Game Image Streaming via Intermediary Server
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current game network services lack efficient mechanisms for sharing game images in real-time between users, limiting the spread of gaming experiences and user communication.
Innovation Solution
A system that enables the delivery and viewing of a game image by a user through a network, utilizing a management server, sharing server, and peer-to-peer connections, allowing users to request and share game images via video streaming or direct P2P connections, with features like 'Share Play' and 'Hand over my controller' modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If game image streaming is implemented to share gaming experiences, then user communication and information sharing are improved, but system complexity and network resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary component that mediates between the game execution device and viewing devices. The server receives game image data from the executing device, manages streaming connections, and distributes images to multiple viewers. This intermediary approach enables efficient game experience sharing while centralizing the complexity of stream management, authentication, and connection handling on the server side rather than requiring complex client-side implementation on each device.
2Speed
If real-time game image delivery is implemented, then user interaction speed is improved, but network bandwidth consumption and system resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the game image streaming system into distinct functional components: game execution module, image capture module, server processing module, and client display module. This segmentation allows each component to operate independently and efficiently, with the server acting as a buffer that receives images from the executing device and redistributes them to viewers. The segmentation enables optimized resource usage where only the necessary portions of network bandwidth are consumed for actual image transmission rather than continuous high-definition streaming to all devices simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates image copies at the server level rather than maintaining multiple direct connections from the game device to each viewer. The server receives the game image data once from the executing device, stores it temporarily, and then distributes copies to multiple viewing devices. This copying mechanism significantly reduces network resource consumption compared to establishing separate real-time connections to each viewer, while still maintaining real-time viewing capability.
3Productivity
If multiple users can view the same game simultaneously, then information sharing efficiency is improved, but device complexity and connection management become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as a central intermediary that manages all connections between the game executing device and multiple viewing devices. Instead of requiring the executing device to maintain separate connections to each viewer, the server handles authentication, connection establishment, and data distribution to all viewers simultaneously. This intermediary approach enables efficient information sharing with multiple users while centralizing the complexity of connection management on the server side.
Solution Approach 2:
The server is designed with multi-functionality to handle various tasks: receiving game image data, managing user authentication, controlling streaming connections, distributing images to multiple viewers, and managing different viewing modes (such as allowing icon functionality). This universal server design enables efficient simultaneous viewing by multiple users without requiring separate systems for each function, thereby improving information sharing efficiency while managing complexity centrally.
Data Source
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AI summary
An information processing apparatus 10 includes an execution section 104 that executes a game program in response to operation information of a first user, an acceptance section 102 that accepts a viewing request from other user, and a delivery processing section 112 that sends game image data. An information processing apparatus 14 includes a display processing section 210 for displaying information about a game being played by the first user and a request transmission section 220 for sending a viewing request to the information processing apparatus 10. The display processing section 210 displays an operation area for sending a viewing request to the information processing apparatus 10 when the information processing apparatus 10 is not sending game image data.