Invalidating network devices with illicit peripherals

• US 9,717,992 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Harris, Adam P., Schneider, Steve C.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US14/313,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20140309024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• 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 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

A system and method for passively validating network game users is provided. Data indicative of game behavior and actions at one or more nodes interacting with a network game in a network game community are monitored. The data is evaluated to determine whether the one or more nodes are adhering to one or more rules associated with the network game. Data indicative of illicit game behavior may trigger various responses including invalidation of the node engaged in the illicit behavior. Alternatively, a query may be generated to further identify the nature and/or actual existence of illicit behavior at the node. Monitoring of game data may occur at a server, a peer, as part of a peer group or combinations thereof, which may be based on routine schedule or part of constant game behavior monitoring.

Claims

1. A method for validating use of peripheral devices in a network, the method comprising:

storing information in memory regarding a plurality of peripheral device signatures, wherein a set of peripheral device signatures is identified as acceptable and another set of peripheral device signatures are identified as illicit;

receiving data at a server, wherein the received data is generated by one or more computing devices as part of network interaction between the computing device and a network, and wherein each computing device includes one or more peripheral devices;

monitoring the received data from the one or more computing devices at the server, wherein the received data includes peripheral device data associated with each computing device, and wherein the monitoring does not require the one or more computing devices to execute instructions specifically for validation of peripheral devices associated with the computing devices;

comparing the monitored data with stored rules associated with the network, wherein the stored rules identify acceptable parameters regarding network gameplay, and wherein acceptable parameters specify acceptable peripheral devices;

identifying that peripheral device data associated with one of the computing devices includes a device signature of an illicit peripheral device when the comparison of the monitored data indicates that the peripheral device data of the identified computing device is not recognized as a device signature of an acceptable peripheral device; and

invalidating the identified computing device from further network interactions based on the identified use of the illicit peripheral device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring is performed via passive validation, active validation or a combination of both passive and active validation processes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network corresponds to a network game.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the generated rules corresponds to rules associated with the network game environment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated rules further include rules provided by a third party associated with the network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying of the particular computing device includes evaluating information obtained from a group of two or more distinct client computing devices pertaining to the particular computing device, and wherein the evaluated information indicates that the group of two or more distinct client computing devices invalidates the particular computing device.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating rules that characterize user activity and game parameters based on the monitored data, wherein the generated rules identify user activity that deviates from typical user activity for a game title associated with the user activity, and wherein the generated rules are stored in memory.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of peripheral device signatures identified as acceptable or illicit is specific to a game title, and wherein a different game title is associated with a different set of peripheral device signatures identified as acceptable or ilicit.

7. A system for validating use of peripheral devices in a network, the system comprising:

one or more computing devices, wherein each computing device includes one or more peripheral devices;

a server that receives data, wherein the received data is generated by one or more computing devices as part of network interaction between the computing device and a network; and

a monitoring module that executes instructions stored in memory to;

store information in memory regarding a plurality of peripheral device signatures, wherein a set of peripheral device signatures is identified as acceptable and another set of peripheral device signatures are identified as illicit

monitor the received data from the one or more computing devices at the server, wherein the received data includes peripheral device data associated with each computing device, and wherein the monitoring does not require the one or more computing devices to execute instructions specifically for validation of peripheral devices associated with the computing devices;

compare the monitored data with stored rules associated with the network, wherein the stored rules identify acceptable parameters regarding network gameplay, and wherein acceptable parameters specify acceptable peripheral devices,

identify that peripheral device data associated with one of the computing devices includes a device signature of an illicit peripheral device when the comparison of the monitored data indicates that the peripheral device data of the identified computing device is not recognized as a device signature of an acceptable peripheral device, and

invalidate the identified computing device from further network interactions based on the identified use of the illicit peripheral device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the monitoring is performed via passive validation, active validation or a combination of both passive and active validation processes.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the network corresponds to a network game.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the generated rules corresponds to rules associated with the network game environment.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the generated rules further include rules provided by a third party associated with the network.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the identifying of the particular computing device includes evaluating information obtained from a group of two or more distinct client computing devices pertaining to the particular computing device, and wherein the evaluated information indicates that the group of two or more distinct client computing devices invalidates the particular computing device.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a method for validating use of peripheral devices in a network, the method comprising:

storing information in memory regarding a plurality of peripheral device signatures, wherein a set of peripheral device signatures is identified as acceptable and another set of peripheral device signatures are identified as illicit;

receiving data at a server, wherein the received data is generated by one or more computing devices as part of network interaction between the computing device and a network, and wherein each computing device includes one or more peripheral devices;

monitoring the received data from the one or more computing devices at the server, wherein the received data includes peripheral device data associated with each computing device, and wherein the monitoring does not require the one or more computing devices to execute instructions specifically for validation of peripheral devices associated with the computing devices;

comparing the monitored data with stored rules associated with the network, wherein the stored rules identify acceptable parameters regarding network gameplay, and wherein acceptable parameters specify acceptable peripheral devices;

identifying that peripheral device data associated with one of the computing devices includes a device signature of an illicit peripheral device when the comparison of the monitored data indicates that the peripheral device data of the identified computing device is not recognized as a device signature of an acceptable peripheral device; and

invalidating the identified computing device from further network interactions based on the identified use of the illicit peripheral device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the monitoring is performed via passive validation, active validation or a combination of both passive and active validation processes.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the network corresponds to a network game.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the generated rules corresponds to rules associated with the network game environment.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the generated rules further include rules provided by a third party associated with the network.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the identifying of the particular computing device includes evaluating information obtained from a group of two or more distinct client computing devices pertaining to the particular computing device, and wherein the evaluated information indicates that the group of two or more distinct client computing devices invalidates the particular computing device.