Interactive television security through transaction time stamping

• US 5,764,275 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 06/09/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Multimedia SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Simons, Richard S., Lappington, John P., Marshall, Susan K., Yamamoto, Wayne Y., Wilson, Cameron A., Berkobin, Eric C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, David E.
• Application Number:
  US08/472,504
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 348/13, 348/16, 348/10, 348/12, 348/2, 348/4, 348/460, 348/461, 348/473, 348/474, 348/478, 348/500, 348/476, 455/2, 455/3.1, 455/3.2, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.3, 346/20, 346/80
• US Class Current: 725/136
• 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 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/403 Connection between platform and handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/06 of the multiple-choice answer-type, i.e. where a given question is provided with a series of answers and a choice has to be made from the answers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/31 using in-band signals, e.g. subsonic or cue signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/14 Arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 : for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 : the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0882 : for the transmission of character code signals, e.g. for teletext circuits for the digital non-picture data signal H04N7/035
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0888 : Subscription systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 : between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 : Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A system for providing security on an interactive television system. Two sets of interactive data, with time stamps, are separately sent to a remote location. At the remote location, the time stamps are checked against a remote clock, a time difference being noted for both sets of data. The two time differences are compared to determine if one set of data has been delayed as compared to the other. Non-delayed data can be used to update a game score for an interactive game. After the game is completed, the remote clock is compared to a central clock. the difference between the two clocks are compared to the time difference for non-delayed data to determine whether the entire aggregate of interactive data was delayed.

Claims

1. A method for preventing cheating on an interactive presentation system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of sets of interactive data;

determining whether any of said sets of interactive data are delayed as compared to each other, wherein;

said step of determining whether any of said sets of interactive data are delayed as compared to each other includes the steps of

comparing time stamps from said sets of interactive data to a first clock in a handheld apparatus, and

calculating a stored delta representing a difference between a reading of said first clock and a time value represented by a time stamp from a set of interactive data determined not to be delayed as compared to other sets of interactive data;

determining a difference between said first clock and a second clock at an operations center which is remote from said handheld apparatus; and

comparing said difference to the stored delta.

3. A method for providing security according to claim 1, wherein said step of comparing includes the steps of:

computing a third difference between said first difference and said second difference; and

determining whether said third difference is greater than a constant.

2. A method for providing security, comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a receiving location, a first set of data having a first time stamp based on a first clock;

computing a first difference between a time represented by said first time stamp and a time generated by a second clock;

receiving a second set of data having a second time stamp based on said first clock;

computing a second difference between a time represented by said second time stamp and a time generated by said second clock; and

comparing said first difference with said second difference to determine whether said second set of data is delayed as compared to said first set of data and whether said first set of data is delayed as compared to said second set of data.

4. A system for securing interactive presentations using time stamps, comprising:

a receiver capable of receiving at least two sets of interactive data, each set of interactive data having a time stamp based on a first clock;

a second clock;

comparison means for comparing times represented by said time stamps to times generated by said second clock;

delay means, based on said comparing performed by said comparison means, for determining at least one of (1) whether a first set of said interactive data is delayed as compared to a second set of said interactive data or (2) whether said second set of interactive data is delayed as compared to said first set of interactive data;

presentation means, based on said second set of interactive data, for presenting a transaction to a viewer;

verification means, based on said second clock and said comparing performed by said comparison means, for determining if one or more of said sets of interactive data were delayed.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said interactive data is broadcast to said receiver and said verification means determines a time difference equal to a time generated by said second clock subtracted from a time generated by said first clock and uses said time difference to determine whether said interactive data was delayed from its broadcast.

6. A method for providing security in an interactive system, the interactive system including a location for transmitting the interactive data used for an interactive presentation, a plurality of user locations where users interact with the interactive presentation and generate results from the interaction and operations center for processing the results, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, at the operations center, results transmitted from one of said plurality of user locations; and

determining whether the interactive presentation was delayed by a user, wherein;

each of said user locations include a user clock;

said results include a delta and a time value read from said user clock at the time that said results were transmitted; and

said step of determining whether the interactive presentation was delayed by a user includes the steps of;

calculating a first time difference between said time value read from said user clock and a time value read from a clock at said operations center;

calculating a second time difference between said first time difference and said delta; and

determining whether said second difference is greater than a preset time drift constant.

