CN113426102A

CN113426102A - Task processing method and device, storage medium and electronic equipment

Info

Publication number: CN113426102A
Application number: CN202110742442.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 张富春
Original assignee: Tencent Technology Shenzhen Co Ltd
Current assignee: Tencent Technology Shenzhen Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-06-30
Filing date: 2021-06-30
Publication date: 2021-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 2041-06-30
Also published as: CN113426102B

Abstract

The invention discloses a task processing method and device, a storage medium and electronic equipment. The method is applied to the field of games, and comprises the following steps: acquiring a task processing request triggered in a local area network game application displayed in a target terminal, wherein the task processing request is used for requesting to process a target game task initiated by a target user account in the local area network game application; responding to the task processing request, and determining a game sandbox matched with the local area network game application and a target virtual network card matched with the game sandbox; forwarding a request data packet corresponding to the task processing request to a target virtual network card through the game sandbox; and sending the request data packet to a transfer server through the target virtual network card, wherein the transfer server is used for determining account information of a reference user account related to the target user account according to the request data packet and processing the target game task based on the account information of the reference user account. The invention solves the problem of complex processing operation in the related art.

Description

Task processing method and device, storage medium and electronic equipment

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of computing, in particular to a task processing method and device, a storage medium and electronic equipment.

Background

Due to the limitations of conventional network connection technologies, early online games among multiple players were generally implemented based on local area networks built in certain areas. That is, the conventional online game is usually based on a direct interconnection line connection relationship between the devices in the lan, so as to detect and find a target player to be combated in the lan, and transmit game data generated during the game match to the target player in real time. However, because such lan games can only be online between several machines already physically connected in the area, players outside the lan are not supported to participate in the game process.

Many players today desire to optimize and improve upon traditional local area network online games to enable participation in the game play process with more players. However, if the game developer of the local area network game reforms and upgrades the game code data, the cost is high, the period is long, and the difficulty of the data upgrading processing operation is also high.

In view of the above problems, no effective solution has been proposed.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the invention provides a task processing method and device, a storage medium and electronic equipment, which are used for at least solving the technical problem of complex processing operation in the related art.

According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a task processing method, including: acquiring a task processing request triggered in a local area network game application displayed in a target terminal, wherein the task processing request is used for requesting to process a target game task initiated by a target user account in the local area network game application; responding to the task processing request, and determining a game sandbox matched with the local area network game application and a target virtual network card matched with the game sandbox, wherein resources required by a game process in the local area network game application are configured in the game sandbox; forwarding a request data packet corresponding to the task processing request to the target virtual network card through the game sandbox; and sending the request data packet to a transfer server through the target virtual network card, wherein the transfer server is used for determining account information of a reference user account associated with the target user account according to the request data packet and processing the target game task based on the account information of the reference user account.

According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a task processing method, including: receiving a request data packet sent by a target virtual network card in a cloud game server, wherein the target virtual network card is a virtual network card uniquely created for a game sandbox matched with a local area network game application, a task processing request corresponding to the request data packet is used for requesting processing of a target game task initiated by a target user account in the local area network game application, and the task processing request is triggered by the local area network game application displayed in a target terminal; determining the task type of the target game task from the request data packet; and processing the target game task based on the account information of the reference user account determined according to the task type.

According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, there is also provided a task processing apparatus including: the system comprises a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit and a third acquisition unit, wherein the first acquisition unit is used for acquiring a task processing request triggered in a local area network game application displayed in a target terminal, and the task processing request is used for requesting to process a target game task initiated by a target user account in the local area network game application; a first determining unit, configured to determine, in response to the task processing request, a game sandbox that matches the lan game application and a target virtual network card that matches the game sandbox, where resources required for a game process in the lan game application are configured in the game sandbox; a forwarding unit, configured to forward a request packet corresponding to the task processing request to the target virtual network card through the game sandbox; and the processing unit is used for sending the request data packet to a transfer server through the target virtual network card, wherein the transfer server is used for determining account information of a reference user account related to the target user account according to the request data packet and processing the target game task based on the account information of the reference user account.

According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, there is also provided a task processing apparatus including: a receiving unit, configured to receive a request data packet sent by a target virtual network card in a cloud game server, where the target virtual network card is a virtual network card uniquely created for a game sandbox matched with a local area network game application, a task processing request corresponding to the request data packet is used to request processing of a target game task initiated by a target user account in the local area network game application, and the task processing request is triggered by the local area network game application displayed in a target terminal; a determining unit, configured to determine a task type of the target game task from the request packet; and the processing unit is used for processing the target game task based on the account information of the reference user account determined according to the task type.

According to still another aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, there is also provided a computer-readable storage medium in which a computer program is stored, wherein the computer program is configured to execute the above task processing method when running.

According to still another aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, there is also provided an electronic device, including a memory and a processor, where the memory stores therein a computer program, and the processor is configured to execute the task processing method described above through the computer program.

In the embodiment of the invention, after a task processing request triggered by a target terminal and used for requesting to process a target game task initiated by a target user account in a local area network game application is obtained, a game sandbox matched with the local area network game application is determined, based on a target virtual network card matched with the game sandbox, a request data packet corresponding to the task processing request is sent to a transfer server through the target virtual network card, so that the transfer server assists in completing the target game task. Therefore, on the premise that game codes of the traditional local area network game application are not required to be re-developed and upgraded, task data generated in the local area network game application are sent to other servers in the network through the game sandbox and the virtual network card which are created for the local area network game application, so that the servers finish remote processing, the purpose of expanding the application range of the traditional local area network game application is achieved, and the problem that processing operation is complex in the related technology is solved.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the invention without limiting the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a hardware environment for an alternative task processing method according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an alternative method of task processing according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an alternative task processing method according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an alternative task processing method according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of yet another alternative task processing method according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of yet another alternative task processing method according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of another alternative method of task processing according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of yet another alternative method of task processing according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an alternative task processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an alternative task processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an alternative electronic device according to an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 12 is a schematic structural diagram of another alternative electronic device according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

