Two networking and multiplayer patents were filed this month, one each from SNK and Google.
Google's filing addresses latency challenges in cloud gaming and extended reality applications by introducing an uplink scheduling method that uses a process ID formula to optimize 5G retransmission timing for quasi-periodic, high-data-rate wireless traffic. SNK describes a distributed game server architecture designed to enable real-time interaction among hundreds of players across multiple server boundaries, targeting scenarios where current systems face scalability limits around 100 concurrent players.
Google received 1 patent that tackles wireless transmission problems in cloud gaming and XR applications. The filing describes a method for identifying uplink retransmission requests using a mathematical formula based on the number of configured grant channel occasions and the symbol index divided by periodicity. This formula-driven approach replaces less precise identifier assignment methods that can cause collisions when handling the irregular, quasi-periodic traffic patterns typical of streaming immersive content over 5G.
SNK received 1 patent for a server architecture that divides a game world into non-overlapping sections, with each server handling all processing for characters within its assigned area. The approach differs from conventional designs that require servers to duplicate work across overlapping zones. Characters can move between sections and interact across server boundaries because the system transfers processing responsibility to whichever server owns the region a character currently occupies, regardless of which server initially connected that player.
All data sourced from USPTO patent filings. Google Patents may take several weeks to index recent publications. If a link is unavailable, search for the patent number at USPTO Patent Public Search.