Method for implementing a computer game

• US 9,526,982 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Norden, Klas
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Application Number:
  US14/029,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20140080556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/31
• 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 shooter which a player can control to shoot out elements, such as balls, and which bounce against objects, such as pins, following a trajectory determined by the processor and then fall into scoring containers, with the processor causing a record of the score achieved to be stored; and in which the processor draws the scoring containers with dynamic faces that are animated in a specific way when an element falls into them.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising one or more processors, a display configured to display computer game graphics comprising a game board for a level of a game and game elements, and an input device comprising a touch screen or a cursor based input device, wherein the processor is configured to execute computer code to perform the steps of:

determining a trajectory of said game elements and, in response to user input detected by the input device, controlling the display to show the movement of the game elements across the game board in accordance with the trajectory;

controlling the display to show a plurality of receptacles for receiving the game elements, wherein each receptacle has an associated state;

for each receptacle, controlling the display to show the receptacle represented by a first visual representation when in a first state and the receptacle represented by a second visual representation when in a second state;

in response to determining that a game element has contacted a receptacle in the first state, determining whether or not the receptacle has been contacted by a predetermined number of game elements; and

if it is determined that the receptacle has been contacted by the predetermined number of game elements, controlling the display to show the receptacle in the second state,

wherein the predefined number of game elements is two or more.

2. The computing device of claim 1 in which at least one receptacle includes animated arms which are animated under the control of the processor.

3. The computing device of claim 1 in which at least one container alters colour under the control of the processor when an element falls into it.

4. The computing device of claim 1 in which all receptacles have to alter colour for a player to pass a level.

5. The computing device of claim 1 in which at least one receptacle is drawn by the processor with a blocking lid that only disappears once one or more elements land in that lid.

6. The computing device of claim 1 in which the processor is programmed such that special items must land on a lid for that lid to disappear.

7. The computing device of claim 1 in which the processor shows all elements remaining after the player has completed a level as being automatically shot out over a short time interval and in random directions, providing a bonus sequence.

8. The computing device of claim 1 in which the processor creates a sound effect when an element falls into a receptacle.

9. The computing device of claim 1 in which the processor creates a sound effect when an element bounces against an object, and one or more, or each, object is associated with a unique sound effect.

10. The computing device of claim 1 in which the processor shows objects the elements bounce against as pins with animated faces.

11. The computing device of claim 1 in which the processor shows stars earned on a level with animated with faces.

12. The computing device of claim 1 in which the processor controls the display to show progress of the player through the levels of the game on a path that winds through a virtual landscape.

13. The computing device of claim 1 in which the processor controls the display to show the virtual landscape including fruits that are animated to appear as though dancing to music.

14. The computing device of claim 1 in which the processor controls the display to show some levels as having goals to bring down specific types of game elements.

15. The computing device of claim 1 in which the processor controls the display to show these specific game elements as being placed in various positions amongst the pins in the game area, and by removing pins these game elements will change their position and eventually fall down.

16. The computing device of claim 1 in which the processor controls the display to show another goal to complete a level is being to remove X amount of pins of a certain type of pin, where the type of pin and number may vary between levels.

17. The computing device of claim 1 in which some or all game levels have no time limit.

18. The computing device of claim 1 in which the game is a casual, social game and some or all levels have a true fail, to enable monetization through purchasing extra moves.

19. The computing device of claim 1 in which there is a continuous musical soundtrack that plays during gameplay.

20. The computing device of claim 1 in which the game generates and displays congratulatory messages when the player scores more than a predefined amount, or matches more than a predefined number of game elements, in a single move.

21. The computing device of claim 1 in which there is an algorithm for automatically detecting when there are no possible moves left.

22. The computing device of claim 1 in which there is an algorithm for re-shuffling the elements on the game board.

23. The computing device of claim 1 in which a processor generates, if no move has been made for a while, help or hints by brightening and enlarging game elements used in a possible move on the board with a flashing animation.