In order to make the technical solutions of the present invention better understood, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and claims of the present invention and in the drawings described above are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the data so used is interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprises," "comprising," and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of steps or elements is not necessarily limited to those steps or elements expressly listed, but may include other steps or elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

According to an aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, a task processing method is provided, and optionally, as an optional implementation manner, the task processing method may be applied to, but is not limited to, a task processing system in a hardware environment as shown in fig. 1, where the task processing system may include, but is not limited to, a target terminal 102, a cloud game server 104, and a transit server 106. The target terminal 102 displays a lan game application (the lan game application refers to that each user account of a game task is located in the same lan and performs data interaction using the same communication protocol). The target terminal 102 includes a human-computer interaction screen, a processor and a memory. The man-machine interaction screen is used for displaying game pictures in the local area network game application; and the system is also used for providing a human-computer interaction interface to receive human-computer interaction operation. The processor is used for responding to the human-computer interaction operation to generate an interaction instruction and sending the interaction instruction to the cloud game server. The memory is used for storing game pictures in the local area network game application.

A game sandbox is created in cloud game server 104 for each lan game application and a unique target virtual network card is created for the game sandbox. The game sandbox provides resources required by the local area network game application, and the target virtual network card expands the original local area network game application to the Internet outside the local area network where the local area network game application is located. The cloud game server is also provided with a communication agent module for repackaging the data packet generated by the local area network game application so as to be suitable for transmission in a wider range.

The relay server 106 is configured to receive the encapsulated data packet transmitted by the communication agent module in the cloud game server 104, and perform further task processing on the encapsulated data packet, for example, directly perform task processing in the relay server 106 or forward the encapsulated data packet to another server through a network for task processing. The network here is a network with a wider application range than the local area network, such as a metropolitan area network and a wide area network.

The description is made with specific reference to the following examples:

in step S102, a task processing request triggered in the local area network game application displayed in the target terminal 102 is obtained, where the task processing request is used to request processing of a target game task initiated by a target user account. Then, the target terminal 102 sends the task processing request to the cloud game server 104 as step S104. The cloud game server 104 executes steps S106 to S110: and responding to the task processing request, and determining a game sandbox matched with the local area network game application and a target virtual network card matched with the game sandbox. And then, forwarding a request data packet corresponding to the task processing request to the target virtual network card through the game sandbox. And then sending the request data packet to a communication agent module through the target virtual network card, adding protocol information to the request data packet in the communication agent module, and re-packaging. Then, in step S112, the cloud game server 104 will send the encapsulated request packet to the transit server 106. The transit server 106 will execute steps S114-S116: and determining account information of a reference user account related to the target user account according to the request data packet, and processing the target game task based on the account information of the reference user account.

It should be noted that, in this embodiment, after the cloud game server receives a task processing request triggered by a target terminal and used for requesting processing of a target game task initiated by a target user account in a local area network game application, a game sandbox matched with the local area network game application is determined, and based on a target virtual network card matched with the game sandbox, a request data packet corresponding to the task processing request is sent to a transit server through the target virtual network card, so that the transit server assists in completing the target game task. Therefore, on the premise that game codes of the traditional local area network game application are not required to be re-developed and upgraded, task data generated in the local area network game application are sent to other servers in the network through the game sandbox and the virtual network card which are created for the local area network game application, so that the servers finish remote processing, the purpose of expanding the application range of the traditional local area network game application is achieved, and the problem that processing operation is complex in the related technology is solved.

Optionally, in this embodiment, the target terminal may be a terminal device that displays a local area network game application, and may include but is not limited to at least one of the following: the Mobile phone (such as an Android Mobile phone, an iOS Mobile phone, etc.), a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a palm computer, an MID (Mobile Internet Devices), a PAD, a desktop computer, a smart speaker, a smart television, a vehicle-mounted terminal, etc., but is not limited thereto. The server may be an independent physical server, a server cluster or a distributed system formed by a plurality of physical servers, and a cloud server providing cloud computing services. The terminal, that is, the server, may be directly or indirectly connected through wired or wireless communication, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited herein.

Optionally, as an optional implementation manner, as shown in fig. 2, the task processing method includes:

s202, acquiring a task processing request triggered in the local area network game application displayed in the target terminal, wherein the task processing request is used for requesting to process a target game task initiated by a target user account in the local area network game application;

it should be noted that the above-mentioned lan game application may be, but is not limited to, a conventional game application limited by network technology in the related art, and supports players located in the same lan to play an online game, for example, broadcast using User Datagram Protocol (UDP) in the lan to discover other players or transmit game data transmission. In the embodiment, the above conventional lan game extension can be applied to a cloud application scenario, but not limited to. That is, without upgrading game code for a local area network game application, it is extended for use in a wider range of cloud applications, so that more players participate in the traditional game application.

Optionally, in this embodiment, the task processing method may be applied, but not limited to, in a cloud game server as shown in fig. 1, and the cloud game server assists the local area network game application to perform data interaction with a communication agent module and a relay server, so as to achieve the purpose of expanding the local area network game application into the cloud game application. The cloud game server can be configured with hardware such as a strong CPU, a GPU, a large memory, a high-speed network card, and an SSD hard disk, but not limited thereto.

In addition, in this embodiment, the target terminal may be configured to display, but not limited to, a game screen of a lan game application. That is, the target terminal displays the decoded game screen in the form of a player, and the operation information of the control operation triggered on the game screen is transmitted to the cloud game server and processed by the cloud game server.

