Method and apparatus for receiving formation action instruction

• US 9,513,766 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xyrality GmbH
• Original Assignee: Xyrality GmbH
• Inventors: Spohr, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhatia, Ajay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiang, Haimei
• Application Number:
  US13/790,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20140229893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

Embodiments relate to a graphical user interface to be displayed on a display apparatus, the graphical user interface comprising an addressable window which is assigned to a selectable object, where the window has a list with a plurality of buttons, where there is assigned to each button an action of a particular type in relation to the object assigned to the window, where there is assigned to one button a formation action which can be performed with elements from a plurality of element types, where the performance of the formation action requires the selection of the number of elements to be used for the formation action from a maximum number of elements for at least one element type. A further formation action can be assigned to a further button, where the element types and the number of elements to be used for the further formation action are determined by the element types and elements used in the last performed formation action.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for receiving a formation action instruction from a user, comprising:

presenting a plurality of buttons to a user,

wherein there is assigned to each button of the plurality of buttons a corresponding action in relation to a selectable object of a corresponding plurality of actions in relation to the selectable object,

wherein each action in relation to the selectable object of the plurality of actions in relation to the selectable object has a corresponding action type selected from at least two action types,

wherein the at least two action types comprise;

a formation action type,

wherein an action in relation to the selectable object having the formation action type is performed with one or more elements, wherein the one or more elements comprise m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n elements of a corresponding n element types, wherein m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n are integers greater than or equal to zero, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 2,

wherein there is assigned to a first button of the plurality of buttons a first action in relation to the selectable object of the plurality of actions in relation to the selectable object, wherein the first action in relation to the selectable object has the formation action type,

wherein performance of an action in relation to the selectable object having the formation action type requires selection by the user of m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n, such that, for i=1, 2, . . . , n, m_i is in a range from zero to k_j, wherein k_i is an i^th maximum number of a corresponding n maximum numbers, k₁, k₂, . . . , k_n, wherein k₁, k₂, . . . , k_n are integers greater than or equal to zero, wherein k_i corresponds to a maximum number of elements of an i^th element type of the n element types selectable by the user for the action in relation to the selectable object having the formation action type,

wherein there is assigned to a second button of the plurality of buttons a second action in relation to the selectable object, wherein the second action in relation to the selectable object has the formation action type, wherein the second action in relation to the selectable object is the same as the first action in relation to the selectable object,

wherein selection by the user of m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n for the first action in relation to the selectable object requires the user to enter m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n for the first action in relation to the selectable object,

wherein selection by the user of m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n for the second action in relation to the selectable object requires the user to actuate the second button, wherein m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n for the second action in relation to the selectable object are m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n of a most recent performed first action in relation to the selectable object,

wherein upon actuation of the first button, further comprising;

presenting to the user n input fields corresponding to the n element types, wherein the user can enter m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n for the first action in relation to the selectable object into the n inputs fields, respectively, and

upon entry of m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n for the first action in relation to the selectable object into the n inputs fields, respectively, presenting a first further button to the user, wherein actuation of the first further button initiates the first action in relation to the selectable object,

wherein upon actuation of the second button, further comprising initiating the second action in relation to the selectable object, and

wherein presenting the plurality of buttons to the user enables the user to participate as a player in a multiplayer online game played via the internet.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the second button is faded out if the second action cannot be performed.

5. The method according to claim 1,

wherein upon actuation of the second button, initiating the second action comprises:

presenting a second further button to the user,

wherein actuation of the second further button initiates the second action.

6. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the formation action type is an attack on the selectable object belonging to another player in a multiplayer online game played via the internet, and

wherein the n element types comprise different types of attackers and warriors.

