Dead reckoning in a gaming environment

Abstract

Client position in a multi-client game is determined using dead reckoning. Clients send information to a server over a network. The server distributes this information to other clients. A client uses this information and dead reckoning to determine a character's position. The server may calculate the client's position using dead reckoning and send updates to clients when errors between actual and calculated positions exceed a threshold. Clients may calculate their position according to dead reckoning, and when an error between actual and calculated position exceeds a threshold, send updated information to other clients. This Abstract is provided for the sole purpose of complying with the Abstract requirement rules that allow a reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure contained herein. This Abstract is submitted with the explicit understanding that it will not be used to interpret or to limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.

1 . A method for updating character positions, the method comprising:
 receiving information sent over a communication network from a client device, the received information regarding a character controlled by the client device and computing resources available to the client device; and   executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor:
 modifies a dead-reckoning error threshold for the client device based on the available computing resources, 
 provides updates from a server to the client device when a dead-reckoning prediction regarding a character of at least one other client device exceeds the modified dead-reckoning error threshold, 
 monitors the computing resources available to the client device to detect changes, and 
 updates the dead-reckoning error threshold for the client device based on the detected changes to the computing resources. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the received information regarding the character includes at least one of a location, velocity, or acceleration of the character within the game. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing resources include at least one of available bandwidth and processing capabilities of the client device. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the modification to the dead-reckoning error threshold includes increasing the dead-reckoning error threshold when the client device is too busy or would be unable to process all incoming data from the server. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the modification to the dead-reckoning error threshold includes decreasing the dead-reckoning error threshold when the client device is less busy or is now able to process incoming data from the server. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the modification to the dead-reckoning error threshold is set at pre-determined threshold levels. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising instructing the client device to perform a partial dead-reckoning prediction regarding the character of the at least one other client device based on the non-character information for the client device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the partial dead-reckoning prediction includes reducing a number of dimensions for calculating the character information within the game. 
     
     
         10 . A system for updating character positions, the system comprising:
 a client device participating in a network game connected to a gaming network and controlling a character within the network game; and   a server that:
 receives information sent over a communication network from the client device, the received information regarding the character and computing resources available to the client device, 
 modifies a dead-reckoning error threshold for the client device based on the available computing resources, 
 provides updates to the client device when a dead-reckoning prediction regarding a character of at least one other client device exceeds the modified dead-reckoning error threshold, 
 monitors the computing resources available to the client device to detect changes, and 
 updates the dead-reckoning error threshold for the client device based on the detected changes to the computing resources. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the received information regarding the character includes at least one of a location, velocity or acceleration of the character within the game. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the computing resources include at least one of available bandwidth and processing capabilities of the client device. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the modification to the dead-reckoning error threshold includes increasing the dead-reckoning error threshold when the client device is too busy or would be unable to process all incoming data from the server. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the modification to the dead-reckoning error threshold includes decreasing the dead-reckoning error threshold when the client device is less busy or is now able to process incoming data from the server. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the modification to the dead-reckoning error threshold is set at pre-determined threshold levels. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the server further instructs the client device to perform a partial dead-reckoning prediction regarding the character of the at least one other client device based on the non-character information for the client device. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the partial dead-reckoning prediction includes reducing a number of dimensions for calculating the character information within the game. 
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a method for updating character positions, the method comprising:
 receiving information sent over a communication network from a client device, the received information regarding a character controlled by the client device and computing resources available to the client device;   modifying a dead-reckoning error threshold for the client device based on the available computing resources;   providing updates from a server to the client device when a dead-reckoning prediction regarding a character of at least one other client device exceeds the modified dead-reckoning error threshold;   monitoring the computing resources available to the client device to detect changes; and   updating the dead-reckoning error threshold for the client device based on the detected changes to the computing resources.