S204, responding to the task processing request, and determining a game sandbox matched with the local area network game application and a target virtual network card matched with the game sandbox, wherein resources required by a game process in the local area network game application are configured in the game sandbox;

it should be noted that, in this embodiment, the game sandbox may be, but is not limited to, created by the cloud game server for the lan game application, and is used to implement resource isolation for different lan game applications. A game sandbox as herein may limit the hardware resources and application interfaces available to the lan game application in the cloud game server in the manner of, but not limited to, API Hook. The hardware resources herein may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: a Central Processing Unit (CPU) core, an image processor (GPU), a network card, a memory, a file system directory, and the like. The calling Interface may include, but is not limited to, an Application Interface (API) in an operating system.

Optionally, in this embodiment, when the cloud game server creates each game sandbox, a unique corresponding virtual network card may also be created for the game sandbox through, but not limited to, the driver layer API. The game sandbox enables a game process in the game sandbox to uniquely access the virtual network card in an API Hook mode.

For example, as shown in fig. 3, after the target terminal sends a task processing request triggered in the exposed lan game application to the cloud game server, the target terminal will display a waiting interface, and a game sandbox 304 is created in the cloud game server 302 for the lan game application, where a game process 306 of the lan game application runs in the game sandbox 304. Meanwhile, a virtual network card 308 matched with the game sandbox 304 is created, so that the game process 306 can complete data interaction with other servers in the network through the virtual network card 308.

S206, forwarding a request data packet corresponding to the task processing request to the target virtual network card through the game sandbox;

in this embodiment, the game sandbox may, but is not limited to, forward the data packet associated with the task processing request to the virtual network card, so as to forward, through the virtual network card, the data packet that is originally generated in the lan game application that can only be transmitted in the lan where the target terminal is located in the related art, to other hardware devices in the cloud and other hardware devices that are not located in the same lan as the target terminal, thereby achieving the purpose of expanding the application range of the lan game application without updating the game code.

And S208, sending the request data packet to a transfer server through the target virtual network card, wherein the transfer server is used for determining account information of a reference user account related to the target user account according to the request data packet and processing the target game task based on the account information of the reference user account.

Optionally, in this embodiment, the transit server may be, but is not limited to, configured to parse the received request packet to determine the task type of the target game task requested to be processed. The transfer server may, but is not limited to, determine a current operation stage of the local area network game application in the target terminal according to the task type, and then determine account information of the corresponding reference user account to complete the corresponding target game task.

It should be noted that, the above-mentioned transfer server analyzes the request data packet uniformly, which not only avoids putting the communication protocol at the game sandbox end in the cloud game server to reduce the processing load of the game sandbox, but also can implement uniform upgrade at the transfer server end to be compatible with various communication protocols in the network.

In this embodiment, the relay server may be, but not limited to, a server that performs data Transmission by using a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). The task type of the target game task is determined through the information analyzed from the data packet, so that account information of a reference user account related to the target user account is determined according to the task type.

For example, in the case where the task type indicates that the task is found, the transfer server may access the user online service to acquire account information of other online players that have been found (i.e., account information of the reference user account).

For example, in the case where the task type indicates a matching task, the transit server may access the game room matching service to acquire account information of a player who matches a target account to the same room (i.e., account information of a reference user account).

For example, in the case that the task type indicates a data transmission task in online battle, the relay server may determine another cloud game server to be interacted with, and access the another cloud game server through a communication agent module in the current cloud game server, so as to forward a data packet to be interacted with by the target user account in the current cloud game server to a virtual network card in the another cloud game server. The communication agent module is used for adding protocol information (such as protocol header information) on the basis of an original request data packet so that the original request data packet is packaged and forwarded in an original mode, and any protocol can be compatible, so that the original request data packet is conveniently forwarded to other servers (such as a transit server) in a network.

To explain with reference to the process shown in fig. 4, it is assumed that the current cloud game server is the cloud game server 402, and after the cloud game server 402 obtains a task processing request sent by a target terminal, a game sandbox 4022 and a virtual network card 4026 corresponding to the game sandbox 4022 are created for a local area network game application corresponding to a target game task requested to be processed, where a game process 4024 of the local area network game application runs in the game sandbox 4022. After the game sandbox 4024 sends the request data packet corresponding to the task processing request to the communication agent module 4028 through the virtual network card 4026, the communication agent module 4028 repackages the request data packet and puts the repackaged request data packet into a TCP stream for transmission, so as to transmit the repackaged request data packet to the relay server 406.

Assuming that the virtual network card used by the online competing player is located in the cloud game server 404, the relay server 406 sends the request data packet to the communication agent module 4048 in the cloud game server 404, decapsulates the data packet, and sends the data packet to the virtual network card 4046, so that the data packet is returned to the game process 4044. Then, the game process 4044 completes the process of pushing and displaying data to the terminal held by the competitor player.

According to the embodiment provided by the application, after the cloud game server receives a task processing request which is triggered by a target terminal and used for requesting processing of a target game task initiated by a target user account in a local area network game application, a game sandbox matched with the local area network game application is determined, based on a target virtual network card matched with the game sandbox, a request data packet corresponding to the task processing request is sent to a transfer server through the target virtual network card, and the transfer server assists in completing the target game task. Therefore, on the premise that game codes of the traditional local area network game application are not required to be re-developed and upgraded, task data generated in the local area network game application are sent to other servers in the network through the game sandbox and the virtual network card which are created for the local area network game application, so that the servers finish remote processing, the purpose of expanding the application range of the traditional local area network game application is achieved, and the problem that processing operation is complex in the related technology is solved.

As an optional solution, in response to the task processing request, determining a game sandbox matched with the lan game application and a target virtual network card matched with the game sandbox includes:

1) under the condition that the task processing request indicates a first task processing request of a target user account, a game sandbox is established for the target user account, and a uniquely matched target virtual network card is established for the game sandbox;

2) under the condition that the task processing request indicates that the task processing request is not the first task processing request of the target user account, acquiring a candidate network card list; and uniquely determining the target virtual network card from the candidate network card list through an application interface hook function in the game sandbox.

It should be noted that, in this embodiment, by configuring a virtual network card on a cloud game server and providing a mode of assisting processing by a transfer server, extended application of a local area network game application is realized to discover more cloud players and to implement interconnection and intercommunication of remote data with the local area network game player.

