Method and apparatus for thwarting traffic analysis in online games

• US 8,719,336 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2009
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Douceur, John R., Lorch, Jacob R., Moon, Daekyeong, Moscibroda, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Osman, Ramy M
• Application Number:
  US12/364,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20100197405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/205, 709/203, 709/223, 709/225, 709/204, 709/232, 709/217, 709/227, 709/230, 463/30, 463/42, 463/22, 463/43
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/534 for network load management, e.g. bandwidth optimization, latency reduction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data

Abstract

The subject disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for routing data in a network-based computer game via proxy computers. The method and system includes a set of techniques that utilizes the proxy computers to thwart traffic analysis in high-speed games while continuing to satisfy the games'"'"' latency requirements. The method and apparatus facilitates thwarting multiple classes of traffic analysis, including inspection of unencrypted header fields, observation of packet size, correlation of packet timing, and collusion among players. A matchmaking system for matching players in a network-based computer game in a manner that resists traffic analysis is also provided.

Claims

1. A receiver proxy comprising:

computer-readable instructions that configure the receiver proxy to;

receive data packets from multiple player computers of multiple game players that are participating in a game, the multiple player computers executing instances of game code of the game, wherein the data packets are received in a particular order,

permute the data packets into a permuted order that is different than the particular order in which the data packets were received from the multiple player computers, and

send the data packets received from the multiple player computers of the multiple game players to another player computer of another game player in the permuted order that is different than the particular order in which the data packets were received from the multiple player computers, wherein the another player computer is also participating in the game by executing another instance of the game code of the game; and

at least one processing unit configured to execute the computer-readable instructions.

2. A system comprising the receiver proxy of claim 1, the multiple player computers, and the another player computer, wherein the game is a client/server game, the another player computer is a server, and the multiple player computers are clients.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a receiver proxy set that is bound to the server and includes the receiver proxy and other receiver proxies, wherein the receiver proxy is further configured to drop other data packets received from the multiple player computers and the other receiver proxies from the receiver proxy set are configured to send the other data packets to the another player computer.

4. The receiver proxy of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions further configure the receiver proxy to:

wait a limited amount of time for the data packets to arrive, the data packets each being associated with a frame of the game, and

drop other data packets associated with the frame of the game that are received from the multiple player computers after the limited amount of time has passed, wherein the other packets are dropped without sending the other data packets to the another player computer.

5. The receiver proxy of claim 1, wherein the receiver proxy is a remote proxy embodied as a gaming console that is configured to send and receive the data packets while the game console is not participating in the game and is participating in another game with other multiple game players.

6. The receiver proxy of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable instructions further configure the receiver proxy to:

receive the data packets from the multiple player computers and send the data packets to the another player computer during an individual frame of the game when the receiver proxy is assigned to the another player computer, and

during a subsequent individual frame of the game, rotate to act as the receiver proxy for a different player computer instead of the another player computer.

7. The receiver proxy of claim 1, wherein the game is a peer-to-peer game played by a plurality of peers including the multiple player computers and the another player computer is another peer of the plurality of peers.

8. One or more hardware computer storage media storing computer-readable instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to act as a receiver proxy by performing acts comprising:

receiving data packets from multiple player computers of multiple game players that are participating in a game, the multiple player computers executing instances of game code of the game, wherein the data packets are received in a particular order;

permuting the data packets into a permuted order that is different than the particular order in which the data packets were received from the multiple player computers; and

sending the data packets received from the multiple player computers of the multiple game players to another player computer of another game player in the permuted order,

wherein the another player computer is also participating in the game by executing another instance of the game code of the game.

9. The one or more hardware computer storage media of claim 8, wherein the game comprises multiple frames and each of the data packets are associated with a single frame of the game.

10. The one or more hardware computer storage media of claim 9, the acts further comprising:

waiting a limited amount of time for the data packets to arrive; and

dropping other data packets associated with the single frame of the game that are received from the multiple player computers after the limited amount of time has passed, wherein the other packets are dropped without sending the other data packets to the another player computer.

11. The one or more hardware computer storage media of claim 8, the acts further comprising:

during another single frame of the game, rotating to act as the receiver proxy for a different player computer of the multiple player computers instead of the another player computer.

12. The one or more hardware computer storage media of claim 11, the acts further comprising:

during the another single frame of the game;

receiving other data packets from other multiple player computers of the multiple game players that are participating in the game, wherein the other data packets are received in another particular order,

permuting the other data packets into another permuted order that is different than the another particular order in which the other data packets were received from the other multiple player computers, and

sending the other data packets received from the other multiple player computers to the different player computer in the another permuted order.

13. A method performed by a computing device acting as a receiver proxy, the method comprising:

receiving data packets from multiple player computers of multiple game players that are participating in a game, the multiple player computers executing instances of game code of the game, wherein the data packets are received in a particular order;

permuting the data packets into a permuted order that is different than the particular order in which the data packets were received from the multiple player computers; and

sending the data packets received from the multiple player computers of the multiple game players to another player computer of another game player in the permuted order,

wherein the another player computer is also participating in the game by executing another instance of the game code of the game.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the game comprises multiple frames and each of the data packets are associated with a single frame of the game.

15. The method of claim 14, the acts further comprising:

waiting a limited amount of time for the data packets to arrive; and

dropping other data packets associated with the single frame of the game that are received from the multiple player computers after the limited amount of time has passed, wherein the other packets are dropped without sending the other data packets to the another player computer.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

during another single frame of the game, rotate to act as the receiver proxy for a different player computer of the multiple player computers instead of the another player computer.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

during the another single frame of the game;

receive other data packets from other multiple player computers of the multiple game players that are participating in the game, wherein the other data packets are received in another particular order,

permute the other data packets into another permuted order that is different than the another particular order in which the other data packets were received from the other multiple player computers, and

send the other data packets received from the other multiple player computers to the different player computer in the another permuted order.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the game is a peer-to-peer game played by a plurality of peers including the multiple player computers and the another player computer is another peer of the plurality of peers.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the game is a client/server game, the another player computer is a server, and the multiple player computers are clients.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the game is a first-person shooter game.