Multiple user authentication for online console-based gaming

• US 20060085641A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Ling Tony, Multerer, Boyd C., Anderson, Darren L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,401 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• 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 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/843 involving concurrently two or more players on the same game device, e.g. requiring the use of a plurality of controllers or of a specific view of game data for each player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807

Abstract

A console-based multi-user authentication process allows multiple users of a game console to be authenticated together in a single request/reply exchange with an authentication entity. The results of which is the possession of a single ticket that can be used to prove authenticity of multiple authentication principals to one or more online services. Also described is a handshake process that can be used to initially establish an authentication account for each game console, in which the account creation server can trust that a genuine game console is making the request.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform operations comprising:

receive a request from a game console, the request containing an identity string that includes a game console identity X, a game title identity G, multiple user identities (U₁, H₁), . . . , (U_U, H_U), and an identity A of an online service, as follows;

Request=[X, G, A, (U₁, H₁), . . . , (U_U, H_U)]; and

generate a ticket containing the identity string and a session key K_XA together encrypted with a key KA associated with the online service, as follows;

TicketA=E_KA[K_XA, X, G, A, U₁,U₂, . . . U_U]; and

return the ticket to the game console.

2. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the game console to generate the request to further include at least one of a time that the ticket is generated and a time length before expiration of the ticket.

3. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the game console to encrypt the session key K_XA with a key associated with the game console and send the encrypted session key to the game console.