CN115518372A

CN115518372A - Game system and game server operating method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN115518372A
Application number: CN202110714666.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 陈冠儒; 张鸿铭
Original assignee: Acer Inc
Current assignee: Acer Inc
Priority date: 2021-06-25
Filing date: 2021-06-25
Publication date: 2022-12-27

Abstract

The invention provides a game system and a game server operation method thereof. The game system includes a plurality of player devices and a game server. The game server establishes network connections with the player devices. When one of the player devices initiates a game, the game server issues a game notification to the player devices in accordance with the player list. The game server determines a collective throughput for the player devices based on responses of the player devices to the game notifications.

Description

Game system and game server operation method thereof

Technical Field

The invention relates to a multi-machine interconnection game technology, in particular to a game system and a game server operation method thereof.

Background

Multiplayer online games (multiplayer online games) are games that can allow multiple players (multiple player devices) to interact simultaneously in a virtual world. The player device may be a personal computer, a cell phone, a tablet computer, a home gaming machine, or other gaming platform. Different player devices have different performance, and the performance difference affects the gaming experience. For example, different player devices have different Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) throughputs. Because of TCP throughput differences, different player devices may wait for each other during the game, thereby creating game delays (lags) and/or other phenomena.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention provides a game system and a game server operation method thereof, so that a plurality of player devices can play the same game together.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the game system includes a plurality of player devices and a game server. The game server is used for establishing network connection with the player devices. When one of the player devices initiates a game, the game server issues a game notification to the player devices in accordance with the player list. The game server determines a throughput (throughput) of the player devices based on responses of the player devices to the game notifications.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the method for operating a game server includes: establishing, by a game server, a network connection with a plurality of player devices; issuing, by the game server, a game notification to the player devices in accordance with the player list when one of the player devices initiates a game; and determining, by the game server, a collective throughput of the player devices based on responses of the player devices to the game notifications.

Based on the above, the game server may issue the same game notification to different player devices and wait for responses from these player devices. The game server may determine the collective throughput based on the responses of the player devices. Based on the collective throughput, the actual throughput of the player devices may be as consistent as possible. Consistent throughput may avoid multiple player devices waiting for each other as much as possible during the course of a game played by the same player device.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the game system includes a plurality of player devices and a game server. The game server is used for establishing network connection with the player devices. The game server checks the current throughput of the online device of the current one of the player devices. The game server determines whether to share a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) with the current player device based on the current throughput of the current player device.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the operation method of the game server includes: establishing, by a game server, a network connection with a plurality of player devices; checking, by the game server, a current throughput of the online device of a current one of the player devices; and determining, by the game server, whether to perform graphics processor sharing for the current player device based on the current throughput of the current player device.

Based on the above, the game server can dynamically (adaptively) decide whether or not to share the computational resources of the graphics processor of the game server to any of these player devices.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit block diagram of a gaming system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of operation of a game server in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a game initialization process of a game server according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of operation of a game server according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating dynamic GPU sharing of a game server according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Description of the reference numerals

100 game system

110 game server

120 u 1, 120 n player device

S210-S230, S310-S370, S410-S430, S510-S575

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

The term "coupled" as used throughout this specification, including the claims, may refer to any direct or indirect connection means. For example, if a first device couples (or connects) to a second device, it should be construed that the first device may be directly connected to the second device or the first device may be indirectly connected to the second device through some other device or some connection means. The terms "first," "second," and the like, as used throughout this specification, including the claims, are used to refer to elements or components by name or to distinguish one element from another, and are not used to limit the number of elements or components, nor the order in which the elements or components are arranged. Further, wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. Components/parts/steps in different embodiments using the same reference numerals or using the same terms may be referred to one another in relation to the description.

Fig. 1 is a schematic circuit block diagram of a game system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Gaming system 100 includes a game server 110 and a plurality of player devices (e.g., n player devices 120_1, \8230;, 120 _nshown in fig. 1). The game server 110 may establish a network connection with these player devices 120 _1to 120_n. Any of the player devices 120 _1-120 _nmay initiate a game. Based on display sharing (display sharing) by the game server 110, the player devices 120 _1to 120 _ncan play multiplayer online games (multiplayer online games).

