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U.S. Patent No. 8,882,594: Control Scheme for real time strategy game
Issued November 11, 2014, to Microsoft Corp.
Priority Date April 5, 2007




Summary:

Real-time strategy games allow the player to command an army against imposing forces in real time. The player builds his army at the same time his opponent. The classic example of a real-time strategy game is StarCraft. Every movement in a real-time strategy game is crucial because time is a factor; wasteful motion can be the difference between winning and losing. Because time is such a factor, PC has dominated the real-time genre due to the flexibility and quickness of a mouse and keyboard offer. Traditionally, the cursor and screen position moved independently of each other. Early attempts at bringing real-time strategy kept the tradition control scheme, but cursor's movement speed on a console could not match the quickness of a PC mouse. U.S. Patent No. 8,882,594 (the '594 Patent) describes a control scheme for a real-time strategy game on a console that locks the cursor to a fix position in the center of the screen. When the player moves the cursor, the screen position also moves. The cursor always stayed in the center of the screen even if the player tilted the camera. By bolting the cursor to the center and moving the screen position instead, players could move and select units at a quicker pace. Also, the control scheme allowed for players to switch between different units using certain buttons. Microsoft used the '594 Patent's control scheme in the Halo Wars franchise.

Abstract:
A control scheme for a real time strategy game using a game controller includes maintaining a cursor in a known, fixed position of the monitor in a manner so that it appears the game space if moving behind a cursor even during changing viewing positions such as tilting movements. The control scheme further includes other aspects including a technique for selecting units using the game controller and interacting with menus using the game controller.

Illustrative Claim:

18. A system comprising: a processor; an input device having a user activated button; a rendering device; and a computer readable storage medium having instructions accessible by the processor and which when executed on the processor conduct a real time strategy game based on user input from the input device, the instructions comprising: operating a plurality of units of a plurality of different unit types in a game space, each of the units taking action in the game space based on corresponding instructions; determining a first user position relative to at least some units in the game space, the first user position being spaced apart from the units and having a parameter indicative of a first tilt with respect to the units; rendering a first view of a portion of the game space on the rendering device based on the first user position, the first view not corresponding to a view as seen by any of the units in the game space, the first view having the first tilt and including a cursor for selecting a unit, the cursor being at a known position relative to an edge of the rendered first view; receiving an indication of activation of the input device and, in response, identifying a set of the units based on the unit types; determining a second user position, with the processor, based on the identified set of the units, the second user position being spaced apart from the units and having a parameter indicative of a second tilt with respect to the units that is different than the first tilt; and for at least some of the execution of the game, rendering a second view of a portion of the game space based on the second user position, the second view having the second tilt and showing the identified set of units, while maintaining the cursor in the known position relative to the edge of the rendered view, the second view not corresponding to a view as seen by any of the units in the game space.


Researched By: Andrew F. Thomas





U.S. Patent No. 9,138,648: System and method for dynamically loading game software for smooth game play
Issued September 22, 2015, to Sony Interactive Entertainment America, LLC
Priority Date October 10, 2001




Summary:
"See that mountain over there, you can climb it," is the open world game's promise that a player can travel to an object seen in the environment without encountering a load screen, no matter how far the object is from the player. U.S. Patent No. 9,138,648 (the '648 Patent) describes a system and method for a video game to load an environment without entering into a load screen. It is impossible for a game to load the entire environment because doing so would require too much computing power, which ultimately would slow down other aspects of the game. Loading the environment in pieces allows for the game to present large environments without sacrificing other elements, but could slow down the game's pacing or compromise the openness feeling. The '648 Patent solves this problem by loading the next environment piece while the player is traveling in the game. Loading boundaries are set so that when a player crosses the boundary, the game begins to load in the next section. The boundary is set to give the game enough time to load correctly. New loading boundaries are set once the player has crossed into the new environment section. The previous section eventually becomes another loading boundary. Using this method for dynamically loading a game creates the illusion that the entire game world is persistent without overloading the system. 


Abstract:
A system and method are disclosed for dynamically loading game software for smooth game play. A load boundary associated with a game environment is identified. A position of a character in the game environment is then monitored. Instructions corresponding to a next game environment are loaded into a memory when the character crosses the load boundary, such that game play is not interrupted.


Illustrative Claim:
1. A method for dynamically loading game software, the method comprising: generating a display of a current game environment, wherein the current game environment is associated with a plurality of next game environments; determining a load time for each of the plurality of next game environments, wherein the next game environments are not yet displayed; identifying in the current game environment a plurality of different load boundaries that are each associated with loading one or more of the plurality of next game environments, wherein the location of each load boundary in the current game environment is based on the load time of the associated next game environment; identifying that a character has crossed a load boundary in the current game environment associated with one of the plurality of next game environments; determining a direction in which the character has crossed the crossed load boundary; identifying one of the next game environments for loading based on the crossed load boundary and the determined direction in which the character has crossed the load boundary, wherein the next game environment associated with the load boundary is identified for loading when the character is determined to have crossed the load boundary moving in a forward direction toward one of the next game environments associated with the load boundary, and a different next game environment is identified for loading when the character is determined to have crossed the load boundary in a backward direction away from the one of the next game environments associated with the crossed load boundary; and loading instructions corresponding to the identified next game environment into a memory prior to the character entering the identified next game environment, loading of the instructions commencing when the character crosses the load boundary in the current game environment in the determined direction such that game play is not interrupted by loading instructions for display of the identified next game environment when the character enters the identified next game environment.


