KR101390214B1 - On-line monitoring of resources - Google Patents

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, methods, devices, and techniques are provided for coordinating actions within an online community. The present invention includes a startup mechanism that is activated by a community member in response to improper conduct by another community member. Then, it receives a time-based history of the activities of the community member during the time the activation mechanism is activated. Then, the community behavior is reproduced from the time-based history. Next, assess the behavior of community members to determine if there has been inappropriate behavior by the offending community member and whether there has been inappropriate behavior, and take appropriate action against the offending community member.

Description

On-line monitoring of resources

The present invention relates to an on-line session, and more particularly, to a community based on moderation of an online session. Moderation of cheating in online sessions; Online resource allocation based on coordination of community-based online sessions; And improving application integrity.

In a typical online session, such as a virtual reality session, a game, and other applications, users can interact and communicate with other online users within an online community. During this interaction, members of the online community may receive inappropriate or unlawful behavior from other members of the community.

For example, a community member can begin to communicate chat messages, including insults or other inappropriate language, to other members of the community. In this way, one member of the community can send obscene gestures or pictures that are visible to other community members.

In addition, community members can participate in illegal activities. For example, in a virtual reality environment, one of the community members may post bullying pornography or engage in other illegal activities. Illegal activities will be offensive to other members of the community.

In yet another embodiment, members of an online community may participate in an online game. During an online game, one or more game players may engage in cheating to gain unfair advantage to other game players. Misconduct can lead to dissatisfaction with other online game players' online games.

An offensive, illegal, fraudulent or other inappropriate behavior by certain community members may reduce the enjoyment of online sessions to other community members. Therefore, there is a need to improve coordination in online sessions.

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, systems, apparatus, and programs for coordinating online sessions. In one embodiment, the method for community adjustment of an online session includes observing an inappropriate behavior of a first online user by a second online user. The second online user activates or depresses a triggering mechanism in response to an inappropriate action. A time-based history of the online session is obtained. The time-based history is then sent to the moderation entity.

In one embodiment, the time-based history of the online session includes an online session activity that occurred during a predetermined amount of time prior to the activation mechanism being activated or depressed. The duration of the time-based history may be set by the user, or it may be a time period scheduled by the network entity or other technique. The time-based history may include information associating online user identities with online behavior of an online user. In one embodiment, the compensation may be distributed to the user who observes the inappropriate behavior and activates or presses the startup mechanism. One embodiment of the start-up mechanism is a panic button.

In another embodiment, the behavior coordination method in an online community includes receiving an indication that a startup mechanism is activated by a community member in response to an inappropriate activity by another community member. Then, it receives a time-based history of the activities of the community member during the time the activation mechanism is activated. Then, the community behavior is reproduced from the time-based history. Next, assess the behavior of community members to determine if there has been inappropriate behavior by the offending community member and whether there has been inappropriate behavior, and take appropriate action against the offending community member.

In an online community according to another embodiment, there are two or more users communicating within an online community, wherein a first user in the online community observes inappropriate behavior by a second user in the online community, Button, the depression of the panic button initiates the storage of the time-based history of the online community activity, and the time-based history indicates the duration of the desired duration prior to depression of the panic button and the desired duration of time after depression of the panic button Cover. The online community also receives a time-based history to determine whether there has been inappropriate behavior by one of the users and whether there has been an inappropriate action by one of the users and to take appropriate action for the user who has performed the inappropriate action Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > online entities. ≪ / RTI >

In yet another embodiment, a networkable device includes a startup mechanism. Networkable devices also include a processor that obtains a time-based history of online behavior of users within an online community. There is also a network interface that transmits time-based history to the coordinating entity that determines whether inappropriate online behavior has been caused by one of the online users.

In one embodiment, taking the appropriate action for an offensive community member may include providing a warning to the offending community member, limiting the online options available to the offending community member, and providing an offensive community And restricting access to members' online communities. The activation mechanism activated may be holding the panic button pressed.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide a method, system, apparatus, and program for detecting and preventing cheating in an online game session. During game play, one of the players detects suspected fraud by another online game player. The game information is collected for all the players' actions in the online game, and the game information includes the period during which the suspicious activity is suspected. The game information is passed to the game tampering coordinating entity, which evaluates the game information to determine if there has been a fraudulent activity and takes appropriate action if there is a fraudulent activity.

In one embodiment, obtaining the game information of the online game session includes obtaining an online game session activity that occurred during a predetermined amount of time prior to detecting the suspicious activity. In one embodiment, acquiring game information includes associating the identity of the online game player with the online behavior of the player. In one embodiment, the compensation is provided to a game player that observes the cheating and delivers the game information to the game cheating monitoring entity. There may also be a starting mechanism activated by the player in response to detecting suspected cheating behavior.

