Host-Client Gaming System Bandwidth Consolidation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Household multi-user gaming systems require multiple gaming consoles or shared Internet connections, leading to high costs and poor gaming performance due to increased bandwidth demands.
Innovation Solution
A locally controllable interactive game system utilizing a single host and multiple thin clients, where the host consolidates and streams video game content, reducing the need for individual Internet connections and conserving bandwidth by storing content locally when possible.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple gaming consoles are used to support multi-user gaming, then the number of users that can play independently increases, but the cost increases and Internet bandwidth demands increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the gaming functionality into two segments: a host console that maintains full gaming capabilities and connects to the Internet, and multiple thin client devices that provide user interfaces and local control. This segmentation allows multiple users to access gaming services independently without requiring each user to own a full gaming console, thereby reducing costs while maintaining adaptability for multi-user gaming.
Solution Approach 2:
The host console acts as an intermediary between the Internet and multiple thin client devices. It consolidates Internet connections and gaming content delivery, serving as a central mediator that enables multiple users to access online gaming services through a single Internet connection. This intermediary role reduces both the number of Internet connections needed and the overall system cost.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple gaming consoles are used to support multi-user gaming, then the number of users that can play independently increases, but the Internet bandwidth demands increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple Internet connections into a single consolidated connection at the host console. Multiple thin client devices share this single Internet connection for accessing online gaming services, content updates, and multiplayer gameplay. This merging approach significantly reduces Internet bandwidth consumption compared to having each gaming console maintain its own separate Internet connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The host console creates local copies of gaming content and distributes them to thin client devices over the local network. By caching and replicating game data locally rather than streaming everything over the Internet for each user, the system reduces Internet bandwidth demands while still supporting multiple users simultaneously.
3Quantity of substance
If a single gaming console is shared among multiple users, then costs are reduced, but gaming performance deteriorates and user experience worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the gaming system into a powerful host console that handles all complex processing, Internet communication, and game execution, paired with simplified thin client devices that provide user-friendly interfaces and local control capabilities. This segmentation allows each user to have their own dedicated control device while sharing the powerful host console, maintaining high gaming performance while reducing costs compared to multiple full gaming consoles.
Solution Approach 2:
The host console serves as an intermediary that manages all gaming operations, content delivery, and Internet communication for multiple users. It handles the complex tasks of game execution and coordinates content distribution to multiple thin clients, thereby maintaining high gaming performance and seamless user experience while allowing cost-effective sharing among multiple users.
4Reliability
If each gaming console has its own Internet connection, then gaming performance is maintained, but Internet bandwidth consumption increases and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges all Internet connections into a single consolidated connection at the host console. The host maintains this single Internet connection for accessing online services, game updates, and multiplayer gameplay, while multiple thin client devices access these services through the host over the local network. This merging approach maintains reliable gaming performance while significantly reducing Internet bandwidth consumption compared to having each device maintain its own Internet connection.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments facilitate multi-user gaming. In one embodiment, a locally controllable interactive game system is provided to support a plurality of users within a single household. The locally controllable interactive game system includes a host and a plurality of thin clients. The host and the plurality of thin clients allow respective users to play video games independently or together for multi-player video games. The host is coupled to a plurality of video game content providers by a world wide web. In one embodiment, the host consolidates video game content from the plurality of video game content providers. The plurality of thin clients is coupled to the host by a local area network. In one embodiment, each thin client obtains user video game content from the host and utilizes the user video game content to provide a video game to a respective user.