24. The computing device of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed to require a player to reach a target score before running out of moves in order to complete a level successfully, but completing the level is not timed.

25. The computing device of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed to automatically replenish a life for a player in 30 minutes.

26. The computing device of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that, if a player finishes a level in under the target number of moves, then random game elements on the game board are triggered and give the player bonus points.

27. The computing device of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that, if a level is finished with moves left, those moves are converted to special game elements that trigger for extra bonus points.

28. The computing device of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that the game generates and displays congratulatory messages when the player scores more than a predefined amount, or matches more than a predefined number of game elements, in a single move.

29. The computing device of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that the player can ask his friends for lives.

30. The computing device of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that the player can ask his friends for help.

31. The computing device of claim 1 in which social network friends are prompted to assist another player if that other player has played, but not completed, a level meeting a certain criteria.

32. The computing device of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that the player can send gifts to friends.

33. The computing device of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that the game can be synchronized between different devices.

34. The computing device of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that a player can seamlessly stop and re-start playing the game at any time since game state information is stored.

35. The computing device of claim 1 in which every change in the game state and every consequential change in every game piece on the game board, is accompanied by sound and visual feedback.

36. The computing device method of claim 1 in which game state information is preserved, enabling a remote server system to identify a player and all aspects of the state of the game they are playing, so that the player can end game play on one device and resume from a different device at a later time at exactly the same state.

37. The computing device of claim 1 in which the different device can be a different type of device, so that the player can move seamlessly between playing the game on a smartphone and on a tablet.

38. The computing device of claim 1 in which a remote server system can identify a player because that player has accessed the game through a social network.

39. The computing device of claim 1 in which the game is a casual, social game, namely a game that can be downloaded as an app to a smartphone and/or tablet computer and which can be accessed or played using a social network application or environment.

40. The computing device of claim 1 in which the processor is programmed to control the display to show a virtual path or other virtual world that indicates the level reached by the player and that player'"'"'s social network friends.

41. A computing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an object of the game is to transition a predetermined number of receptacles from the first state to the second state, the processor being further configured to execute computer code to perform the steps of:

determining whether or not a predefined number of receptacles are in the second state; and

if it is determined that a predefined number of receptacles are in the second state ending the level of the game.

42. A computer implemented method for displaying, on a display, computer game graphics comprising a game board for a level of a game and game elements, comprising executing on one or more processors the steps of:

determining a trajectory of said game elements and, in response to user input detected by the input device, controlling the display to show the movement of the game elements across the game board in accordance with the trajectory;

controlling the display to show a plurality of receptacles for receiving the game elements, wherein each receptacle has an associated state;

for each receptacle, controlling the display to show the receptacle represented by a first visual representation when in a first state and the receptacle represented by a second visual representation when in a second state;

in response to determining that a game element has contacted a receptacle in the first state, determining whether or not the receptacle has been contacted by a predetermined number of game elements; and

if it is determined that the receptacle has been contacted by the predetermined number of game elements, controlling the display to show the receptacle in the second state,

wherein the predefined number of game elements is two or more.

43. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions for controlling a computer system to enable display of computer game graphics on a display, said computer game graphics comprising a game board for a level of a game and game elements, in which the instructions when executed on a processor enable the processor to:

determine a trajectory of said game elements and, in response to user input detected by the input device, controlling the display to show the movement of the game elements across the game board in accordance with the trajectory;

control the display to show a plurality of receptacles for receiving the game elements, wherein each receptacle has an associated state;

for each receptacle, control the display to show the receptacle represented by a first visual representation when in a first state and the receptacle represented by a second visual representation when in a second state;

in response to determining that a game element has contacted a receptacle in the first state, determining whether or not the receptacle has been contacted by a predetermined number of game elements; and

if it is determined that the receptacle has been contacted by the predetermined number of game elements, control the display to show the receptacle in the second state,

wherein the predefined number of game elements is two or more.