Streaming Video Compression for Interactive Gaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current media devices and video game systems face challenges such as complexity, obsolescence, and high power consumption, leading to inefficient use and increased costs due to the need for multiple devices and frequent upgrades, as well as issues with compatibility and piracy, which hinder the consumer's ability to fully utilize media content and play advanced video games.
Innovation Solution
A hosting service architecture where video games and applications are hosted on servers, allowing clients to access them via the internet with low-latency video compression, reducing the need for local processing power and storage, and mitigating piracy by eliminating local software copies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If video games and applications are hosted locally on media devices, then processing power and storage capacity are required, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gaming application hosting function from local media devices and relocates it to remote servers. The media player device only retains video decoding and playback capabilities, while the complex application execution environment is removed to external servers, thereby reducing local device complexity while maintaining gaming functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal media player device that can access and play various media formats and applications through internet connectivity. The device uses standardized video decoding capabilities combined with remote application hosting to provide multi-functional access to different media types without requiring dedicated hardware for each format.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple media devices are used to access different media content, then media variety increases, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal media player that can access multiple media formats and applications through a single device. By combining local video decoding capabilities with remote application hosting on servers, the device achieves multi-functional media access without requiring separate dedicated devices for each media type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary server system that mediates between the simple media player device and the diverse media content. The server acts as a bridge, handling application execution and content delivery, while the client device focuses only on video playback, thereby simplifying the client device while maintaining access to diverse media.
3Quantity of substance
If video is compressed for streaming, then bandwidth usage decreases, but compression complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the video compression function from the client media player and relocates it to remote servers. The server performs the computationally intensive compression of video content before delivery, while the client device only performs simple decompression and playback, thereby reducing client device complexity while enabling efficient bandwidth usage through compressed streaming.
4Speed
If software is distributed locally, then access speed is fast, but piracy risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the application software from local distribution and relocates it to remote server hosting. The application code remains on servers and is executed remotely, with only video output transmitted to the client device. This eliminates the risk of local software copying and piracy while maintaining fast access through direct server-to-device streaming.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method is provided. The method includes executing a video game on a server unit and said server unit producing uncompressed interactive video. The method includes processing the uncompressed interactive video at a compression unit associated with the server unit. The compression unit outputting compressed interactive video, and the server unit and the compression unit being located at a data center. The method includes streaming the compressed interactive video over a packetized network from the data center to one or more client devices associated with one or more users. Each client device is located geographically remote to the data center, and the server is configured to receive input to drive gameplay of the video game by said one or more client devices. The compressed interactive video is configured for decompression and presentation at said one or more client devices. The method includes receiving, by the server, updates from said one or more clients devices regarding a quality of said uncompressed interactive video that is received from said streaming. The method includes adjusting automatically, by the compression unit, a rate of compression provided to one or more of said client devices based on said updates received regarding the quality of said uncompressed interactive video for the video game.