Method and apparatus for providing graphical interfaces for declarative specifications

• US 9,003,318 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2011
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Linden Research Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Linden Research Incorporated
• Inventors: Magnusson, Martin, Hallin, Magnus
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Anil N
• Application Number:
  US13/116,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20120304093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/313 Logic programming, e.g. PROLOG programming language
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Example embodiments are directed towards graphical user interfaces for declarative specification languages that express the logic of a computation without describing its control flow. These user interfaces are based on a visual representation of specifications where geometric proximity may be the sole determinant of the resulting configuration. Modularity is improved as each proximal grouping is functionally independent of others. Moreover, a system that executes such specifications may treat groupings independently and execute them in parallel.

Claims

1. A method for instructing a programmable computer, the method comprising:

receiving from a user through a user interface, an adjustment input to move an icon on a screen to a position in which the icon is touching one or more other icons to form a first grouping, the first grouping comprises an icon of a first data indication predicate touching an icon of a first action predicate, and the first data indication predicate is positive or negative based on a position of a game character relative to an object in a computer game;

a declarative specification for controlling the game character in the computer game as a function of the first grouping, wherein the first grouping is a logical implication in which the game character performs a respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate when the first data indication predicate is positive and the game character does not perform the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate when the first data indication predicate is negative; and

during the computer game, in response to the declarative specification, allowing the game character to perform the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate when the first data indication predicate is positive and not allowing the game character to perform the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate when the first data indication predicate is negative;

wherein;

one section of the screen comprises a declarative specification area, the adjustment input is received via the declarative specification area and displays the icon of the first data indication predicate and the icon of the first action predicate; and

another section of the screen provides a view of a real time execution of the declarative specification, showing in real time, an effect of the adjustment input on the computer game as the declarative specification is altered.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data indication predicate and/or the first action predicate corresponds to a command execution.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first data indication predicate indicates whether the game character is close, within a distance threshold, or proximate, within a range of distance thresholds, to the object in the computer game;

an icon for modifying the distance threshold or the range of distance thresholds is provided on the screen proximate to the icon of the first data indication predicate;

an input is received from the user via the icon for modifying, to modify the distance threshold or the range of distance thresholds; and

the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate is performed based on a value of the first data indication predicate relative to the distance threshold or the range of distance thresholds.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising altering a predicate type and/or value by choosing the predicate type and/or value via a drop down menu and/or predictive text entry.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a flow of the declarative specification is from left to right on the screen and the icon of the first action predicate is positioned horizontally with respect to the icon of the first data indication predicate, or the flow of the declarative specification is from top to bottom on the screen; and

the icon of the first action predicate is positioned vertically with respect to the icon of the first data indication predicate.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first data indication predicate is a sub-parameterized predicate;

an icon for modifying a range of values for the first data indication predicate is provided on the screen proximate to the icon of the first data indication predicate;

an input is received from the user via the icon for modifying, to modify the range of values; and

the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate is performed based on a value of the first data indication predicate relative to the range of values.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first action predicate is a sub-parameterized predicate;

an icon for modifying a value for the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate is provided on the screen proximate to the icon of the first action predicate;

an input is received from the user via the icon for modifying a value for the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate; and

the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate is performed based on the value of the first data indication predicate relative to the value for the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the adjustment input causes an icon of an additional predicate representing an additional action to be grouped with the icon of the first action predicate, thereby also causing the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate and the additional action to be performed simultaneously based on a value of the first data indication predicate.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first data indication predicate is positive or negative based on whether the game character has a visual of the object in the computer game.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate comprises at least one of a patrol action, an attack action or a taking action based on whether the game character has the visual of the object in the computer game.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first data indication predicate indicates whether the game character is close, within a distance threshold to the object in the computer game.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate comprises at least one of a patrol action, an attack action or a taking action based on whether the game character is close to the object in the computer game.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate comprises a shooting action;

