FI115675B - Real-time interactive three-dimensional computer game providing method involves sending compressed data entities describing player-specific views of game world, by server to computer terminal via network - Google Patents

Abstract

A server system (410) determines the number of player-specific views corresponding to the following game situation in a of a game world, based on the input data from a computer terminal (420). The server system forms and compresses the player-specific data entities describing the player-specific views. The compressed data entities are sent to the computer terminal via a communication network (430). The method involves decompressing the received compressed player-specific data entities of each computer terminal from the server system. The decompressed data are presented to a player via the user interface of the computer terminal. An independent claim is also included for a server system.

Description

115675

This invention relates to a method for accelerating and rationalizing the simultaneous execution of various graphics applications on a plurality of computers.

There is a well-known system of centralized data processing in data processing. use of server computers to run applications. The general principle behind executing these applications is that application users communicate with the application 10 executed by the server via client computers. Known server-based software include database applications.

The cost-effectiveness of the operation depends on the number of applications in relation to the price ratio of the computer hardware. Of course, to achieve an affordable end result, a single server is designed to meet the needs of as many customers as possible.

On the other hand, it is known that computers can make realistic-looking simulations of a three-dimensional world using a separate graphics accelerator card. Particularly important and much used is this, for example, when playing 20 games that navigate worlds like the above.

I I * ». * ·. Running graphics applications such as the above on servers is hampered by computing. * *. the slowness of switching between the graphics accelerator board and the memory (j) of the graphics (texture). The traditional design of computers usually prevents insertion of cards, but of course it is possible to add graphics memory. However, in such cases, they usually also move to an uneconomical operating area.

•> ·> «·»: ': Computer graphics accelerators are generally designed to run only one graphics-intensive application at a time. Traditionally, things have been solved * ·; · *. 30 so that the work of each customer being served is done in their own process by. . processes are performed alternately by the server operating system for a short period of time.

Execution of a typical server-based game application proceeds, for example

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115675 2 as follows:

Input processing o Simulation o Drawing a new image> => Compressing and sending an image o Waiting for the next image to be drawn. In other words, this returns to the beginning of 5 cycles.

If several such processes are executed on the same server at the same time, it is sometimes the case that two or more different process '' new image drawing '' steps occur at the same time. As the computer operating systems alternate between the processes that are currently running between all the processes running on the computer, the graphics card in the computer will then have to change its tasks frequently, causing an unwanted slowdown in its operation.

When using multiple servers, the transmission of non-synchronized games may and may not occur at the same time, causing capacity problems in data transfer if the servers are communicating with client computers using an Ethernet-like data network where capacity is allocated on a competitive booking basis.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel solution to the problems described above. The aim is to streamline operations so that they are both concurrent and competing: “processes are avoided, reducing graphics workloads and speeding up * * · tasks. This is accomplished as set forth in the appended claims.

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In short, the server-side application is modified to:. a single operating system process can serve multiple clients .... alternately. In this case, (a) the service of these customers does not compete with the resources of the graphics card because they are not executed simultaneously and (b) the games of these customers »♦» '; 30 can use the same 3D world model to save graphics card memory.

This significantly improves server performance in a situation where many clients are using the same application.

In addition, in the case of games, the order of service of the various customers is selected so that the games of the players closest to the I, 3 115675 are played in succession. This makes it possible to utilize the so-called memory accelerator memory. caching feature, where newly used 3-D model parts are faster in use than previously unused parts.

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In addition, if the game server computer is running more than one processor, it is advisable to separate the image compression and transmission into its own execution thread, which can be run on any of the machine's processors. Again, it is advisable to lock the strands that draw the image of the various games to operate on the same processor 10 for synchronization purposes.

When more than one game is played on the same server computer, or when the same game is played on more than one server, these cannot be run in the same operating system process and thus prevent them from using the gra-15 smart card at the same time. Therefore, it is preferable to use an external synchronization procedure in which one computer distributes time slots for each process of the other computers.

For example, a cable that connects the parallel port of a slot 20 computer to all other computers in the same cluster is suitable for this purpose. kaisportteihin. The slot splitting computer provides a parallel port »» *. v. Draw a character for each game on each server so the games draw their screens. At the same time, it also synchronizes the transmission of the compressed image over the network to the client devices, thus maximizing the capacity of the network.

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The operation of the server-to-client network can be further enhanced; by providing a separate proxy computer through which all traffic from servers to the network '] and from client devices to servers takes place. The proxy computer uses software, ·. the country that receives the images sent by the servers and forwards them to the network. 30 sizes at as even intervals as possible. In addition, the program can refrain from using the Λ network when it waits for an acknowledgment message from a client device to an already sent image. 'But. This ensures that images sent by different servers and acknowledgments of terminals »· do not compete with each other on network capacity.

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The simultaneous use of external synchronization such as the one described above is also necessary to minimize waiting time on the proxy computer for images.

Claims (10)

115675 A method for executing one or more multi-user graphics applications, such as a game, on one or more server computers or the like 5, to speed up process execution and prevent crash situations, characterized by sequencing each client's own idle service time in each operating system process. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that when more than one process is performed on one server or when more than one process is performed on more than one server, the provision of service time for performing the processes is done in a synchronized manner. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the provision of service time 15 to different users is performed by means of a separate synchronization device. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the order of customer service in each process is selected by executing the closest, e.g., three-dimensional, world of the memory in the graphics card; 20 client service before remote client service to take advantage of the caching feature. • I «• ·. * ·. Method according to Claim 3, characterized in that the synchronization device is a separate computer which, by means of a suitable interface, allocates time to other servers / different processes in a synchronized manner. 6. A method according to claim 3 or 5, characterized in that the pacing device also takes care of sending the compressed image to the client in a synchronized manner: ·! ·. way. 30 Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that t »· '..! the image is compressed and transmitted in its own execution thread, whereby the execution threads drawing the image · · are locked to operate on the same processor even if more than one process, such as a game, is executed. 115675 Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that all communication between the server or servers and the clients is carried out by means of a separate proxy computer. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that the proxy computer receives the images transmitted by the servers, transmits it to the network using the proxy computer at approximately equal intervals, and uses the network prior to receiving a receipt from the client. 10 • 1 · • «♦ 1« «I» I · »1» 115675