Controlling a user interface of a computer device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9770653-B2
Application number	US-201514662537-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2015
Priority date	Feb 2, 2015
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A computer device having a user interface configured to display user actuatable game elements in a game board and to detect user input when a user engages with a game element in a move; a processor configured to receive a detected user input and on detecting a match game condition of multiple tiles in a first direction to control the user interface to remove at least three game elements from the display and to generate replacement user game elements for a subsequent move; and a graphics rendering component operable to render the game elements on the user interface, each game element having a graphical representation on a tile having a background appearance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer device having:
a user interface configured to display user actuatable game elements in a game board and to detect user input when a user engages with a game element in a move;
a processor configured to receive a detected user input and on detecting a match game condition of multiple tiles in a first direction to control the user interface to remove at least three game elements from the display and to generate replacement user game elements for a subsequent move; and
a graphics rendering component operable to render the game elements on the user interface, each game element having a graphical representation on a tile having a background appearance,
wherein the processor is configured to determine on detecting the match game condition if at least one tile in the match game condition has an attained background appearance and if so to apply the attained background appearance to each tile of the match condition, and further configured on detecting a match game condition of a predetermined type to extend the attained background appearance to at least one further tile adjacent each tile of the match condition in a second direction different to the first direction.

2. A computer device according to claim 1 , wherein the attained background appearance is extended to at least two further tiles adjacent opposite edges of each tile of the match condition.

3. A computer device according to claim 1 , wherein the tiles on the game board are arranged in rows and columns.

4. A computer device according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to detect the match game condition of tiles in a row, and to extend the attained background appearance to the at least one further tile in the direction of a column.

5. A computer device according to claim 4 , wherein one predetermined type of a match game condition is that game elements on four sequentially adjacent tiles match.

6. A computer device according to claim 4 , wherein one predetermined type of match game condition is a condition in which the game elements on at least three tiles in a first direction and at least three tiles in a second direction match, wherein one of the at least three tiles in the first direction is in common with one of the at least three tiles in the second direction.

7. A computer device according to claim 6 , wherein the tiles with matching game elements form an L.

8. A computer device according to claim 6 , wherein the tiles with matching game elements form a T.

9. A computer device according to claim 1 , wherein a game element is engaged by a user to be switched with an adjacent game element to create a match.

10. A computer device according to claim 1 , wherein the attained background appearance is indicative of water in tiles of the match condition, and wherein the attained background appearance when extended to the at least one further tile further comprises a visual effect denoting a wave front.

11. A computer device according to claim 1 , wherein the attained background appearance is extended to subsequent further tiles until a blocking condition is detected.

12. A computer device according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a blocking condition at an edge of the game board.

13. A computer device according to claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a blocking condition when a tile comprising a blocker element is detected.

14. A computer device according to claim 1 , wherein the graphics rendering component is operable to render at least some game elements on the user interface with a tile having a standard background appearance, wherein the standard background appearance differs visually from the attained background appearance.

15. A computer device according to claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a blocking condition at a tile of a standard background appearance.

16. A computer device according to claim 1 , wherein the attained background appearance is extended beyond the at least one further tile to a subsequent tile in the second direction if the at least one further tile already has the attained background appearance.

17. A computer device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to render a new game board by removing the game element from the at least one further tile and generating a visual removal effect.

18. A computer implemented method of controlling a user interface responsive to user engagement with displayed game elements on an interface, the method comprising the following steps implemented by a processor of a computer device:
detecting a match game condition of at least three game elements on tiles arranged in a first direction responsive to user input;
generating replacement game elements to be displayed, each game element associated with a tile having a background appearance;
determining on detecting the match game condition if at least one tile in the match game condition has an attained background appearance, and if so applying the attained background appearance to each tile of the match condition; and
extending the attained background appearance to at least one further tile adjacent each tile of the match condition in a second direction different to the first condition.

19. A method according to claim 18 , comprising removing the game element from the at least one further tile and generating a visual removal effect.

Assignees

• King Com Ltd
• King Com Ltd

Inventors

• Hansson Magnus
• Nyblom Tobias
• Axelsson Adam
• Karlsson Patrik

Classifications

• A63F13/25 Primary

  Output arrangements for video game devices · CPC title

• A63F13/45 Primary

  Controlling the progress of the video game · CPC title