MANAGING GAME METRICS AND AUTHORIZATIONS

• US 20140100027A1
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Published: 04/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Harris, Adam P., Schneider, Steve C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,526,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00

Abstract

Various metrics as may be deployed in an active, passive, or hybrid validation architecture are disclosed. A computing device configured to monitor network game activity may identify an inconsistency between user game data and a particular game metric governing a particular aspect of the network gaming environment. Upon identification of an inconsistency between game data and a game metric, which may indicative of illicit game play, a validation process (e.g., active, passive, and/or hybrid) may be implemented to further confirm the existence of illicit game. Alternatively, an action to maintain integrity of the gaming community may be executed without further confirmation whereby a purportedly illicit game device may be ejected from the network.

Claims

1. A method for validating devices in a gaming network, the method comprising:

storing a library of game metrics in memory, wherein each stored game metric defines a rule of a game title in the gaming network;

receiving over a communication network data regarding game play of the game title by a user device in the gaming network;

executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor;

identifies at least one aspect of the received game play data that does not correspond to a game metric from a library of game metrics,

determines that the at least one aspect of the received game play data that does not correspond to the game metric is authorized, and

validates the user device for continued game play in the gaming network based on the determination that the at least one aspect of the received game play data that does not correspond to the game metric is authorized.