Initiating and scaling massive concurrent data transaction

• US 6,050,898 A
• Filed: 05/14/1997
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Circadence Corporation
• Original Assignee: VR-1, Inc. (Circadence Corporation)
• Inventors: Kouts, Michael, Shields, Daniel, Lagutin, Vladimir, Effimov, Alexander, McKeller, David, Plumb, Marc, Vange, Mark, Wilson, Glen
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Neill, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOTALING, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US08/856,442
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 463/40, 463/41, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/22 Traffic shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An interactive multi-player computer hosted game employs an unstructured telecommunications link, such as the Internet, between a game server and a plurality of game clients. A game server, associated with a game driver, performs a performance monitoring function to determine an optimal bandwidth for each connection to a game client. Each information packet generated by the game driver is prioritized and queued for transmission in order of relevance for the game client. The game server then optimizes the transmission of information packets through the telecommunication network to the game client. Processed user input is received through the telecommunication network from the game client and transmitted to the game driver.

Claims

1. A server for a multilateral interactive application system, said server comprising:

an application driver for executing a multilateral interactive application and generating application information for using said application by at least one application client through a telecommunication network,

prioritizing means for prioritizing said application information based on a relevancy vector which is a logical construct which provides an indication of the importance of said application information with respect to said at least one application client,

aperture control means for optimizing said application information for transmission to said at least one application client, and

communications means for transmitting said optimized application information based on said relevancy vector through said telecommunication network to said at least one application client and for receiving processed user input through said telecommunication network from said at least one application client and transmitting said processed user input to said application driver, whereby use of the multilateral application by the client is enhanced, within practical limitations, both by taking into account relevance and by preprocessing transmitted information.

2. A server as claimed in claim 1 further comprising monitoring means for determining an optimal bandwidth of a connection through said telecommunications network to said at least one application client;

wherein said aperture control means comprises limit means for limiting a bandwidth for transmission of said application information to said optimal bandwidth.

3. A server as claimed in claim 2 wherein said monitoring means is configured to:

flood said connection with information to determine a latency characteristic of said connection;

develop a set of metrics for said connection responsive to said latency characteristic; and

assess said set of metrics and responsively determine said optimal bandwidth.

4. A server as claimed in claim 1 wherein said application information is generated in information packets, and said prioritizing means assesses each information packet, produces an array of values indicative of a relevance relative to other information packets for said at least one application client and assess the array for queuing each information packet in order of highest relevance first.

5. A server as claimed in claim 4 wherein said server has means for receiving a time signal from said at least one application client when said at least one application client connects with said server through said network and determining a difference between a server time and time of said at least one application client, and

synchronization means for applying said difference to each information packet.

6. A server as claimed in claim 5 wherein said prioritizing means has means for setting an age limit for each information packet to remain in said queue, and means for discarding each information packet from the queue if said age limit is exceeded.

7. A server as claimed in claim 6 wherein said server has a plurality of application drivers.

8. A server as claimed in claim 6 wherein said application driver generates application information for using said multilateral interactive application by at least two application clients through a telecommunication network, and said prioritizing means prioritizes said application information and responsively queues said application information for each of said at least two clients, and said aperture control means optimizes said application information for transmission for each of said at least two application clients.

17. A server as claimed in claim 1 wherein a data packet length of said application information transmitted to said at least one application client is selected to maximize data transmission within a defined transmission latency limit.

18. A server as claimed in claim 1 wherein said prioritizing means is configured to responsively queue said application information for transmission to said at least one application client based on priority.

19. A server as claimed in claim 1 wherein said telecommunications network is the Internet.

20. A server as claimed in claim 1 wherein the multilateral interactive application is a multi-player game program running on the server configured to permit a plurality of remotely located application clients to interact in real-time with each other in an environment provided by the multi-player game program.

9. A method of operating a multilateral interactive application system having an application server communicating with a plurality of application clients connected through a telecommunications network comprising the steps of, for each application client;

prioritizing portions of application information generated by an application driver executing a multilateral interactive application, wherein said portions of said application information are prioritized based on a relevancy vector which is a logical construct which provides an indication of the importance of said portions of application information where each respective one of said portions of application information with respect to said at least one application client,

selectively transmitting said portions of application information through said telecommunication network to the application client based on priority corresponding to each respective one of said portions of application information,

receiving processed user input through said telecommunication network from the application client and transmitting said processed user input to said application driver, and

repeating the steps for using the multilateral interactive application.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising the step of optimizing transmission of said application information to the application client, said optimizing step comprising:

determining an optimal bandwidth of a connection through said telecommunications network to said application client; and

