# US 12,005,352 B2 · Method for facilitating user interactions in gaming environment

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- Number: US 12,005,352 B2
- Document ID: US12005352B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/315,810
- Filed: 2023-05-11
- Published: 2023-11-16
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2019-02-20
- Assignees: Supercell Oy
- Applicants: Supercell Oy
- Inventors: Touko Tahkokallio; Tristan Williams
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005352B2

## CPC

- A63F 13/42: by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
- A63F 13/25: Output arrangements for video game devices
- A63F 13/426: involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
- A63F 13/44: involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
- A63F 13/52: involving aspects of the displayed game scene
- A63F 13/533: for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
- A63F 13/5372: for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
- A63F 13/56: 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
- A63F 13/67: adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
- A63F 13/69: by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
- A63F 13/822: Strategy games; Role-playing games (A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence)
- A63F 13/847: Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal
- G06F 3/04812: Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
- G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A method for facilitating user interactions. The method includes detecting a selection by a pointer device of a first character; detecting a movement of the pointer device towards a target object; presenting an indicator; detecting that the pointer device is within a predetermined distance of the target object; determining whether a job to be executed with respect to the target object is capable of being executed by the first character; highlighting the target object when the pointer device is within the predetermined distance and the first character is capable of executing the job; assigning the first character to the 10 target object; causing the first character to execute the job with respect to the target object; and updating a presentation of the target object to present a result of the executed job.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer implemented method, comprising:
detecting a selection of a character in a graphical user interface of a display of a computing device by a pointer device;
detecting a movement of the pointer device on the graphical user interface towards a target object on the graphical user interface;
generate an indicator on the graphical user interface display while the pointer device is selecting the character, an origin of the indicator being disposed at an initial location of the character when selected by the point device, the indicator extending from the origin toward a current position of the character, an end of the indicator comprising a directional shape that is configured to follow a position of the pointer device as it moves on the display while maintaining the selection of the character;
detect that the pointer device is within a predetermined distance of the target object on the graphical user interface;
determining that the selected character is configured to execute a job with respect to the target object;
causing the character to execute the job when the selecting by the pointer device is released; and
updating a presentation of the target object on the graphical user interface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein assigning the character to execute the job comprises causing the character to reposition on the graphical user interface from the initial location to a position near the object.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The computer implemented method according to claim 2, wherein causing the character to execute the job further comprises causing the character to reposition from the object to a resource on the graphical user interface, the resource object being configured to provide resources for the character to execute at least one task of the job at the object.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The computer implemented method according to claim 3, further comprising causing the character to retrieve at least one resource related to the job from the resource and transport the at least one resource from the resource object to the object.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The computer implemented method according to claim 4, further comprising causing the character to execute at least a portion of the job with respect to the object with the at least one resource.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The computer implemented method according to claim 5, further comprising causing the character to return to the resource to retrieve at least one other resource from the resource if the job being executed is not complete.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising causing the character to relocate to a base periodically from the object while executing the job.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising presenting a timer device on the graphical user interface, the timer device being configured to present an elapsed time of execution of the job.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the job comprises a predetermined number of tasks, and wherein a task of the predetermined number of tasks is configured to require a predetermined amount of time.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The computer implemented method according to claim 9, wherein the character has a predefined skill level, the predefined skill level defining a first time required for the character to complete a task of the job.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The computer implemented method according to claim 10, further comprising increasing a skill level of the character, wherein increasing the skill level of the first character causes the character to perform the task in a second time, the second time being less than the first time.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The computer implemented method according to claim 8, further comprising increasing a speed with which the character is configured to execute the task when the character acquires a predetermined resource from the resource.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising causing the character to transport at least one item that is a result of a task to a storage facility.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The computer implemented method according to claim 13, further comprising causing the character to retrieve an item from the storage facility and transport the item to a second object on the graphical user interface and causing the character to execute an action on the second object with the item, wherein a presentation of the second object is updated on the display to reflect the executed action.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:
detecting a selection of at least one other character on the graphical user interface;
detecting a second movement on the graphical user interface towards the object while the at least one other character is selected;
detecting that the second movement is within the predetermined distance from the object;
determining that the at least one other character is capable of executing a task for the job related to the object;
highlighting the object when the second movement is within the predetermined distance and it is determined that the at least one other character is capable of executing the task;
assigning the at least one other character to the object when it is detected that the second movement stops within the predetermined distance; and
causing the at least one other character to execute the task with respect to the object.

### Claim 16 (depends on 5)

The computer implemented method according to claim 5, wherein the task executed by the character and the task executed by the at least one other character are cumulatively executed with respect to the object.

### Claim 17 (depends on 6)

The computer implemented method according to claim 6, wherein the task executed by the character is different from the task executed by the at least one other character.

### Claim 18 (depends on 5)

The computer implemented method according to claim 5, wherein the character is configured to execute and complete a first task for the object within a first predetermined time period and the at least one other character is configured to execute and complete a second task for the object within a second predetermined time period.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein updating the presentation of the object on the graphical user interface to present a result of the executed job further comprises:
determining that a predetermined number of tasks of the job have been executed; and
updating the presentation of the object from a first level to a second level when the predetermined number of tasks are completed within a predetermined time period for the job.

### Claim 20

A computing device, comprising:
a display; and
a computing hardware operable to execute a software product, wherein executing the software product results in generating and rendering a graphical user interface on the display, the graphical user interface being configured to facilitate user interactions, the computing hardware, the software product and the graphical user interface being implemented in a gaming environment to:
detect a selection of a character in a graphical user interface of a display of a computing device;
detect a movement along a path on the graphical user interface, an origin of the path being in proximity to the character following the selection;
present an indicator on the graphical user interface display, an origin of the indicator being disposed at an initial location of the character and extending along the path in a direction of the detected movement;
detect an object on the graphical user interface in a direction of the path and away from the origin;
determine a job to be executed with respect to the detected object;
detect a function of the character capable of executing the job;
highlight the object when the object is within a predetermined distance from the path and the detected function of the character is capable of executing the job;
assign the character to the object when it is detected that the movement stops while the object is within predetermined distance; and
cause the character to execute the job with respect to the object; and
update a presentation of the object on the display to present a result of the executed job.