Fig. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method of operating the game server 110 according to an embodiment of the invention. Please refer to fig. 1 and fig. 2. In step S210, the game server 110 establishes a network connection with the player devices 120_1 to 120_n. Upon one of the player devices 120 _1-120 _ninitiating a game, the game server 110 may issue a game notification to the player devices 120 _1-120 _nin accordance with the player manifest in step S220. The player devices 120 _1-120 _nmay receive the game notifications and generate responses to the game server 110 for the game notifications. In step S230, upon a response of the player devices 120_1-120_n to the game notification, the game server 110 may determine a common throughput (throughput) of the player devices 120 _1-120_n. Depending on the actual design, the common throughput may include Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) throughput and/or other throughput in some embodiments.

For example, in some embodiments, the game notification includes one and the same welcome screen. The player devices 120 _1-120 _nmay receive the same welcome screen and generate a response to the game server 110 for the same welcome screen. After the game server 110 issues the same welcome screen to the player devices 120 _1-120 _, the game server 110 may count the response time of any of the player devices 120 _1-120 _nto the same welcome screen. The game server 110 may determine whether to issue a "device upgrade notification" to the current player device based on the response time of the current player device (any one of the player devices 120_1-120 _n) to inform the user of the current player device that the performance of the player device is not suitable for playing the game. For example, when the response time of one of the invited player devices 120_1-120 \nis greater than a time threshold, the game server 110 may issue a device upgrade notification to the invited player device. The time threshold is any real number that can be determined according to the actual design.

The present embodiment does not limit the determination manner of the common throughput in step S230. For example, in some embodiments, the game server 110 may issue a game notification to the player devices 120 _1-120 _nin step S220 to query the transmission memory size of any of the player devices 120 _1-120 _n. Depending on the design, the transmission memory may be a memory configured for an online device (such as a network card or other device), or a TCP memory, or other memory used for network data transmission. Depending on the size of the transmission memory of each of the player devices 120 _1through 120_n, the game server 110 may determine a common throughput applicable to the player devices 120 _1through 120_n. For example, in some embodiments, the game server 110 may determine the common throughput based on a minimum transmission memory size of the transmission memory sizes of the player devices 120 _1-120 _. The game server 110 may notify the player devices 120 _1-120 _, so that any of the player devices 120 _1-120 _, may set the nominal throughput (e.g., TCP throughput) of the own online device in accordance with the common throughput.

Based on the above, the game server 110 may issue the same game notification to different player devices 120_1-120_n and wait for responses from these player devices 120_1-120_n. The game server 110 may determine the collective throughput based on the responses of these player devices 120_1-120_n. The actual throughput of these player devices 120 _1to 120 _ncan be as uniform as possible based on the collective throughput. The consistent throughput can prevent the player devices 120\ u 1 to 120 \ "from waiting for each other as much as possible during the process in which the plurality of player devices 120 \1to 120 \" n play the same game together.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a game initialization process of the game server 110 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to fig. 1 and fig. 3. In step S310, the player may designate a partner (player device) to determine a player list. It is assumed that the player list decided at step S310 includes player devices 120_1 to 120_n. In step S320, the game server 110 may obtain the network addresses of the player devices 120 _1to 120 _nfrom the player list. In step S330, the game server 110 may issue a same welcome screen (game announcement) and a same timestamp to the player devices 120 _1-120 _, and query the transmission memory size of any of the player devices 120 _1-120 _. Depending on the design, the transmission memory may be a memory allocated to the online device, or a TCP memory, or other memory used for network data transmission.

The player devices 120 _1-120 _nmay receive the same welcome screen and generate a response to the game server 110 for the same welcome screen. In step S340, the game server 110 may count the response time of any one of the player devices 120 _1through 120_, to the same welcome screen. Step S350 may compare the response time of any of the player devices 120_1-120_n to the time threshold. The time threshold may be any real number determined according to the actual design.