3. A method of controlling a digital electronic device having a display apparatus and a memory device, comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface on a display apparatus of a digital electronic device, wherein the graphical user interface enables a user to participate as a player in a multiplayer online game to be played via the internet,

wherein the graphical user interface comprises;

an addressable window that is assigned to a selectable object, wherein the selectable object belongs to another player in the multiplayer online game,

wherein the addressable window is called up when the user selects the selectable object from a plurality of selectable objects,

wherein the addressable window has a list with a plurality of buttons,

wherein there is assigned to each button of the plurality of buttons an action of a corresponding plurality of actions, wherein each action of the plurality of actions has a corresponding action type in relation to the selectable object assigned to the addressable window selected from two or more action types, wherein the two or more action types includes a formation action type, wherein an action having the formation action type involves a formation wherein the formation comprises one or more elements, wherein the one or more elements comprise m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n elements of a corresponding n element types, wherein m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n are integers greater than or equal to zero, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 2,

wherein the addressable window comprises;

a first button of the plurality of buttons, wherein a first action is assigned to the first button wherein the first action has the formation action type, such that the first action is a first formation action,

wherein the first formation action is performed with a first m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n, elements of the corresponding n element types,

wherein the first button is linked with a further window such that actuating the first button calls up the further window,

wherein in the further window n input fields are provided for input of the first m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n by the user, wherein the user can enter the first m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n to be used for the first formation action into the n input fields,

wherein performance of the first formation action requires the user to enter at least one of the first m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n to be used for the first formation action from a corresponding at least one of the first n maximum numbers, k₁, k₂, . . . , k_n of elements for the n element types, such that any of the first m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n the user does not enter are zero,

wherein the further window comprises a further button,

wherein upon the user actuating the further button, further comprising initiating the first formation action with the at least one of the first m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n elements of the corresponding at least one element type,

wherein each time the first formation action is initiated by actuation of the further button, further comprising storing the at least one of the first m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n used in the first formation action as a last used formation in a formation memory provided in the memory device,

wherein the addressable window comprises a second button, wherein a second action is assigned to the second button of the plurality of buttons, wherein the second action has the formation action type, such that the second action is a second formation action,

wherein the second formation action is the same as the first formation action and

wherein the second formation to be used for the second formation action is the last used formation called up from the formation memory.

4. The method according to claim 3,

wherein the selectable object is a habitat belonging to the other player,

wherein the first action is an attack on the habitat belonging to the other player, and

wherein the n element types comprise element types selected from the group consisting of one or more type of attackers and one or more type of warriors.

7. The method according to claim 3,

wherein the second button comprises a display region for displaying the n element types to be used for the second formation action and m₁, m₂, . . . , m_n to be used for the second action.

8. The method according to claim 7,

wherein the display region displays a corresponding graphical symbol of n graphical symbols to represent each element type of the n element types elements of which are to be used for the second action.

9. The method according to claim 8,

wherein spatially associated with each graphical symbol of the n graphical symbols, the number of elements, m_i, is displayed to indicate a number of elements of the i^th element type of the n element types to be used for the second action.

10. The method according to claim 7,

wherein element types of the n element types elements of which are not to be used in the second action are faded out in the display region.

11. The method according to claim 3,

wherein the second button has a time information region for time information relating to the second action.

12. The method according to claim 11,

wherein the time information region contains a graphical time symbol.

13. The method according to claim 3,

wherein a confirmation prompt element is linked with the second button.

14. The method according to claim 13,

wherein the confirmation prompt element is a pop-up window.

15. The method according to claim 13,

wherein the confirmation prompt element has an actuatable confirmation button which is assigned to the second action in order to initiate the second action.

16. The method according to claim 8,

wherein element types of the n element types that are not to be used in the second formation action are faded out in the display region.

17. The method according to claim 14,

wherein the confirmation prompt element has an actuatable confirmation button which is assigned to the second formation action in order to initiate the second formation action.

18. The method according to claim 3,

wherein the n element types comprise different types of attackers or warriors.

19. The method according to claim 3,

wherein the n element types comprise at least one transport vehicle.

20. A digital-electronic device, comprising:

a display apparatus;

a memory device; and

an electronic control device,

wherein the digital-electronic device contains a set of instructions that when executed cause the electronic control device to perform the method of claim 3.