Game Stream Frame Overlays for Discontinuity Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing game streaming systems struggle with network transmission errors causing video stuttering and non-responsiveness due to difficulties in identifying and addressing discontinuities between frames, which conventional ameliorative techniques like frame interpolation and motion smoothing are ineffective in handling.

Innovation Solution

A game streaming system generates an overlay to visually highlight discontinuities between frames by analyzing frame features, using GPUs to identify correspondences and generate visual indicators for positional, textural, and other types of discontinuities, allowing developers to adjust remedial graphical effects effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional ameliorative techniques like frame interpolation and motion smoothing are used, then video stuttering is reduced, but the effectiveness is limited due to inability to identify discontinuous features

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevideo stream continuityVSAvoiddiscontinuity detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies color changes by generating a visual overlay that highlights discontinuous features between frames using color-coded indicators. Different colors represent different types of discontinuities (e.g., positional, textural), enabling developers to quickly identify and analyze specific feature discontinuities that conventional techniques cannot detect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary tool (the visual overlay system) that mediates between the raw video frames and the developer's analysis capability. This overlay acts as a mediator that translates invisible or difficult-to-detect feature discontinuities into visible, easily identifiable visual indicators, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of ameliorative techniques.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If frame analysis is performed to identify discontinuous features, then motion smoothing effectiveness is improved, but computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveframe discontinuity identification accuracyVSAvoidfeature analysis system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the complex task of frame analysis into distinct components: detecting positional discontinuities, detecting textural discontinuities, and generating corresponding visual indicators for each type. This segmentation allows the system to handle different types of discontinuities separately and efficiently, reducing overall computational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements partial action by focusing analysis only on specific features that are likely to exhibit discontinuities (such as object boundaries, texture transitions) rather than analyzing every pixel in the frame. This selective approach maintains high detection accuracy while significantly reducing computational requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Productivity

If visual overlay is generated to highlight discontinuities, then developer debugging efficiency is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediscontinuity identification speedVSAvoidoverlay generation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing feature detection and discontinuity identification in advance during the frame processing stage, before the visual overlay is generated. This preliminary analysis prepares the data structures and identifies all discontinuous features upfront, so that the actual overlay generation process is rapid and does not add significant latency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by generating visual indicators only at specific locations where discontinuities are detected, rather than processing or displaying information for the entire frame. This localized approach concentrates computational resources on problematic areas, improving debugging efficiency while minimizing overall processing time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3941602B1Frame overlay for disparities between frames of a game stream
Publication Date: 2025.10.22 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3941602B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3941602B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3941602B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6

AI summary

A client device [104] of a game streaming system [100] generates an overlay [125] that identifies discontinuities and other changes in features between streamed frames [115]. The client device receives a stream of frames, representing game content for display, from a server via a network. The client device analyzes the received frames to identify discontinuities and other changes in features of the plurality of frames [120, 122], such as a particular feature changing one or more of position, size, texture, or other visual characteristic between successively received frames. The client device generates the overlay to indicate the identified features and displays the overlay with at least one of the received frames.