Gaming concensus protocol for blockchain

• US 10,833,864 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2018
• Issued: 11/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Masini, Diego A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Steinle, Andrew J
• Application Number:
  US15/952,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20190314726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• 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 13/75 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 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/223 based on the use of peer-to-peer networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/30 characterised by the use of specific devices or networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/389 Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/00 Business processing using cryptography postage metering system using cryptography G06Q2250/05
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3239 involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 : using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees

Abstract

An example operation may include one or more of receiving, by gaming peers of a gaming network, a number of transactions from a blockchain network, electing a subset of gaming peers to verify the transactions and a leader from the subset of gaming peers, generating, by the leader, a block comprising the number of transactions, validating the block, by the subset of gaming peers, and broadcasting the block to the blockchain network.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a blockchain network comprising a hardware processor;

a gaming network, comprising a hardware processor, coupled to the blockchain network, comprising;

gaming peers, configured to receive transactions from the blockchain network, and in response;

elect a subset of gaming peers to verify the transactions and a leader from the subset of gaming peers;

generate, by the leader, a block comprising the number of transactions;

validate the block, by the subset of gaming peers; and

broadcast the block to the blockchain network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gaming peers monitor the transactions and elect, generate, verify, and broadcast in response to the receipt of a predetermined number of transactions.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the gaming peers each comprises election rules, the election rules specific to a game played on the gaming network and allow a chance for every gaming peer to be elected to the subset of gaming peers.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each gaming peer generates a number, the number used to select a rule of the election rules to apply to a game state, wherein in response to a gaming peer determines the rule holds true for the game state, the subset comprises the gaming peer.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the block comprises a hash of a current game state, a hash of the rule, and a block signature, the current game state relevant to the rule.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein in response to the leader generates the block, the leader broadcasts the block to the subset of gaming peers, wherein the subset of gaming peers validate the block comprises the subset of gaming peers verifies a leader signature and a game state hash.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the gaming peers that validate the block attach their own signature to the block.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving, by gaming peers of a gaming network, a number of transactions from a blockchain network;

electing a subset of gaming peers to verify the transactions and a leader from the subset of gaming peers;

generating, by the leader, a block comprising the number of transactions;

validating the block, by the subset of gaming peers; and

broadcasting the block to the blockchain network.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

monitoring the transactions, by each of the gaming peers, and electing, generating, verifying, and broadcasting in response to receiving a predetermined number of transactions.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the gaming peers each comprising election rules, the election rules specific to a game played on the gaming network and allowing a chance for every gaming peer to be elected to the subset of gaming peers.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating by each gaming peer, a number used to select a rule of the election rules to apply to a game state; and

determining the rule holds true for the game state, and in response;

including the gaming peer in the subset of gaming peers.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the block comprises a hash of a current game state, a hash of the rule, and a block signature, the current game state relevant to the rule.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein in response to generating the block, the method further comprising:

broadcasting the block to the subset of gaming peers, by the leader,

wherein validating the block by the subset of gaming peers comprising;

verifying a leader signature and a game state hash.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein gaming peers that validate the block attach their own signature to the block.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, that when read by a processor, cause the processor to perform:

receiving, by gaming peers of a gaming network, a number of transactions from a blockchain network;

electing a subset of gaming peers to verify the transactions and a leader from the subset of gaming peers;

generating, by the leader, a block comprising the number of transactions;

validating the block, by the subset of gaming peers; and

broadcasting the block to the blockchain network.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the processor being further configured to perform:

monitoring the transactions, by each of the gaming peers, and electing, generating, verifying, and broadcasting in response to receiving a predetermined number of transactions.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein gaming peers each comprising election rules, the election rules specific to a game played on the gaming network and allowing a chance for every gaming peer to be elected to the subset of gaming peers.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the processor being further configured to perform:

generating by each gaming peer, a number used to select a rule of the election rules to apply to a game state; and

determining the rule holds true for the game state, and in response;

including the gaming peer in the subset of gaming peers.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the block comprises a hash of a current game state, a hash of the rule, and a block signature, the current game state relevant to the rule.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein in response to generating the block, the processor being further configured to perform:

broadcasting the block to the subset of gaming peers, by the leader,

wherein validating the block by the subset of gaming peers comprising;

verifying a leader signature and a game state hash.