7. A security system for interactive presentations, comprising:

a receiver which receives a communication signal and reads interactive data from said communication signal, said interactive data including a first set of data and a second set of data, said first set of data includes a first time stamp, said second set of data includes a second time stamp;

a first clock;

a processor, in communication with said receiver and said first clock, said processor programmed (1) to compute a first difference between a time represented by said first time stamp and a first time generated by said first clock, (2) to compute a second difference between a time represented by said second time stamp and a second time generated by said first clock, and (3) to compute a third difference between said first difference and said second difference so that said processor determines that said first set of data and said second set of data are not delayed with respect to each other if said third difference is less than a constant.

8. A security system according to claim 7, further including:

a memory including a plurality of programmer tables, each programmer table includes;

a first register which stores an identification code for an interactive program which comprises at least one of said first set of interactive data and said second set of interactive data,

a second register which stores a score for said interactive program, and

a third register which stores sequencing information; and

a transmitter, in communication with said processor and said memory.

9. A system for securing interactive presentations using time stamps, comprising:

means for receiving data, said data having a time stamp based on a first clock;

a second clock;

comparison means, in communication with said second clock and said means for receiving data, for comparing a time represented by said time stamp to a time generated by said second clock;

verification means, based on said second clock and a third clock and said comparing performed by said comparison means, for determining if said data was delayed, said third clock being synchronized with said first clock.

10. A method for preventing cheating using time stamps, comprising:

inserting a first time stamp, based on a first clock, into a first set of interactive data;

inserting a second time stamp, based on a first clock, into a second set of interactive data;

sending said first set of interactive data and said second set of interactive data to a remote location, said remote location having a remote clock so that a first delta and a second delta can be determined, said first delta being equal to a difference between a time represented by said first time stamp and a first time generated by said remote clock, said second delta being equal to a difference between a time represented by said second time stamp and a second time generated by said remote clock, so that said first delta can be compared to said second delta to determine whether either of said first set of interactive data or said second set of interactive data is delayed as compared to each other;

receiving remote data from said remote location, said remote data including a reading of said remote clock and a remote delta, said remote delta being equivalent to said delta of said second set of interactive data if said second set of interactive data was not delayed as compared to said first set of interactive data, else said remote delta being equivalent to said delta of said first set of interactive data;

determining a time difference between said first clock and said reading of said remote clock; and

comparing said time difference with said remote delta.

11. A system for securing interactive presentations using time stamps, comprising:

a receiver that receives data, said data having a time stamp based on a first clock;

a second clock;

a comparison device, in communication with said second clock and said receiver, said comparison device capable of comparing a time represented by said time stamp to a time generated by said second clock;

a verification device, based on said second clock and a third clock and said comparing performed by said comparison device, that can determine if said data was delayed, said third clock being synchronized with said first clock.

12. A system for providing security through time stamping, comprising:

a receiver that can receive, at a receiving location, a first set of data having a first time stamp based on a first clock and receiving a second set of data having a second time stamp based on said first clock;

said receiver including a computing device that can compute (1) a first difference between a time represented by said first time stamp and a first time generated by a second clock, and (2) a second difference between a time represented by said second time stamp and a second time generated by said second clock; and

said receiver including a comparison device that can compare said first difference with said second difference to determine whether said second set of data is delayed as compared to said first set of data.

13. A method for preventing cheating using time stamps, wherein (1) a first time stamp, based on a first clock, is inserted into a first set of interactive data, (2) a second time stamp, based on a first clock, is inserted into a second set of interactive data, and (3) said first set of interactive data and said second set of interactive data is sent to a remote location, which said remote location has a remote clock so that a first delta and a second delta can be determined, said first delta being equal to a difference between a time represented by said first time stamp and a first time generated by said remote clock, said second delta being equal to a difference between a time represented by said second time stamp and a second time generated by said remote clock, so that said first delta can be compared to said second delta to determine whether either of said first set of interactive data or said second set of interactive data is delayed as compared to each other, said method comprising:

receiving remote data from said remote location, said remote data including a reading of said remote clock and a remote delta, said remote delta being equivalent to said delta of said second set of interactive data if said second set of interactive data was not delayed as compared to said first set of interactive data, else said remote delta being equivalent to said delta of said first set of interactive data.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

determining a time difference between said first clock and said reading of said remote clock; and

comparing said time difference with said remote delta.