Touch control with dynamic zones

• US 9,561,432 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wargaming.Net Limited
• Original Assignee: Wargaming.Net Limited
• Inventors: Alexeev, Alexey, Drozd, Stepan
• Primary Examiner(s): Galka, Lawrence
• Application Number:
  US14/206,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20150258430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• 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 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing user control of objects or vehicles simulated in a simulated environment or virtual world are described herein. The user control may include various types of touch controls that may be used by a player to move the object or vehicle in a direction and/or at a velocity. The user, in some embodiments, may be able to select which type of touch control is used in the user interface. In some arrangements, the touch control may include a touch zone arrangement that can be changed based on a condition of the virtual world or a player interaction with a user interface. Additionally, in some embodiments, the user control may include one or more controls for removing one or more statuses that may be received by the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing, as part of a user interface for a virtual world, a touch control comprising a plurality of touch zones in a first touch zone arrangement, each of the plurality of touch zones corresponding to its own particular movement to control an object of the virtual world;

generating, as part of the user interface, a first visual indicator that indicates a first movement to control the object when press input is received within a first touch zone of the plurality of touch zones;

while the first visual indicator is generated as part of the user interface, beginning to receive first press input within first touch zone;

changing, based on the beginning to receive the first press input within the first touch zone, the plurality of touch zones to have a second touch zone arrangement by at least increasing a size of the first touch zone such that a greater area is provided in which to control the object in the first movement;

while continuing to receive the first press input within the first touch zone, controlling the object based on the first press input and the second touch zone arrangement;

generating, as part of the user interface, a second visual indicator that indicates a second movement to control the object when press input is received within a second touch zone of the plurality of touch zones;

while the second visual indicator is generated as part of the user interface, beginning to receive second press input within the second touch zone;

changing, based on the beginning to receive the second press input within the second touch zone, the plurality of touch zones to have a third touch zone arrangement that is different from the second touch zone arrangement; and

while continuing to receive the second press input within the second touch zone, controlling the object based on the second press input and the third touch zone arrangement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first visual indicator and the second visual indicator are part of a plurality of visual indicators associated with the touch control, and wherein a maximum of one of the plurality of visual indicators is displayed at a given time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch control comprises a dead zone, and wherein the increasing the size of the first touch zone is based on decreasing a size of the dead zone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the beginning to receive the first press input and the continuing to receive the first press input comprises receiving signals from a touch sensor as a user continuously presses a finger on a touch screen associated with the touch sensor;

and

wherein the providing the touch control comprises anchoring the touch control at a location based on determining that a first touch gesture has been performed.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing, responsive to a change from a first viewing mode to a second viewing mode, the touch control to have a fourth touch zone arrangement that is different from the first touch zone arrangement, the second touch zone arrangement and the third touch zone arrangement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first movement comprises a forward movement;

wherein the second movement comprises a turning movement;

wherein the controlling the object based on the first press input and the second touch zone arrangement includes controlling the object in the forward movement at greater and slower speeds according to pressed locations within the first touch zone; and

wherein the controlling the object based on the second press input and the third touch zone arrangement includes controlling the object in the turning movement at greater and slower speeds according to pressed locations within the second touch zone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first movement comprises a forward movement;

wherein the second movement comprises a reverse movement;

wherein the controlling the object based on the first press input and the second touch zone arrangement comprises controlling the object in the forward movement at greater and slower speeds according to pressed locations within the first touch zone; and

wherein the controlling the object based on the second press input and the third touch zone arrangement comprises controlling the object in the reverse movement at greater or slower speeds according to pressed locations within the second touch zone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing the plurality of touch zones to have the third touch zone arrangement is performed without the user interface providing a visual indication of the third touch zone arrangement, and wherein the method further comprises:

maintaining the third touch zone arrangement until the second press input ceases to be within the second touch zone or stops being received.

9. A method, comprising:

providing, as part of a user interface for a virtual world, a touch control comprising a plurality of touch zones in a first touch zone arrangement, each of the plurality of touch zones corresponding to its own particular movement to control an object of the virtual world, a first touch zone of the plurality of touch zones corresponding to a first movement;

beginning to receive first press input within the first touch zone;

changing, based on the beginning to receive the first press input within the first touch zone, the touch control to have a second touch zone arrangement by at least increasing a size of the first touch zone such that a greater area is provided in which to control the object in the first movement; and

while continuing to receive the first press input within the first touch zone, controlling the object based on the first press input and the second touch zone arrangement.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the steps of the beginning to receive the first press input, the changing the touch control to have the second touch zone arrangement and the controlling the object based on the first press input and the second touch zone arrangement are performed while a first visual indicator is generated as part of the user interface, the first visual indicator providing a visual indication of the first movement.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

beginning to receive second press input within a second touch zone of the plurality of touch zones;

changing, based on the beginning to receive the second press input within the second touch zone, the plurality of touch zones to have a third touch zone arrangement; and

while continuing to receive the second press input, controlling the object based on the second press input and the third touch zone arrangement.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the beginning to receive the first press input and the continuing to receive the first press input comprises receiving signals from a touch sensor as a user continuously presses a finger on a touch screen associated with the touch sensor;

and

wherein the providing the touch control comprises anchoring the touch control at a location based on determining that a first touch gesture has been performed.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the touch control comprises a dead zone, and wherein the increasing the size of the first touch zone is based on decreasing a size of the dead zone.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

changing, responsive to a change from a first viewing mode to a second viewing mode, the touch control to have a third touch zone arrangement that is different from the first touch zone arrangement.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the changing is performed without the user interface providing a visual indication that the size of the first touch zone has increased, and wherein the method further comprises:

maintaining the second touch zone arrangement until the first press input ceases to be within the first touch zone or stops being received.

16. A method, comprising:

providing, as part of a user interface for a virtual world, a touch control comprising, in a first touch zone arrangement, a dead zone and a plurality of touch zones, each of the plurality of touch zones corresponding to its own particular movement to control an object of the virtual world, a first touch zone of the plurality of touch zones corresponding to a first movement;

beginning to receive first press input within the first touch zone; and

changing, based on the beginning to receive the first press input within the first touch zone, the touch control to have a second touch zone arrangement by at least increasing a size of the first touch zone and decreasing a size of the dead zone such that a greater area is provided in which to control the object in the first movement.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the beginning to receive the first press input comprises receiving one or more signals from a touch sensor based on a user pressing a finger on a touch screen associated with the touch sensor;

and

wherein the providing the touch control comprises anchoring the touch control at a location based on determining that a first touch gesture has been performed.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

changing, responsive to a change from a first viewing mode to a second viewing mode, the touch control to have a third touch zone arrangement that is different from the first touch zone arrangement.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

beginning to receive second press input within a second touch zone of the plurality of touch zones;

changing, based on the beginning to receive the second press input within the second touch zone, the touch control to have a third touch zone arrangement; and

while continuing to receive the second press input, controlling the object based on the second press input and the third touch zone arrangement.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the changing is performed without the user interface providing a visual indication that the size of the first touch zone has increased, and wherein the method further comprises:

maintaining the second touch zone arrangement until the first press input ceases to be within the first touch zone or stops being received.