System and method for providing separate drift and steering controls

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9687741-B1
Application number	US-201514644161-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2015
Priority date	Mar 10, 2015
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

One aspect of the disclosure relates to providing a drift in a game played on a computing platform with a touch-sensitive interface. In some implementations, the system may facilitate a drift input control. In some implementations, the drift input control may be the player tapping the touch-sensitive surface. The drift may depend on one or more parameters (e.g., the speed, the pressure, and/or other parameters) of the tapping on the touch-sensitive surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for facilitating a drifting game mechanic, the system comprising:
one or more physical processors configured by computer readable instruction to:
execute an instance of a game and implement the instance of the game to facilitate user participation in the game that takes place in a virtual space, wherein user participation includes controlling game entities in the virtual space, including a first user that controls a first game entity during participation in the game;
receive entry of steering control inputs from the first user and to cause the first game entity to turn from side to side in accordance with the received steering control inputs;
receive entry of drift control inputs from the first user, wherein the drift control inputs are being input by the first user by tapping on a touch-sensitive surface at a first tapping rate;
determine a target range of tapping rates, wherein tapping on the touch-sensitive surface at a tapping rate within the target range corresponds to target drift control, wherein the target range is between a minimum tapping threshold and a maximum tapping threshold; and
effectuate performance of a drift maneuver by the first game entity causing the first game entity to drift from side to side in accordance with the drift control inputs received from the first user, such that one or more aspects of the drift maneuver at a given point in time are determined based on the first tapping rate and the target range at the given point in time.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by computer-readable instructions such that the one or more aspects of the drifting of the first game entity include a rate of lateral motion of at least a portion of the first game entity during a drift.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by computer-readable instructions such that first game entity is a motorized vehicle, such that the one or more aspects of the drifting of the first game entity include an influence of simulated friction between a wheel of the motorized vehicle and a surface across which the wheel is travelling during a drift.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the target drift control corresponds to the drift maneuver being performed at a level between under drift and over drift.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors are configured to display an indication of the first tapping rate.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by computer-readable instructions to display a target indication representing the target range.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by computer-readable instructions to provide a notification of an accuracy of the first user matching the first tapping rate to the target range.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by computer-readable instructions such that the steering control input comprises one or more of tilting a device, finger swiping on the touch-sensitive surface, or pressing a button on the touch-sensitive device.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by computer-readable instructions to receive entry of a throttle control input, the throttle control input comprising one or more of tilting a device, finger swiping on the touch-sensitive surface, or pressing a button on the touch-sensitive device.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by computer-readable instructions to display an indication of the first tapping rate such that different colors represent the minimum tapping threshold and the maximum tapping threshold.

11. A computer-implemented method for facilitating a drifting game mechanic, the method being implemented in a computer system that includes one or more physical processors configured by computer-readable instructions, the method comprising:
executing an instance of a game and implementing the instance of the game to facilitate user participation in the game that takes place in a virtual space, wherein user participation includes controlling game entities in the virtual space, including a first user that controls a first game entity during participation in the game;
receiving entry of steering control inputs from the first user and causing the first game entity to turn from side to side in accordance with the received steering control inputs;
receiving entry of drift control inputs from the first user, wherein the drift control inputs are being input by the first user by tapping on a touch-sensitive surface at a first tapping rate;
determining a target range of tapping rates, wherein tapping on the touch-sensitive surface at a tapping rate within the target range corresponds to target drift control, wherein the target range is between a minimum tapping threshold and a maximum tapping threshold; and
effectuating performance of a drift maneuver by the first game entity causing the first game entity to drift from side to side in accordance with the drift control inputs received from the first user, such that one or more aspects of the drift maneuver at a given point in time are determined based on the first tapping rate and the target range at the given point in time.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more aspects of the drifting of the first game entity include a rate of lateral motion of at least a portion of the first game entity during a drift.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first game entity is a motorized vehicle, such that the one or more aspects of the drifting of the first game entity include an influence of simulated friction between a wheel of the motorized vehicle and a surface across which the wheel is travelling during a drift.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the target drift control corresponds to the drift maneuver being performed at a level between under drift and over drift.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises displaying an indication of the first tapping rate.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises displaying a target indication representing the target range.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises providing a notification of an accuracy of the first user matching the first tapping rate to the target range.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the steering control input comprises one or more of tilting a device, finger swiping on the touch-sensitive surface, or pressing a button on the touch-sensitive device.

19. The method of claim 11 , additionally comprising receiving entry of a throttle control input, the throttle control input comprising one or more of tilting a device, finger swiping on the touch-sensitive surface, or pressing a button on the touch-sensitive device.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising displaying an indication of the first tapping rate such that different colors represent the minimum tapping threshold and the maximum tapping threshold.

Assignees

• Kabam Inc

Inventors

• Kim William
• Pastro Steven
• Ko Christopher

Classifications

• A63F13/2145

  the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens · CPC title

• A63F13/803

  Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks · CPC title

• A63F13/57 Primary

  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 title

• A63F13/44

  involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot · CPC title

• A63F13/5375 Primary

  for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game · CPC title