In another embodiment, the method of adjusting fraud in an online game community includes receiving an indication that a player in an online game session suspects that another player in the game session is engaging in fraudulent activity. Then, the game information of the game action is received during the time of the suspected cheating action. Then, the game action is reproduced from the game information. It then evaluates the players' actions in the game to determine whether there has been a misconduct by one of the game players and whether there has been a misconduct, and takes appropriate action against the player who engages in the misconduct. One embodiment of an appropriate action includes restricting access to an online game of a cheating player.

In another embodiment, the online game session is one in which the first player in the online game session detects an activity that is suspected of being cheated by the second player in the online game session, and the first player is denied the game cheating behavior monitoring entity It conveys an indication that there is suspicious behavior and includes two or more players communicating within an online game session. The game cheating monitoring entity collects game information of the play of all the players in the online game session when receiving the indication of cheating, and the game information includes a period of extending the duration before and after receiving the display And the game cheating monitoring entity uses the game information to reproduce the online game behavior of the players to determine whether there has been a cheating by one of the players and whether there is a cheating by one of the players, The game cheating monitoring entity takes appropriate action. One embodiment of an appropriate action includes restricting access to an online game session by a cheating player.

In another embodiment, the game misconduct monitoring entity includes a network interface that receives an indication that there is a misconduct. The game cheating monitoring entity also includes a processor for collecting game information of all of the players in the online game session, wherein the game information includes a period of extending the duration before and after receiving the indication, The game information is used to reproduce the online game behavior of the players in the game session to determine whether there has been a cheating by one or more of the players and whether there is a cheating by one or more of the players, The entity takes appropriate action.

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, systems, devices, and programs for allocating online or other network resources to monitor an online community. In one embodiment, a method for allocating on-line resources to monitor online community members identified as participating in improper conduct includes receiving an indication that an online user may be participating in improper conduct. Then, a time-based history of the online session including the behavior of the user is acquired. Then, the online behavior is reproduced and it is determined whether there has been inappropriate behavior by the offensive online user.

Allocate online resources for the desired level of discomfort for online users. In one embodiment, the time-based history of the online session includes obtaining an online session activity occurring during a predetermined amount of time prior to receiving an indication that the online user may be participating in an inappropriate activity. In another embodiment, acquiring a time based history includes associating online user identities with online behavior of an online user. In one embodiment, allocating on-line resources for monitoring a desired level of offending online users includes allocating on-line resources to track offensive online user's behaviors. Yet another embodiment includes a network resource allocation entity that obtains a time-based history. In one embodiment, the coordinating entity communicates a desired level of discomfort to a user with a network resource allocation entity that obtains a time based history, recovers online behavior, and allocates network resources.

In yet another embodiment, a method of assigning online resources to monitor online community members identified as being involved in an improper activity may include, in response to an activity that is suspected to be inappropriate by another online community member, And receiving an indication that it is activated by the community member. Then, it receives a time-based history of the online activity of the community member during the time the activation mechanism is activated. Then, the community behavior is reproduced from the time-based history. Evaluate the actions of community members to determine whether there has been inappropriate conduct by the offensive community member and whether there has been inappropriate conduct, and allocate online resources to monitor community members identified as participating in improper conduct.

In yet another embodiment, an online community with online resources assigned to monitor members of the online community may be configured such that a first user in the online community observes suspicious activity by one or more other users in the online community, 1 The user presses the panic button in response to an inappropriate action and the depression of the panic button starts storing the time-based history of the online community action. The time-based history shows the duration before the panic button is pressed and the time after the panic button is pressed It covers the period of extending the duration. The coordinating entity receives the time-based history to determine whether there has been an inappropriate action by one of the users, and whether there is an inappropriate action by one of the users, plays the online action, Determine the desired level of surveillance to track the behavior. The network allocation resource allocation entity allocates online resources to track offensive user behavior.

In one embodiment, the network entity includes a network interface that receives an indication that an online user may be involved in an inappropriate activity. A processor that obtains a time-based history of online actions of users in an online community when an indication is received is adapted to play back the online activity of the online community and determine whether there has been an inappropriate online activity by one or more of the online users, And allocates the online resource to achieve the desired level of surveillance of the offending users.

