Methods and systems for dynamically adjusting update rates in multi-player network gaming

In a video game implemented on a server-client system, a method for receiving updates from the server at the client, the updates regarding a plurality of objects located in a virtual spatial field of the video game, the method comprising:

• providing an update locus of the client to the server, the update locus indicating a client-specified position within the virtual spatial field of the video game;
• determining a distance of each of the plurality of objects from the update locus;
• sorting the plurality of objects according to their determined distances from the update locus;
• determining an update rate for each of the plurality of objects based upon their sorted order, the update rate for a given one of the plurality of objects defining a number for a frequency with which updates regarding the given one of the plurality of objects are received by the client;
• receiving updates regarding each of the plurality of objects from the server at the client according to the determined update rates, the determined update rates being applied to the plurality of objects to provide a representation on a display;
• wherein the determining an update rate further comprises adjusting a minimum update rate and a maximum update rate based on a density of the plurality of objects such that a difference between the minimum update rate and the maximum update rate decreases as the density of the plurality of objects increases;
• wherein the update rate of each of the plurality of objects ranges between the minimum update rate and the maximum update rate.

A video game system, comprising:

• a server computer for hosting a server-based video game, the server including a processor, the server-based video game including a plurality of server objects, and update rates for each of the server objects, the update rate of a given server object defining a number for a rate at which a current state of the given server object is sent to the client;
• a client computer for hosting a client-based video game corresponding to the server-based video game, the client including a processor, the client-based video game including a plurality of client objects corresponding to the plurality of server objects, each client object being updated with the received current state of its corresponding server object;
• wherein the server receives an update locus from the client, the update locus indicating a client-specified position within both the server-based video game and the client- based video game;
• wherein the update rates for each of the plurality of server objects are based upon a relative distance of each of the plurality of server objects from the update locus;
• wherein the server adjusts a minimum update rate and a maximum update rate based on a density of the plurality of objects such that a difference between the minimum update rate and the maximum update rate decreases as the density of the plurality of objects increases;
• wherein the update rate of each of the plurality of server objects ranges between the minimum update rate and the maximum update rate.

A computer program product for providing updates to a remote client regarding a plurality of objects located in a virtual spatial field of a video game, the computer program product being embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program product configured for execution by a computer, comprising:

• program instructions for receiving an update locus from the remote client, the update locus indicating a client-specified position within the virtual spatial field of the server-implemented video game;
• program instructions for determining a distance of each of the plurality of objects from the update locus;
• program instructions for sorting the plurality of objects according to their determined distances from the update locus;
• program instructions for determining an update rate for each of the plurality of objects based upon their sorted order, the update rate for a given one of the plurality of objects defining a number for a frequency with which updates regarding the given one of the plurality of objects are sent to the remote client;
• program instructions for sending updates regarding each of the plurality of objects to the remote client according to the determined update rates, the determined update rates being applied to the plurality of objects to provide a representation on a display;
• wherein the determining an update rate further comprises adjusting a minimum update rate and a maximum update rate based on a density of the plurality of objects such that a difference between the minimum update rate and the maximum update rate decreases as the density of the plurality of objects increases;
• wherein the update rate of each of the plurality of objects ranges between the minimum update rate and the maximum update rate.

In a server-implemented video game, a method for providing updates to a remote client regarding a plurality of objects located in a virtual spatial field of the video game, said method comprising:

• receiving an update locus from the remote client, the update locus indicating a client-specified position within the virtual spatial field of the server-implemented video game;
• determining a distance of each of the plurality of objects from the update locus;
• sorting the plurality of objects according to their determined distances from the update locus;
• determining an update rate for each of the plurality of objects based upon their sorted order;
• sending updates regarding each of the plurality of objects to the remote client according to the determined update rates, the determined update rates being applied to the plurality of objects to provide a representation on a display, the remote client receiving the updates without communicating with an additional remote client that controls a position of one or more of the plurality of objects within the virtual spatial field;
• wherein the determining an update rate further comprises adjusting a minimum update rate and a maximum update rate based on a density of the plurality of objects such that a difference between the minimum update rate and the maximum update rate decreases as the density of the plurality of objects increases;
• wherein the update rate of each of the plurality of objects ranges between the minimum update rate and the maximum update rate.