# US 12,599,839 B2 · Delivery of virtual effect > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,599,839 B2 - Document ID: US12599839B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/980,462 - Filed: 2022-11-03 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2021-01-22 - Assignees: Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Company Limited - Applicants: Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Company Limited - Inventors: Zhihong Liu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12599839B2 ## CPC - A63F 13/5378: for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps - A63F 13/55: Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress - 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 13/837: Shooting of targets - A63F 13/847: Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A method for delivering a virtual effect is provided. In the method, a target delivery point of the target virtual effect is determined based on a delivery point selection received from a user of a first virtual object. The target virtual effect is configured to change an attribute value of a second virtual object within an effect range of the target virtual effect. An actual delivery point of the target virtual effect is determined based on the target delivery point and one of a plurality of delivery precisions. The one of the plurality of delivery precisions is determined based on a delivery distance between the target delivery point and a position of the first virtual object. Delivery of the target virtual effect in a virtual environment is controlled based on the actual delivery point. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for delivering a virtual effect, the method comprising: displaying a delivery point selection interface based on a user selection of a target virtual effect received from a user of a first virtual object, the target virtual effect being configured to change an attribute value of a second virtual object within an effect range of the target virtual effect; determining a target delivery point of the target virtual effect based on a delivery point selection received from the user of the first virtual object via the delivery point selection interface; determining, by processing circuitry, a target delivery mechanism is a first delivery mechanism based on a delivery distance between the target delivery point and a position of the first virtual object being less than a first distance threshold, the first delivery mechanism corresponding to a first delivery precision; determining, by the processing circuitry, the target delivery mechanism is a second delivery mechanism based on the delivery distance being greater than or equal to the first distance threshold, the second delivery mechanism corresponding to a second delivery precision lower than the first delivery precision; determining, by the processing circuitry, an actual delivery point of the target virtual effect based on the target delivery point and which one of the first delivery precision and the second delivery precision corresponds to the target delivery mechanism; determining, by the processing circuitry, an effect delivery quantity based on the target delivery mechanism, the effect delivery quantity being negatively correlated with the one of the first delivery precision and the second delivery precision corresponding to the target delivery mechanism; and controlling delivery of the target virtual effect in a virtual environment based on the target delivery mechanism, the actual delivery point, and the effect delivery quantity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the controlling the delivery includes controlling the first virtual object to deliver the target virtual effect to the actual delivery point in the virtual environment, and the target virtual effect is generated by a target virtual prop. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining the actual delivery point includes: determining the target delivery point as the actual delivery point based on the target delivery mechanism being the first delivery mechanism corresponding to the first delivery precision; and based on the target delivery mechanism being the second delivery mechanism corresponding to the second delivery precision, determining the actual delivery point based on the target delivery point and the delivery distance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the determining the actual delivery point based on the target delivery point and the delivery distance comprises: determining a delivery region based on the target delivery point and the delivery distance, the delivery region being centered on the target delivery point, and a range of the delivery region being positively correlated with the delivery distance; and determining the actual delivery point based on the delivery region. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining the delivery point selection as invalid based on a distance between a delivery point indicated by the delivery point selection and the first virtual object being greater than a second distance threshold, the second distance threshold being greater than the first distance threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the displaying the delivery point selection interface comprises: determining a delivery point selection region in the virtual environment based on the position of the first virtual object; displaying a map screen of the delivery point selection region in a map display control of the delivery point selection interface; and displaying, in the delivery point selection region through the map screen for a predetermined duration, a position of the second virtual object at a moment that the user selection of the target virtual effect is received, without display of any indication of movement of the second virtual object after the moment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: displaying a prompt message in response to a number of times of the delivery point selection is received being greater than n, the prompt message indicating that a maximum number of delivery points is reached, n being a positive integer; or determining a plurality of target delivery points indicated by last n delivery point selections based on the number of times the delivery point selection is received being greater than n. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining one or more other target delivery points of the target virtual effect and corresponding one or more other delivery precisions based on one or more other delivery point selections; determining one or more other actual delivery points of the target virtual effect based on the one or more other target delivery points and the one or more other delivery precisions; determining one or more other effect delivery quantities corresponding to the one or more other target delivery points; and controlling the first virtual object to deliver the target virtual effect to the one or more actual delivery points in the virtual environment based on the one or more other effect delivery quantities. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: generating a sub-virtual effect after the delivery of the target virtual effect in the virtual environment; and controlling delivery of the sub-virtual effect in the virtual environment based on a preset trajectory, wherein the sub-virtual effect is delivered at a collision point along the preset trajectory, an effect range of the sub-virtual effect being smaller than the effect range of the target virtual effect. ### Claim 10 An apparatus, comprising: processing circuitry configured to: display a delivery point selection interface based on a user selection of a target virtual effect received from a user of a first virtual object, the target virtual effect being configured to change an attribute value of a second virtual object within an effect range of the target virtual effect; determine a target delivery point of the target virtual effect based on a delivery point selection received from the user of the first virtual object via the delivery point selection interface; determine a target delivery mechanism is a first delivery mechanism based on a delivery distance between the target delivery point and a position of the first virtual object being less than a first distance threshold, the first delivery mechanism corresponding to a first delivery precision; determine the target delivery mechanism is a second delivery mechanism based on the delivery distance being greater than or equal to the first distance threshold, the second delivery mechanism corresponding to a second delivery precision lower than the first delivery precision; determine an actual delivery point of the target virtual effect based on the target delivery point and which one of the first delivery precision and the second delivery precision corresponds to the target delivery mechanism; determine an effect delivery quantity based on the target delivery mechanism, the effect delivery quantity being negatively correlated with the one of the first delivery precision and the second delivery precision corresponding to the target delivery mechanism; and control delivery of the target virtual effect in a virtual environment based on the target delivery mechanism, the actual delivery point, and the effect delivery quantity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the first virtual object to deliver the target virtual effect to the actual delivery point in the virtual environment, and the target virtual effect is generated by a target virtual prop. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: determine the target delivery point as the actual delivery point based on the target delivery mechanism being the first delivery mechanism corresponding to the first delivery precision; and based on the target delivery mechanism being the second delivery mechanism corresponding to the second delivery precision, determine the actual delivery point based on the target delivery point and the delivery distance. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: determine a delivery region based on the target delivery point and the delivery distance, the delivery region being centered on the target delivery point, and a range of the delivery region being positively correlated with the delivery distance; and determine the actual delivery point based on the delivery region. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: determine the delivery point selection as invalid based on a distance between a delivery point indicated by the delivery point selection and the first virtual object being greater than a second distance threshold, the second distance threshold being greater than the first distance threshold. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: determine a delivery point selection region in the virtual environment based on the position of the first virtual object; display a map screen of the delivery point selection region in a map display control of the delivery point selection interface; and display, in the delivery point selection region through the map screen for a predetermined duration, a position of the second virtual object at a moment that the user selection of the target virtual effect is received, without display of any indication of movement of the second virtual object after the moment. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: generate a sub-virtual effect after the delivery of the target virtual effect in the virtual environment; and control delivery of the sub-virtual effect in the virtual environment based on a preset trajectory, wherein the sub-virtual effect is delivered at a collision point along the preset trajectory, an effect range of the sub-virtual effect being smaller than the effect range of the target virtual effect. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform: displaying a delivery point selection interface based on a user selection of a target virtual effect received from a user of a first virtual object, the target virtual effect being configured to change an attribute value of a second virtual object within an effect range of the target virtual effect; determining a target delivery point of the target virtual effect based on a delivery point selection received from the user of the first virtual object via the delivery point selection interface; determining a target delivery mechanism is a first delivery mechanism based on a delivery distance between the target delivery point and a position of the first virtual object being less than a first distance threshold, the first delivery mechanism corresponding to a first delivery precision; determining the target delivery mechanism is a second delivery mechanism based on the delivery distance being greater than or equal to the first distance threshold, the second delivery mechanism corresponding to a second delivery precision lower than the first delivery precision; determining an actual delivery point of the target virtual effect based on the target delivery point and which one of the first delivery precision and the second delivery precision corresponds to the target delivery mechanism; determining an effect delivery quantity based on the target delivery mechanism, the effect delivery quantity being negatively correlated with the one of the first delivery precision and the second delivery precision corresponding to the target delivery mechanism; and controlling delivery of the target virtual effect in a virtual environment based on the target delivery mechanism, the actual delivery point, and the effect delivery quantity. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the determining the actual delivery point includes: determining the target delivery point as the actual delivery point based on the target delivery mechanism being the first delivery mechanism corresponding to the first delivery precision; and based on the target delivery mechanism being the second delivery mechanism corresponding to the second delivery precision, determining the actual delivery point based on the target delivery point and the delivery distance. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein the determining the actual delivery point based on the target delivery point and the delivery distance comprises: determining a delivery region based on the target delivery point and the delivery distance, the delivery region being centered on the target delivery point, and a range of the delivery region being positively correlated with the delivery distance; and determining the actual delivery point based on the delivery region. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the displaying the delivery point selection interface comprises: determining a delivery point selection region in the virtual environment based on the position of the first virtual object; displaying a map screen of the delivery point selection region in a map display control of the delivery point selection interface; and displaying, in the delivery point selection region through the map screen for a predetermined duration, a position of the second virtual object at a moment that the user selection of the target virtual effect is received, without display of any indication of movement of the second virtual object after the moment.