Cloud Video Stream Rerouting for Real-Time Assistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of cloud-based applications face challenges in accessing relevant and timely assistance without interrupting their usage, as conventional help methods are often incomplete, out-of-date, or require users to leave their application, especially in multi-user environments like gaming.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for providing real-time assistance in cloud-based applications, where a user can request assistance, and a second user can reroute and modify the rendered video stream to provide help, allowing the assistance to be received without interrupting the original user's experience, using a cloud application server with assistance request and modification receivers, and a stream transmitter to send modified video streams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional help methods are used, then assistance information is provided, but the information is incomplete, out-of-date, or requires users to leave their application
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud-based intermediary system that mediates between the user and the application. The system captures the user's screen, audio, and input data, processes this information through cloud servers, and returns enhanced assistance feedback. This intermediary layer enables real-time, context-aware help without requiring the user to leave the application, resolving the contradiction between reliable assistance information and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where user interactions (screen captures, audio inputs, keyboard/mouse data) are processed and returned as enhanced assistance feedback in real-time. This feedback mechanism ensures assistance information is always current and context-relevant, eliminating the out-of-date information problem while maintaining seamless user experience.
2Reliability
If users request assistance in conventional applications, then help is provided, but the user must pause or terminate their application usage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous useful action by running the assistance system in the background of the application. The cloud-based system continuously captures user interactions and processes assistance requests without interrupting the application workflow. Users receive help while continuing to use the application, maintaining both assistance availability and usage continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system moves assistance processing to another dimension (cloud-based remote processing) rather than handling it within the application's execution context. By offloading assistance processing to cloud servers, the system can analyze user interactions and provide help in a separate processing dimension that doesn't interfere with the application's continuous operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If cloud architectures centralize graphics processing, then resource allocation is optimized, but real-time assistance requires additional processing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud-based assistance system leverages the existing universal cloud infrastructure already used for graphics processing resource allocation. The same cloud servers that handle graphics rendering also process assistance requests, capturing screen data, analyzing user interactions, and generating help feedback. This multi-functionality approach avoids adding separate processing complexity while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the assistance processing function with the existing cloud graphics processing infrastructure. By combining assistance request handling with the cloud server's existing resource allocation and graphics processing capabilities, the system avoids duplicating processing complexity. The cloud infrastructure serves dual purposes: graphics rendering and real-time assistance processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for providing real-time assistance regarding a cloud-based application and an application server incorporating the system or the method. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) an assistance request receiver operable to receive from a user requesting assistance an assistance request regarding the cloud-based application, (2) a rendered video stream diverter associated with the assistance request receiver and operable to reroute an original rendered video stream associated with the user requesting assistance to a user providing assistance and (3) a modification receiver associated with the assistance request receiver and operable to receive from the user providing assistance at least one modification regarding the original rendered video stream, a stream transmitter associated with the modification receiver operable to transmit a modified rendered video stream toward the user requesting assistance that has been modified based on the at least one modification.