Optionally, in this embodiment, when creating a game sandbox for the target user account, the method further includes: configuring an application interface hooking function for the game sandbox, wherein the application interface hooking function is used for indicating that the game sandbox is authorized to use part of resources and part of application interfaces in the current cloud game server.

It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the application interface hooking function adopts a technique for changing the execution result of the API. That is, what is intercepted is the call of the application program to the system API, and it intercepts this call before the call of the application program to the system API, and makes it call the function defined in this embodiment, to access the sandbox and virtual network card created for the lan game application, so as to obtain part of the resources and part of the application interface that the game sandbox is authorized to use.

Through the embodiment provided by the application, the game sandbox and the virtual network card which are created for the local area network game application assist in transforming the local area network game application into the cloud game which is suitable for being online in a cloud game environment. Therefore, after the game process of the local area network game application is migrated to the cloud game server, the safe operation of the local area network game application under the premise of controllable resources can be still ensured.

As an optional scheme, sending the request packet to the transit server through the target virtual network card includes:

and S1, sending the request data packet to the communication proxy module through the target virtual network card so that the communication proxy module forwards the request data packet to the transfer server, wherein the communication proxy module is used for adding protocol information matched with the transfer server for the request data packet, and the transfer server and the target terminal adopt different communication protocols.

It should be noted that, in the related art, the data packets may be transmitted between the terminals held by the players participating in the game task in the lan game application, but not limited to, based on the UDP protocol. In this embodiment, in order to forward the data packet to other servers in the cloud, the data packet may be, but is not limited to, encapsulated again by the communication protocol through the communication proxy module. For example, after receiving a request packet to be transmitted from the virtual network card, the communication proxy module may add some protocol header information to the request packet, and place the re-encapsulated packet in a TCP stream to send to the relay server for task processing.

According to the embodiment provided by the application, the cloud game server is assisted by the communication agent module to send the data packet to be interacted to the transfer server, so that the aim of realizing remote interaction on the data packet generated by the local area network game application is fulfilled.

As an optional scheme, before acquiring the task processing request triggered in the lan game application, the method further includes: and configuring game running logic data corresponding to the local area network game application.

It should be noted that, in the game sandbox in the cloud game server in the present embodiment, capabilities such as resource allocation and registration of the player may be provided, but not limited to these. Before the local area network game application is started, relevant information of the local area network game application is recorded in a storage system of the cloud game server. The related information may be various resources required for the lan game application, account information of a user account to be downloaded and used, and the like.

Through the embodiment provided by the application, the game running logic data corresponding to the LAN game application is configured in advance in the cloud game server, so that the player can find other players in an online state in the same area (usually at a city level) after starting the game, and can even find other players in a larger range (such as a national range or a geographical position is far away) so as to jointly complete the target game task in the LAN game application.

As an optional scheme, after sending the request packet to the transit server through the target virtual network card, the method further includes:

the transfer server analyzes the request data packet to determine the task type of the target game task;

1) under the condition that the task type indicates that the task is found, the transfer server acquires account information of a first candidate user account which is currently in an online state, and returns the account information of the first candidate user account to the target terminal as account information of a reference user account to finish a target game task, wherein the first candidate user account comprises a user account which is not located in the same local area network as the target user account;

the description is made with reference to fig. 5 specifically: in the case that the task type indicates that the task is found, the transfer server determines to access the user online service to acquire account information of other found online players (i.e. account information of the account of the first candidate user). The account information of the first candidate user account shown in fig. 5 includes: user ID-1, user ID-2, and user ID-3. And then, the account information of the first candidate user account is used as the account information of the reference user account to be returned to the target terminal for displaying, so that the target terminal displays the account information of other current online players to complete the current requested discovery task. Here, fig. 5 is an example, and the number of found user accounts to be displayed is not limited in this embodiment.

It should be noted that, by using the manner provided in this embodiment, the first candidate user account includes not only a user account located in the same local area network as the target user account, but also a user account not located in the same local area network as the target user account.

2) Under the condition that the task type indicates a matching task, the transfer server acquires account information of a second candidate user account which is in an online state and does not enter a matching room, and determines a reference user account which is in the same matching room with the target user account from the second candidate user account; returning the determined account information of the reference user account to the target terminal, and sending the target user account to the reference virtual network card corresponding to the reference user account to complete the target game task; the second candidate user account comprises a user account which is not positioned in the same local area network as the target user account;

the description will be made with reference to fig. 6: when the task type indicates that a task is found, the transit server determines to access the room matching service to acquire account information of a second candidate user account which is currently in an online state and does not enter a matching room, and then determines account information of a player matched with a target account in the same room (i.e. account information of a reference user account) from the second candidate user account. As shown in fig. 6, assuming that the target user account is "zhangsan", the reference user account "liquan" currently in the same room as "zhangsan" for fighting is determined from the second candidate user accounts through the above process. And then returning the account information of the reference user account to the target terminal for displaying, so that the target terminal displays the account information matched with the target terminal currently, and the currently requested matching task is completed. Fig. 6 illustrates an example, and the online match mode and the number of account numbers to be matched in the lan game application are not limited in this embodiment.

It should be noted that, by using the manner provided in this embodiment, the second candidate user account includes not only a user account located in the same local area network as the target user account, but also a user account not located in the same local area network as the target user account.

3) Under the condition that the task type is indicated as a data transmission task, the transfer server acquires account information of a third candidate user account which is located in the same matching room with the target user account, and takes the account information of the third candidate user account as account information of a reference user account; and forwarding game data to be interacted by the target user account to the reference virtual network cards corresponding to the reference user accounts respectively so as to complete the target game task, wherein the third candidate user account comprises a user account which is not positioned in the same local area network as the target user account.

