US 11,606,259 B1Granted

Low delay networks for interactive applications including gaming

AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.

InventorsMohammad Nikain, Daniel Connolly, Thomas Brooks Fitzsimmons

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Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, determining delay data for respective network delays through a communication network from respective gaming stations to a gaming provider database for implementing a multi-user online video game, determining available cloud nodes in a potential path in the communication network between a respective gaming station and the gaming provider database, determining potential network configurations for data communication between the respective gaming stations and the gaming provider database using the available cloud nodes and available communication links, identifying an optimum configuration for data communication between the respective gaming stations and the gaming provider database, wherein the optimum configuration provides a minimum fair delay for the respective gaming stations, and configuring the communication network according to the optimum configuration. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor;
and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
receiving, from client software agents located at respective end user gaming stations, information about available capacity of the respective end user gaming stations;
receiving, from server software agents located at respective cloud nodes of a communication network, information about availability of the respective cloud nodes;
receiving, from the client software agents, information about communication link characteristics including delay times through the communication network;
forming a graph of network nodes and communication links in the communication network, the graph specifying a respective available capacity for each respective network node and a respective delay for each respective communication link;
for a set of network configurations, determining a potential delay for each possible permutation of network configurations, forming a set of potential delays;
selecting a selected configuration based on the set of potential delays;
and
reconfiguring the communication network according to the selected configuration.

8 more elements

A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

determining delay data for respective network delays through a communication network from respective gaming stations to a gaming provider database for implementing a multi-user online video game;
determining available cloud nodes in the communication network, the available cloud nodes located in a potential path between a respective gaming station and the gaming provider database, the available cloud nodes capable of running microservices for the multi-user online video game;
determining potential network configurations for data communication between the respective gaming stations and the gaming provider database using the available cloud nodes and available communication links;
based on the delay data for respective network delays, identifying a selected configuration for data communication between the respective gaming stations and the gaming provider database, wherein the selected configuration is selected as a network configuration that provides a minimum fair delay for the respective gaming stations;
and
configuring the communication network according to the selected configuration.

3 more elements

A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processing system including a processor, measured delay information, the measured delay information corresponding to delay times measured by user device software agents instantiated at user gaming devices of a communication network, the delay times representing data communication delays from the user gaming devices to a network gaming data center which is operative to provide an interactive gaming application to the user gaming devices;
receiving, by the processing system, available capacity information, the available capacity information corresponding to available processing capacity determined by server software agents instantiated at edge cloud nodes of the communication network;
selecting, by the processing system, an optimum configuration for providing the interactive gaming application to the user gaming devices by the network gaming data center, wherein the selecting is based on the measured delay information and the available capacity information and wherein the optimum configuration is selected as a network configuration of the communication network that provides equal delays and minimum delays for each respective user gaming device of the user gaming devices participating in the interactive gaming application;
and
configuring, by the processing system, the communication network according to the optimum configuration.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/698,072Filed 18 Mar 2022
Granted: 14 Mar 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

A63F 13/332
Using wide area network [WAN] connections: using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
H04L 41/12
Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks: discovery or management…
A63F 13/352
Details of game servers: involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of…
A63F 13/358
Details of game servers: adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection…