Output Data Server Adaptive Processing for Network Responsiveness

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Solution Overview

Problem

In information processing systems where a server provides services through a network, it is challenging to maintain both responsiveness and data quality, particularly in applications like gaming, due to variable communication bandwidth, which often requires sacrificing data quality to ensure responsiveness.

Innovation Solution

An output data providing server system that connects with client terminals through a network, receives user operation information, processes it in real-time to generate primary output data, and subsequently regenerates and stores secondary data for later transmission, allowing for adaptive adjustment of processing content and quality based on communication situations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If data size is reduced to maintain responsiveness over network, then responsiveness is improved, but output data quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveresponsivenessVSAvoidoutput data quality
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the information processing into two distinct phases: real-time processing that prioritizes responsiveness with reduced data quality, and post-processing that generates high-quality output data. This segmentation allows each phase to optimize for its specific goal without compromising the other.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary real-time processing immediately upon receiving user input, generating responsive but lower-quality output. The high-quality processing is then performed subsequently using the real-time output as a basis, ensuring both responsiveness and quality are achieved at different stages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If communication bandwidth is variable, then network adaptability is improved, but maintaining consistent responsiveness becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork adaptabilityVSAvoidresponsiveness consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic processing where the system adapts its processing strategy based on communication conditions. When network conditions are poor, it relies more on pre-generated high-quality data; when conditions are good, it can transmit more real-time processed data, thus maintaining responsiveness consistency despite variable bandwidth.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The server acts as an intermediary that buffers and manages data flow between the user terminal and the communication network. It stores both real-time and high-quality processed data, selectively transmitting appropriate data based on network conditions, thereby shielding the user experience from network variability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Speed

If real-time processing is prioritized for responsiveness, then responsiveness is improved, but data quality and completeness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveresponsivenessVSAvoiddata quality
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system maintains continuous processing operations: real-time processing occurs continuously to ensure immediate responsiveness, while high-quality processing continues in the background using the real-time results as input. This continuous dual processing ensures both responsiveness and data quality are maintained without interruption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a copy of the real-time processed data and uses it as input for subsequent high-quality processing. This copying mechanism allows the system to preserve the responsive nature of real-time processing while enabling enhanced quality processing without requiring the original high-quality data to be available in real-time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3498350B1Output data providing server and output data providing method
Publication Date: 2021.03.03 SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
  • EP3498350B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3498350B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3498350B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An input information reception unit 32 of a server 30b receives input information relating to a user operation from a client terminal 10 and records the input information into an input information storage unit 42 together with time. An information processing unit 36 carries out an information process immediately on the basis of the input information, and an encoding unit 38 encodes generated primary output data and a data transmission unit 40 transmits the encoded data to the client terminal 10. An adjustment part 52 adjusts processing contents and an encode parameter at any time in response to a communication situation monitored by a communication situation monitoring unit 50 and records an adjustment history into an adjustment history storage unit 54 together with the time. Within a time period within which there is a room in resources, an information process and encoding are carried out again with high quality using the recorded input information and adjustment history in accordance with an instruction from a secondary data generation instruction unit 34, and the generated secondary data is stored into an output data storage unit 46.