The specific situation may refer to the example shown in fig. 4, but is not described herein again

According to the embodiment provided by the application, the cloud game server is assisted by the transfer server to complete the interconnection interaction of the local area network game application in a wider range, so that the local area network game application is rapidly and safely expanded and applied on the premise of avoiding secondary development of the traditional online game application.

Optionally, as an optional implementation manner, as shown in fig. 7, the task processing method includes:

s702, receiving a request data packet sent by a target virtual network card in a cloud game server, wherein the target virtual network card is a virtual network card uniquely created for a game sandbox matched with a local area network game application, a task processing request corresponding to the request data packet is used for requesting to process a target game task initiated by a target user account in the local area network game application, and the task processing request is triggered by the local area network game application displayed in a target terminal;

s704, determining the task type of the target game task from the request data packet;

and S706, processing the target game task based on the account information of the reference user account determined according to the task type.

Optionally, in this embodiment, the task processing method may be applied, but not limited to, to a relay server as shown in fig. 1, and the relay server assists a cloud game server to implement migration of the lan game application to a cloud game environment, so as to achieve the purpose of expanding the lan game application into the cloud game application.

Specific embodiments may refer to the above method embodiments, but are not limited to the above, and are not described herein again.

As an optional scheme, processing the target game task based on account information determined according to the task type and the reference user account includes:

under the condition that the task type indicates that the task is found, account information of a first candidate user account in an online state is acquired, wherein the first candidate user account comprises a user account which is not located in the same local area network as a target user account;

and returning the account information of the first candidate user account as the account information of the reference user account to the target terminal so as to complete the target game task.

under the condition that the task type indicates a matching task, account information of a second candidate user account which is in an online state and does not enter a matching room is obtained, wherein the second candidate user account comprises a user account which is not located in the same local area network as the target user account;

determining a reference user account which is positioned in the same matching room with the target user account from the second candidate user accounts;

and returning the determined account information of the reference user account to the target terminal, and sending the target user account to the reference virtual network card corresponding to the reference user account so as to complete the target game task.

under the condition that the task type is indicated as a data transmission task, account information of a third candidate user account which is located in the same matching room with the target user account is obtained, wherein the third candidate user account comprises a user account which is not located in the same local area network with the target user account;

taking account information of the third candidate user account as account information of the reference user account;

and forwarding the game data to be interacted by the target user account to the reference virtual network cards corresponding to the reference user accounts so as to complete the target game task.

The following will fully describe the scheme in this embodiment with reference to the process shown in fig. 8:

assume that the current cloud game server is a cloud game server 1, wherein a game sandbox 1 and a corresponding virtual network card 1 are created, and the game sandbox 1 includes a game process 1. The virtual network card 1 performs data interaction with the communication agent 1.

After the game process 1 is started, in step S802, the system API is called to obtain the network card list. The system API in the cloud game server 1 and the sandbox environment are replaced with a special hook to return an ID of a virtual network card (i.e., virtual network card 1) to the game process 1. Among them, the hook is used on a system API such as send ()/recv ().

In step S804, the game sandbox 1 will use the ID to access the virtual network card 1, so as to forward the data generated by the user in the target terminal to the virtual network card 1. The virtual network card 1 will execute step S806 to forward the data packet to the agent 1. Here, the agent1 re-encapsulates the data packet with some header information and sends it to the transit server, as shown in step S808.

After receiving the repackaged data packet, the transit server analyzes the user protocol and then determines the task type of the requested target game task. In step S810, it is determined which game stage the target user account is currently in according to the task type: user discovery, room matching, fight interaction.

1) And under the condition that the task type is indicated as a discovery task, determining that the target user account is in a user discovery phase. The transit server will access the user online service (which may also be referred to as a player registration service) and obtain a user list to find account information of other online user accounts, as by step S812-1.

2) And in the case that the task type indicates a matching task, determining that the target user account is in a room matching stage. The transit server will access a room matching service (which may also be referred to as a game lobby service) to match the account of the target user with the account of the user to be combated, and achieve player matching, as in step S812-2.

3) And under the condition that the task type is indicated as a data transmission task, determining that the target user account is in a fighting interaction stage. The relay server will transmit the battle data to the agent2 on the other cloud game server in step S812-3 so that it will execute step S814 to decapsulate the data packet in the TCP protocol and send it to the virtual network card 2. The virtual network card 2 will execute step S816 to return the data packet to the game process 2.

The specific interaction process may refer to the steps shown in fig. 8. The steps shown here are examples, and the elements shown in the figures and the corresponding exemplary descriptions are not limited in any way in this embodiment.

It should be noted that, for simplicity of description, the above-mentioned method embodiments are described as a series of acts or combination of acts, but those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is not limited by the order of acts, as some steps may occur in other orders or concurrently in accordance with the invention. Further, those skilled in the art should also appreciate that the embodiments described in the specification are preferred embodiments and that the acts and modules referred to are not necessarily required by the invention.

According to another aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, there is also provided a task processing apparatus for implementing the above task processing method. As shown in fig. 9, the apparatus includes:

1) a first obtaining unit 902, configured to obtain a task processing request triggered in a local area network game application displayed in a target terminal, where the task processing request is used to request processing of a target game task initiated by a target user account in the local area network game application;

2) a first determining unit 904, configured to determine, in response to the task processing request, a game sandbox matching the lan game application and a target virtual network card matching the game sandbox, where resources required by a game process in the lan game application are configured in the game sandbox;

3) a forwarding unit 906, configured to forward a request data packet corresponding to the task processing request to the target virtual network card through the game sandbox;

4) the processing unit 908 is configured to send the request data packet to the transfer server through the target virtual network card, where the transfer server is configured to determine account information of a reference user account associated with the target user account according to the request data packet, and process the target game task based on the account information of the reference user account.

Optionally, in this embodiment, the task processing device may be, but not limited to, applied to a cloud game server as shown in fig. 1, and the cloud game server assists the lan game application to perform data interaction with a communication agent module and a relay server, so as to achieve the purpose of expanding the lan game application into the cloud game application. The cloud game server can be configured with hardware such as a strong CPU, a GPU, a large memory, a high-speed network card, and an SSD hard disk, but not limited thereto.

