# US 12,179,115 B2 · Deck building for real-time strategy game > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,179,115 B2 - Document ID: US12179115B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/592,401 - Filed: 2024-02-29 - Published: 2024-09-05 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2023-03-01 - Assignees: Tencent America LLC - Applicants: Tencent America LLC - Inventors: Taeyeon Kim; Stefan Haines - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179115B2 ## CPC - A63F 13/63: by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor - A63F 13/2145: the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens - 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 13/533: for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu - A63F 13/537: using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen - A63F 13/5375: for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game - 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 13/822: Strategy games; Role-playing games (A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence) - A63F 2300/308: Details of the user interface - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A method is provided for generating virtual objects in a virtual scene at a computing device. The method includes, obtaining a first selection of one or more first-level virtual object types for a first group in a deck-building interface. The method also includes obtaining a second selection of one or more second-level virtual object types for a second group in the deck-building interface, wherein the first selection and the second selection are based on user input. The method further includes in response to a determination that a deck in the deck-building interface is complete based on the obtained first selection and second selection, displaying a user interface (UI) for the user to generate and control the selected first-level virtual object types and the selected second-level virtual object types in real time in the virtual scene. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of configuring an interface in a virtual scene of a game, comprising: obtaining a first selection of one or more first-level virtual object types for a first group in a deck-building interface; obtaining a second selection of one or more second-level virtual object types for a second group in the deck-building interface, wherein the first selection and the second selection are based on user input; and in response to a determination that a deck in the deck-building interface is complete based on the obtained first selection and second selection, displaying a user interface (UI) for a user to generate and control the selected one or more first-level virtual object types and the selected one or more second-level virtual object types in real-time in the virtual scene, wherein the one or more first-level virtual object types associated with the first selection is selectable in the UI by the user from a start of the game, the one or more second-level virtual object types associated with the second selection is selectable in the UI by the user after a condition in the game is satisfied, and the condition in the game is satisfied when at least one second-level building condition corresponding to the selected second-level virtual object type is met in the game. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining a third selection of one or more advanced second-level virtual object types for a third group in the deck-building interface, wherein the one or more advanced second-level virtual object types represent an upgrade from the one or more second-level virtual object types. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the deck-building interface comprises a first number of slots for the first group, a second number of slots for the second group, and a third number of slots for the third group; and the determination that the deck in the deck-building interface is complete includes: obtaining a fourth selection, from among graphical UI elements representing available first-level virtual object types, of the first number of graphical UI elements placed in the slots for the first group; obtaining a fifth selection, from among graphical UI elements representing available second-level virtual object types, of the second number of graphical UI elements placed in the slots for the second group; and obtaining a sixth selection, from among graphical UI elements representing available advanced second-level virtual object types, of the third number of graphical UI elements placed in the slots for the third group. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the deck in the deck-building interface is determined as complete when all slots in the first group, the second group, and the third group are filled by selected graphical UI elements; and the selection of the graphical UI elements limits the user to generating and controlling only the selected one or more first-level virtual object types, the selected one or more second-level virtual object types, and the selected one or more advanced second-level virtual object types among the available first-level virtual object types, the available second-level virtual object types, and the available advanced second-level virtual object types in the virtual scene. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the deck-building interface comprises a fourth number of wild card slots which may be filled from among the graphical UI elements representing the available first-level virtual object types, the available second-level virtual object types and the available advanced second-level virtual object types; and the determination that the deck in the deck-building interface is complete includes obtaining a seventh selection, from among the graphical UI elements representing the available first-level virtual object types, the available second-level virtual object types, and the available advanced second-level virtual object types, of the fourth number of graphical UI elements placed in the wild card slots. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: in response to the obtaining one of the first selection, the second selection, or the third selection, determining whether a total number of unique abilities associated with the selected one or more first-level virtual object types, the selected one or more second-level virtual object types, and the selected one or more advanced second-level virtual object types is below a threshold; in response to a determination that the total number of unique abilities is above the threshold, generating an indication of an incompatible deck; and displaying the UI after the selected one or more first-level virtual object types, the selected one or more second-level virtual object types, and the selected one or more advanced second-level virtual object types are modified in the deck-building interface such that the total number of unique abilities is below the threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising, in response to the determination that the deck in the deck-building interface is complete, initiating the virtual scene and displaying the UI in the initiated virtual scene. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the displaying the UI comprises displaying, on a display device, at least one of a command menu including plural selectable command elements corresponding to virtual object actions performable by the selected one or more first-level virtual object types, the selected one or more second-level virtual object types, and the selected one or more advanced second-level virtual object types; or a build menu including plural selectable build elements corresponding to generation of the selected one or more first-level virtual object types, the selected one or more second-level virtual object types, and the selected one or more advanced second-level virtual object types. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the plural selectable command elements in the command menu correspond to a union set of virtual object actions performable by each of the selected one or more first-level virtual object types, the selected one or more second-level virtual object types, and the selected one or more advanced second-level virtual object types, all of the plural selectable command elements in the command menu being displayed together in a single menu window; or the plural selectable build elements in the build menu correspond to generation of each of the selected one or more first-level virtual object types, the selected one or more second-level virtual object types, and the selected one or more advanced second-level virtual object types, all of the build elements in the build menu being displayed together in a single menu window. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein each build element in the displayed build menu displays (i) text or a graphic indicating one of the virtual object types which the respective build element is configured to generate, and (ii) text or a graphic indicating ability information of the one of the virtual object types which the respective build element is configured to generate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the displaying the UI comprises displaying, on a display device, at least one of a command menu including plural selectable command elements corresponding to virtual object actions performable by the selected one or more first-level virtual object types, the selected one or more second-level virtual object types, and the selected one or more advanced second-level virtual object types; or a build menu including plural selectable build elements corresponding to generation of the selected one or more first-level virtual object types, the selected one or more second-level virtual object types, and the selected one or more advanced second-level virtual object types. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: displaying the build menu such that the selected one or more first-level virtual object types are indicated as available for generation and indicating that at least one of the selected one or more second-level virtual object types is unavailable to the user or the selected one or more advanced second-level virtual object types is unavailable to the user by displaying a build element corresponding to the unavailable selected second-level virtual object type or the unavailable selected advanced virtual building types as disabled. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: after the displaying the UI, receiving an eighth selection of a build element corresponding to one of the selected one or more first-level virtual object types; and based on the eighth selection of the build element, generating the one of the selected one or more first-level virtual object types in the virtual scene. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: after displaying the UI, displaying a deck selection made by an opponent of the user in the virtual scene, the deck selection indicating first-level virtual object types, second-level virtual object types, and advanced second-level virtual object types available to the opponent in the virtual scene. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the available first-level virtual object types, the available second-level virtual object types, or the available advanced second-level virtual object types for a first group of users is different than the at least one of the available first-level virtual object types, the available second-level virtual object types, or the available advanced second-level virtual object types for a second group of users. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more first-level virtual object types, the one or more second-level virtual object types, or the one or more advanced second-level virtual object types available for selection are pre-determined for a first group of users. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more first-level virtual object types, the one or more second-level virtual object types, or the one or more advanced second-level virtual object types available for selection are randomly selected for a second group of users. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual scene is part of a real-time strategy (RTS) game, a trading card game, or a turn-based strategy game. ### Claim 19 An apparatus for configuring an interface in a virtual scene of a game, comprising: processing circuitry configured to: obtain a first selection of one or more first-level virtual object types for a first group in a deck-building interface, obtain a second selection of one or more second-level virtual object types for a second group in the deck-building interface, wherein the first selection and the second selection are based on user input; and in response to a determination that a deck in the deck-building interface is complete based on the obtained first selection and second selection, display a user interface (UI) for a user to generate and control the selected one or more first-level virtual object types and the selected one or more second-level virtual object types in real-time in the virtual scene, wherein the one or more first-level virtual object types associated with the first selection is selectable in the UI by the user from a start of the game, the one or more second-level virtual object types associated with the second selection is selectable in the UI by the user after a condition in the game is satisfied, and the condition in the game is satisfied when at least one second-level building condition corresponding to the selected second-level virtual object type is met in the game. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions thereon, which, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform a method of configuring an interface in a virtual scene of a game, comprising: obtaining a first selection of one or more first-level virtual object types for a first group in a deck-building interface, obtaining a second selection of one or more second-level virtual object types for a second group in the deck-building interface, wherein the first selection and the second selection are based on user input, and in response to a determination that a deck in the deck-building interface is complete based on the obtained first selection and second selection, displaying a user interface (UI) for a user to generate and control the selected one or more first-level virtual object types and the selected one or more second-level virtual object types in real time in the virtual scene, wherein the one or more first-level virtual object types associated with the first selection is selectable in the UI by the user from a start of the game, the one or more second-level virtual object types associated with the second selection is selectable in the UI by the user after a condition in the game is satisfied, and the condition in the game is satisfied when at least one second-level building condition corresponding to the selected second-level virtual object type is met in the game.