Game data offloading to a blockchain

• US 10,530,569 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2019
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bisti, Jeffrey, Bertsche, Ryan, Judka, Danielle, Siconolfi, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Steinle, Andrew J
• Application Number:
  US16/400,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20190260576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 251 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/645 using a third party
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0637 Modes of operation, e.g. cipher block chaining [CBC], electronic codebook [ECB] or Galois/counter mode [GCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees

Abstract

An example operation may include one or more of initiating a session between one or more users, identifying a current status of user activities associated with the one or more users during the session, determining whether the current status of the user activities requires updates to a local blockchain or a session blockchain, and storing the current status of the user activities in one or more of a local blockchain and a session blockchain.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

initiating a session between a plurality of users of an online game in communication with a local blockchain that stores a first type of gaming information and a session blockchain that stores a second type of gaming information different than the first type;

determining whether a current status of user activities requires updates to the local blockchain or the session blockchain, based on an identified importance level of the user activities to the plurality of users;

communicating the updates to the local blockchain to the plurality of users during the session; and

validating the updates to the session blockchain every time a user, of the plurality of users, enters a new game session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the session comprises one or more of a chat session, an application sharing session and a multi-player gaming session.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the local blockchain exists for the current status of the user activities;

if not, creating the local blockchain; and

storing the current status of the user activities and an environment associated with the current user status in the local blockchain.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the local blockchain exists for the current status of the user activities;

if so, retrieving transaction data from the local blockchain and modifying an environment associated with the current user status; and

storing the current status of the user activities and the modified environment in the local blockchain.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the current status of the user activities requires updates to the session blockchain based on an event type associated with the current user activities; and

storing the current status of the user activities in the session blockchain.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the current status of the user activities comprises an instance of private messaging.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

creating a private messaging session; and

storing the current status of the user activities in the private message session.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured to;

initiate a session between a plurality of users of an online game in communication with a local blockchain that stores a first type of gaming information and a session blockchain that stores a second type of gaming information different than the first type;

determine whether a current status of user activities requires updates to the local blockchain or the session blockchain, based on an identified importance level of the user activities to the plurality of users;

communicate the updates to the local blockchain to the plurality of users during the session; and

validate the updates to the session blockchain every time a user, of the plurality of users, enters a new game session.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the session comprises one or more of a chat session, an application sharing session and a multi-player gaming session.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the local blockchain exists for the current status of the user activities;

if not, create the local blockchain; and

store the current status of the user activities and an environment associated with the current user status in the local blockchain.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the local blockchain exists for the current status of the user activities;

if so, retrieve transaction data from the local blockchain and modify an environment associated with the current user status; and

store the current status of the user activities and the modified environment in the local blockchain.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the current status of the user activities requires updates to the session blockchain based on an event type associated with the current user activities; and

store the current status of the user activities in the session blockchain.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify the current status of the user activities comprises an instance of private messaging.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

create a private messaging session; and

store the current status of the user activities in the private message session.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store at least one instruction that when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform:

initiating a session between a plurality of users of an online game in communication with a local blockchain that stores a first type of gaming information and a session blockchain that stores a second type of gaming information different than the first type;

determining whether a current status of user activities requires updates to the local blockchain or the session blockchain, based on an identified importance level of the user activities to the plurality of users;

communicating the updates to the local blockchain to the plurality of users during the session; and

validating the updates to the session blockchain every time a user, of the plurality of users, enters a new game session.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the session comprises one or more of a chat session, an application sharing session and a multi-player gaming session.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further configured to store at least one instruction that when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform:

determining whether the local blockchain exists for the current status of the user activities;

if not, creating the local blockchain; and

storing the current status of the user activities and an environment associated with the current user status in the local blockchain.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further configured to store at least one instruction that when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform:

determining whether the local blockchain exists for the current status of the user activities;

if so, retrieving transaction data from the local blockchain and modifying an environment associated with the current user status; and

storing the current status of the user activities and the modified environment in the local blockchain.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further configured to store at least one instruction that when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform:

determining the current status of the user activities requires updates to the session blockchain based on an event type associated with the current user activities; and

storing the current status of the user activities in the session blockchain.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further configured to store at least one instruction that when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform:

identifying the current status of the user activities comprises an instance of private messaging;

creating a private messaging session; and

storing the current status of the user activities in the private message session.