As an alternative, the first determining unit includes:

the first processing module is used for creating a game sandbox for the target user account and creating a uniquely matched target virtual network card for the game sandbox under the condition that the task processing request indicates a first task processing request of the target user account;

the second processing module is used for acquiring a candidate network card list under the condition that the task processing request indication is not a first task processing request of the target user account; and uniquely determining the target virtual network card from the candidate network card list through an application interface hook function in the game sandbox.

As an optional scheme, the method further comprises the following steps:

the configuration module is used for configuring an application interface hook function for the game sandbox when the game sandbox is created for the target user account, wherein the application interface hook function is used for indicating that the game sandbox is authorized to use part of resources and part of application interfaces in the current cloud game server.

As an alternative, the processing unit includes:

and the sending module is used for sending the request data packet to the communication proxy module through the target virtual network card so that the communication proxy module forwards the request data packet to the transfer server, wherein the communication proxy module is used for adding protocol information matched with the transfer server for the request data packet, and the transfer server and the target terminal adopt different communication protocols.

As an optional scheme, the method further comprises the following steps:

the configuration unit is used for configuring game running logic data corresponding to the local area network game application before acquiring the task processing request triggered in the local area network game application.

It should be noted that, for the embodiment implemented by the unit module included in the apparatus, reference may be made to the method embodiment described above, and details are not described here again.

Optionally, as an optional implementation manner, as shown in fig. 10, the task processing device includes:

1) a receiving unit 1002, configured to receive a request data packet sent by a target virtual network card in a cloud game server, where the target virtual network card is a virtual network card uniquely created for a game sandbox matched with a local area network game application, a task processing request corresponding to the request data packet is used to request processing of a target game task initiated by a target user account in the local area network game application, and the task processing request is triggered by the local area network game application displayed in a target terminal;

2) a determining unit 1004 for determining a task type of the target game task from the request packet;

3) the processing unit 1006 is configured to process the target game task based on the account information of the reference user account determined according to the task type.

Optionally, in this embodiment, the task processing device may be applied, but not limited to, to a relay server as shown in fig. 1, and the relay server assists a cloud game server to implement migration of the lan game application to a cloud game environment, so as to achieve the purpose of expanding the lan game application into the cloud game application.

As an alternative, the processing unit includes:

the first processing module is used for acquiring account information of a first candidate user account currently in an online state under the condition that the task type indicates that the task is found, wherein the first candidate user account comprises a user account which is not located in the same local area network as the target user account; and returning the account information of the first candidate user account as the account information of the reference user account to the target terminal so as to complete the target game task.

As an alternative, the processing unit includes:

the second processing module is used for acquiring account information of a second candidate user account which is in an online state and does not enter a matching room under the condition that the task type indicates a matching task, wherein the second candidate user account comprises a user account which is not located in the same local area network as the target user account; determining a reference user account which is positioned in the same matching room with the target user account from the second candidate user accounts; and returning the determined account information of the reference user account to the target terminal, and sending the target user account to the reference virtual network card corresponding to the reference user account so as to complete the target game task.

As an alternative, the processing unit includes:

the third processing module is used for acquiring account information of a third candidate user account which is positioned in the same matching room with the target user account under the condition that the task type is indicated to be the data transmission task, wherein the third candidate user account comprises a user account which is not positioned in the same local area network with the target user account;

According to another aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, there is also provided an electronic device for implementing the task processing method, where the electronic device may be the cloud game server shown in fig. 1. As shown in fig. 11, the electronic device comprises a memory 1102 and a processor 1104, wherein the memory 1102 stores a computer program and the processor 1104 is arranged to execute the steps of any of the above method embodiments by means of the computer program.

Optionally, in this embodiment, the electronic device may be located in at least one network device of a plurality of network devices of a computer network.

Optionally, in this embodiment, the processor may be configured to execute the following steps by a computer program:

s1, acquiring a task processing request triggered in the local area network game application displayed in the target terminal, wherein the task processing request is used for requesting to process a target game task initiated by a target user account in the local area network game application;

s2, responding to the task processing request, determining a game sandbox matched with the local area network game application and a target virtual network card matched with the game sandbox, wherein the game sandbox is provided with resources required by a game process in the local area network game application;

s3, forwarding a request data packet corresponding to the task processing request to the target virtual network card through the game sandbox;

and S4, sending the request data packet to a transfer server through the target virtual network card, wherein the transfer server is used for determining account information of a reference user account related to the target user account according to the request data packet and processing the target game task based on the account information of the reference user account.

Alternatively, it can be understood by those skilled in the art that the structure shown in fig. 11 is only an illustration, and the electronic device may also be a terminal device such as a smart phone (e.g., an Android phone, an iOS phone, etc.), a tablet computer, a palmtop computer, a Mobile Internet Device (MID), a PAD, and the like. Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating a structure of the electronic device. For example, the electronics may also include more or fewer components (e.g., network interfaces, etc.) than shown in FIG. 11, or have a different configuration than shown in FIG. 11.

The memory 1102 may be used to store software programs and modules, such as program instructions/modules corresponding to the task processing method and apparatus in the embodiments of the present invention, and the processor 1104 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the software programs and modules stored in the memory 1102, that is, implements the task processing method described above. The memory 1102 may include high-speed random access memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state memory. In some examples, the memory 1102 can further include memory located remotely from the processor 1104 and such remote memory can be coupled to the terminal via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the internet, intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof. The memory 1102 may be, but not limited to, used to store information such as information related to the lan game application. As an example, as shown in fig. 11, the memory 1102 may include, but is not limited to, a first obtaining unit 902, a first determining unit 904, a forwarding unit 906, and a processing unit 908 in the task processing apparatus. In addition, other module units in the task processing device may also be included, but are not limited to these, and are not described in detail in this example.

