IP Library Granted Patent US 9,424,109
Granted Patent B1
US 9,424,109 · App. 14/331,198 · Granted Aug 23, 2016

Maintaining time fidelity for an instance of a virtual space placed in a background state

Inventor: Michael R. Pearce (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: KABAM, INC.
G06F9/542G06F9/4843
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,424,109
App. No.
14/331,198
Granted
Aug 23, 2016
Kind
B1
Abstract

Time fidelity may be maintained for an instance of a virtual space placed in a background state. The background state may be a state in which user intervention with the instance of the virtual space is disallowed. In contrast, a foreground state may be a state in which user intervention with the instance of the virtual space is allowed. Individual timers may be associated with corresponding events configured to occur within the virtual space. An elapsed time while the instance of the virtual space is in a background state may be determined. Individual timers may be adjusted based on the elapsed time responsive to the instance of the virtual space resuming from the background state to the foreground state in order to maintain time fidelity.

Claims (27)

1. A system configured to maintain time fidelity for an instance of a virtual space placed in a background state, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:

implement the instance of the virtual space to determine views of the virtual space, the instance being associated with one or more timers, wherein the virtual space has a state associated with the time provided by the one or more timers, wherein the one or more timers measure the passage of time in the virtual space at a first rate;

determine an elapsed time while the instance of the virtual space is in a background state, the background state being a state in which user intervention with the instance of the virtual space is disallowed and the one or more timers measure the passage of time in the virtual space at a second rate different from the first rate; and

adjust the one or more timers in response to the virtual space exiting the background state, the adjustment to the one or more timers being based on the elapsed time such that the one or more timers are adjusted to a time they would have had had they been running at the first rate over the elapsed time;

wherein the the state of the virtual space is adjusted to correspond to the adjusted time of the one or more timers.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein execution of the instance of the virtual space is suspended responsive to the instance of the virtual space being in the background state.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to determine the state of the instance of the virtual space.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instance of the virtual space is placed in the background state responsive to execution of a second application.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the elapsed time is equal to a duration between (1) a first time at which the instance of the virtual space was placed in the background state and (2) a second time at which the instance of the virtual space was resumed from the background state.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the elapsed time is equal to a duration during which execution of the instance of the virtual space was suspended while the instance of the virtual space is in the background state.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to maintain a record of one or more active timers, a given active timer corresponding to a given event that has not yet occurred within the virtual space.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein a given one of the one or more timers become an active timer responsive to one or both of user actions or an occurrence of another corresponding event within the virtual space.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein a given active timer is removed from the record responsive to an occurrence in the virtual space of a given event corresponding to the given active timer.

10. A computer-implemented method for maintaining time fidelity for an instance of a virtual space placed in a background state, the method being performed by one or more processors configured by machine-readable instructions, the method comprising:

implementing the instance of the virtual space to determine views of the virtual space, the instance being associated with one or more timers, wherein the virtual space has a state associated with the time provided by the one or more timers, wherein the one or more timers measure the passage of time in the virtual space at a first rate

determining an elapsed time while the instance of the virtual space is in a background state, the background state being a state in which user intervention with the instance of the virtual space is disallowed and the one or more timers measure the passage of time in the virtual space at a second rate different from the first rate, and

adjusting the one or more timers in response to the virtual space exiting the background state, the adjustment to the one or more timers being based on the elapsed time such that the one or more timers are adjusted to a time they would have had had they been running at the first rate over the elapsed time;

wherein the state of the virtual space is adjusted to correspond to the adjusted time of the one or more timers.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein execution of the instance of the virtual space is suspended responsive to the instance of the virtual space being in the background state.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining the state of the instance of the virtual space.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the instance of the virtual space is placed in the background state responsive to execution of a second application.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the elapsed time is equal to a duration between (1) a first time at which the instance of the virtual space was placed in the background state and (2) a second time at which the instance of the virtual space was resumed from the background state.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the elapsed time is equal to a duration during which execution of the instance of the virtual space was suspended while the instance of the virtual space is in the background state.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising maintaining a record of one or more active timers, a given active timer corresponding to a given event that has not yet occurred within the virtual space.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein a given one of the one or more timers become an active timer responsive to one or both of user actions or an occurrence of another corresponding event within the virtual space.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein a given active timer is removed from the record responsive to an occurrence in the virtual space of a given event corresponding to the given active timer.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2018
From: AFTERSHOCK SERVICES, INC.
To: ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.
Reel/Frame 045474/0300 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 11, 2017
From: KABAM, INC.
To: AFTERSHOCK SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 042211/0425 →
TERMINATION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT, RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME: 039268/0910 Recorded Mar 2, 2017
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: KABAM, INC.
Reel/Frame 041857/0538 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 6, 2016
From: KABAM, INC.
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 039268/0910 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 5, 2014
From: PEARCE, MICHAEL R.
To: KABAM, INC.
Reel/Frame 033463/0781 →
Continuity (1)
Continuation 13564654 · Aug 1, 2012