Access control for electronic entertainment systems

• US 9,878,249 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2014
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhogal, Kulvir S., Boss, Gregory J., Hamilton, II, Rick A., Jones, Andrew R., O'Connell, Brian M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/315,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20140306822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• 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 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for controlling the use of electronic systems based upon monitored physical activity. The method can be implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium having programming instructions. The program instructions are operable to: provision rules associated with a user and at least one of health metrics and physical activity of the user; monitor the at least one health metrics and physical activity of the user over a predetermined time; and manage access to any of a plurality of electronic systems based on the monitored at least one health metrics and physical activity being in compliance or non-compliance with the provisioned rules.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having program code stored on a computer readable hardware storage device, the program comprising:

program code to provision rules associated with a user and at least one of health metrics and physical activity of the user;

program code to monitor the at least one of the health metrics and the physical activity of the user over a predetermined time;

program code to determine that the user can access one of a plurality of electronic systems for additional time based on the user achieving a threshold level associated with the provision rules of the at least one of the health metrics and the physical activity of the user;

program instructions to augment a game system, when the game system detects that an electronic game has been inserted or started and has not been provisioned, by providing an option that allows for provisioning of the electronic game provided the user enters a correct id and password; and

program code to deny the user access to all of the plurality of electronic systems based on the user not achieving the threshold level associated with the provision rules of the at least one of the health metrics and the physical activity of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the physical activity comprises monitoring the physical activity of the user during use of the electronic game of the plurality of electronic systems.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the monitoring of the physical activity is measured in terms of physical exertion of the user comprising at least one of calories burned, time spent exerting oneself on game play or other activity, type of exertion, and quality of exertion.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the physical activity is monitored when the user is at least one of:

using exercise equipment;

logged time at a gym or exercise facility or attendance at an exercise class, and information about the physical activity is sent to the electronic game and is converted to credits for use in accessing and playing the electronic game of the plurality of electronic systems.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the physical activity is monitored by at least one of sensors and monitors during game play of the electronic game of the plurality of electronic systems, the monitored physical activity is provided to a computing system which allows continued use of the electronic game by the user when the physical activity is above the threshold level, wherein the threshold level is associated with a percentage body fat measurement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning of the rules comprises allowing the user to participate in electronic games that require physical activity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the managing access comprises:

crediting an account of the user with credits to use any of the plurality of electronic systems based on the at least one of the health metrics and the physical activity of the user, wherein the credits are used to play a different electronic game on any of the plurality of electronic systems; and

debiting the account of the user over time to limit access to the any of the plurality of electronic systems.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising distinguishing between electronic games that require physical activity and non-physical activity, and allowing one of:

the user to play the electronic games that require physical activity and providing credits for physical game play.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning of the rules is provided by an administrator to manage limits on playing time or use of electronic systems based upon physical activity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning of the rules is obtained from a social networking site.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the managing access is provided by a computing system that determines which games are provisioned.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the computer infrastructure.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein steps of claim 1 are provided by a service provider on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the physical activity is monitored by infrared analysis of in-room movement.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting to the user a descriptive message which comprises the reasons why the user is denied access.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the provisioning of the rules comprises an initial amount of playing time for the electronic game of the plurality of electronic systems.

14. A computer system for managing access to an electronic entertainment system, the system comprising:

a CPU, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to obtain provisions from an administrator comprising one or more game provisions and user provisions;

second program instructions to look up the one or more game provisions and user provisions that leads to access of the user to an electronic game by being in compliance with the one or more game provisions and user provisions;

third program instructions to determine whether the user can continue to access the electronic game based on sensed physical activity of the user being in compliance with the one or more game provisions and user provisions; and

fourth program instructions to augment a game system, when the game system detects that the electronic game has been inserted or started and has not been provisioned, by providing an option that allows for provisioning of the electronic game provided the end user enters a correct id and password,

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the fourth program instructions to augment the game system provide protection against the end user moving an assigned file or downloading an account to another user'"'"'s system which does not have access authorization.

16. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising fifth program instructions to allocate or deduct credits based on physical activity of the user.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer readable hardware storage device having readable program code stored on the computer readable hardware storage device, the program code comprising:

program code to match one or more game provisions and user provisions in order to manage access of a user to an electronic game by determining compliance with the one or more game provisions and user provisions;

program code to determine whether the user can continue to access the electronic game based on the user achieving a threshold level of sensed physical activity;

program code to augment a game system, when the game system detects that the electronic game has been inserted or started and has not been provisioned, by providing an option that allows for provisioning of the electronic game provided the end user enters a correct id and password; and

program code to distinguish between electronic games that require physical activity and non-physical activity, and allowing one of;

the user to play the electronic games that require the physical activity and providing credits for physical game play.