System and method for displaying multiple activities

• US 9,530,272 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2012
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kamagames Entertainment Group Limited
• Original Assignee: Zotobi Management Limited
• Inventors: Olomskiy, Evgeny
• Primary Examiner(s): SUN, LI P
• Application Number:
  US13/402,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20130215043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 715/781, 715/767, 463/16
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A virtual activity space is provided to users. The virtual activity space, or instances of the virtual activity space, may be used to enable users to participate in an activity such as, e.g., a card game. A user may participate in multiple activities concurrently. One of these activities, the so-called primary activity, is more dominantly and/or prominently presented than the other activities, the so-called secondary activities. Navigating between concurrent activities is accomplished through an interface that is displayed at the periphery of a view of a virtual activity space. A selection of a secondary activity simultaneously causes the primary activity to become a secondary activity, and causes the selected activity to become the new and current primary activity.

Claims

1. A computing device configured for a user to navigate between concurrent activities within separate virtual activity spaces, the device comprising:

a user interface that includes an electronic display; and

one or more hardware processors configured by machine-readable instructions to;

obtain primary view information defining a primary view of a first activity space within which the user is participating in a first activity and to obtain primary view information defining a primary view of a second activity space within which the user is participating in a second activity concurrently with the first activity;

generate a primary interface of the first activity space based on the obtained primary view information of the first activity space for presentation to the user on the electronic display, wherein the first activity includes a first game and the primary interface of the first activity space includes game play objects with which the first game is played and wherein the second activity includes a second game and the primary interface of the second activity space includes game play objects with which the second game is played;

obtain secondary view information defining a view of the second activity space;

generate a secondary interface of the second activity space based on the obtained secondary view information for display at a periphery of the primary interface, wherein the secondary interface of the second activity space includes one or more secondary interface elements, the secondary interface including a status indicator configured to display a status of an event occurring in the second activity conveyed by the obtained secondary view information for the second activity space and one or more preview interfaces distinct from the status indicator that is configured to display a preview of the primary view information defining the primary view of the second activity space;

receive a selection, by the user, of the second activity, wherein the selection of the second activity by the user includes a swiping motion on a touch screen originated at or near the secondary interface for the second activity in a direction that corresponds to the position of the secondary interface for the second activity; and

responsive to receipt of the selection of the second activity, generate a primary interface of the second activity space based on the obtained primary view information of the second activity space displayed on the one or more preview interfaces of the secondary interface for presentation to the user on the electronic display, and generate a secondary interface of the first activity space based on the obtained secondary view information of the first activity space, for display at a periphery of the primary interface of the second activity space;

wherein the secondary interface for the first activity space conveys less information about the status of an event occurring in the first activity to the user than the primary interface for the first activity space such that the information conveyed by the secondary interface for the first activity includes information about the status of a turn in the first game, and the secondary interface for the second activity space conveys less information about the status of an event occurring in the second activity to the user than the primary interface for the second activity space, such that the information conveyed by the secondary interface for the second activity includes information about the status of a turn in the second game; and

wherein, responsive to the user participating concurrently in more than two activities within separate virtual activity spaces, multiple secondary interfaces are displayed around the periphery of a primary interface to create one or more of a virtual line, circle, or grid such that the user scrolls through the multiple secondary interfaces to be selected and displayed as a primary interface one at a time by repeatedly swiping in different directions or from different origination locations on the touch screen.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the secondary interface of the first activity space includes one or more secondary interface elements that indicate information about the first activity conveyed by the obtained secondary view information for the first activity space.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to receive user input to interact with one or more of the first activity or the second activity.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein a spatial arrangement of the multiple secondary interfaces is indicative of an action required to accomplish the selection, and wherein the selection by the user is accomplished through the action that is specific to the second activity.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first activity and the second activity that the user is participating in include turn-based games, wherein the information about the status of the turn of the first game conveys how much time is left in the turn of the first game and the information about the status of the turn of the second game conveys how much time is left in the turn of the second game.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein in response to receipt of the selection of the second activity by the one or more hardware processors, the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to (i) obtain secondary view information defining a view of a third activity space within which the user is participating in a third activity concurrently with the first activity and the second activity, and (ii) generate a secondary interface of the third activity space based on the obtained secondary view information of the third activity space for presentation to the user on the electronic display at the periphery of the primary interface.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the information conveyed by one or both of the secondary interface for the first activity and/or the secondary interface for the second activity includes a size of a current pot and/or bet.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary interface for the first activity includes a table and the information conveyed by the secondary interface for the first activity lacks a table.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary interface for the first activity includes one or more avatars and the information conveyed by the secondary interface for the first activity lacks the one or more avatars.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more preview interfaces comprise:

