Game Overlay Plugin Framework for Secure Real-Time Event Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plugins in gaming systems have limited access to real-time information, leading to reduced functionalities and potential breaches of video game operations, hindering gameplay performance.
Innovation Solution
A data manager is implemented within a content overlay engine to manage and broker event information across plugins, identifying and sharing relevant events between consumer and producer plugins, reducing duplicative processing and enhancing security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If plugins are integrated into the video game itself to access real-time information, then access to real-time information is improved, but security is worsened due to potential breach of video game operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an event channel as an intermediary component that sits between the video game execution environment and the plugins. This event channel receives event information from the video game and distributes it to subscribed plugins, allowing plugins to access real-time game information without being directly integrated into the game code. This mediator architecture maintains security boundaries while enabling information flow.
2Adaptability or versatility
If plugins are integrated into the video game to access real-time information, then functionality is improved, but gameplay performance is worsened due to hindrance of video game operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into distinct components: the video game execution environment, the event channel, and the plugins. This segmentation allows the video game to run independently without being burdened by plugin operations, while the event channel handles the overhead of information distribution. Plugins can be loaded, unloaded, and managed separately, enhancing versatility without impacting core gameplay performance.
3Reliability
If plugins have limited access to real-time information, then security is improved, but functionality is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The event channel serves multiple functions: it acts as a security barrier, an information distribution hub, and a plugin management interface. By making the event channel universal and multi-functional, the system maintains strong security boundaries while still enabling rich plugin functionality through standardized event subscription and notification mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for interconnecting plugins of a content overlay engine that is executed with a video game. In an example system, a data manager that includes a plugin manager and an event reporting orchestrator is executed concurrently with the video game. The plugin manager identifies a set of plugins that includes at least a consumer plugin and a producer plugin coupled to the data manager. The plugin manager also identifies an event type that is to be reported to the consumer plugin. The event reporting orchestrator receives a notification of a first event from the producer plugin during execution of the video game, and determines if the first event is of the event type to be reported to the consumer plugin. If the first event is of the event type, information associated with the first event is reported to the consumer plugin.