Data communication system and methods

Abstract

A data communication system and methods are disclosed. One of the methods includes receiving portions of information such as game content information. The portions are compared to a maximum transmission unit of a network, and combined if their combination is smaller than the maximum transmission unit. Combining of the information portions allows for efficient communication of the information portions. The information portions may also be divided into segments and combined with other portions for communication.

1 . A method, comprising: 
 receiving at a communication device a first portion of game information from a first game server external to the communication device;    receiving a second portion of game information at the communication device;    determining if a combination of the first portion of game information and the second portion of game information exceeds a maximum transmission unit associated with a network;    in response to determining that the combination of the first portion of game information and the second portion of game information do not exceed the maximum transmission unit, combining the first portion and the second portion of game information to form a first transmission packet; and    sending the first transmission packet to a first game client via the network.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication device is a software device.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of game information represents player movement information.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion of game information represents game patch information.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion of game information represents an update of game information for a plurality of game clients.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion of game information represents a pre-caching of game content.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 in response to determining that the combination of the first portion of game information and the second portion of game information exceeds the maximum transmission unit: 
 combining a first segment of the second portion of game information with the first portion of game information to form a second transmission packet;  
 sending the second transmission packet to the game client via the network;  
 forming an Nth transmission packet including a second segment of the second portion of game information; and  
 sending the Nth transmission packet to the game client via the network.  
   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the Nth transmission packet includes an Nth portion of game information.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion of game information is received from a second game server.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 creating a header for the first transmission packet, wherein the header indicates a size of the first portion of game information and a size of the second portion of game information.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first portion of game information is received from a first game application at the game server and the second portion of game information is received from a second game application at the game server.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 storing the second portion of game information at the communication device;    receiving an Nth portion of game information at the communication device;    combining the Nth portion of game information and the stored second portion of game information to form a second transmission packet; and    providing the second transmission packet to a second game client via the network.    
   
   
       13 . A method comprising: 
 receiving a first transmission packet at a game client;    determining that the first transmission packet includes a first portion of game information and a first segment of a second portion of game information;    storing the first segment of the second portion of game information;    receiving a second transmission packet at the game client;    determining that the second transmission packet includes an Nth portion of game information and a second segment of the second portion of game information; and    combining the first segment and the second segment of the second portion of game information.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 determining that the first transmission packet includes a first segment of an Nth portion of game information;    storing the first segment of the Nth portion of game information;    receiving a second transmission packet at the game client;    determining that the second transmission packet includes a second segment of the Nth portion of game information; and    combining the first segment and the second segment of the Nth portion of game information.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 determining a length of the first segment of the second portion of game information based on a header of the first transmission packet.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 storing the first portion of game information in a first receive packet;    wherein combining the first segment and the second segment of the second portion of game information comprises storing the first segment and the second segment in a second receive packet;    providing the first receive packet and the second receive packet to a receive packet stack of the game client.    
   
   
       17 . A system, comprising: 
 a housing component at least partially defining an enclosure;    a first processor located within the enclosure, the first processor operable to execute at least a portion of a locally stored game server and to communicate with a remote game client; and    a packet mixing module, the packet mixing module responsive to the first processor and operable to intercept packets of game information between the first processor and the remote game client, to combine the packets of game information to form packets of combined game information, and to transmit the packets of combined game information to the remote game client.    
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the packet mixing module is external to the enclosure.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the packet mixing module is a software or firmware module of the first processor.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the packet mixing module is further operable to subdivide one or more packets of game information to form subdivided packets of game information, and wherein the one or more of the packets of combined game information includes one or more subdivided packets of game information.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the packets of combined game information includes game patch information and game status information.