Optionally, the transmitting device 1106 is used for receiving or transmitting data via a network. Examples of the network may include a wired network and a wireless network. In one example, the transmission device 1106 includes a Network adapter (NIC) that can be connected to a router via a Network cable to communicate with the internet or a local area Network. In one example, the transmission device 1106 is a Radio Frequency (RF) module, which is used for communicating with the internet in a wireless manner.

In addition, the electronic device further includes: a display 1108 for displaying information related to the lan game application; and a connection bus 1110 for connecting the respective module components in the above-described electronic apparatus.

In other embodiments, the terminal device or the server may be a node in a distributed system, where the distributed system may be a blockchain system, and the blockchain system may be a distributed system formed by connecting a plurality of nodes through a network communication. Nodes can form a Peer-To-Peer (P2P, Peer To Peer) network, and any type of computing device, such as a server, a terminal, and other electronic devices, can become a node in the blockchain system by joining the Peer-To-Peer network.

According to another aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, there is also provided an electronic device for implementing the task processing method, where the electronic device may be a transit server shown in fig. 1. As shown in fig. 12, the electronic device comprises a memory 1202 and a processor 1204, the memory 1202 having stored therein a computer program, the processor 1204 being arranged to perform the steps of any of the above-described method embodiments by means of the computer program.

Alternatively, it can be understood by those skilled in the art that the structure shown in fig. 12 is only an illustration, and the electronic device may also be a terminal device such as a smart phone (e.g., an Android phone, an iOS phone, etc.), a tablet computer, a palmtop computer, a Mobile Internet Device (MID), a PAD, and the like. Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating a structure of the electronic device. For example, the electronics may also include more or fewer components (e.g., network interfaces, etc.) than shown in FIG. 12, or have a different configuration than shown in FIG. 12.

The memory 1202 may be used to store software programs and modules, such as program instructions/modules corresponding to the task processing method and apparatus in the embodiments of the present invention, and the processor 1204 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the software programs and modules stored in the memory 1202, that is, implements the task processing method described above. The memory 1202 may include high-speed random access memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or other non-volatile solid-state memory. In some examples, the memory 1202 can further include memory located remotely from the processor 1204, which can be connected to a terminal over a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the internet, intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof. The memory 1202 may be, but not limited to, specifically used for storing information such as information related to the lan game application. As an example, as shown in fig. 12, the memory 1202 may include, but is not limited to, a receiving unit 1002, a determining unit 1004, and a processing unit 1006 in the task processing device. In addition, other module units in the task processing device may also be included, but are not limited to these, and are not described in detail in this example.

Optionally, the transmitting device 1206 is configured to receive or transmit data via a network. Examples of the network may include a wired network and a wireless network. In one example, the transmitting device 1206 includes a Network adapter (NIC) that can be connected to a router via a Network cable to communicate with the internet or a local area Network. In one example, the transmitting device 1206 is a Radio Frequency (RF) module, which is used to communicate with the internet in a wireless manner.

In addition, the electronic device further includes: a display 1208, configured to display service information related to the lan game application; and a connection bus 1210 for connecting the respective module parts in the above-described electronic apparatus.

According to an aspect of the application, a computer program product or computer program is provided, comprising computer instructions, the computer instructions being stored in a computer readable storage medium. The processor of the computer device reads the computer instructions from the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor executes the computer instructions, so that the computer device executes the task processing method. Wherein the computer program is arranged to perform the steps of any of the above method embodiments when executed.

Alternatively, in the present embodiment, the above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium may be configured to store a computer program for executing the steps of:

Optionally, in this embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium may be further configured to store a computer program for executing the following steps:

s1, receiving a request data packet sent by a target virtual network card in the cloud game server, wherein the target virtual network card is a virtual network card uniquely created for a game sandbox matched with the local area network game application, a task processing request corresponding to the request data packet is used for requesting processing of a target game task initiated by a target user account in the local area network game application, and the task processing request is triggered by the local area network game application displayed in a target terminal;

s2, determining the task type of the target game task from the request data packet;

and S3, processing the target game task based on the account information of the reference user account determined according to the task type.

Alternatively, in this embodiment, a person skilled in the art may understand that all or part of the steps in the methods of the foregoing embodiments may be implemented by a program instructing hardware associated with the terminal device, where the program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and the storage medium may include: flash disks, Read-Only memories (ROMs), Random Access Memories (RAMs), magnetic or optical disks, and the like.

The above-mentioned serial numbers of the embodiments of the present invention are merely for description and do not represent the merits of the embodiments.

The integrated unit in the above embodiments, if implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as a separate product, may be stored in the above computer-readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solution of the present invention may be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for causing one or more computer devices (which may be personal computers, servers, network devices, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method according to the embodiments of the present invention.

In the above embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of the respective embodiments have respective emphasis, and for parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference may be made to related descriptions of other embodiments.

In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed client may be implemented in other manners. The above-described embodiments of the apparatus are merely illustrative, and for example, the division of the units is only one type of division of logical functions, and there may be other divisions when actually implemented, for example, a plurality of units or components may be combined or may be integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted, or not executed. In addition, the shown or discussed mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection may be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, units or modules, and may be in an electrical or other form.

The units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and parts displayed as units may or may not be physical units, may be located in one place, or may be distributed on a plurality of network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of the embodiment.

In addition, functional units in the embodiments of the present invention may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist alone physically, or two or more units are integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be realized in a form of hardware, and can also be realized in a form of a software functional unit.

