Patent ID: 8702505

Claim:
A method for moving game piece images on a first client computer, the first client computer being in communication with a server in a computer network, the method comprising: causing at least one game piece image to be displayed on a display area of the first client computer, said game piece image having an image area and an image boundary enclosing said image area; receiving user input from a pointing device in communication with the first client computer, said user input being operable to change a display position of a cursor on said display area; transmitting, from the first client computer, a piece movement request message to the server, wherein the first client computer is configured to generate and transmit said piece movement request message in response to receiving user input of an actuator button signal when a display position of said cursor is within said image boundary, said piece movement request message including information representing a change in position of said cursor on said display area of the first client computer while said actuator button signal is being received and being operable to elicit transmission of a piece movement message from the server to the first client computer, said piece movement message including information representing said change in position of said cursor included in said piece movement request message; receiving said piece movement message from the server at the first client computer; and causing a change in a displayed position of said game piece image on said display area of the first client computer, wherein the first client computer is configured to cause said change in response to receipt of said piece movement message at the first client computer and not in response to movement of said cursor such that movements of said cursor and said displayed position of said game piece image provide an indication of network latency due to a round-trip time associated with transmission of the piece movement request message to the server and transmission of the piece movement message back to the client computer.