SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HUMAN IDENTIFICATION PROOF FOR USE IN VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20100037147A1
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Kevin J., Champion, David F., Smith, Jeffrey J., Windell, David T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,316,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/316 by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2109 Game systems

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for verifying an avatar owner as a human user of an avatar in a virtual world environment in which users may interact through avatars, representing each one or more users visually, and wherein users, interact through their the representing avatars, via client devices in network communication with a server device. The method includes receiving a request for challenging an avatar in the virtual world environment to determine whether that avatar is controlled by an application program user (bot). Then, in response to the challenging, a user client device associated with a challenged avatar is identified and a HIP message for detecting a human user versus a bot controlling the challenged avatar is generated and communicated, for receipt at a user client device. The HIP message requires an response from the corresponding user. It is determined from the response, whether the user is a bot or a human user. If a challenged avatar is determined to be a bot, then the server device prevents the challenged avatar from further interaction in the virtual world environment.

Claims

1. A method for verifying an avatar owner as a human user of an avatar in a virtual world, said method comprising:

providing, by a server device, a communication system for establishing a virtual world environment in which users may interact through avatars, representing each one or more users visually, in said virtual world environment;

enabling, via client devices associated with one or more users, said users to interact through their said representing avatars, said client devices and server device communicating over a network;

receiving request for challenging an avatar in said virtual world environment to determine whether said avatar is controlled by an application program user via a client device;

identifying, in response to said challenging, a user client device associated with a challenged avatar;

generating, for receipt at a user client device, a HIP message to detect a human user versus an application program user controlling a suspect avatar;

sending to said user client device a HIP message, said HIP message requiring an response from said user;

determining, from said response, whether said user is an application program user (bot) or a human user; and

,

preventing, at said server device, said challenged avatar from further interaction in said virtual world environment, or performing any other punitive action, when said challenged avatar is determined to be a bot.

2. The method for verifying as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

providing, at each client device, an interface, operable by a corresponding user, for enabling users to control their representing avatar on said corresponding client device; and

,

communicating said HIP message to said suspect avatar via a network connection for receipt at a interface of that user'"'"'s corresponding client device.

3. The method for verifying as claimed in claim 2, wherein said HIP message communicated to a user client device of a suspect avatar is a Completely Automated Public Turing tests to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) message, said CAPTCHA message generated for display via said interface of said suspect avatar'"'"'s controlling user client device.

4. The method for verifying as claimed in claim 3, wherein said generating a HIP message is performed at said server device establishing said virtual environment, or provided by a 3^rd party server device in communication with said server device via said network.

5. The method for verifying as claimed in claim 4, wherein said generating a HIP message is initiated by said server device establishing said virtual world environment, said CAPTCHA message generated for receipt at a user device associated with a challenged avatar.

6. The method for verifying as claimed in claim 4, farther comprising:

wherein said generating a HIP message is initiated by a user represented by a first avatar in said virtual world environment, said CAPTCHA message generated for receipt by a second challenged avatar at an corresponding user client device associated with said challenged second avatar.

7. The method for verifying as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

prior to initiating a challenge HIP, further verifying whether said initiator of said HIP is a bot, said father verifying comprising;

initiating, by said server device, a CAPTCHA message to a user device associated with said first avatar,

receiving, at said server device, an response from said first avatar, said response submitted via that user'"'"'s client device;

determining, from said response provided, whether said initiator is a bot or a human user; and

,

preventing, via said server device, said first avatar from initiating a challenge in said virtual world environment when an bot initiator is determined.

8. The method for verifying as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

limiting, by said server device, a number of HIP challenges (HIP surfaces) before an challenged avatar is determined as a bot.

9. The method for verifying as claimed in claim 6, wherein said step of determining, from said response, whether said user or initiator is a bot or a human user comprises:

evaluating said response according to criterion upon which automated program behavior (botting) behavior is determined, said method further comprising;

varying, by either of said server device or said 3^rd party server device in communication with said server device via said network, the criterion to thereby control an occurrence of false alarms to human users and an occurrence of bots that go undetermined.

10. The method for verifying as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

determining, by a system of users, from an avatar'"'"'s interactions in said virtual world environment, and HIP challenge responses from a user or initiator, whether said avatar is a bot, said system of users comprising said first avatar, or an administrator user that who confront said second avatar if CAPTCHA is not correctly responsed.

