Hybrid Star-Mesh Network Construction for Game Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional peer-to-peer network game systems face challenges such as long waiting times for game start and high failure rates in network construction, especially with a large number of concurrently connected terminals, as they rely on either star or mesh networks which concentrate processing burdens on specific terminals or require all connections to be successful.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid game network construction method that initially establishes a star peer-to-peer network and then gradually constructs a mesh network by sequentially connecting client terminals, allowing game data to be transmitted directly between connected clients and via the host terminal for unconnected clients, reducing waiting times and processing burdens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mesh peer-to-peer network is constructed by requiring all user terminals to connect to each other, then direct data transfer between all clients is achieved, but the waiting time for game start becomes excessively long and the network construction failure rate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network construction process is segmented into two distinct phases: first establishing a star network with a host terminal, then gradually constructing mesh connections between client terminals. This segmentation allows the system to start with a minimal viable network configuration and progressively improve connectivity without requiring all connections to be established simultaneously, thereby reducing waiting time and failure risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The host terminal is established in advance before other client terminals connect. This preliminary action creates a stable core around which other terminals can sequentially join, eliminating the need for all terminals to find and connect to each other simultaneously. The host terminal pre-establishes the network framework, allowing clients to connect one by one without extending the overall waiting time.
2Loss of time
If a star peer-to-peer network is used with a host terminal, then network construction is simplified and game can start quickly, but the host terminal bears excessive processing burden
Solution Approach 1:
The processing burden is segmented between the host terminal and client terminals. The host terminal handles only essential network management functions (accepting connections, maintaining player list), while data transfer operations are distributed to client terminals that establish direct mesh connections. This segmentation reduces the host's burden while maintaining quick game startup.
Solution Approach 2:
The network topology dynamically transitions from a pure star configuration to a hybrid structure with mesh connections between clients. As clients establish direct connections, data transfer paths dynamically shift from host-mediated to direct peer-to-peer routes, reducing the host's processing burden over time while maintaining the simple initial star topology for quick startup.
3Productivity
If all user terminals must successfully connect to each other in a mesh network, then optimal data transfer performance is achieved, but the network construction becomes highly unreliable with large numbers of terminals
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements partial mesh connectivity rather than requiring complete all-to-all connections. Clients establish connections with a subset of other clients (particularly those nearby in connection order), which provides sufficient data transfer efficiency for most game scenarios while dramatically reducing the complexity and failure risk of network construction. This partial action approach achieves adequate productivity without the excessive reliability costs of complete mesh.
Solution Approach 2:
The host terminal acts as an intermediary that facilitates network construction and provides fallback data transfer paths. When direct mesh connections are not established between certain client pairs, the host mediates data transfer, ensuring network reliability without requiring every possible direct connection. This intermediary role maintains productivity through multiple transfer paths while reducing the strictness of connection requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
After a star peer-to-peer network is constructed, a network game is started. While the network game is executed, a mesh peer-to-peer network is gradually constructed by establishing connections between client terminals which have been connected to the star peer-to-peer network. After the network game is started, while the mesh peer-to-peer network is constructed, client terminals which have established connections therebetween transmit and receive game data to and from each other without passing via a host terminal, and client terminals which have not established connections therebetween yet transmit and receive game data to and from each other via the host terminal. Thus, a game network system can be realized, in which a time during which players wait for the network game to start is short and in which processing burdens are not concentrated on a specific user terminal.