a first preview interface configured to display a preview of a first primary view information defining a first primary view of a first secondary activity space; and

a second preview interface distinct from the first preview interface and configured to display a preview of a second primary view information defining a second primary view of a second secondary activity space.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein responsive to receipt of a selection of the first secondary activity or the second secondary activity by the one or more hardware processors, the one or more hardware processors generate a primary interface of the first secondary activity or the second secondary activity, respectively.

12. A computer-implemented method for navigating between concurrent activities within separate instances of a virtual activity space, the method being implemented via a computing device comprising a user interface that includes an electronic display and one or more hardware processors configured by machine-readable instructions, the method comprising:

obtaining primary view information defining a view of a first activity space within which the user is participating in a first activity;

obtaining primary view information defining a view of a second activity space within which the user is participating in a second activity concurrently with the first activity;

generating a primary interface of the first activity space based on the obtained primary view information of the first activity space for presentation to the user on an electronic display, wherein the first activity includes a first game and the primary interface of the first activity space includes game play objects with which the first game is played;

obtaining secondary view information defining a secondary view of the second activity space;

obtaining secondary view information defining a secondary view of the first activity space;

generating a secondary interface of the second activity space based on the obtained secondary view information for the second activity space for display at a periphery of the primary interface, wherein the secondary interface of the second activity space includes one or more secondary interface elements, the secondary interface including a status indicator configured to display a status of an event occurring in the second activity conveyed by the obtained secondary view information for the second activity space and one or more preview interfaces distinct from the status indicator that is configured to display a preview of the primary view information defining the primary view of the second activity space;

receiving a selection, by the user, of the second activity, wherein the selection of the second activity by the user includes a swiping motion on a touch screen originated at or near the secondary interface for the second activity in a direction that corresponds to the position of the secondary interface for the second activity; and

responsive to receipt of the selection of the second activity;

(1) generating a primary interface of the second activity space based on the obtained primary view information of the second activity space displayed on the one or more preview interfaces of the secondary interface for presentation to the user on the electronic display, wherein the second activity includes a second game and the primary interface of the second activity space includes game play objects with which the second game is played; and

(2) generating a secondary interface of the first activity space based on the obtained secondary view information of the first activity space, for display at a periphery of the primary interface of the second activity space;

wherein the secondary interface for the first activity conveys less information about the status of an event occurring in the first activity to the user than the primary interface for the first activity space such that the information conveyed by the secondary interface for the first activity includes information about the status of a turn in the first game, and the secondary interface for the second activity space conveys less information about the status of an event occurring in the second activity to the user to the user than the primary interface for the second activity space, such that the information conveyed by the secondary interface for the second activity includes information about the status of a turn in the second game; and

wherein, responsive to the user participating concurrently in more than two activities within separate instances of the virtual activity space, multiple secondary interfaces are displayed around the periphery of a primary interface to create one or more of a virtual line, circle, or grid such that the user scrolls through the multiple secondary interfaces to be selected and displayed as a primary interface one at a time by repeatedly swiping in different directions or from different origination locations on the touch screen.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the secondary interface of the first activity space includes one or more secondary interface elements that indicate information about the first conveyed by the obtained secondary view information for the first activity space.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving user input to interact with one or more of the first activity or the second activity.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein receiving the selection by the user is accomplished through an action that is specific to the second activity, wherein a spatial arrangement of the multiple secondary interfaces is indicative of the specific action required to accomplish the selection.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the first activity and the second activity that the user is participating in include turn-based games, wherein the information about the status of the turn of the first game conveys how much time is left in the turn of the first game and the information about the status of the turn of the second game conveys how much time is left in the turn of the second game.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein responsive to receipt of the selection:

obtaining secondary view information defining a view of a third activity space within which the user is participating in a third activity concurrently with the first activity and the second activity; and

generating a secondary interface of the third activity space based on the obtained secondary view information of the third activity space for presentation to the user on the electronic display at the periphery of the primary interface.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the information conveyed by one or both of the secondary interface for the first activity and/or the secondary interface for the second activity includes a size of a current pot and/or bet.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the primary interface for the first activity includes a table and the information conveyed by the secondary interface for the first activity lacks a table.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the primary interface for the first activity includes one or more avatars and the information conveyed by the secondary interface for the first activity lacks the one or more avatars.

21. A non-transient computer readable storage medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions embodied thereon, the machine-readable instructions being executable to cause one or more hardware processors to perform a method for navigating between concurrent activities within separate instances of a virtual activity space, the method comprising:

obtaining primary view information defining a view of a first activity space within which the user is participating in a first activity;

obtaining primary view information defining a view of a second activity space within which the user is participating in a second activity concurrently with the first activity;

generating a primary interface of the first activity space based on the obtained primary view information of the first activity space for presentation to the user on an electronic display, wherein the first activity includes a first game and the primary interface of the first activity space includes game play objects with which the first game is played;

obtaining secondary view information defining a secondary view of the second activity space;

obtaining secondary view information defining a secondary view of the first activity space;

generating a secondary interface of the second activity space based on the obtained secondary view information for the second activity space for display at a periphery of the primary interface, wherein the secondary interface of the second activity space includes one or more secondary interface elements, the secondary interface including a status indicator configured to display a status of an event occurring in the activity conveyed by the obtained secondary view information for the second activity space and one or more preview interfaces distinct from the status indicator that is configured to display a preview of the primary view information defining the primary view of the second activity space;

receiving a selection, by the user, of the second activity, wherein the selection of the second activity by the user includes a swiping motion on a touch screen originated at or near the secondary interface for the second activity in a direction that corresponds to the position of the secondary interface for the second activity; and

responsive to receipt of the selection of the second activity;

(1) generating a primary interface of the second activity space based on the obtained primary view information of the second activity space displayed on the one or more preview interfaces of the secondary interface for presentation to the user on the electronic display, wherein the second activity includes a second game and the primary interface of the second activity space includes game play objects with which the second game is played; and

(2) generating a secondary interface of the first activity space based on the obtained secondary view information of the first activity space, for display at a periphery of the primary interface of the second activity space;

wherein the secondary interface for the first activity conveys less information about the status of an event occurring in the first activity to the user than the primary interface for the first activity space such that the information conveyed by the secondary interface for the first activity includes information about the status of a turn in the first game, and the secondary interface for the second activity space conveys less information about the status of an event occurring in the second activity to the user than the primary interface for the second activity space, such that the information conveyed by the secondary interface for the second activity includes information about the status of a turn in the second game; and

wherein, responsive to the user participating concurrently in more than two activities within separate instances of the virtual activity space, multiple secondary interfaces are displayed around the periphery of a primary interface to create one or more of a virtual line, circle, or grid such that the user scrolls through the multiple secondary interfaces to be selected and displayed as a primary interface one at a time by repeatedly swiping in different directions or from different origination locations on the touch screen.

22. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the first activity and the second activity that the user is participating in include turn-based games, wherein the information about the status of the turn of the first game conveys how much time is left in the turn of the first game and the information about the status of the turn of the second game conveys how much time is left in the turn of the second game.

23. The non-transient computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises, responsive to receipt of the selection:

obtaining secondary view information defining a view of a third activity space within which the user is participating in a third activity concurrently with the first activity and the second activity; and

generating a secondary interface of the third activity space based on the obtained secondary view information of the third activity space for presentation to the user on the electronic display at the periphery of the primary interface.