Researched by: Andrew F. Thomas


U.S. Patent No. 9,266,022: System to pause a game console whenever an object enters an exclusion zone
Issued February 23, 2016, to David Paul Pasqualone
Priority Date August 21, 2012



Summary:
U.S. Patent No. 9,266,022 (the '022 Patent) describes a method to pause a game due to the player physically entering into a danger zone. Motion control video games often require players to move physically. Physically moving can become a problem when the player does not realize where he/she is in relation to other objects, like the television. It is possible that a player does not realize he/she has moved closer to the television due to being intensely focused on the game. The '022 describes a method to warn players before crashing into the television by creating several exclusion zones using a console's motion sensors. The first zone is a warning zone, so when a player enters into it, a warning is displayed telling the player he/she is getting too close. If the player ignores the warning and enters the second zone, the system pauses the game. The game will resume after a set amount of time or if the player manually resumes.

Abstract:
A system for use in an interactive gaming console system wherein the gaming console system uses a sensor monitor to detect player actions, wherein either the sensor monitor's motion and proximity sensors or dedicated motion and proximity sensors detect whenever an object enters an exclusion zone, which is the area wherein the object is too close to the sensor monitor. If an object is detected within the exclusion zone, then the game being played by the gaming system is paused at the point of played and resumed after a set or settable time delay or after a manual resume command is issued by user in the usual way. A warning zone can also be defined just beyond the exclusion zone so that a warning signal of appropriate type can be issued to warn a player that the player is approaching the exclusion zone allowing the player to back away from the exclusion zone.
Illustrative Claim:
1. An interactive gaming system, for use by at least one player, the interactive gaming system comprising: a gaming control unit running a software routine that runs a game and displays the game being run on an output device, the software routine capable of being paused at a point within the game, and thereafter resumed from the point; a forward direction looking sensor monitor determines motion of an object and a proximity of the object from the sensor monitor in the forward direction, the sensor monitor in communication with the gaming control unit such that the gaming control unit receives input signals gathered from the sensor monitor and uses the input signals to control the software routine such that if the sensor monitor senses that a moving object is in the forward direction and is closer to the sensor monitor than a first threshold distance, the gaming control unit issues a threshold pause and pauses the software routine and wherein the gaming control unit issues a perceptible warning if the sensor monitor senses that a moving object is in the forward direction and at a proximity distance greater than the first threshold distance and less than a second threshold distance; and wherein the first threshold distance is variable and wherein the gaming control unit automatically resumes running of the software routine after a set amount of time has elapsed and the sensor monitor no longer determines that a moving object is closer to the sensor monitor than the first threshold distance in the forward direction and wherein the gaming control unit has an accumulator that calculates the number of times the threshold is exceeded during a set time interval and if the number of times calculates exceeds a threshold number, the software routine pauses the software routine until a set code is communicated to the gaming control unit.


Researched By: Andrew F. Thomas
U.S. Patent No. 9,669,291: System and method to facilitate moves in a word game
Issued June 6, 2017, to Zynga, Inc.
Priority Date May 31, 2011




Summary:
U.S. Patent No. 9,669,291 describes a system and method for distributing letters in a digital scrabble game. In an analog Scrabble game, a player has to rely on luck when pulling their letters, compared to a digital game where a computer algorithm is selecting the pieces. Each letter has a probability rate based on the number of pieces that letter has in the physical board game. Once probability rates are established, the game then analyzes the digital game board, list of playable words, player skill levels, and relationships of particular letters in word formations. From there, the game adjusts the probability rates of the remaining letters. Changing the rates helps balance the competition between players of different skill levels and ensure that a player can play a word in most situations.

Abstract:
A system and method to facilitate moves in a word game includes a game asset distribution module that adjusts the respective distribution weights of letters in a set of alphabet letters. The letters are distributed to players in a word game with a probability proportional to the distribution weights. The game asset distribution module includes an analysis module to analyze the game board, lists of playable words, player skill levels, and relationships of particular letters in word formations. Accordingly, distribution weights of the letters are adjusted in order to facilitate allocation to the player of those letters which will facilitate word formation, ensure at least a minimum playable word experience, and enhance an overall user experience, even amongst players with significantly different skill levels.

Illustrative Claim:
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: assigning, via at least one processor, to each alphabet letter a respective distribution weight according to a weighting rule of an online game, wherein each respective distribution weight reflects a frequency the corresponding alphabet letter, to which the respective distribution weight is assigned, is available for a game action in the online game of a game network server system; allocating based on respective assigned distribution weights, for availability in one or more game actions by a particular player, instances of each alphabet letter in a plurality of the alphabet letters; initiating display, to the particular player, of the allocated instances of each alphabet letter in a game interface of the online game; receiving a game action representing completion of a formation of a word, the word based on selection of a subset of the allocated instances of each alphabet letter; determining a losing player being the particular player having a point score in the online game lower than any further player within the online game, wherein each further player has a respective social network connection in a social network server system with the particular player; based on determining the losing player being the particular player: determining a number of remaining instances of the alphabet letters, available for distribution, and yet to be allocated to the losing player, in accordance to the respective distribution weights and the plurality of alphabet letters previously allocated to the losing player; determining the number of the remaining instances of the alphabet letters is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold; comparing a set of played words based on one or more words previously formed in one or more game action selected by the losing player in the online game; determining a prospective word formation, in a subset of the remaining instances of the alphabet letters, matches at least one of the words previously formed; adjusting the respective distribution weight of each letter in the subset of the remaining instances of the alphabet letters, the adjusted respective distribution weight being greater than a prior corresponding distribution weight.

Researched By: Andrew F. Thomas


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