the first data indication predicate indicates whether the game character is close, within a distance threshold, to the object in the computer game;

an icon for modifying a number of rounds to fire based on whether the game character is close to the object is provided on the screen proximate to the icon of the first action predicate;

an input is received from the user via the icon for modifying the number of rounds to fire, to modify the number of rounds to fire; and

the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate is performed based on a value of the first data indication predicate relative to the distance threshold.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate comprises an attack action;

the first data indication predicate indicates whether the game character is close, within a distance threshold, to the object in the computer game;

an icon for designating one behavior of the attack action if the game character is close to the object is provided on the screen proximate to the icon of the first action predicate;

an icon for designating another behavior of the attack action if the game character is not close to the object is provided on the screen proximate to the icon of the first action predicate; and

the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate is performed according to the one behavior or the another behavior based on a value of the first data indication predicate relative to the distance threshold.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the user through the user interface, another adjustment input to move another icon on the screen to a position in which the another icon is touching one or more other icons to form a second grouping separate from the first grouping, the second grouping comprises an icon of a second data indication predicate touching an icon of a second action predicate, the second data indication predicate is positive or negative based on the position of the game character relative to the object in the computer game, the second data indication predicate is positive when the first data indication predicate is negative, and negative when the first data indication predicate is positive;

altering the declarative specification for controlling the game character in the computer game as a function of the second grouping; and

during the computer game, in response to the declarative specification, causing the game character to perform a respective action identified by the icon of the second action predicate when the second data indication predicate is positive.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the user through the user interface, another adjustment input to move an icon of a second action predicate on the screen to a position in which the icon of the second action predicate is touching one or more icons of the first grouping and becomes part of the first grouping;

altering the declarative specification for controlling the game character in the computer game as a function of the first grouping with the icon of the second action predicate; and

during the computer game, in response to the declarative specification, causing the game character to perform a respective action identified by the icon of the second action predicate in addition to the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate when the first data indication predicate is positive.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the first data indication predicate is positive or negative based on whether the game character has a visual of the object in the computer game;

the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate comprises a no attack action; and

the respective action identified by the icon of the second action predicate comprises a patrol action.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the user through the user interface, another adjustment input to move an icon of a second data indication predicate on the screen to a position in which the icon of the second data indication predicate is touching an icon of a second action predicate to form a second grouping which is associated with the first action predicate, the second data indication predicate is positive or negative based on the position of the game character relative to the object in the computer game,

altering the declarative specification for controlling the game character in the computer game as a function of the second grouping; and

during the computer game, in response to the declarative specification, causing the game character to perform a respective action identified by the icon of the second action predicate when the first data indication predicate and the second data indication predicate are positive, wherein the respective action identified by the icon of the second action predicate is an option under the first action predicate.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein:

the first data indication predicate is positive or negative based on whether the game character has a visual of the object in the computer game;

the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate comprises an attack action;

the second data indication predicate indicates whether the game character is close or not close to the object in the computer game; and

the respective action identified by the icon of the second action predicate comprises a shoot action or a stab action.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

receiving from the user through the user interface, a further adjustment input to move an icon of a third data indication predicate on the screen to a position in which the icon of the third data indication predicate is touching an icon of a third action predicate to form a third grouping which is associated with the first action predicate, the third data indication predicate is positive or negative based on the position of the game character relative to the object in the computer game, the third data indication predicate is positive when the second data indication predicate is negative and negative when the second data indication predicate is positive;

altering the declarative specification for controlling the game character in the computer game as a function of the third grouping; and

during the computer game, in response to the declarative specification, causing the game character to perform a respective action of the third action predicate when the first data indication predicate is positive and the third data indication predicate is positive, wherein the respective action of the third action predicate is another option under the first action predicate.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first data indication predicate is positive or negative based on whether the game character has a visual of the object in the computer game; and

the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate comprises at least one of a patrol action, an attack action, a no attack action or a taking action.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the altering interprets the first grouping is the logical implication based on a horizontal proximity of the icon of the first data indication predicate to the icon of the first action predicate.