The foregoing is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and it should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, various modifications and decorations can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these modifications and decorations should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A task processing method, comprising:

acquiring a task processing request triggered in a local area network game application displayed in a target terminal, wherein the task processing request is used for requesting to process a target game task initiated by a target user account in the local area network game application;

responding to the task processing request, and determining a game sandbox matched with the local area network game application and a target virtual network card matched with the game sandbox, wherein resources required by a game process in the local area network game application are configured in the game sandbox;

forwarding a request data packet corresponding to the task processing request to the target virtual network card through the game sandbox;

and sending the request data packet to a transfer server through the target virtual network card, wherein the transfer server is used for determining account information of a reference user account associated with the target user account according to the request data packet and processing the target game task based on the account information of the reference user account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, in response to the task processing request, a game sandbox that matches the local area network game application and a target virtual network card that matches the game sandbox comprises:

under the condition that the task processing request indicates a first task processing request of the target user account, creating the game sandbox for the target user account, and creating the uniquely matched target virtual network card for the game sandbox;

under the condition that the task processing request indication is not the first task processing request of the target user account, acquiring a candidate network card list; and uniquely determining the target virtual network card from the candidate network card list through an application interface hook function in the game sandbox.

3. The method of claim 2, when creating the game sandbox for the target user account, further comprising:

configuring an application interface hooking function for the game sandbox, wherein the application interface hooking function is used for indicating that the game sandbox is authorized to use part of resources and part of application interfaces in the current cloud game server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the request packet to a transit server via the target virtual network card comprises:

and sending the request data packet to a communication proxy module through the target virtual network card so that the communication proxy module forwards the request data packet to the transfer server, wherein the communication proxy module is used for adding protocol information matched with the transfer server to the request data packet, and the transfer server and the target terminal adopt different communication protocols.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to said obtaining a task processing request triggered in a local area network gaming application:

and configuring game running logic data corresponding to the local area network game application.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, after said sending the request packet to a transit server through the target virtual network card:

under the condition that the task type indicates that a task is found, the transfer server acquires account information of a first candidate user account which is currently in an online state, and returns the account information of the first candidate user account to the target terminal as the account information of the reference user account to finish the target game task, wherein the first candidate user account comprises a user account which is not located in the same local area network as the target user account;

under the condition that the task type indicates a matching task, the transfer server acquires account information of a second candidate user account which is in an online state and does not enter a matching room, and determines the reference user account which is located in the same matching room with the target user account from the second candidate user account; returning the determined account information of the reference user account to the target terminal, and sending the target user account to a reference virtual network card corresponding to the reference user account to complete the target game task; the second candidate user account comprises a user account which is not positioned in the same local area network as the target user account;

under the condition that the task type is indicated as a data transmission task, the transfer server acquires account information of a third candidate user account which is located in the same matching room with the target user account, and takes the account information of the third candidate user account as the account information of the reference user account; and forwarding the game data to be interacted by the target user account to reference virtual network cards corresponding to the reference user accounts respectively so as to complete the target game task, wherein the third candidate user account comprises a user account which is not positioned in the same local area network as the target user account.

7. A task processing method, comprising:

receiving a request data packet sent by a target virtual network card in a cloud game server, wherein the target virtual network card is a virtual network card uniquely created for a game sandbox matched with a local area network game application, a task processing request corresponding to the request data packet is used for requesting processing of a target game task initiated by a target user account in the local area network game application, and the task processing request is triggered by the local area network game application displayed in a target terminal;

determining the task type of the target game task from the request data packet;

and processing the target game task based on the account information of the reference user account determined according to the task type.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein processing the target game task based on account information determined from the task type and the reference user account comprises:

under the condition that the task type indicates that a task is found, account information of a first candidate user account in an online state is acquired, wherein the first candidate user account comprises a user account which is not located in the same local area network as the target user account;

9. The method of claim 7, wherein processing the target game task based on account information determined from the task type and the reference user account comprises:

under the condition that the task type indicates a matching task, acquiring account information of a second candidate user account which is in an online state and does not enter a matching room, wherein the second candidate user account comprises a user account which is not located in the same local area network as the target user account;

determining the reference user account which is positioned in the same matching room with the target user account from the second candidate user accounts;

and returning the determined account information of the reference user account to the target terminal, and sending the target user account to a reference virtual network card corresponding to the reference user account so as to complete the target game task.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein processing the target game task based on account information determined from the task type and the reference user account comprises:

under the condition that the task type indication is a data transmission task, acquiring account information of a third candidate user account which is located in the same matching room with the target user account, wherein the third candidate user account comprises a user account which is not located in the same local area network as the target user account;

11. A task processing apparatus, comprising:

the system comprises a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit and a task processing unit, wherein the first acquisition unit is used for acquiring a task processing request triggered in a local area network game application displayed in a target terminal, and the task processing request is used for requesting to process a target game task initiated by a target user account in the local area network game application;

a first determining unit, configured to determine, in response to the task processing request, a game sandbox that matches the lan game application and a target virtual network card that matches the game sandbox, where resources required for a game process in the lan game application are configured in the game sandbox;

the forwarding unit is used for forwarding a request data packet corresponding to the task processing request to the target virtual network card through the game sandbox;

and the processing unit is used for sending the request data packet to a transfer server through the target virtual network card, wherein the transfer server is used for determining account information of a reference user account related to the target user account according to the request data packet and processing the target game task based on the account information of the reference user account.

12. A task processing apparatus, comprising:

the cloud game server comprises a receiving unit, a processing unit and a processing unit, wherein the receiving unit is used for receiving a request data packet sent by a target virtual network card in the cloud game server, the target virtual network card is a virtual network card which is uniquely established for a game sandbox matched with a local area network game application, a task processing request corresponding to the request data packet is used for requesting processing of a target game task initiated by a target user account in the local area network game application, and the task processing request is triggered by the local area network game application displayed in a target terminal;

the determining unit is used for determining the task type of the target game task from the request data packet;

and the processing unit is used for processing the target game task based on the account information of the reference user account determined according to the task type.

13. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising a stored program, wherein the program when executed performs the method of any one of claims 1 to 10.

14. An electronic device comprising a memory and a processor, characterized in that the memory has stored therein a computer program, the processor being arranged to execute the method of any of claims 1 to 10 by means of the computer program.