limiting a bandwidth for transmission of said application information to said optimal bandwidth.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein said step of determining an optimal bandwidth comprises the steps of:

flooding said connection with information at an initial bandwidth to determine a latency characteristic of said connection;

developing a set of metrics for said connection responsive to said latency characteristic; and

assessing said set of metrics and responsively determining a maximum bandwidth at a preselected maximum latency, and if the initial bandwidth is less than the maximum bandwidth, increasing the initial bandwidth to said maximum bandwidth, and if said initial bandwidth is greater than said maximum bandwidth incrementally reducing the initial bandwidth to said maximum bandwidth and if the maximum bandwidth is outside predetermined limits, terminating the connection.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein said step of determining an optimal bandwidth is repeated each time a new application client is connected to the application server through the telecommunications network.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said application information is generated in information packets, and said step of prioritizing comprises the steps of assessing each information packet for its relevance relative to other information packets for said application client, and queuing each information packet in order of highest relevance first.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said method further includes the steps of receiving a time signal from the application client when said application client connects with said application server through said network;

determining a difference between a application server time and time of said client, and applying said difference to each information packet.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein said step of claim 14 is conducted on an ongoing basis.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein said step of prioritizing includes the steps of setting an age limit for each information packet to remain in said queue, and discarding each information packet from the queue if said age limit is exceeded.

21. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of said portions of said application information is in the form of an information packet.

22. A multilateral interactive application system for allowing communication with at least one application user connected via a communications network, comprising:

an application driver configured to at least partially execute a multilateral interactive application which is used by said at least one application user and generates application information to be transmitted to said at least one application user through a link of said communications network;

a relevancy vector which is a logical construct which provides an indication of the importance of said application information prioritizing means

an aperture control configured to monitor transmission time of the communications network as a function of at least one metric regarding said link of said communications network and based thereon, to determine an optimal bandwidth at which a maximum rate of data transfer is obtained for a defined maximum transmission delay, said aperture control further configured to optimize said application information so as to enable transmission thereof at or below said optimal bandwidth; and

a communication means for transmitting said application information optimized through said telecommunication network to said at least one application user and to receive processed user input through said telecommunication network from said at least one application user and transmit said processed user input to said application driver.

23. A multilateral interactive application system as claimed in claim 22 wherein said aperture control optimizes said application information by controlling packet sizes of said application information.

24. A multilateral interactive application system as claimed in claim 22 wherein said application information comprises a plurality of information packets and further wherein said aperture control is configured to prioritize a set of said information packets to be transmitted to said at least one application user based on said relevancy vector of each respective one of said information packets with regard to said at least one application client and, based on said optimal bandwidth determined by said network monitor, to maximize transmission of relevant information to said at least one application client within said defined maximum transmission delay.

25. A multilateral interactive application system as claimed in claim 22 wherein said maximum transmission rate is determined as a function of packet size by varying the size of packets transmitted and recording transmission times for said transmitted packets.

26. A multilateral interactive application system for allowing communication with at least one application user connected via a communications network, comprising:

an application driver configured to execute a multilateral interactive application which is used by said at least one application user and generates application information to be transmitted to said at least one application user through said communications network, wherein said application information is in the form of a plurality of information packets;

prioritizing means for prioritizing said application information based on a relevancy vector which is a logical construct which provides an indication of the importance of each of said information packets with respect to said at least one application user and outputting a set of said information packets to be transmitted to said at least one application user based on priority; and

communications means for transmitting said set of said information packets through said telecommunication network to said at least one application user and for receiving processed user input through said telecommunication network from said at least one application user and transmitting said processed user input to said application driver.

27. The multilateral interactive application system as claimed in claim 26 wherein a data length of said set of information packets is selected to maximize data transmission within a defined transmission latency limit.

28. The multilateral interactive application system as claimed in claim 26 wherein:

said application driver is configured to receive a plurality of processed user inputs, said plurality of processed user inputs being transmitted from a corresponding plurality of application users interacting with said application driver;

wherein said plurality of processed user inputs received by said application driver is processed by said multilateral interactive application to produce said application information.

29. The multilateral interactive application system as claimed in claim 28, wherein:

said multilateral interactive application monitors actions executed by each said application users and based thereon, determines how each of said application users may be affected; and

said application information produced by said multilateral interactive application is used to communicate updated information determined based on said monitored actions.

30. The multilateral interactive application system as claimed in claim 26 wherein:

said application driver is configured to receive a plurality of processed user inputs, said plurality of processed user inputs being transmitted from a corresponding plurality of application users interacting with said application driver;

wherein each respective one of said information packets of said application information corresponds to said processed user input received from a respective one of said application users.