5. A system for declarative specification, the system comprising:

a memory, the memory stores executable instructions; and

a microprocessor, the microprocessor is configured to execute the executable instructions to;

a receiving unit configured to receive from a user through a user interface, an adjustment input to move an icon on a screen to a position in which the icon is touching one or more other icons to form a first grouping, the first grouping comprises an icon of a first data indication predicate touching an icon of a first action predicate, and the first data indication predicate is positive or negative based on a position of a game character relative to an object in a computer game;

alter a declarative specification for controlling the game character in the computer game as a function of the first grouping, wherein the first grouping is a logical implication in which the game character performs a respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate when the first data indication predicate is positive and the game character does not perform the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate when the first data indication predicate is negative; and

and during the computer game, in response to the declarative specification, allow the game character to perform the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate when the first data indication is positive and not allow the game character to perform the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate when the first data indication is negative;

wherein;

one section of the screen comprises a declarative specification area, the adjustment input is received via the declarative specification area and displays the icon of the first data indication predicate and the icon of the first action predicate; and

another section of the screen provides a view of a real time execution of the declarative specification, showing in real time, an effect of the adjustment input on the computer game as the declarative specification is altered.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the adjustment input is caused by the user via at least one of a touch screen interface or a drag and drop interface.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the first data indication predicate and/or first action predicate is at least one of a sub-parameterized predicate or a hierarchical predicate.

31. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the processing unit is configured to interpret the first grouping is the logical implication based on a horizontal proximity of the icon of the first data indication predicate to the icon of the first action predicate.

12. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving from a user through a user interface, an adjustment input to move an icon on a screen to a position in which the icon is touching one or more other icons to form a first grouping, the first grouping comprises an icon of a first data indication predicate touching an icon of a first action predicate, wherein the first data indication predicate is positive or negative based on a position of a game character relative to an object in a computer game;

receiving from the user through the user interface, another adjustment input to move another icon on the screen to a position in which the another icon is touching one or more other icons to form a second grouping separate from the first grouping, the second grouping comprises an icon of a second data indication predicate touching an icon of a second action predicate, the second data indication predicate is positive or negative based on the position of the game character relative to the object in the computer game, the second data indication predicate is positive when the first data indication predicate is negative, and negative when the first data indication predicate is positive;

altering a declarative specification for controlling the game character in the computer game as a function of the first grouping and the second grouping, wherein;

(a) the first grouping is a logical implication, based on a proximity of the icon of the first data indication predicate to the icon of the first action predicate, in which the game character performs a respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate when the first data indication predicate is positive and (b) the second grouping is a logical implication, based on a proximity of the icon of the second data indication predicate to the icon of the second action predicate, in which the game character performs a respective action identified by the icon of the second action predicate when the second data indication predicate is positive; and

during the computer game, in response to the declarative specification, allowing the game character to perform the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate when the first data indication predicate is positive and to perform the respective action identified by the icon of the second action predicate when the second data indication predicate is positive;

wherein;

one section of the screen comprises a declarative specification area, the adjustment input is received via the declarative specification area and displays the icon of the first data indication predicate and the icon of the first action predicate; and

another section of the screen provides a view of a real time execution of the declarative specification, showing in real time, an effect of the adjustment input on the computer game as the declarative specification is altered.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein:

the first data indication predicate is positive when the game character has a visual of the object in the computer game; and

the second data indication predicate is positive when the game character does not have the visual of the object in the computer game.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein:

the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate comprises an attack action; and

the respective action identified by the icon of the second action predicate comprises a patrol action.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein:

the first data indication predicate is positive when the game character is close, within a distance threshold, to the object in the computer game; and

the second data indication predicate is positive when the game character is not close to the object in the computer game.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein:

the respective action identified by the icon of the first action predicate a shooting action; and

the respective action identified by the icon of the second action predicate a stabbing action.