Gaming systems with authentication token support

• US 9,280,871 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2007
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Bailey, Daniel Vernon, Kaliski, Burton S. Jr., Juels, Ari, Rivest, Ronald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): YOO, JASSON H
• Application Number:
  US11/774,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20080009345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,165 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29, 463/43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens

Abstract

Techniques for providing authentication functionality in a gaming system are disclosed. In one aspect, a gaming system is configured such that, at a given point during a current session of a game in progress that involves at least one user previously granted access by the system to participate in the current session, information available from an authentication token associated with the user is obtained prior to allowing the user to take a particular action in the game. A determination is made as to whether or not the user will be allowed to take the particular action in the game, based on the obtained information. The obtained information may comprise, for example, at least a portion of a one-time password generated by a hardware or software authentication token.

Claims

1. A method of providing authentication functionality in a gaming system, the method comprising the steps of:

responsive to a user attempting to take a particular action during a current session of a game in progress, the user having previously been granted access by the system to participate in the current session, obtaining information available from an authentication token associated with said user prior to allowing said user to take the particular action in the game; and

allowing the user to take the particular action in the game based on the obtained information;

wherein the obtained information comprises information indicative of a location of the authentication token; and

wherein the steps of obtaining information and allowing the user to take the particular action are at least in part performed by a processor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the obtaining and allowing steps further comprise the steps of:

generating a request for the information available from the authentication token;

receiving a response to the request; and

allowing the user to take the particular action in the game if the response contains the requested information available from the authentication token.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the allowing step further comprises allowing the user to take the particular action in the game if the obtained information is among a set of currently acceptable values for said action.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the authentication token comprises a hardware authentication token.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the authentication token comprises a software authentication token.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the information available from the authentication token comprises at least a portion of a one-time password generated by the authentication token.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the information available from the authentication token comprises one or more information elements to be entered by the user based at least in part on corresponding indications provided by the authentication token.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more information elements comprise a sequence of user interface commands to be entered by the user in a manner indicated by the authentication token.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the information available from the authentication token comprises non-numerical information provided by the authentication token.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the non-numerical information provided by the authentication token comprises one or more symbols generated by the authentication token.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the system presents to the user via a user interface a number of selectable options one of which corresponds to the information available from the authentication token.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of obtaining the information available from the authentication token comprises receiving an indication of user selection of a particular one of the selectable options.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the particular action comprises accessing a particular element within a virtual world provided by the game in progress.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the information available from the authentication token is obtained based at least in part on the user manipulating an input device of the system in a particular manner.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the input device comprises a hand-held wireless controller of the gaming system.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the input device comprises the authentication token itself.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the manner in which the user manipulates the input device is operative to control selection of a particular one of a number of selectable options.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the obtained information comprises information indicative of previous interaction between the authentication token and another system or device.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein an element of the gaming system provides information indicative of identity of the user to an external server in conjunction with allowing the user to take the particular action.

20. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium storing one or more software programs, wherein the one or more software programs when executed by the processing device implement the steps of:

responsive to a user attempting to take a particular action during a current session of a game in progress, the user having previously been granted access by the system to participate in the current session, obtaining information available from an authentication token associated with said user prior to allowing said user to take the particular action in the game; and

allowing the user to take the particular action in the game based on the obtained information;

wherein the obtained information comprises information indicative of a location of the authentication token.

21. A processing device for use in a gaming system, the processing device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor;

wherein the processing device is configured such that, responsive to a user attempting to take a particular action during a current session of a game in progress, the user having previously been granted access by the system to participate in the current session, the processing device obtains information available from an authentication token associated with said user prior to allowing said user to take the particular action in the game, the processing device being further configured to allow the user to take the particular action in the game based on the obtained information, the obtained information comprising information indicative of a location of the authentication token.

22. The processing device of claim 21 wherein the authentication token comprises a software authentication token.

23. The processing device of claim 21 wherein the processing device comprises a gaming console of the system.

24. The processing device of claim 21 wherein the processing device comprises a gaming server of the system.

25. The processing device of claim 21 wherein the processing device comprises a host device configured for communication with a gaming server over a network.

26. A gaming system comprising:

a processing device; and

an authentication token;

wherein the processing device is configured such that, responsive to a user attempting to take a particular action during a current session of a game in progress, the user having previously been granted access by the system to participate in the current session, the processing device obtains information available from the authentication token prior to allowing said user to take the particular action in the game, the processing device being further configured to allow the user to take the particular action in the game based on the obtained information, the obtained information comprising information indicative of a location of the authentication token.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the authentication token comprises a hardware authentication token physically separate from the processing device.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the authentication token comprises a software authentication token implemented on a device that is physically separate from the processing device.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein the processing device comprises one of a gaming server and a host device of the gaming system.