Tencent filed 7 patents this quarter across 4 categories: UI/UX (4), Game Mechanics (1), Esports (1), and Platforms (1).
The UI/UX applications focus on mobile-first interaction systems, including a card-based interface for auto-chess games, touch controls for weapon accessory switching in shooters, real-time UI repositioning during active gameplay, and a simplified gesture system for jump-throw mechanics in mobile FPS titles. The Game Mechanics patent covers a multi-metric loot distribution system that rewards players separately for each performance dimension in NPC encounters. Additional filings address interactive win-rate visualization for Esports VOD playback and a cross-Platforms bullet comment system enabling real-time interaction between game and video Platforms users through virtual in-game screens.
Four UI/UX patents address control and interface challenges on mobile touchscreens. The first application replaces the traditional multi-panel navigation of auto-chess games with a unified card system that consolidates pieces, equipment, effects, and skills into a single interaction surface with condition-based triggering. Another tackles weapon accessory switching in mobile shooters by introducing a multi-slot panel that displays 3 or more options simultaneously, allowing players to select directly rather than cycle through attachments one by one with repeated button presses. A third filing enables players to reposition on-screen controls by dragging them during live gameplay, eliminating the need to exit to a settings menu, adjust positions on a static screenshot, and return to test the changes. The fourth application reduces the complexity of jump-throwing in mobile FPS games by converting a simultaneous 3-button operation into a sequential gesture flow that requires fewer concurrent finger inputs while preserving the full mechanical capability.
The single Game Mechanics patent changes how loot gets distributed after NPC encounters by allocating rewards based on individual performance metrics rather than a single aggregated score. Each player receives separate resource bundles proportional to their ranking in specific dimensions, preventing players with high overall scores from monopolizing all rewards and ensuring that contributors to particular metrics receive corresponding benefits.
Tencent's Esports filing adds interactive event markers to win-rate curves displayed during VOD playback. Viewers can tap markers on the timeline to see which specific in-game events caused momentum shifts, directly linking causality to the probability graph rather than leaving viewers to infer why the curve changed shape.
The Platforms patent creates a shared bullet comment layer visible to users on both gaming and video Platformss simultaneously, displayed on a virtual screen inside the game environment. Comments from both sources appear in real time on the same playback surface, and viewers can establish follow relationships on the gaming Platforms directly from comments that originated on the video service.
All data sourced from USPTO patent filings. Google Patents may take several weeks to index recent publications. If a link is unavailable, search for the patent number at USPTO Patent Public Search.