Latency Equalization for Synchronized Gaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Games of skill played in conjunction with live television programming face latency issues due to systemic propagation delays, arbitrarily imposed delays, and variances in broadcast times, leading to uneven competition among participants receiving television signals through different delivery paths or watching live versus taped events.
Innovation Solution
A system and method to equalize latency by determining and adjusting the television signal reception delays for cohorts of viewers, using various methodologies such as GPS, audio/video recognition, and automated systems to synchronize 'lock out' signals and game data, ensuring all participants receive the same information at the same time, thereby preventing competitive advantages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If participants receive television signals through different delivery paths (satellite, cable, over-the-air), then more participants can access the game, but latency differences create uneven competition
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different latency compensation strategies to different participant groups based on their signal delivery path. Participants are divided into cohorts (e.g., satellite, cable, over-the-air) and each cohort receives customized delay adjustments to equalize their effective viewing time, ensuring fair competition while maintaining broad accessibility
2Productivity
If live television programming is broadcast with standard timing, then the programming can be viewed simultaneously across time zones, but participants experience different delays that affect game fairness
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement of latency parameters for each participant or cohort before the game begins. These measured delays are then used to calculate compensation factors that are applied to the lockout signal timing, ensuring that all participants have equal effective response time despite different propagation delays
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the lockout signal timing parameter based on measured latency parameters for each cohort. By changing the timing parameter of the lockout signal to compensate for propagation delays, the system maintains fair competition while allowing simultaneous programming viewing across different time zones and delivery methods
3Reliability
If the system measures and compensates for latency for each participant, then competition fairness is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of measuring and compensating for each individual participant separately, the system segments participants into cohorts based on their signal delivery path and characteristics. Latency measurement and compensation are performed at the cohort level, which significantly reduces system complexity while maintaining fairness across all participants within each cohort
Data Source
AI summary
To encourage viewer participation, games, contests and social interactions are able to be synchronized with programming such as television shows or commercials utilizing a second screen such as a cell phone, iPad® or laptop computer. The programming is able to be television programming, Internet programming (e.g. a video displayed on a webpage or mobile device) or any other programming. The gaming is able to be any game such as a game of skill or chance, for example, a scavenger hunt or a treasure hunt.