Synchronized Video and Telemetry for Game Debugging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Debugging game applications is challenging due to the difficulty in replicating and identifying bugs using solely numerical telemetry data, which lacks visual and auditory context.
Innovation Solution
A system that associates telemetry data with video data using session identifiers and timestamps, allowing for the identification of events such as bugs or crashes, and provides synchronized video and telemetry data playback for analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If only numerical telemetry data is used for debugging, then data collection is simple, but bug identification and replication become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines numerical telemetry data with video and audio data into a unified dataset associated with a single gameplay session. This merging allows developers to correlate quantitative metrics (frame rates, processor usage, memory usage) with their visual and auditory contexts, making bug identification significantly easier while maintaining simple data collection through existing game telemetry systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces session identifiers as an intermediary that links telemetry data, video data, and audio data together. This mediator enables the correlation of multiple data types without requiring complex real-time synchronization, allowing developers to easily retrieve and analyze all data associated with a specific gameplay session where a bug occurred.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If detailed telemetry data is collected to improve bug detection, then bug identification becomes easier, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary association of video data, audio data, and telemetry data during the gameplay session itself, linking all data to session identifiers before the debugging analysis begins. This preliminary action ensures that when a bug is detected, all relevant data is already organized and correlated, eliminating the need for complex real-time processing during bug analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a comprehensive copy of the gameplay session including video frames, audio samples, and telemetry metrics all associated with the same session identifier. This copying approach allows developers to analyze a complete replica of the bug-inducing scenario without requiring the original game environment, simplifying the debugging process while maintaining detailed data collection.
3Reliability
If video data is recorded alongside telemetry data to provide context, then bug analysis effectiveness improves, but storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial recording by selecting specific telemetry metrics that are most relevant to bug detection (frame rates, processor usage, memory usage, audio levels) rather than recording all possible game data. This selective approach provides sufficient context for bug analysis while limiting storage requirements to only the most critical data points.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent organizes data in a nested structure where video data, audio data, and telemetry data are all contained within and associated with a parent gameplay session identifier. This nesting allows efficient storage and retrieval by organizing data hierarchically, where the session identifier serves as the parent container for all related data types, reducing redundant storage overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for analyzing a game application are disclosed. While the game application is executed in a gameplay session, embodiment of the systems and methods can acquire data associated with the game application. The data acquired during the gameplay session may be associated with a session identifier. Different types of data (such as telemetry data and video data) can be linked together using the timestamps of the gameplay session. A user can choose a timestamp of the gameplay session to view the data associated with that timestamp. In certain embodiments, the systems and methods can associate an event with one or more timestamps. When a user chooses the event, the systems and methods can automatically display event data starting from the beginning of the event.