For ease of description, one of the player devices 120 _1-120 _nwill be referred to herein as the invited player device, while the others of the player devices 120 _1-120 _nmay be analogized by referring to the relevant description of the "invited player device". When the response time of the invited player device is not greater than the time threshold (no in step S350), the game server 110 proceeds to step S360. In step S360, the game server 110 may determine a common throughput applicable to each of the player devices 120 _1to 120 _naccording to the size of the transmission memory of each of the player devices 120 _1to 120_n. For example, the game server 110 may set the invited player device according to the minimum transmission memory size among the transmission memory sizes of the player devices 120 _1to 120_n.

When the response time of the invited player device is greater than the time threshold (yes to the determination result of step S350), the game server 110 proceeds to step S370. In step S370, the game server 110 may issue a device upgrade notification to the invited player device to inform the user of the invited player device that "the performance of the invited player device is not suitable for playing this game". After step S370 ends, game server 110 may proceed to step S360.

Fig. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an operation method of the game server 110 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to fig. 1 and fig. 4. In step S410, the game server 110 establishes a network connection with the player devices 120_1 to 120_n. Step S410 can be analogized with reference to the description of steps S210, S220 and S230 shown in fig. 2. In some embodiments, the game notification issued by the game server 110 in step S410 may include an identical time stamp. The player devices 120 _1-120 _nmay receive the game notifications and generate responses to the game server 110 for the same timestamps. The game server 110 may examine the responses of any of the player devices 120 _1-120 _nto the same time stamp and determine whether the any of the player devices 120 _1-120 _nis a legitimate player device based on the responses.

In step S420, the game server 110 may check the current throughput of the online device of one of the player devices 120 _1-120 _n. In step S430, the game server 110 may determine whether to perform Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) sharing on the current player device according to the current throughput of the current player device. In some embodiments, the GPU is shared to include: depending on the Tungsten map shading Infrastructure (TGSI) information of the current player device (one of player devices 120 _1-120 _), a Graphics processor (GPU, not shown in fig. 1) of game server 110 may render the current Graphics (video frame) and return this current Graphics to the current player device. In addition to this current player device, game server 110 may broadcast the current graphics to other of player devices 120 u 1-120 u for multiplayer online gaming.

When the game server 110 decides to cancel GPU sharing for a current player device (one of the player devices 120 _1to 120 _n) at step S430, the game server 110 may set this current player device to streaming mode. In the streaming mode, the current player device cannot use the GPU computing resources of the game server 110, so as to reduce the workload of critical components (such as a cpu, memory, and/or storage device) of the current player device. Thus, the current graphics (current picture frame) is rendered by the GPU of this current player device. In addition to being available for display by this current player device, this current player device in streaming mode also transmits the current graphics to game server 110. The game server 110 may broadcast the current graphics rendered by this current player device to other player devices of player devices 120 u 1-120 v for playing a multiplayer online game.

The present embodiment does not limit the decision mechanism of the game server 110 in step S430. In accordance with a practical design, in some embodiments, the game server 110 may calculate an average of the current throughputs (e.g., current TCP throughputs) of the player devices 120 _1-120 _n, and the game server 110 may compare the current throughput of the current player device (one of the player devices 120 _1-120 _n) with the average and decide whether to GPU-share this current player device depending on the comparison. For example, when the current throughput (e.g., the current TCP throughput) of the current player device is lower than the average value, the game server 10 may check whether the critical components (e.g., the cpu, the memory, and/or the storage device) of the current player device are full, and determine whether to perform the GPU sharing on the current player device according to the check result.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating dynamic GPU sharing of the game server 110 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to fig. 1 and 5. In step S510, the game server 110 may issue an identical welcome screen (game announcement) and an identical time stamp to the player devices 120 _1to 120 _. Step S510 shown in fig. 5 can be analogized with the related description of step S330 shown in fig. 3, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted. The player devices 120 _1-120 _nmay receive the same welcome screen and generate a response to the game server 110 for the same timestamp. In step S520, the game server 110 may check the response of any of the player devices 120 u 1-120 u n to the same timestamp. When the response of one (current player device) of the player devices 120 _1through 120 _ndoes not have the same time stamp (no in step S530), game server 110 may determine that the current player device is a player device of a different group or that the current player device is not a legitimate player device (step S540).

