Violations in a peer-to-peer relay network

• US 20050097386A1
• Filed: 11/03/2003
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Datta, Glen Van, Mai, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,392,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/4.3
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/402 Communication between platforms, i.e. physical link to protocol
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/408 Peer to peer connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/14 for detecting or protecting against malicious traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/107 with limitation or expansion of the discovery scope
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1085 involving dynamic management of active down- or uploading connections

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for implementing peer-to-peer relay. In one implementation, a method of detecting and recovering from violations in a peer-to-peer relay network includes: receiving a message at a peer system from a sending peer system connected to said peer system in a peer-to-peer relay network detecting a violation in said received message; and sending an alert message to each peer system connected to said peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network; wherein each peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network stores a connection limit defining a number of other peer systems up to which that peer system is permitted to connect, and each peer system stores a set of one or more relay rules for relaying data to other peer systems connected to that peer system.

Claims

1. A method of detecting and recovering from violations in a peer-to-peer relay

network, comprising:

receiving a message at a peer system from a sending peer system connected to said peer system in a peer-to-peer relay network;

detecting a violation in said received message; and

sending an alert message to each peer system connected to said peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network;

wherein each peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network stores a connection limit defining a number of other peer systems up to which that peer system is permitted to connect, and

each peer system stores a set of one or more relay rules for relaying data to other peer systems connected to that peer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said violation is a cheating violation.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a respective additional message from each of at least one other peer systems connected to said peer system;

wherein detecting said cheating violation includes;

comparing said message from said sending peer system with each of said additional messages; and

determining that said message from said sending peer system is different from at least one of said additional messages.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

detecting said cheating violation includes;

generating predicted data;

comparing said message from said sending peer system with said predicted data; and

determining that said message from said sending peer system is different from said predicted data.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

sending said predicted data to each peer system connected to said peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said violation is a security violation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

detecting said security violation includes detecting invalid data in said message.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein:

detecting said security violation includes detecting said message was sent using improper sending procedures.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

said message was sent as part of denial of service attack.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ignoring further messages sent by said sending peer system.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing said sending peer system to disconnect from said peer-to-peer relay network.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending said alert to a server connected to said peer system.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the data relayed by peer systems is update data for a network environment.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the data relayed by peer systems is update data for an online game.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

at least one peer system is a network-enabled game console.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

at least two peer systems are connected through the Internet.

17. A peer system in a peer-to-peer relay network, comprising:

means for receiving a message at a peer system from a sending peer system connected to said peer system in a peer-to-peer relay network;

means for detecting a violation in said received message; and

means for sending an alert message to each peer system connected to said peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network;

wherein each peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network stores a connection limit defining a number of other peer systems up to which that peer system is permitted to connect, and

each peer system stores a set of one or more relay rules for relaying data to other peer systems connected to that peer system.

18. The peer system of claim 17, wherein:

said violation is a cheating violation.

19. The peer system of claim 17, wherein:

said violation is a security violation.

20. The peer system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for sending said alert to a server connected to said peer system.

21. A computer program, stored on a tangible storage medium, for use in a peer

system in a peer-to-peer relay network, the program comprising executable

instructions that cause a computer to:

process a received message at a peer system from a sending peer system connected to said peer system in a peer-to-peer relay network

detect a violation in said received message; and

send an alert message to each peer system connected to said peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network;

wherein each peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network stores a connection limit defining a number of other peer systems up to which that peer system is permitted to connect, and

each peer system stores a set of one or more relay rules for relaying data to other peer systems connected to that peer system.

22. The computer program of claim 21, wherein:

said violation is a cheating violation.

23. The computer program of claim 21, wherein:

said violation is a security violation.

24. The computer program of claim 21, further comprising executable instructions

that cause a computer to:

send said alert to a server connected to said peer system.