Wireless Input Timing Sync for Fair Multi-Device Gaming

Solution Overview

Problem

Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy technologies face challenges with power consumption, limited range, data capacity throughput, and susceptibility to interference, which affect gaming applications and fairness in multi-user gaming scenarios.

Innovation Solution

A wireless communication system that includes a wireless access point and user input devices, which transmit and receive user input data with associated timing information relative to a reference time, enabling fair assignment of user input orders in gaming.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If Bluetooth Low Energy is used to reduce power consumption, then power efficiency is improved, but data transfer frequency and response time deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoiddata transfer frequency

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses periodic beacon signals transmitted by the wireless access point to establish time synchronization intervals. User input devices wake up at scheduled intervals to transmit input data with timing stamps, enabling BLE to maintain low power consumption while achieving timely data transfer for gaming inputs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The wireless access point pre-establishes a reference time value through beacon signals before user inputs occur. This preliminary time synchronization allows input devices to timestamp their inputs accurately without continuous communication, reducing power consumption while maintaining data transfer readiness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If wireless communication is used for user input devices, then ease of operation is improved, but input timing precision deteriorates due to transmission delays

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewireless connectivityVSAvoidinput timing precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements timing feedback by stamping user inputs with precise time values relative to a reference time. The gaming console receives both the input data and its corresponding timing stamp, enabling accurate determination of input order despite wireless transmission delays. This feedback mechanism ensures fairness in simultaneous input scenarios.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The wireless access point pre-establishes a reference time value through beacon signals before user inputs occur. This preliminary time synchronization allows input devices to timestamp their inputs accurately without continuous communication, reducing power consumption while maintaining data transfer readiness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple user input devices connect simultaneously, then gaming versatility is improved, but determining input order becomes difficult due to timing conflicts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemulti-device supportVSAvoidinput order determination

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The wireless access point acts as an intermediary that receives timing-synchronized input data from multiple user input devices. By using the pre-established reference time value, the access point enables the gaming console to accurately determine input order across multiple devices without direct device-to-device timing coordination, supporting versatile multi-player gaming.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements timing feedback by stamping user inputs with precise time values relative to a reference time. The gaming console receives both the input data and its corresponding timing stamp, enabling accurate determination of input order despite wireless transmission delays. This feedback mechanism ensures fairness in simultaneous input scenarios.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS12558616B2Indicating user input timings associating with gaming

Publication Date: 2026.02.24 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a wireless communication device may receive a first beacon signal associated with a wireless access point associated with a gaming console, the first beacon signal indicating a first reference time value. The wireless communication device may obtain, associated with a first input time, a first indication of a first user input to a user input device, wherein the wireless communication device is associated with the user input device. The wireless communication device may transmit a first communication comprising first user input data, associated with the first indication, and a first input timing value indicating the first input time relative to the first reference time value. Numerous other aspects are described.