Video Communication Game Initiation via Layered Interface Overlay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current online gaming and social networking systems lack seamless integration for initiating real-time games within video communications, resulting in cumbersome game matching processes and limited interactive experiences.
Innovation Solution
A client system, such as a smartphone or tablet, can initiate a game within a video communication by executing a gaming protocol through API calls to a gaming server, generating a game container within the communication interface, and overlaying video communication layers with augmented reality game elements, allowing for immediate game sessions and enhanced interactive experiences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional online game sessions are hosted by dedicated game servers requiring direct web page access, then game stability and performance are maintained, but user interaction complexity and time to initiate games increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges game initiation functionality with video communication interfaces by integrating a games tab into the video chat UI. This allows users to launch games directly from the video communication interface without leaving the messaging environment, eliminating the need for separate dedicated game server access and reducing the steps required to start playing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a gaming server as an intermediary that receives game initiation requests through the video communication interface. This intermediary handles the complex game matching and session management in the background, allowing the simplified user interface to maintain ease of operation while the system architecture manages the complexity through the intermediary layer.
2Productivity
If game matching processes are performed separately from video communications, then game selection and matching can be optimized, but overall user interaction time and engagement decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring the video communication interface with game launch capabilities and pre-establishing communication channels with the gaming server. When a user initiates a game within a video chat, the system already has the necessary infrastructure in place to immediately begin game matching without requiring separate initialization steps, thereby reducing overall time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the game matching process with the video communication session by integrating the games tab directly into the video chat interface. This merging allows game matching to occur concurrently with or immediately upon video chat initiation, eliminating sequential time losses and improving overall productivity by handling both communication and gaming operations within a single integrated flow.
3Adaptability or versatility
If video communication layers are overlaid with augmented reality game elements, then interactive experience and engagement are enhanced, but interface complexity and rendering requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the interface into distinct layers: the video communication layer, the augmented reality game elements layer, and the user interaction layer. This segmentation allows each layer to be independently managed and optimized. The games tab and AR overlays are added as separate compositional layers that can be independently rendered and updated, reducing the complexity burden on any single layer while enhancing overall interactivity.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a method includes, by a client system of a first user, presenting a communication interface including a plurality of layers, wherein a first layer of the communication interface includes a video communication of the second user, and wherein a second layer of the communication interface includes a thumbnail view of a video communication of the first user, receiving a request from the second user to initiate a first game, receiving a user input indicative an acceptance of the request to initiate the first game, generating a game container containing the first game in a third layer of the communication interface, reducing the first layer to a thumbnail within the communication interface, and overlaying the first layer onto the third layer, wherein the second layer is closed responsive to the overlaying of the first layer onto the third layer.