Shared Game Session for Multiplayer Cloud Gaming

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current cloud gaming systems face limitations in supporting multiple simultaneous multiplayer games due to the need for separate game sessions and lack of efficient coordination between non-collocated players, leading to high resource consumption and restricted geographic locations for players.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a single remote server to manage a shared game session for multiple players, allowing them to see the same video stream and enabling communication through a unified gaming application that analyzes video frames for game events and achievements, while synchronizing tool selection and maintaining infrastructure for player matching and scoring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If separate game sessions are used for each player in cloud gaming, then players can be located at different geographic locations, but server resources and communication bandwidth are consumed at higher rates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegeographic flexibilityVSAvoidserver resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple player sessions into a single shared game session on the server. Instead of allocating separate game instances to each player, the system creates one game session that multiple players can join and interact in real-time, thereby reducing server resource consumption while maintaining geographic flexibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The single game session serves multiple functions simultaneously - it handles game logic execution, player state management, and real-time communication for all participants. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate dedicated sessions for each player, optimizing resource utilization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple servers execute the game for cloud gaming players, then communication between players at different locations is enabled, but the number of simultaneous games is limited due to high resource requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplayer communication capabilityVSAvoidnumber of simultaneous games
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system combines multiple player connections into a single game execution environment. One server instance handles the game logic for multiple players simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate server instances per player and thereby increasing the number of simultaneous games that can be supported

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a communication manager as an intermediary component that handles player interactions, messaging, and coordination within the single game session. This mediator enables seamless communication between players without requiring separate game executions, thus maintaining player communication capability while improving productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If a single console executes the game for co-located players, then the players see the same video and can cooperate, but the players are required to be co-located at the same physical location

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegame coordinationVSAvoidgeographic location flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The server acts as an intermediary that receives input from players at different locations, executes the game logic centrally, and distributes the video output to all players. This intermediary architecture enables co-located game coordination benefits while removing the geographic location constraint

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical requirement of physical co-location with a network-based system. Instead of players needing to be physically present at the same location to share a console, the system uses network communication to transmit video and input data, substituting physical proximity with digital connectivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS10974154B2System and method for multiplayer gaming
Publication Date: 2021.04.13 ELECTRONIC ARTS INC
  • US10974154B2 patent drawing
  • US10974154B2 patent drawing
  • US10974154B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A computer-implemented method, apparatus and computer program product for gaming, the computer-implemented method performed by a computerized device, and comprising: starting a single game session for two or more players using two or more end units, wherein the two players are located at different geographic locations; receiving a game command from one of the end units; providing the game command to the game session; receiving from the game session a video stream comprising one or more video frames; and transmitting the video frames to the end units.