Method for implementing a computer game

• US 9,950,255 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Knutsson, Sebastian, Malmqvist, Niklas, Magnusson, Jonas, Nyblom, Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US15/177,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20160287992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 463 30- 33
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• 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 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of 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 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3274 : wherein the players cooperate, e.g. team-play

Abstract

A method, implemented as computer code being executed by one or more processors, in which computer game graphics for a casual, social game are shown on a display of a computing device and in which one or more of the processors are programmed to show: a virtual path or other virtual world that indicates the level reached by the player and some of that player'"'"'s social network friends; a score board that displays the score of a player once he has completed a level successfully, together with the highest scores of some of its social network friends'"'"' for that level; and in which each level of the game can be failed and, if the processor determines that the player is running out of moves or time, then the processor causes the game to automatically display a message offering extra moves and/or time for the player to purchase, to carry on playing the game, or other in-game assistance.

Claims

1. A computing device adapted to play a computer game, the device including, a memory, a display, a user interface, and at least one processor configured to:

control the display to display a game area having a plurality of game objects on the display, the game having at least one of a time limitation and a move limitation;

determine that at least one of;

an amount of time elapsed during play of the game has reached a predefined time value; and

a number of moves made during play of the game has reached a predefined move value;

in response to the determination, control the display to show a message; and

in response to user input associated with the message received via said user interface, extend at least one of the move limitation and the time limitation.

2. A computing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the game ends if the amount of time elapsed during play of the game reaches the time limitation.

3. A computing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the time limitation is equal to the predefined time value.

4. A computing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the time limitation is greater than the predefined time value.

5. A computing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the game ends if the number of moves made during play of the reaches the move limitation.

6. A computing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the move limitation is equal to the predefined move value.

7. A computing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the move limitation is greater than the predefined move value.

8. A computing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured

in response to user input associated with the message received via said user interface, to cause a request to be transmitted via a communication network to one or more social network contacts of a player of the computer game.

9. A computing device as claimed in claim 8, comprising a receiver configured to receive from the one or more social network contacts, an instruction;

and

the at least one processor is configured in response to receiving the instruction, to perform the step of extending at least one of the move limitation and the time limitation.

10. A computing device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a timer configured to measure the amount of time elapsed during play of the game.

11. A computing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to in response to the user input associated with the message via the user interface, cause a signal to be transmitted to a remote server to debit an account of a player of the computer game with an amount of money.

12. A computing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

control the display to show a gameboard with multiple game elements;

receive user input from user interface associated with one or more of the multiple game elements; and

in response to receiving the user input, update in the memory, a count of the number of moves made.

13. A computer device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

control the display to show two of the multiple game elements switch positions on the gameboard in response to the user input received via the user interface; and

increment the count of the number of moves made in response to the switch in positions made by the two of the multiple game elements.

14. A computing device as claimed in claim 1, the at least one processor is configured to:

control the display to show, upon completion of a level of the game, a number of special game elements performing one or more actions that provide bonus points to a player of the game,

wherein the number of special game elements is dependent upon the difference between the number of moves made during play of the level and the move limitation.

15. A computer implemented method for controlling access to a computer game implemented in a device including a processor, a memory, a user interface, the method comprising executing on the processor the steps of:

controlling the display to display a game area having a plurality of game objects on the display, the game having at least one of a time limitation and a move limitation;

determining that at least one of;

an amount of time elapsed during play of the game has reached a predefined time value; and

a number of moves made during play of the game has reached a predefined move value;

in response to the determination, controlling the display to show a message; and

in response to user input associated with the message received via said user interface, extending at least one of the move limitation and the time limitation.

16. A non-transitory computer medium encoded with instruction which, when executed by a processor of a computer device adapted to play a computer game, performs a method for controlling access to a computer game, the device including a memory, a display, and a user interface, the method comprising:

controlling the display to display a game area having a plurality of game objects on the display, the game having at least one of a time limitation and a move limitation;

determining that at least one of;

an amount of time elapsed during play of the game has reached a predefined time value; and

a number of moves made during play of the game has reached a predefined move value;

in response to the determination, controlling the display to show a message; and

in response to user input associated with the message received via said user interface, extending at least one of the move limitation and the time limitation.