Edge Node AR Game State Sharding for Low Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectionless communication protocols, such as UDP, suffer from high latency, which hinders the real-time interaction and shared gaming experiences in parallel-reality gaming systems, causing players to interact with outdated game states.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a tiered network architecture that performs game state processing at edge nodes, such as cell towers, and utilizing peer-to-peer protocols to reduce latency by enabling direct communication between clients connected to the same edge node, thereby reducing latency to around 10 milliseconds or less.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If connectionless communication protocols like UDP are used, then overhead is reduced, but latency remains too high (100ms or more) for 60 FPS gaming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication architecture into multiple tiers: edge nodes (cell towers) handle local peer-to-peer communication for low-latency interactions, while core network servers handle global game state coordination. This segmentation allows critical time-sensitive communications to occur at the edge with minimal latency, while maintaining the efficiency of connectionless protocols for non-critical data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces edge nodes as intermediaries between clients and the core network. These edge nodes facilitate direct peer-to-peer communication between clients in the same geographic region, acting as local mediators that reduce the need for data to traverse the entire network path through central servers, thereby reducing latency while maintaining protocol efficiency.
2Stability of the object's composition
If central server-based architecture is used, then game state consistency is maintained, but latency increases to 100ms or more
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized server architecture into distributed edge nodes that each maintain local game state copies. This segmentation allows clients to interact with locally-synchronized state at edge nodes with minimal latency, while periodic synchronization with the core server maintains global consistency. The segmentation resolves the contradiction by placing time-critical operations at the edge and consistency-critical operations at the core.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a spatial dimension to the network architecture by deploying edge nodes at geographic locations (cell towers) close to clients. This dimensional change allows the system to provide both low-latency local interaction (through proximity) and global consistency (through hierarchical synchronization), transforming the flat centralized architecture into a multi-dimensional hierarchical structure.
3Loss of time
If peer-to-peer communication at edge nodes is implemented, then latency is reduced to 10ms or less, but network complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes edge nodes universal by enabling them to perform multiple functions: they serve as local game state servers, peer-to-peer communication relays, and synchronization points with the core network. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, managing the complexity increase by consolidating roles into versatile edge infrastructure that leverages existing cellular network capabilities.
4Ease of manufacture
If existing UDP protocols are used, then implementation is simple, but latency prevents real-time interaction in 60 FPS games
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the protocol stack into different layers with different requirements: simple connectionless UDP protocols continue to be used for non-time-critical data exchange, while time-critical peer-to-peer communications at edge nodes use optimized protocols with guaranteed delivery and ordering. This segmentation maintains implementation simplicity for the bulk of communications while providing low-latency paths for critical interactions.
Data Source
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AI summary
Processing of actions within a shared augmented reality experience is split between an edge node of a communications network (e.g., a cell tower) and a server. As a result, computation of the current state may be sharded naturally based on real-world location, with state updates generally provided by the edge node and the server providing conflict resolution based on a master state (e.g., where actions connected to different edge nodes potentially interfere with each other). In this way, latency may be reduced as game actions are communicated between clients connected to the same edge node using a peer-to-peer (P2P) protocol without routing the actions via the game server.