Mobile device interface for online games

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9636584-B2
Application number	US-82302110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2010
Priority date	Jun 24, 2010
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates games and applications in general and in particular to computer-implemented online games playable on mobile devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a data store of game state information corresponding to one or more instances of a computer-implemented game, wherein the computer-implemented game comprises a plurality of user-initiated in-game harvest mechanic actions; and
one or more servers comprising one or more computer processor devices configured to implement a first user interface and a second user interface for the computer-implemented game on client devices associated with respective players over a computer network, the first user interface executed on respective client devices of a device type that provides a first hardware platform, and the second user interface executed on respective client devices that are of a different device type and that provide a second hardware platform;
wherein the one or more servers are configured such that the first user interface provides access to a set of in-game harvest mechanic actions comprising a plurality of actions automatically performable, as a set, responsive to a single player command issued by interaction with a first user interface element forming part of the first user interface, in-game performance of the set of in-game harvest mechanic actions cumulatively resulting in a first game event occurring in the computer-implemented game; and
wherein the one or more servers are configured such that the second user interface provides access to only a first portion of the set of in-game harvest mechanic actions via respective user interface elements forming part of the second user interface, the second user interface being configured to provide no access to a second portion of the set of in-game harvest mechanic actions, performance of the first portion of the set of in-game harvest mechanic actions responsive to respective player commands via the second user interface cumulatively resulting in a second game event occurring in the computer-implemented game, the resulting first game event being equivalent to the resulting second game event, the second game event being presented as one or more display elements via a graphical user interface on a respective client device associated with the second hardware platform.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each second user interface is accessible by a client system that is a mobile device.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first or second user interfaces allow access to one or more in-game harvest mechanic actions in connection with a debit charge to a user account of a user.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the debit charge is a debiting of a first amount of virtual currency from a game account of the user.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the debit charge is a debiting of a second amount of legal currency from a financial account of the user.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the set of in-game harvest mechanic actions comprises one or more initiating actions and one or more collecting actions.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first portion of the set of in-game actions excludes one or more initiating actions.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein each second user interface allows access to one or more excluded initiating actions in connection with a debit charge to a user account of a user.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein each second user interface allows access to a single-action collecting action comprising a plurality of collecting actions.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein each second user interface allows access to a single-action collecting action in connection with a debit charge to a user account of a user.

11. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
storing game state information corresponding to one or more instances of a computer-implemented game, wherein the computer-implemented game comprises a plurality of user-initiated in-game harvest mechanic actions; and
implementing, using one or more servers, a first user interface and a second user interface for the computer-implemented game on client devices associated with respective players over a computer network, the first user interface executed on respective client devices of a device type that provides a first hardware platform, and the second user interface executed on respective client devices that are of a different device type and that provide a second hardware platform;
wherein the one or more servers are configured such that the first user interface provides access to a set of in-game harvest mechanic actions comprising a plurality of actions automatically performable, as a set, responsive to a single player command issued by interaction with a first user interface element forming part of the first user interface, in-game performance of the set of in-game harvest mechanic actions cumulatively resulting in a first game event occurring in the computer-implemented game; and
wherein the one or more servers are configured such that the second user interface provides access to only a first portion of the set of in-game harvest mechanic actions via respective user interface elements forming part of the second user interface, the second user interface being configured to provide no access to a second portion of the set of in-game harvest mechanic actions, performance of the first portion of the set of in-game harvest mechanic actions responsive to respective player commands via the second user interface cumulatively resulting in a second game event occurring in the computer-implemented game, the resulting first game event being equivalent to the resulting second game event, the second game event being presented as one or more display elements via a graphical user interface on a respective client device associated with the second hardware platform.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein each second user interface is accessible by a client system that is a mobile device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the first or second user interfaces allow access to one or more in-game harvest mechanic actions in connection with a debit charge to a user account of a user.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the debit charge is a debiting of one of a first amount of virtual currency from a game account of the user and a second amount of legal currency from a financial account of the user.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the set of in-game harvest mechanic actions comprises one or more initiating actions and one or more collecting actions.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the first portion of the set of in-game actions excludes one or more initiating actions.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein each second user interface allows access to one or more excluded initiating actions in connection with a debit charge to a user account of a user.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein each second user interface allows access to a single-action collecting action comprising a plurality of collecting actions.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18 , wherein each second user interface allows access to a single-action collecting action in connection with a debit charge to a user account of a user.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations, comprising:
storing game state information corresponding to one or more instances of a computer-implemented game, wherein the computer-impleme

Assignees

• Lam Serena
• Auterio Kathleen
• Ersever Deniz
• Wang Jackson
• Mullin Benjamin
• Kheskani Hardik
• Zynga Inc

Inventors

• Lam Serena
• Auterio Kathleen
• Ersever Deniz
• Wang Jackson
• Mullin Benjamin
• Kheskani Hardik

Classifications

• A63F2300/5513

  involving billing · CPC title

• A63F13/792 Primary

  for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions · CPC title

• A63F13/335

  using Internet · CPC title

• A63F13/55 Primary

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

• A63F2300/204

  the platform being a handheld device · CPC title