Method for implementing a computer game

• US 9,409,089 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Rosin, Iona, Knutsson, Sebastian, Nyblom, Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US14/029,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20140135120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 25, 463 30- 32
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 a computing device displays computer game graphics showing a score for a computer game, and in which, one or more of the processors are programmed to: (a) receive the score a player achieves while playing a game; and (b) visually indicate how this score relates to one or multiple pre-defined goals; (c) receive information about the high scores of different players of the game (d) compare the current score of the player, the previous high score of the player and the high scores of the different players; and (e) during the play of the game, visually represent the difference between the current score, the high scores of the different players and the pre-defined goal(s).

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for displaying, on a display, computer game graphics comprising scores for a computer game, comprising executing on one or more processors the steps of:

determining a current score of a player of the device;

receiving from a server, information about high scores of different players of the game; and

during the play of the game, displaying on the display a meter having a total extent, said meter comprising visual representations of;

the current score with respect to a high score of the player of the device, the high scores of the different players of the game, and a pre-defined goal,

wherein said high score of the player of the device, the high score of the different players of the game, and said predefined goal are represented along said total extent,

wherein the current score is represented by a first extent of said total extent of said meter, said first extent being changed as the current score changes during said computer game.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving from a server, information about high scores of different players of the game comprises receiving said information for players of a social network of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual representation of the pre-defined goal comprises a plurality of stars.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual representations of the high scores of the different players comprise the scored points of those players.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual representations of the high scores of the different players comprise pictures associated with those players.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual representations of the high scores of the different players comprise the names of those players.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the current score of the player, the high score of the player, and the high scores of the different players.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the comparison of scores is done on an absolute scale.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the unit used for the comparison is in percentages.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on said display the time for completing a level.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing a score of the player to the high scores of the different players of the game.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the player'"'"'s time for completing a level to the different players'"'"' time for completing said level.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the comparing of times for completing a level is done on a relative scale.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the comparing of times for completing a level is done on an absolute scale.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing scores of multiple players.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said computing device is a handheld device.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising producing an audible output when the current score of the player exceeds a previous score of another player.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on said display a message when a performance measure of the player of the device is within a threshold of a performance measure of another player of the game.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising visually representing the difference between the current score, the different high scores and the pre-defined goal by showing a linear bar divided into sections,

wherein the long axis of the linear bar corresponds to an increasing score and the boundary between each section corresponding to a different performance level

wherein the current score is shown as a coloured region of the bar and the high scores of the different players of the game are indicated on the bar.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising indicating on the bar, the high scores of at least some of the player of the device'"'"'s friends,

wherein said indication comprises a thumbnail image used by said friend on their social network page.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the player of the device and the different players of the game are connected to one another via a social network.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the different players are friends of the player of the device on a social network.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading the game as an app,

wherein the game is a casual, social game that can be accessed or played using a social network application or environment,

wherein the computing device is either:

a smartphone or a tablet computer.

24. The method of claim 7, wherein the comparison of scores is done on a relative scale.

25. A computing device adapted to play a computer game, the device including a processor, a memory, a display, a touch screen or a cursor based input device, and computer code stored in device memory or on a remote server and executable by the device processor or a remote processor, and in which the computer code generates computer game graphics for the display on the device;

and in which, one or more of the processors execute steps to;

determine a current score of a player of the device;

receive, from a server, information about high scores of different players of the game; and

during the play of the game, display on the display a meter having a total extent, said meter comprising visual representations of;

the current score with respect to a high score of the player of the device, the high scores of the different players of the game, and a pre-defined goal,

wherein said high score of the player of the device, the high score of the different players of the game, and said predefined goal are represented along said total extent,

wherein the current score is represented by a first extent of said total extent of said meter, said first extent being changed as the current score changes during said computer game.

26. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions for controlling a computer system to enable display of a game on a display, in which the instructions when executed on a processor enable the processor to:

determine a current score of a player of the device;

receive, from a server, information about the high scores of different players of the game; and

during the play of the game, display on the display a meter having a total extent, said meter comprising visual representations of;

the current score with respect to a high score of the player of the device, the high scores of the different players of the game, and a pre-defined goal,

wherein said high score of the player of the device, the high score of the different players of the game, and said predefined goal are represented along said total extent,

wherein the current score is represented by a first extent of said total extent of said meter, said first extent being changed as the current score changes during said computer game.

27. A computer implemented method for displaying, on a display, computer game graphics comprising scores for a computer game, comprising executing on one or more processors the steps of:

determining a current score of a player of the device;

receiving from a server, during play of the game, the current scores of other players of the game;

receiving from a server, information about high scores of different players of the game, wherein said different players are social network contacts of said player of the device;

during the play of the game, displaying on the display a meter having a total extent, said meter comprising visual representations of;

the current score with respect to a high score of the player of the device, the current scores of other players of the game, the high scores of the different players of the game, and a pre-defined goal, said meter comprising a linear bar divided into sections, a long axis of the linear bar corresponding to an increasing score, and the boundary between each section corresponding to a different performance level, wherein the visual representation of said predefined goal comprises at least one star;

wherein said high score of the player of the device, the high score of the different players of the game, and said predefined goal are represented along said total extent, wherein the current score is represented by a first extent of said total extent of said meter, said first extent being changed as the current score changes during said computer game;

wherein the high score of the player of the device is represented by a second extent of said total extent of said meter.