11. The method for verifying as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

communicating, by said server, an escalation of HIP or CAPTCHA messages to a user device associated with a challenged avatar, and receiving a succession of responses to verify human versus application program user, said escalation comprising issuing one or more of;

issuing avatar-issued CAPTCHAs, administrator-issued CAPTCHAs, algorithms requiring avatar responses, or automated CAPTCHAs, or combinations thereof, to the challenged avatar.

12. The method for verifying as claimed in claim 11, wherein said varying a criterion comprises one or more of:

varying the types of HIPs, varying a number of HIPs before initiating said escalation of HIP or CAPTCHA messages, varying an accuracy criterion to determine when to pass an avatar challenge request, said criterion incorporating factors comprising one or more of;

an amount of risk imposed by bots, a frequency upon which a user can be challenged to provide proof of ‘

humanness’

, a number of incorrect responses provided by a user of a challenged avatar, and an amount of time required to provide proof of ‘

humanness’

in said response, or combinations thereof.

13. The method for verifying as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

providing a recording device operable in conjunction with a client device;

presenting, via a interface at a client device, a CAPTCHA comprising a series of words that requiring recital from a human user into said recording device; and

,

determining from said recorded user recital, presence of a human user.

14. The method for verifying as claimed in claim 13, wherein said series of words comprises words arranged within a sentence structure, a line of poetry, or lyrics from a song, a user required to recite said words via each respective client device.

15. A system for verifying an avatar owner as a human user of an avatar in a virtual world, said system comprising:

a server device for establishing a virtual world environment in which users may interact through avatars, representing each one or more users visually, in said virtual world environment

a plurality of client devices, each of said plurality corresponding to an avatar present in the virtual world and representing a user, each client device having an interface means operable by users, for enabling said users to interact through their said representing avatars in said virtual world environment, said client devices and server device communicating over a network connection;

said server device maintaining a list of present avatars interacting in said virtual world environment and corresponding information for identifying client computing devices operating to control said present avatars; and

,

said server device for providing computer-implemented functions for receiving request for challenging an avatar in said virtual world environment to determine whether said avatar is controlled by an application program user via a client device, said server device identifying, in response to said challenging, a user client device associated with a challenged avatar;

said server device providing computer-implemented functions for generating, for receipt at a user client device over a network connection, a HIP message to detect a human user versus an application program user controlling a challenged avatar, said server device sending to said user client device a HIP message, said HIP message requiring an response from said user;

means for determining, from said response provided, whether said user is an application program user (bot) or a human user; and

,

said server device providing computer-implemented functions for preventing, at said server device, said challenged avatar from further interaction in said virtual world environment, or performing any other punitive action, when a bot is determined to control said challenged avatar.

16. The system for verifying as claimed in claim 15, wherein each client device is provided with an interface, operable by a corresponding user, for enabling users to control their representing avatar on said corresponding client device;

and,

wherein said HIP message is communicated to said challenged avatar via a network connection for receipt at an interface of that avatar user'"'"'s corresponding client device.

17. The system for verifying as claimed in claim 16, wherein said HIP message communicated to a user client device of a challenged avatar is a Completely Automated Public Turing tests to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) message, said CAPTCHA message generated for display via said interface of said challenged avatar'"'"'s controlling user client device.

18. The system for verifying as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

wherein said generating a HIP message is performed at said server device establishing said virtual environment, or a 3^rd party server device in communication with said server device via said network.

19. The system for verifying as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

a recording device, wherein a CAPTCHA presented via an interface at a client device, comprises a series of words requiring recital from a human user into said recording device; and

,

determining from a recorded user recital presence of human user.

20. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for verifying an avatar interacting in a virtual world environment represents a human user, said method steps comprising:

providing, by a server device, a communication system for establishing a virtual world environment in which users may interact through avatars, representing each one or more users visually, in said virtual world environment;

enabling, via client devices associated with one or more users, said users to interact through their said representing avatars, said client devices and server device communicating over a network; and

,

receiving request for challenging an avatar in said virtual world environment to determine whether said avatar is controlled by an application program user via a client device;

identifying, in response to said challenging, a user client device associated with a challenged avatar;

generating, for receipt at a user client device, a HIP message to detect a human user versus an application program user controlling a challenged avatar;

sending to said user client device a HIP message, said HIP message requiring an response from said user;

determining, from said response, whether said user is an application program user (bot) or a human user; and

,

preventing, at said server device, said challenged avatar from further interaction in said virtual world environment, or performing any other punitive action, when said challenged avatar is determined to be a bot.