Randomized movement control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12248668-B2
Application number	US-202217741909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2022
Priority date	May 11, 2022
Publication date	Mar 11, 2025
Grant date	Mar 11, 2025

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes generating and displaying graphical user interface on a display screen of apparatus; receiving a request to move at least one group of objects to a target area on the graphical user interface, and detecting when at least one obstacle lies in a path between the target area and at least one group of objects. When it is detected that at least one obstacle lies in the path, instructions are generated to control the movement of objects of the at least one group in a randomized manner. The instructions indicate at least one random variable parameter to be employed during the movement of a given object in at least one group. The instructions are executed to control the movement of the objects of the at least one group from their respective starting locations to a target area on the graphical user interface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
generating and displaying a graphical user interface on a display screen of an apparatus, a group of objects being presented on the graphical user interface;
receiving a request to move the group of objects from a starting location on the graphical user interface to a target area on the graphical user interface;
detecting at least one obstacle in a path of the group of objects between the target area and the starting location;
automatically generating a single instruction to control movement of individual objects of the group of objects in a randomized manner from the starting location towards the target location by applying random variable parameters to the individual objects, wherein the random variable parameters applied to respective ones of the individual objects are different; and wherein the random variable parameters include a start time of movement, an initial direction of the movement, an initial speed of the movement, and an initial distance of travel;
identifying one object from the group of objects as a main object to which no random variable parameter is applied;
executing the instruction to control the movement of each of the individual objects from the starting location towards the target location starting with the main object and followed by remaining objects in the group of objects;
determining that respective ones of the remaining objects have moved the initial distance of travel;
changing the direction of movement of the respective ones of the remaining objects towards the target area; and
wherein the remaining objects reach the target area following the main object.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises randomly selecting the initial speed of the movement from a predefined range of speeds.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the respective ones of the remaining objects move in a different initial direction, wherein the method further comprises:
determining a range of directions in which the respective ones of the remaining objects can start moving based on relative positions of the target area, the at least one obstacle and other respective ones of the remaining objects.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the instruction are generated to control the movement of the remaining objects in a manner that the respective ones of the remaining objects reach the target area in a predefined order.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of groups of objects comprise the group of objects, and wherein the method further comprises:
assigning respective intermediate target areas to the plurality of groups of objects, wherein objects in a given group of the plurality of groups of objects first reach a given respective intermediate target area, and then move from the given respective intermediate target area towards the target area.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5 , further comprising dividing a plurality of objects presented on the graphical user interface into the plurality of groups of objects, based on at least one of: a distance of an object in the plurality of objects from the target area, and a signal strength of a sensor of the object in the plurality of objects.

7. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions being executable by a computing device comprising a processor to execute a method as claimed in claim 1 .

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying an object from the group of objects that is not able to pass by the obstacle;
forming a second group with the identified object;
applying a second set of random variable parameters to the second group; and
executing the instruction to control movement of the object in the second group from the starting location towards the target location.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying an object from the group of objects that is not able to pass by the obstacle;
forming a second group with the identified object;
identifying an intermediate area;
applying a second set of random variable parameters to the second group;
executing the instruction to control movement of the object in the second group from the starting location towards the intermediate area;
applying a third set of random variable parameters to the second group; and
executing the instruction to control the movement of the object in the second group from the intermediate area towards the target location.

10. An apparatus comprising:
a display screen; and
a processor configured to:
generate and display a graphical user interface on the display screen, a group of objects being presented on the graphical user interface;
receive a request to move the group of objects from a starting location on the graphical user interface to a target area on the graphical user interface;
detect at least one obstacle in a path of the group of objects between the target area and the starting location;
generate a single instruction to control movement of individual objects of the group of objects in a randomized manner from the starting location towards the target location by applying random variable parameters to the individual objects, wherein the random variable parameters are applied to respective ones of the individual objects are different; and wherein the andom variable parameters includes a start time of movement, an initial direction of the movement, an initial speed of the movement, and an initial distance of travel;
identify one object from the group of objects as a main object to which no random variable parameter is applied;
execute the instruction to control the movement of each of the individual objects from the starting location towards the target location starting with the main object and followed by remaining objects in the group of objects;
determine that respective ones of the remaining objects have moved the initial distance of travel;
change the direction of movement of the respective ones of the remaining objects towards the target area; and
wherein the remaining objects reach the target area following the main object.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to randomly select the initial speed of the movement from a predefined range of speeds.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the respective ones of the remaining objects move in a different initial direction, wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a range of directions in which the respective ones of the remaining objects can start moving based on relative positions of the target area, the at least one obstacle and other respective ones of the remaining objects.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
identify an object from the group of objects that is not able to pass by the obstacle;
form a second group with the identified object;
apply a second set of random variable parameters to the second group; and
execute the instruction to control movement of the object in the second group from the starting location towards the target location.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
identify an object from the group of objects that is not able to pass by the obstacle;
form a second group with the id

Assignees

• Supercell Oy

Inventors

• Pasula Markus
• Iisalo Jaakko

Classifications

• A63F2300/6623

  for animating a group of characters · CPC title

• G06F3/04845 Primary

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · CPC title

• A63F13/56 Primary

  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 title