Violations in a peer-to-peer relay network

• US 20080147854A1
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Van Datta, Glen, Mai, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,610,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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 first message having first content data at a receiving peer system from a first sending peer system connected to the receiving peer system in the peer-to-peer relay network;

detecting a manipulation of data in said received first message, said manipulation of data changing the outcome of processing by the receiving peer system;

receiving a second message having second content data at the receiving peer system from at least one second sending peer system, wherein the second content data are expected to be substantially the same as the first content data;

wherein detecting the manipulation includes;

comparing by the receiving peer system the received first content data to the received second content data; and

determining that the message from the first sending peer system is different from at least one of the second messages based on the comparison; and

sending a manipulated data alert message to other peer systems connected to said peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network, the manipulated data alert message identifying the first sending peer as responsible for the manipulation of data,

wherein the receiving peer does not originate the first or second content data sent from the respective first or second sending peer system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the first sending peer system to disconnect from the peer-to-peer relay network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the manipulated data alert message to a server connected to the peer-to-peer relay network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the server causes the first sending peer to disconnect from the peer-to-peer relay network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, sending a replacement message with second content data based on the second content data received from the at least one second sending peer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ignoring further messages sent by said first sending peer system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

estimating by the receiving peer a correct content data for the first received message; and

relaying the correct data to other peers on the peer-to-peer network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data relayed by peer systems is update data for an online game.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one peer system is a network-enabled game console.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two peer systems are connected through the Internet.

12. A method of detecting and recovering from a cheating violation in a peer-to-peer relay network, comprising:

receiving a message having content data at a receiving peer system from a sending peer system connected to the receiving peer system in the peer-to-peer relay network;

detecting a manipulation of data in said received message, said manipulation of data changing the outcome of processing by the receiving peer system,

wherein detecting said cheating violation includes;

generating predicted data;

comparing by the receiving peer system the message from the sending peer system with the predicted data; and

determining the message received from the sending peer system is different from the predicted data; and

sending a manipulated data alert message to other peer systems connected to the receiving peer system in the peer-to-peer relay network, the manipulated data alert message identifying the sending peer as responsible for the manipulation of data,

wherein the receiving peer does not originate the content data sent from the sending peer system.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

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

14. A method of detecting and recovering from a security violation in a peer-to-peer relay network, comprising:

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

detecting a security violation in the received first message, the security violation changing the outcome of processing by the receiving peer system; and

sending a manipulated data alert message to other peer systems connected to the peer system in the peer-to-peer relay network, the manipulated data alert message identifying the sending peer as responsible for the manipulation of data,

wherein the receiving peer does not originate the content data sent from the sending peer system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein detecting said security violation includes detecting invalid data in said message.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein detecting said security violation includes detecting said message was sent using improper sending procedures.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said message was sent as part of denial of service attack.

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

means for receiving a first message having first content data at the receiving peer system from a first sending peer system connected to said peer system in a peer-to-peer relay network;

means for detecting a manipulation of data in said received first message, said manipulation of data changing the outcome of processing by the receiving peer system;

means for receiving a second message having second content data at the receiving peer system from at least one second sending peer system, wherein the second content data are expected to be substantially the same as the first content data;

wherein detecting said manipulation includes;

comparing by the receiving peer system the received first content data to the received second content data;

determining the first message from the first sending peer system is different from at least one of the second messages based on the comparison; and

sending a manipulated data alert message to other peer systems connected to said peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network, the manipulated data alert message identifying the first sending peer as responsible for the manipulation of data,

wherein the receiving peer does not originate the first or second content data sent from the respective first or second sending peer system.

19. The peer system of claim 18, further comprising:

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

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the server causes the first sending peer to disconnect from the peer-to-peer relay network.

21. A computer-readable medium storing a computer-readable program that when executed on a processor causes the processor to execute a method in a peer system of a peer-to-peer relay network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first message having first content data at a receiving peer system from a first sending peer system connected to said peer system in a peer-to-peer relay network

detecting a manipulation of data in said received first message, said manipulation of data changing the outcome of processing by the receiving peer system;

receiving a second message having second content data at the receiving peer system from at least one second sending peer system, wherein the second content data are expected to be substantially the same as the first content data;

wherein detecting the manipulation includes;

comparing by the receiving peer system the received first content to the received second content data; and

determining that the message from the first sending peer system is different from at least one of the second messages based on the comparison; and

sending a manipulated data alert message to other peer systems connected to said peer system in said peer-to-peer relay network, the manipulated data alert message identifying the first sending peer as responsible for the manipulation of data,

wherein the receiving peer does not originate the first or second content data sent from the respective first or second sending peer system.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising sending said data manipulation alert message to a server connected to said peer system.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the server causes the first sending peer to disconnect from the peer-to-peer relay network.