When the same time stamp is given to the response of one (the current player device) of the player devices 120_1 to 120_n (yes in step S530), the game server 110 may decide that this current player device is a legitimate player device and proceed to step S550. In step S550, the game server 110 may calculate an average of the current throughputs (e.g., current TCP throughputs) of the player devices 120 _1-120 _, n during the course of the game, and the game server 110 may compare the current throughput of the current player device (any of the player devices 120 _1-120 _, n) to the average. When the current throughput of this current player device is lower than the average value (yes in step S555), game server 110 may proceed to step S560. When the current throughput of this current player device is not lower than the average value (no in step S555), game server 110 may proceed to step S570.

In step S560, the game server 110 may check whether the key component of the current player device is full. For example, the game server 110 may check whether any of the current player device's central processor, memory, and storage device is fully loaded. When the key component of the current player device is fully loaded (yes in step S560), the game server 110 may perform step S565 to reduce the workload of the key component of the current player device. In step S565, game server 110 may cancel the GPU sharing for this current player device and set this current player device in streaming mode. The streaming mode and the GPU sharing are explained in detail in the related description of step S430, and therefore are not described herein again. After step S565 is completed, game server 110 may return to step S555. When all key components of this current player device are not fully loaded (no in step S560), game server 110 may proceed to step S570.

In step S570, game server 110 may check whether this current player device has been set to streaming mode. When the current operation mode of the current player device is not the streaming mode (no in step S570), game server 110 may return to step S555. When the current operation mode of the current player device is the streaming mode (yes in step S570), game server 110 may proceed to step S575. In step S575, game server 110 can cancel streaming mode for this current player device and resume GPU sharing for this current player device. That is, this current player device may again use the GPU computing resources of game server 110.

Based on the above, the game server 110 can dynamically (adaptively) determine whether or not to share the operation resources of the GPU of the game server 110 to any of the player devices 120 \1to 120 \n. Any of player devices 120 _1-120 _n (e.g., the current player device) increases the workload of critical components because of running GPU sharing. When the current throughput of the current player device is below the average and the workload of any critical component of the current player device is full, game server 110 may dynamically (adaptively) decide to cancel GPU sharing for the current player device to reduce the workload of the critical component of the current player device. In some practical designs, the "workload of critical components is fully loaded" may be understood as "equipment usage reaches 100%". After the condition is resolved (the current throughput of the current player device is not lower than the average, or the workload of all critical components of the current player device is not fully loaded), the game server 110 may dynamically (adaptively) decide to resume GPU sharing for the current player device.

Many games still rely on a Central Processing Unit (CPU) for rendering operations. In order to reduce the load of the CPU, the current technology of address translation can be implemented by hardware. Therefore, the program belonging to the Application Layer (Application Layer) and the program belonging to the operating system Kernel Layer (OS Kernel Layer) are stored in the same memory block, and then the switching is performed by the hardware address translation technique. Unlike the conventional method, the conventional method requires an interrupt to be issued by the CPU and then transfer and copy are performed. In a Client Device (e.g., player devices 120_1-120 _n), a Virtual Memory (Virtual Memory) is partitioned between an application layer and a core layer. Programs belonging to the application layer and the core layer, such as a game application program, a GPU device, a graphics Driver (graphics Driver), and a socket (socket), may be stored in the same block of the virtual memory. When a user opens a game, the game application maps (mapping) with physical memory. When the GPU operation is required or the transmission is performed through the socket (socket), the address is transferred to the GPU, the graphics driver, and the address to which the socket (socket) belongs, and mapped to the physical memory in a hardware manner. The architecture of the address translation technology of a Server Device (e.g., game Server 110) is similar to that of a client Device. In the server device, the virtual memory stores a Display Sharing Module (Display Sharing Module), a GPU device, a graphics driver, and a socket (socket). When it is needed to operate, the address is converted to the address by the hardware address conversion technology, and then the address is mapped with the physical memory.

Depending on design requirements, the game server 110 and/or the player devices 120 u 1 to 120 u n may be implemented in hardware (hardware), firmware (firmware), software (software, i.e., program), or a combination of more than one of the three.

