Replicated Virtual Worlds With Timestamped Island Synchronization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing operating systems and shared virtual environment technologies face challenges with high bandwidth requirements, scalability limitations, server-side latency, and single points of failure, leading to unusable remote rendering for mobile and wearable AR applications.
Innovation Solution
A decentralized architecture with 'islands' replicated across local machines, utilizing a reflector for timestamped message synchronization and batch processing to ensure low latency and minimal bandwidth, with the ability to dynamically relocate the reflector for security and latency optimization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized server computes and renders the shared environment, then all users experience the same virtual world, but bandwidth requirements become prohibitively large and latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized rendering task into distributed island computations across multiple local machines. Each machine independently computes its local island state based on received messages, eliminating the need to transmit complete environment renderings to all users. This segmentation reduces bandwidth consumption while maintaining environment fidelity through synchronized island states.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a reflector as an intermediary component that manages message distribution and timestamping between local machines. The reflector receives messages from controllers, assigns timestamps for synchronization, and distributes them to appropriate islands. This intermediary enables efficient peer-to-peer communication without requiring high-bandwidth centralized rendering, thereby reducing overall bandwidth requirements while maintaining synchronization.
2Reliability
If a centralized server computes the shared environment, then consistency is maintained across all users, but server costs and complexity increase exponentially with additional users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the computational burden from a centralized server to distributed local machines. Each local machine independently computes its local island state by processing received messages through its controller and island components. This distribution eliminates the exponential scaling of server requirements while maintaining environment consistency through synchronized message processing and timestamp-based ordering across all machines.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables each local machine to serve itself by independently computing and rendering its local island state. Local machines process messages autonomously through their controllers, update their island states, and generate renderings without requiring continuous server intervention. This self-service approach dramatically reduces server computing requirements while maintaining environmental consistency through the shared message queue and timestamp synchronization mechanism.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional operating systems are used, then compatibility with existing hardware is maintained, but portability and shareability across user groups are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a portable virtual environment by copying the essential computational components (controller, island, message queue, reflector) to run locally on each user's device. This copying approach allows the shared environment to be executed across different operating systems and hardware platforms without requiring a centralized server, thereby improving portability and shareability while managing device complexity through modular, replicated components.
4Manufacturing precision
If complete environment renderings are transmitted to each user, then visual fidelity is maintained, but bandwidth requirements become unsustainable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential computational elements (island state, messages, timestamps) from complete environment renderings. Instead of transmitting full visual renderings to each user, the system transmits compact message data that enables local machines to independently reconstruct their local island states. This extraction maintains visual fidelity through accurate state replication while reducing bandwidth consumption by transmitting minimal data rather than complete graphical representations.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for a shared virtual environment are provided. The systems and methods include a unique architecture where domains known as “islands” are replicated across various local machines. These islands include objects that publish events. These events include messages that are provided from the island's controller, to a reflector for the addition of a timestamp. The timestamp ensures computational synchronization between all mirrored islands. The timestamped messages are provided from the reflector back to the controllers of the various islands. The controllers incorporate these messages into the existing message queue based upon the message timing. The local machines then execute the messages in time order, until the external message indicates. These timestamp “heartbeats” thus dictate the execution activity across all islands and ensure synchronization of all islands.