Controlling a user interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11717744-B2
Application number	US-202117333550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2021
Priority date	May 28, 2021
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

A computer device has a user interface which presents a gameboard to a user and detects user input when a user engages with a user selectable game element of the game board. A processor receives a detected user input and detects a qualifying match game condition. The matched elements are removed and new user selectable game elements are provided to replenish the gameboard. The present disclosure provides an activation mode to selectively activate a segment of the gameboard, the segment comprising a subset of gameboard tiles. On detection of a qualifying match game condition, if any of the tiles supporting the user selectable game elements of the match belong to the activated segment, a booster game element is generated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer device configured to provide a game to a user, the computer device having:
a user interface comprising a display and configured to provide on the display a gameboard comprising tiles supporting game objects, wherein at least some of the tiles support game objects which are user selectable game elements of differing characteristics, the user interface configured to detect user input when a user engages with a user selectable game element; and
a processor configured to receive a detected user input with one of the user selectable game elements and detect a qualifying match game condition of a plurality of adjacent user selectable game elements having matching characteristics, and
configured to remove the plurality of user selectable game elements of the qualifying match game condition when a qualifying match game condition is detected and to generate new user selectable game elements to replenish the gameboard;
wherein the processor is further configured to act in an activation mode to selectively activate a segment of the gameboard, the segment comprising a subset of the tiles, wherein the processor is configured to determine on detection of a qualifying match game condition if any of the tiles supporting the user selectable game elements of the qualifying match condition belong to the activated segment, and, if so to generate a booster game element for any qualifying match condition in which at least one of the user selectable game elements is supported by a tile of the segment.

2. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to detect if the number of adjacent user selectable game elements in the qualifying match condition satisfies a threshold for a booster creation condition, and to generate a booster game element when the threshold for the booster creation condition is satisfied, the booster game element being provided on the gameboard.

3. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to visually indicate the segment to a user.

4. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to randomly determine at least one of a size of the segment, shape of the segment and placement of the segment on the gameboard.

5. The computer device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the shape of the segment, size of the segment and placement of the segment on the gameboard is predefined.

6. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to generate a graphical rendering of an activation component to visually indicate activation of the segment in the activation mode.

7. The computer device of claim 6 in which the processor is configured to graphically render the activation component as a character.

8. The computer device of claim 1 configured to provide a clicker game in which the qualifying match condition comprises two or more matching game elements.

9. The computer device of claim 1 configured to provide a game selected from a switcher and linker in which the qualifying match condition comprises three or more matching game elements.

10. The computer device of claim 1 in which the booster game element which is generated is of a type selected from a bomb, line blaster, column blaster, colour bomb and fish.

11. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to generate a pre-level screen on the user interface to enable a user to select from the pre-level screen an activation component from a plurality of activation components, each activation component associated with a corresponding activation mode.

12. The computer device of claim 11 in which the booster game element which is generated is of a type based on the activation component.

13. The computer device of claim 12 wherein the processor is configured to generate a booster game element selected from a line blaster, column blaster, colour bomb and fish.

14. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to generate a number of booster game elements, wherein the number of booster game elements which are generated is based on the number of game elements in the qualifying match condition supported by tiles of the activated segment.

15. The computer device of claim 14 which is configured to access a variable associated with a game level of the game, the variable defining an upper limit on the number of booster game elements generated for each qualifying match condition.

16. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to generate the booster game element on a randomly selected tile of the activated segment.

17. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to generate the booster game element on a randomly selected tile of the gameboard.

18. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to act in the activation mode to activate the segment in response to determination that the user has satisfied certain predefined criteria based on the detected user input.

19. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to act in the activation mode to activate the segment in response to determination that the user has satisfied certain predefined criteria based on the detected user input wherein the predefined criteria depend on the selected activation component.

20. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to restrict the availability of the generated booster game element for user play based on a time limit or a limit of user moves.

21. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the segment comprises one or more array of adjacent tiles.

22. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the segment comprises a plurality of non-adjacent tiles.

23. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the activation mode is associated with an activation component, and where the number of tiles in the activated segment is based on activation data associated with the activation component.

24. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the activation mode is associated with an activation component, and wherein the processor is configured to generate one or more further booster game elements when a qualifying match condition is detected based on activation data associated with the activation component.

25. The computer device of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured in the activation mode to activate one or more further segment, each activated segment comprising a further subset of the tiles.

26. A method of providing a game to a user on a computer device, the method comprising:
providing on a display of a user interface of the computer device a gameboard comprising tiles supporting game objects, wherein at least some of the tiles support game objects which are user selectable game elements of differing characteristics,
receiving a detected user input when a user engages with one of the user selectable game elements;
responsive to the detected user input, detecting a qualifying match game condition of a plurality of adjacent user selectable game elements having matching characteristics; removing the plurality of user selectable game elements of the qualifying match game condition when a qualifying match game condition is detected and generating new user selectable game elements to replenish the gameboard;
the method further comprising, in an activation mode, selectively activating a segment of the gameboard, the segmen

Assignees

• King Com Ltd

Inventors

• Junkka Ida Andersson

Classifications

• A63F9/0612 Primary

  Electronic puzzles · CPC title

• A63F13/55

  Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress · CPC title

• A63F13/69

  by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions · CPC title

• A63F13/822

  Strategy games; Role-playing games (A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence) · CPC title

• A63F2300/638

  according to the timing of operation or a time limit · CPC title