Single GPU Video Server with Dynamic Encoding Pipelines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for delivering video games over a network face challenges in efficiently rendering and streaming high-quality video to multiple clients with varying hardware capabilities and network conditions, leading to potential lag and inconsistent quality.
Innovation Solution
A video server system that utilizes a single graphics processing unit to render multiple video streams in parallel, with dynamic encoding pipelines and shared memory management, allowing for adaptive encoding and overlay application based on client capabilities and network conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single GPU is used to render multiple video streams in parallel, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision and rendering quality may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the video rendering workload into separate encoding pipelines, each handling specific video streams independently. The single GPU is segmented into multiple rendering contexts that can process different video games and viewpoints simultaneously, maintaining quality while reducing hardware complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The single GPU is designed to perform multiple functions by rendering different video streams for multiple clients simultaneously. The system makes the GPU universal by enabling it to handle various game states, viewpoints, and encoding requirements through software configuration rather than requiring dedicated hardware for each function.
2Adaptability or versatility
If dynamic encoding pipelines are used to adapt to client capabilities, then adaptability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The encoding pipelines are designed to be dynamically configurable, allowing the system to adapt encoding parameters such as resolution, frame rate, and codec selection based on real-time client capabilities and network conditions. This dynamic adjustment enables adaptability without requiring permanent hardware configurations for each scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes encoding parameters dynamically by adjusting pipeline configurations based on client qualifications. When a client's capabilities or network conditions change, the system modifies encoding parameters such as bitrate, resolution, or codec type to optimize performance, achieving adaptability through parameter adjustment rather than structural complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If video streams are tailored to individual client capabilities, then quality improves, but loss of time in processing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary qualification of clients before delivering video streams, assessing their capabilities and network conditions in advance. This preliminary action allows the system to pre-configure appropriate encoding pipelines and parameters, so that when video delivery begins, the processing is already optimized for each client, reducing real-time processing delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates multiple encoding pipeline configurations that can be copied and assigned to different clients based on their qualifications. Instead of creating custom pipelines on-the-fly, the system maintains templates of pre-configured pipelines that can be rapidly instantiated and assigned, reducing the time required to tailor video streams to individual clients while maintaining quality.
Data Source
AI summary
A video server is configured to provide streaming video to players of computer games over a computing network. The video server can provided video of different games to different players simultaneously. This is accomplished by rendering several video streams in parallel using a single GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The output of the GPU is provided to graphics processing pipelines that are each associated with a specific client/player and are dynamically allocated as needed. A client qualifier may be used to assure that only clients capable of presenting the streaming video to a player at a minimum level of quality receive the video stream. Video frames provided by the video server optionally include overlays added to the output of the GPU. These overlays can include voice data received from another game player.