In terms of hardware, the game server 110 and/or the player devices 120 _1to 120 _nmay be implemented as logic circuits on an integrated circuit (integrated circuit). The game server 110 and/or the associated functions of the player devices 120 _1to 120 _nmay be implemented as hardware using a hardware description language (e.g., verilog HDL or VHDL) or other suitable programming language. For example, the game server 110 and/or the functions associated with the player devices 120 u 1-120 n may be implemented in various logic blocks, modules, and circuits within one or more controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital Signal Processors (DSPs), field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), and/or other processing units.

In software and/or firmware, the functionality associated with the game server 110 and/or the player devices 120 u 1-120 u n may be implemented as programming codes. For example, the game server 110 and (or) the player devices 120 _1-120 _nmay be implemented using a general programming language (e.g., C + +, or assembly language) or other suitable programming language. The programming code may be recorded/stored in a "non-transitory computer readable medium". In some embodiments, the non-transitory computer readable medium includes, for example, read Only Memory (ROM), tape (tape), disk (disk), card (card), semiconductor Memory, programmable logic, and/or Memory devices. The storage device includes a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), a Solid-state drive (SSD), or other storage devices. A computer, CPU, controller, microcontroller, or microprocessor may read and execute the programming code from the non-transitory computer-readable medium to perform the functions associated with game server 110 and/or player devices 120_1-120_n as described above. The program code may be supplied to the computer (or CPU) via any transmission medium (such as a communication network or a broadcast wave). Such as the Internet, a wired communication network, a wireless communication network, or other communication media.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, and not to limit the same; while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that: the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may still be modified, or some or all of the technical features may be equivalently replaced; and these modifications or substitutions do not depart from the spirit of the corresponding technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gaming system, the gaming system comprising:

a plurality of player devices; and

a game server for establishing network connection with the plurality of player devices, wherein

The game server issues a game notification to the plurality of player devices according to a player list when one of the plurality of player devices initiates a game, and the game server determines a common throughput of the plurality of player devices according to responses of the plurality of player devices to the game notification.

2. The game system according to claim 1, wherein the game notification includes a same welcome screen, the game server counts a response time of any one of the plurality of player devices to the same welcome screen, and the game server decides whether to issue a device upgrade notification to the any one of the plurality of player devices depending on the response time.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said game notification includes a same time stamp, wherein said game server checks a response of any of said plurality of player devices to said same time stamp, and wherein said game server determines whether said any of said plurality of player devices is a valid player device based on said response.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said game server checks a current throughput of online devices of a current player device of said plurality of player devices, and wherein said game server determines whether to share graphics processors with said current player device based on said current throughput of said current player device.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein said graphics processor sharing comprises,

drawing, by a graphics processor of the game server, a current graphic according to the tungsten drawing coloring infrastructure information of the current player device, and transmitting the current graphic back to the current player device.

6. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein said game server calculates an average of said current throughputs of said plurality of player devices, said game server comparing said current throughputs of said current player devices with said average to determine whether to perform said graphics processor sharing on said current player device, and

when the current throughput of the current player device is lower than the average, the game server checks whether a key component of the current player device is full to decide whether to perform the graphics processor sharing on the current player device.

7. An operation method of a game server, characterized by comprising:

establishing, by the game server, a network connection with a plurality of player devices;

issuing, by the game server, a game notification to the plurality of player devices in accordance with a player list when a game is initiated at one of the plurality of player devices; and

determining, by the game server, a collective throughput of the plurality of player devices based on responses of the plurality of player devices to the game notifications.

8. A gaming system, the gaming system comprising:

a plurality of player devices; and

a game server configured to establish a network connection with the plurality of player devices, wherein the game server checks a current throughput of an online device of a current player device of the plurality of player devices, and the game server determines whether to perform graphics processor sharing on the current player device according to the current throughput of the current player device.

9. The gaming system of claim 8, wherein said graphics processor sharing comprises,

10. An operation method of a game server, the operation method comprising:

checking, by the game server, a current throughput of an online device of a current player device of the plurality of player devices; and

determining, by the game server, whether to perform graphics processor sharing for the current player device based on the current throughput of the current player device.