Synchronising user actions to account for data delay

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12585374-B2
Application number	US-202418645883-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2024
Priority date	May 11, 2022
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus ( 100 ) comprising a display screen ( 104 ) and a processor ( 112 ). The processor is configured to generate and display a graphical user interface ( 102, 304 ) on the display screen, receive a user request ( 202 ) to execute a requested action ( 210 ) on the graphical user interface, send the user request to a server ( 204, 308 ), execute an intermediate action ( 206 ) on the graphical user interface, whilst waiting for the server to create and provide instructions pertaining to the user request, receive instructions ( 208 ) pertaining to the user request from the server, terminate execution of the intermediate action and execute the received instructions pertaining to the user request on the graphical user interface. Disclosed is also a system comprising a server communicably coupled to a plurality of apparatuses collaborating via respective graphical user interfaces.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a graphical user interface; and a processor configured to:
send a received user request to execute a requested action on the graphical user interface to a server, the requested action being a request to move a user-controllable object on the user interface from a given location to a target location, and wherein the server is configured to create and provide instructions pertaining to the user request;
execute, immediately after receiving the user request and prior to receiving instructions from the server, an intermediate action on the graphical user interface, the intermediate action comprising a movement of the user-controlled object on the graphical user interface toward the target location at a first speed, the movement being locally executed while awaiting server instructions;
wherein the server is configured to determine if the received user request is allowable; and
if the server determines that the received user request is allowable, the server is configured to send the instructions to execute the user request to the processor; and
if the server determines that the received user request is not allowable, the server is configured to indicate that the requested action is not allowable and terminate the intermediate action to cause the user-controlled object to return to a position on the graphical user interface corresponding to a position at a time of receiving the user request.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to send, with the received user request, a timestamp of a time at which the user request was received, the time stamp being used by the server to calculate a time period within which the user request is to be executed, wherein the provided instructions indicate an end time of the requested action based on the received timestamp.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , the processor being configured to receive the instructions pertaining to the user request from the server; and
terminate execution of the intermediate action prior to execution of the received instructions.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the received instructions pertaining to the user request on the graphical user interface by increasing or decreasing the first speed to a second speed to complete the movement of the user-controllable object to the target location by the indicated time period.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein a determination by the processor to increase or decrease the first speed to the second speed is based on a distance between the user-controllable object and the target location on the graphical user interference and the network delay between the apparatus and the server.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate action further comprises at least one of:
presenting a visual indicator on the graphical user interface to indicate that relocation of the at least one user-controllable object is under progress, showing movement of the at least one user-controllable object from the given location towards the target location on the graphical user interface.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the execution of the intermediate action is terminated upon at least one of:
receipt of the instructions from the server pertaining to the user, or, processing of the received instructions pertaining to the user request, the processing being performed prior to execution of the instructions.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a time period for execution of the intermediate action based on a determined network delay between the process and the server and a processing delay of the server, the time period being smaller than a time required for the user-controlled object to reach the target location and terminate execution of the intermediate action at the end of the determined time period.

9 . A system comprising a server communicably coupled to a plurality of apparatuses, wherein an apparatus of the plurality of apparatuses comprises a graphical user interface and a processor configured to:
send a received user request to execute a requested action on the graphical user interface to the server, the requested action being a request to move a user-controllable object on the user interface from a given location to a target location, and wherein the server is configured to create and provide instructions pertaining to the user request; execute, immediately after receiving the user request and prior to receiving instructions from the server, an intermediate action on the graphical user interface, the intermediate action comprising a movementof the user-controlled object on the graphical user interface toward the target location at a first speed, the movement being locally executed while awaiting server instructions; wherein the server is configured to determine if the received user request is allowable; and if the server determines that the received user request is allowable, the server is configured to send the instructions to execute the user request to the processor; and if the server determines that the received user request is not allowable, the server is configured to indicate that the requested action is not allowable and terminate the intermediate action to cause the user-controlled object to return to a position on the graphical user interface corresponding to a position at a time of receiving the user request.

10 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to send, with the received user request, a timestamp of a time at which the user request was received, the time stamp being used by the server to calculate a time period within which the user request is to be executed, wherein the provided instructions indicate an end time of the requested action based on the received timestamp.

11 . The system according to claim 10 , the processor being configured to receive the instructions pertaining to the user request from the server; and
terminate execution of the intermediate action prior to execution of the received instructions.

12 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the received instructions pertaining to the user request on the graphical user interface by increasing or decreasing the first speed to a second speed to complete the movement of the user-controllable object to the target location by the indicated time period.

13 . The system according to claim 12 , wherein a determination by the processor to increase or decrease the first speed to the second speed is based on a distance between the user-controllable object and the target location on the graphical user interference and the network delay between the apparatus and the server.

14 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the intermediate action further comprises at least one of:
presenting a visual indicator on the graphical user interface to indicate that relocation of the at least one user-controllable object is under progress, showing movement of the at least one user-controllable object from the given location towards the target location on the graphical user interface.

15 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the execution of the intermediate action is terminated upon at least one of:
receipt of the instructions from the server pertaining to the user, or, processing of the received instructions pertaining to the user request, the processing being performed prior to execution of the instructions.

16 . T

Assignees

• Supercell Oy

Inventors

• Pasula Markus
• Iisalo Jaakko

Classifications

• G06F9/547

  Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services · CPC title

• G06F9/52

  Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores · CPC title

• G06F3/0484 Primary

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title

• A63F13/847

  Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal · CPC title

• A63F13/573 Primary

  using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact · CPC title