determining card movement in a computerized game. A representation of one or more cards to be played in a simulated environment is provided. A movement of at least one of said cards is determined in accordance with one or more of an attribute of the card and a current condition in the simulated environment.

Claims

1. A method for providing a computerized card game having cards in motion comprising:

providing, by a computing system, a representation of a plurality of cards selectable for play in a simulated environment on a screen of a display output device, the simulated environment including a first set of environmental conditions for a first gaming level and a second set of environmental conditions for a second gaming level more difficult than the first gaming level, the environmental conditions affecting an amount of time a card is selectable for play, a position of a card, whether a card is face up or face down, and rate of card movement, wherein the simulated environment provides a power-up trigger for the second gaming level that temporarily changes one or more environmental conditions of the second set of environmental conditions to one or more environmental conditions of the first set of environmental conditions;

determining, by a processor of the computing system, a card movement and a rate of card movement of each card selectable for play across the screen along a motion path in accordance with a current condition in the simulated environment;

displaying the plurality of cards selectable for play in motion across the screen along the motion path, each card selectable for play moving at the determined rate until selected from the motion path, wherein;

cards moving across the screen along the motion path independently of player action become stationary in response to one or more defined player actions,

the first set of environmental conditions for the first gaming level includes a first amount of time for which the cards remain stationary in response to the one or more defined player actions, and

the second set of environmental conditions for the second gaming level includes a second amount of time smaller than the first amount of time for which the cards remain stationary in response to the one or more defined user actions; and

constructing a sequence of cards in response to player selection of a card selectable for play from the motion path as the card is moving across the screen along the motion path independently of player action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

cards that are selected from the motion path move to a build pile displayed on the screen in response to the player selection of the cards,

the motion path includes a portion that is off the screen, and

cards that are unselected in a first display cycle move off the screen and then appear on the screen after a time period in second display cycle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the cards in motion are displayed in the simulated environment as floating cards on a water surface, and

the card movement of each of the floating cards along the motion path is determined by a directional flow of water in the simulated environment, and

the rate of card movement of each of the floating cards along the motion path is determined by a flow rate of water in the simulated environment.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

displaying a floating card in a face down position on the water surface;

turning the floating card face up for a defined time period; and

turning the floating card face down after the defined time period independently of player action.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the defined time period is determined in accordance with a difficulty level.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

selection of the floating card causes one or more other floating cards within a defined region to turn face up, and

the defined region is determined relative to a location of the selected floating card and a difficulty level.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the simulated environment displays an object beneath the water surface as a power-up trigger which, if selected, causes one or more floating cards on the water surface to perform one or more of:

remain stationary for a time period, turn face up for a time period, and turn partially face-up for a time period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each card in motion includes one or more properties affecting card movement of each other card in motion along the motion path.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each card is displayed in a face down position by default.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the cards in motion originate from a center point of the screen,

each card in motion moves along the motion path with respect to the center point and alternates between face up and face down positions independently of player action while the card is selectable for play,

each card in motion appears larger as the card moves along the motion path farther from the center point over time, and

a point value for each card is determined based on a location at which the card is selected with respect to the center point.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the computing system, a sequence of entities for a card, each entity in the sequence of entities for the card having a different size and corresponding to a different point in a lifetime of the card, the lifetime of the card representing an amount of contiguous time the card is displayed in the simulated environment;

updating the screen over time with different entities from the sequence of entities for the card at different locations during the lifetime of the card; and

showing an identity of the card during the lifetime of the card after at least one entity in the sequence of entities for the card has been displayed, wherein the card is not selectable for play in the computerized card game until the identity of the card is shown.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the card is displayed and selectable for play in the computerized card game after the identity of the card is shown and until the lifetime of the card ends, and

the card fades from display when the lifetime of the card ends.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the card rotates while selectable for play.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

when the lifetime of a first card ends, displaying a plurality of first entities from a plurality of different sequences of entities for different cards.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the different cards include an attribute of the first card.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said simulated environment includes at least one object used in connection with advertising, and

said at least one object affects whether at least one card is playable at a point in time during play of the computerized game.

17. A computing device for providing a computerized card game having cards in motion, the computing device comprising:

a processor for executing computer-executable instructions; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions for providing a computerized card game having cards in motion, the computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for;

providing a representation of a plurality of cards selectable for play in a simulated environment on a screen of a display output device, the simulated environment including a first set of environmental conditions for a first gaming level and a second set of environmental conditions for a second gaming level more difficult than the first gaming level, the environmental conditions affecting an amount of time a card is selectable for play, a position of a card, whether a card is face up or face down, and rate of card movement, wherein the simulated environment provides a power-up trigger for the second gaming level that temporarily changes one or more environmental conditions of the second set of environmental conditions to one or more environmental conditions of the first set of environmental conditions;

determining a card movement and a rate of card movement of each card selectable for play across the screen along a motion path in accordance with a current condition in the simulated environment;

displaying the plurality of cards selectable for play in motion across the screen along the motion path, each card selectable for play moving at the determined rate until selected from the motion path, wherein;

cards moving across the screen along the motion path independently of player action become stationary in response to one or more defined player actions,

the first set of environmental conditions for the first gaming level includes a first amount of time for which the cards remain stationary in response to the one or more defined player actions, and

the second set of environmental conditions for the second gaming level includes a second amount of time smaller than the first amount of time for which the cards remain stationary in response to the one or more defined user actions; and

constructing a sequence of cards in response to player selection of a card selectable for play from the motion path as the card is moving across the screen along the motion path independently of player action.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein:

cards that are selected from the motion path move to a build pile displayed on the screen in response to the player selection of the cards,

the motion path includes a portion that is off the screen, and

cards that are unselected in a first display cycle move off the screen and then appear on the screen after a time period in second display cycle.

19. A computer storage medium that does not consist of a signal, that computer storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to provide a computerized card game having cards in motion, the computer-executable instruction comprising instructions for:

providing a representation of a plurality of cards selectable for play in a simulated environment on a screen of a display output device, the simulated environment including a first set of environmental conditions for a first gaming level and a second set of environmental conditions for a second gaming level more difficult than the first gaming level, the environmental conditions affecting an amount of time a card is selectable for play, a position of a card, whether a card is face up or face down, and rate of card movement, wherein the simulated environment provides a power-up trigger for the second gaming level that temporarily changes one or more environmental conditions of the second set of environmental conditions to one or more environmental conditions of the first set of environment conditions;

determining a card movement and a rate of card movement of each card selectable for play across the screen along a motion path in accordance with a current condition in the simulated environment;

displaying the plurality of cards selectable for play in motion across the screen along the motion path, each card selectable for play moving at the determined rate until selected from the motion path, wherein;

cards moving across the screen along the motion path independently of player action become stationary in response to one or more defined player actions,

the first set of environmental conditions for the first gaming level includes a first amount of time for which the cards remain stationary in response to the one or more defined players action, and

the second set of environmental conditions for the second gaming level includes a second amount of time smaller than the first amount of time which the cards remain stationary in response to the one or more defined user actions; and

constructing a sequence of cards in response to player selection of a card selectable for play from the motion path as the card is moving across the screen along the motion path independently of player action.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 19, wherein:

cards that are selected from the motion path move to a build pile displayed on the screen in response to the player selection of the cards,

the motion path includes a portion that is off the screen, and

cards that are unselected in a first display cycle move off the screen and then appear on the screen after a time period in second display cycle.