Multi-party Collaboration Cursor Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multiple-party communication systems experience delays in transmitting comments and information, leading to a reduced user experience due to the lack of real-time presence among participants.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for moving game piece images in a computer network that involves displaying game piece images on a client computer, receiving cursor movement signals, determining if the cursor is within the image boundary, and transmitting piece movement requests to a server to update the image position, ensuring synchronized changes across all connected clients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If comments and information are transmitted between parties in multiple-party communications, then information sharing is enabled, but transmission delays occur reducing real-time presence
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by sending cursor movement signals and piece movement requests immediately when user input is detected, before the actual piece movement is completed. This preliminary transmission of intent signals reduces the perceived delay by keeping all participants informed of ongoing actions in real-time, rather than waiting for the complete action to finish before transmitting any information.
2Speed
If cursor movement signals are transmitted immediately upon user input, then real-time responsiveness is improved, but network traffic increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic action by transmitting cursor position updates at regular intervals or triggered by specific events (such as when the cursor enters or exits a piece boundary), rather than continuously transmitting every micro-movement. This periodic transmission maintains real-time responsiveness while significantly reducing the overall volume of network traffic compared to continuous transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality by transmitting detailed cursor position information only when it becomes relevant to the game state (such as when the cursor approaches or interacts with a game piece), rather than uniformly transmitting all cursor movements. This selective transmission optimizes the balance between responsiveness and traffic volume by focusing communication on locally significant events.
3Reliability
If piece movement requests are transmitted to the server for each cursor movement, then centralized control is maintained, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the piece movement control process into distinct phases: cursor tracking phase (client-side), boundary detection phase (triggering events), and execution phase (server validation). By segmenting the control flow into these discrete stages with specific trigger points, the system maintains centralized control through the server while reducing overall complexity compared to continuous server validation of every cursor position change.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for supporting multi-party collaboration over a computer network involves receiving messages at a server from a plurality of client computers in communication via the network and having common content displayed on an associated display area. The messages include cursor movement information and client content input by a user of at least one of the client computers and the method involves producing output messages corresponding to the cursor movement information and client content, causing the server to transmit the output messages that include client content to each of the plurality of client computers, including the client computer that generated the client content. The method further involves causing the server to transmit output messages that include cursor movement information to at least client computers other than the client computer that generated the cursor movement to facilitate display of a pointer on the respective client computers.