Client server interaction for graphical/audio applications

摘要

Client server interaction for networked graphical and/or audio applications is described, for example, for networked games. A graph of connected nodes at a server encodes a state, a behavior and a plurality of graphical and/or audio displays of an application. For example, the application may be a game and the plurality of displays may be displays of client computers participating in the game. In various examples, client computers are connected to the server over a communications network and each client executes a copy of at least part of the graph of connected nodes received from the server so that different clients can have different displays. In examples, update commands are generated and sent to clients on the basis of changes to the graph of connected nodes at the server. In examples, events occurring at a client update a prediction copy of a client graph of connected nodes.

主权项

1. A computer implemented method at a server comprising:
executing, at a processor of the server, a graph of connected nodes that encode a state, a behavior and, a plurality of graphical and/or audio displays of an application, at least some of the nodes being indicated as secret with respect to one or more clients of a plurality of clients; receiving data from the plurality of clients connected to the server over a communications network, individual ones of the plurality of clients executing a copy of at least part of the graph of connected nodes received from the server such that at least part of at least one of the graphical and/or audio displays is rendered at individual ones of the plurality of clients; from time to time computing update commands arranged to update the copies of the graph at one or more of the plurality of clients on the basis of changes to the graph of connected nodes at the server which occur as a result of the execution, wherein computing the update commands to be sent to one of the clients comprises skipping nodes of the graph of connected nodes at the server which are secret to the client; transmitting, several times a second, synchronization packets comprising the update commands to one or more of the plurality of clients over the communications network; and wherein a first one of the plurality of clients executes a first part of the graph of connected nodes and a second one of the plurality of clients executes a second part of the graph of connected nodes, the first and second parts being different subsets of the graph of connected nodes.