Autoscaling Multiplayer Communication Across XR Server Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for massively multiplayer online (MMO) environments in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) face challenges in managing seamless communication and synchronization across geographically distributed users, particularly in digital twin applications, where users can travel vast virtual distances and need to communicate with others regardless of geographic location, while maintaining low latency and avoiding reloads when moving between regions.
Innovation Solution
An MMO system utilizing autoscaling servers with geographic proximity, a global backplane for message forwarding, and a communication manager that sends absolute values rather than deltas, ensuring seamless communication across servers with minimal latency and self-healing capabilities, allowing users to interact intuitively and maintain a synchronized virtual world.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional geographically constrained servers are used for MMO games, then users can communicate within the same lobby, but users experience lag and rendering issues when the lobby fills to capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments users into different lobbies based on geographic location and game region. Each lobby operates on dedicated server instances, allowing parallel processing of multiple user groups. This segmentation prevents single-server overload and maintains communication reliability across multiple concurrent lobbies.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a geographic dimension to server selection by using GPS coordinates and IP-based location detection. Users are automatically routed to server instances in their geographic region, reducing latency and improving communication reliability without limiting global accessibility.
2Productivity
If sharding based on geographical location is implemented, then servers can handle more load, but users experience significant latency issues when joining lobbies not close to home
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automatic server selection that uses the user's current GPS location and IP address to self-determine the optimal server instance. This eliminates manual lobby selection and ensures users are always connected to the geographically nearest server, minimizing latency without requiring user intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual lobby selection mechanics with automated geographic routing. Instead of users manually choosing lobbies, the system uses algorithmic server selection based on real-time location data, substituting mechanical user action with automated computational routing to reduce latency.
3Loss of time
If sharding based on virtual world location is implemented, then users can stay connected to a server close to home, but users experience reload processes when moving between game regions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary server selection based on the user's current geographic location before movement occurs. As users move within the virtual world, the system continuously monitors location changes and pre-establishes connections to appropriate server instances, enabling seamless region transitions without reload processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic server assignment that adapts to user movement in real-time. Instead of static regional assignments, the system continuously evaluates user location and dynamically routes users to the most appropriate server instance, maintaining connection stability during movement between game regions.
4Loss of energy
If message systems communicate deltas or changes, then bandwidth is reduced, but the system lacks flexibility for diverse message types and absolute value communication
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a hybrid messaging approach that changes parameters based on message type. For frequent position updates, it uses delta compression to reduce bandwidth. For critical game state changes and diverse message types, it transmits absolute values. This parameter-based adaptation optimizes bandwidth consumption while maintaining system flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The messaging system dynamically selects between delta and absolute value communication based on the specific message type, priority, and current system state. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize bandwidth for routine updates while maintaining flexibility and accuracy for diverse message types through absolute value transmission when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, and extended reality systems, and more specifically, to systems and methods for managing multiplayer communications seamlessly across platforms and distributed geographic locations.