Video game with replaceable tiles having selectable physics

• US 9,687,729 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2015
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hansson, Magnus, Alftberg, Niclas, Nyblom, Tobias, Jaksch, Rikard
• Primary Examiner(s): GALKA, LAWRENCE STEFAN
• Application Number:
  US14/609,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20150141148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• 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 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/50 Controlling the output signals based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/55 Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0612 Electronic puzzles
• 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 computer device has user interface configured to display user actuatable game elements and to detect user input when a user engages with a game element; and a processor configured to receive a detected user input and on detecting a match game condition to control the user interface to remove at least three game elements from the display and to provide on the user interface replacement user actuatable game elements, wherein the manner of providing each replacement game element has a graphical representation governed by a tile associated with each game element, wherein each tile has a selectable physics which controls at least one of (i) the direction in which it moves to replenish a vacancy left by the removed user game elements; and (ii) the speed at which it moves to replenish the vacancy.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of controlling a user interface responsive to user input when a user engages with displayed game elements on the interface, the method comprising the following steps implemented by a processor of a computer device:

detecting a match condition of at least three game elements of the same type that form a chain on the game board responsive to the user input and controlling the user interface to remove the at least three game elements;

generating replacement game elements to be displayed, each game element associated with a tile;

selecting physics for each tile;

controlling a graphical representation on the user interface of replacing the game element based on the selected physics, wherein the tile physics controls at least one of (i) the direction in which it moves to replenish the vacancy left by the removed game elements'"'"' and (ii) the speed at which it moves to replenish the vacancy

wherein a game character is displayed on a tile having a first kind of physics, where a movement of that character over the game board is affected by the tile physics of the set of tiles surrounding the game character, program code causing a target row to be identified on the display, and wherein a game objective is to cause the game character to move up to the target row.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein selecting the physics for each tile is based on user input at the user interface.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein selecting the physics for each tile based is on the location on the display at which the at least three game elements are removed.

4. A method according to claim 1, comprising supplying the graphical representation to the user interface in the form of a video sequence based on the physics of the tile.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the selected physics controls a direction in any orientation in either the Cartesian or polar axes for replenishment of tiles from an outer portion of a game board to an inner portion of a game board.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the user interface displays a game board of game elements in rows, and wherein there is a visual indication of the tile physics associated with each tile in a row, wherein all tiles in the same row have the same physics.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein tiles of the first physics move in a direction to replenish a vacancy downwards from an upper portion of the display, and tiles of a second physics move in the direction to replenish a vacancy upwards from a lower portion of the display.

8. A computer device having:

a user interface configured to generate a game board which displays user actuatable game elements and to detect user input when a user engages with a game element to cause a selected game element to switch places with an adjacent game element; and

a processor configured to control the user interface responsive to user input to remove from the display at least three game elements on detection of a match game condition in which the at least three game elements including one of the switched game elements are of the same type and form a chain on the game board and to provide replacement game elements on the display, wherein a portion of the game board is displayed, including the replacement game elements, the processor configured to execute program code which causes the portion of the game board which is displayed to change by a scrolling action whereby a new portion of the game board is newly displayed and a previously displayed portion of the game board is removed from the display;

the program code causing a target row to be identified on the display, and wherein a game objective is to cause a game character to move up to the target row wherein when a first portion of the game board is displayed on the display the target row is not visible to a player, and wherein when a second portion of the game board is displayed on the display as a result of said scrolling action, the target row is caused to come into a view of the player.

9. A computer device according to claim 8, wherein tiles of a first physics move in a direction to replenish a vacancy downwards from an upper portion of the display, and tiles of a second physics move in the direction to replenish a vacancy upwards from a lower portion of the display.

10. A computer device according to claim 8, wherein the user interface is controlled by the processor to sequentially apply a visual effect to sets of tiles, thereby indicating physics of the tiles.

11. A computer device according to claim 8, wherein the number of replacement game elements is the same as the number of game elements in the match condition.

12. A computer device according to claim 8 wherein the portion of the game board which is displayed depends on the location of a predetermined or selectable tile on the game board.

13. A computer device according to claim 12 wherein the tile is selected by a user.