# US 8,751,668 B2 · Decentralized multi-user online environment

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- Number: US 8,751,668 B2
- Document ID: US8751668B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/444,094
- Filed: 2007-10-05
- Published: 2010-06-10
- Granted: 2014-06-10
- Earliest claimed: 2006-10-05
- Assignees: National ICT Australia Limited
- Applicants: Santosh Kulkarni; Aaron Harwood; Egemen Tanin; Scott Douglas
- Inventors: Santosh Kulkarni; Aaron Harwood; Egemen Tanin; Scott Douglas
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8751668B2

## CPC

- A63F 13/12
- 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
- A63F 13/30: Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
- A63F 13/34: using peer-to-peer connections
- A63F 13/71: using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
- H04L 63/0227: {Filtering policies (mail message filtering H04L51/212)}
- H04L 67/104: Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
- H04L 67/1055: {involving connection limits (involving dynamic management of active down- or uploading connections H04L67/1085)}
- H04L 67/1061: using node-based peer discovery mechanisms (static access to replicated servers H04L67/1006; service discovery H04L67/51)
- H04L 67/1093: {Some peer nodes performing special functions}
- H04L 67/131: Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
- A63F 2300/408: Peer to peer connection
- A63F 2300/534: for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
- H04L 67/1065: {Discovery involving distributed pre-established resource-based relationships among peers, e.g. based on distributed hash tables [DHT] (pre-configuration of logical or physical connections H04L67/1053)}
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Protocols for facilitating a peer-to-peer real time network in which network state information and data processing is delegated to user nodes. A virtual space is recursively divided into a plurality of sub-regions represented by a logical tree, with responsibility for leaf nodes delegated to multiple user nodes. A distributed hash table can be used to store leaf node state and identity information. A discovery index protocol is provided for user nodes to effectively identify a user node responsible for a sub-region of interest. Further, a semantic filtering protocol limits communications primarily to other user nodes deemed relevant, so as to constrain bandwidth usage. A broadcast control protocol is provided to increase the number of simultaneous interactions for each user node. A security protocol is also provided to prevent any illegal activity by malicious nodes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

In a peer-to-peer real time network in which network state information and data processing is delegated to user nodes, a non-transitory machine-readable medium that contains broadcast control protocol instructions for optimizing packet transfer between a first node and a plurality of related nodes which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations, comprising:
assigning to each related node a relevance level i being selected from k relevance levels, indicating the relevance of that related node to the first node;
associating with each relevance level i a number of nodes ni, an update message size mi and an update frequency αi; and
determining from an available upstream bandwidth U of the first node a number of levels ci in a broadcast tree of the first node by reference to U=Σi=1kci·sqrt(ni)·mi·α, wherein 0<ci<sqrt(ni).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The broadcast control protocol of claim 1 wherein the highest satisfying value of ci is selected.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The broadcast control protocol of claim 1 wherein higher levels of the broadcast tree are given priority over lower levels such that ci>c2>c3 . . . >cn.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The broadcast control protocol of claim 1 wherein the broadcast tree is formed by allocating each related node to a level of the broadcast tree based on at least one of the parameters of: upstream bandwidth of the related node, stability history, network distance and ping time statistics.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A system comprised of multiple nodes operating in accordance with the protocol instructions of claim 1.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A user software application for implementing the protocol instructions of claim 1.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A game development platform software application for enabling game developers to design games or online environments by complying with the protocol instructions of claim 1.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A device configured to operate in accordance with the protocol instructions of claim 1.