In one embodiment, the time-based history of the online session includes an online session activity that occurred during a predetermined amount of time prior to the startup mechanism being depressed. The duration of the time-based history may be set by the user, or it may be a predetermined duration by a network entity or other technique. The time based history may include information associating online user identities with online behavior of an online user. In one embodiment, the compensation can be delivered to the user observing the inappropriate behavior and pressing the start-up mechanism. One embodiment of the boot mechanism is a panic button.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide methods, systems, devices, and programs for improving application integrity. In one embodiment, an application integrity improvement method includes interacting with an application. Next, observe the unexpected behavior of the application. Then, the start-up mechanism is activated in response to the unexpected operation. Then, a time-based history of the application session is obtained. Deliver time-based history to network entities for evaluation.

In one embodiment, the application includes testing an online game, wherein obtaining the time based history includes obtaining an online game session activity that occurred during a predetermined amount of time prior to the startup mechanism being pressed do.

In one embodiment, activating the start-up mechanism includes pressing a panic button. In one embodiment, observing the unexpected behavior of the application includes observing a defect in the operation of the application. In one embodiment, the network entity comprises a server, coordinating entity or other network entity. In another embodiment, delivering a time based history comprises transmitting a time based history via a wide area network, such as a local network, or any combination of the Internet or networks.

In yet another embodiment, an on-line game test method includes receiving an indication that a start-up mechanism is activated in response to an unexpected action of an online game. And receives a time-based history of online game activity during the time that the startup mechanism is activated. Play the game action from the time-based history. The game activity is evaluated to determine whether there is a malfunction in the operation of the game. In another embodiment, testing an online game includes resolving a malfunction in the operation of the game.

In another embodiment, the online game test unit comprises a startup mechanism. The test unit also includes a processor that obtains a time-based history of the game action when the startup mechanism is activated. The test unit includes a network interface that transmits a time-based history to a network entity that determines whether there is a malfunction in the operation of the online game.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

In accordance with the present invention, it is possible to prevent delays in online sessions by discomfort, illegal, cheating or other inappropriate actions, and the coordination in online sessions is improved.

Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary architecture for coordinating online user behavior.
2 is a block diagram of another embodiment of a network architecture for coordinating online user behavior.
Figure 3A is a block diagram of a peer-to-peer communication network illustrating a community coordination method.
FIG. 3B is a block diagram illustrating an indication of improper behavior by another user in the network of FIG. 3A.
FIG. 3C is a block diagram of the peer-to-peer network of FIG. 3A showing the coordinating entity 108 taking preventive action.
4A is a block diagram of a client server communication network illustrating a community coordination method.
4B shows the network of FIG. 4A in which a server sends an audio chat message from a first user to other users.
4C shows the network of FIG. 4A where the user sends an inappropriate message.
4D shows the network of FIG. 4A showing a server taking inappropriate actions for inappropriate messages sent by a user.
5 is a flow chart illustrating a method for detecting and preventing inappropriate online actions.
Figure 6 is a flowchart of another embodiment for detecting inappropriate online behavior.
7 is a flowchart showing a method for taking an appropriate action in response to an inappropriate action.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of community adjustment use to prevent cheating in an online video game.
9 is a flowchart showing an online behavior adjustment method.
10 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a user online behavior evaluation.
11 is a block diagram of a test environment.
12A is a flowchart of the online test environment shown in FIG.
12B is a flowchart of one embodiment of the test environment shown in FIG.
Figure 13 is a table showing examples of other types of actions that may be taken in response to a user's improper action.
FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary networkable device 1450 that may be used in connection with the various embodiments described herein.
15 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary game malfeasance monitoring entity that may be used in connection with the various embodiments described herein.
16 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of cheating detection in an online environment.
17 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of cheating detection in an online environment.
18 is a block diagram of another embodiment of a coordinating entity capable of allocating resources.
19 is a flowchart showing a method of on-line or other network resource allocation.
20 is a flowchart showing another method of on-line or other network resource allocation.

Having read the following specific details, it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to practice the invention in various alternative embodiments and optional applications. However, although various embodiments of the present invention are described herein, these embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive. As such, the specific details of various embodiments should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary architecture for coordinating online user behavior. As shown in Figure 1, one or more users or clients (clients) 102a-c communicate via network 104. [ In one embodiment, users 102a-c communicate with each other in the instant communication network via a network. In another embodiment, users communicate via the network using the server 106. Users 102 may be a portable game device such as a game console such as a Sony Play Station 3, a laptop computing device, a portable game device such as a PlayStation Portable, A computing device, a cellular phone, or any other device capable of accessing the communication network 104. [0031]

In one embodiment, the architecture includes a coordinating entity 108 in communication with the network 104. The coordinating entity 108 may be used to take appropriate action if one of the users 102a-c participates in an inappropriate or unacceptable act. For example, as discussed below, the coordinating entity 108 may cease communicating from one user to another, or may restrict access to the network for a period of time that the offending user desires .

In one embodiment, coordinating entity 108 is a separate network node. In other embodiments, the coordinating entity 108 may be included within another network node, such as one or more users 102a-c, a server 106, or other network entity. The contents of users 102a-c, server 106, and coordinating entity 108 are for ease of understanding of various embodiments. For example, embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in a peer-to-peer network, a client server network, or a peer group. Thus, in certain cases, the client or user may act as a server or coordinating entity depending on the timing or attributes of the data exchange. For example, various clients in a peer-to-peer network may include a portion of an online action, such as a virtual reality, and may transmit and receive data associated with an online action. Thus, the content for a user, server, or coordinating entity is meant to encompass operations performed by one or more operating entities, unless otherwise specified. In certain instances, a device with user / server functionality may be referred to as a generic term such as a network node, a computing node, or a network device. With respect to the user, the server and coordinating entity may each be considered network computing nodes or network devices.

In one embodiment, one user 102c may monitor the behavior of other online users 102a, 102b when interacting in an online environment. One of the users 102c may be configured to select one of the other users 102a, 102b when they believe that one of the other users 102a, 102b is involved in an improper behavior with respect to the online environment, for example by pressing a panic button, Display can be performed. Although this discussion describes that one user 102c is monitoring other users 102a-b, in other embodiments all users are monitoring the behavior of all other users. In other embodiments, selected users or groups of users may be authorized to monitor other online users.

When the panic button is depressed, a snapshot of the online environment is obtained and sent to the adjustment entity 108 for evaluation. The snapshot of the online action includes an action that occurred when the panic button was pressed, as well as the desired duration before the panic button was pressed. That is, each user device 102 monitoring online behavior includes a buffer or other type of memory that stores the duration of all user actions being monitored in the online environment. In this manner, the content of the buffer, including the duration after the panic button is pressed, as well as the time before the panic button is pressed, is sent to the adjustment entity 108 for evaluation. The duration of the time-based history may be set by the user, or it may be a time period scheduled by the network entity or other technology.

The coordinating entity receives the stored online actions of the users. The coordinating entity 108 then evaluates the online behavior against a pre-established set of criteria or rules. If the coordinating entity 108 determines that the behavior of one of the users is inappropriate, the coordinating entity 108 may take appropriate action. For example, if the user is using an offensive language, the adjusting entity 108 may prevent the user's microphone from functioning. In another embodiment, the coordinating entity 108 may warn the user to stop using the offensive language, or the adjustment entity 108 may restrict the user and allow the user to access such language, To access only some of the acceptable online environments, or users may be restricted from the entire online environment. In another embodiment, if the user engages in cheating in the game, the coordinating entity 108 may warn the user to abort the cheating action, or the adjusting entity 108 may restrict the user, It may not allow the user to participate in the game.

In one embodiment, users who have identified an inappropriate behavior may be rewarded. For example, if a user identifies a cheater in the game, the user can be rewarded. Compensation encourages the user to identify inappropriate behavior such as cheating, and improves the online experience for all other users because appropriate action is taken. Of course, users can abuse compensation features by identifying other users that are not related to inappropriate behavior. To prevent this type of false identification, a user who performs false identification may be penalized.

2 is a block diagram of another embodiment of a network architecture for coordinating online user behavior. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of users 102a, 102b, and 102c communicate using the network 104. FIG. In addition, the server 106 performs communication with the network. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, there are a plurality of coordinating entities 108a through 108n. In this embodiment, each coordinating entity is configured to evaluate a particular type of inappropriate behavior. For example, one coordinating entity may be configured to evaluate an offensive language in an online environment. Other coordinating entities may be configured to evaluate cheating within an online game. Another coordinating entity may be configured to evaluate online illegal activity, such as distribution of pornographic or other illegal content. In other embodiments, other coordinating entities are configured to evaluate illegal online behavior of other types. Similar to the communication network of FIG. 1, if an illegal online action is determined by the coordinating entity, then appropriate action may be taken.

Figure 3a is a block diagram of a peer-to-peer communication network illustrating a community coordination method. As shown in FIG. 3A, the community includes three users 102a, 102b, and 102c that communicate with each other through the communication network 104. As shown in FIG. The coordinating entity 108 also communicates with the network 104. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, the first user 102a communicates by sending voice messages to other users 102b, 102c. In the embodiment of Figure 3A, the voice message transmitted by the first user 102a includes an inappropriate or offensive language.

FIG. 3B is a block diagram illustrating an indication of improper behavior by another user in the network of FIG. 3A. In one embodiment, the user 102c presses the panic button to indicate that there is an inappropriate action. As shown in FIG. 3B, when a third user 102c is listening to an inappropriate and offensive message from the first user 102a, a panic button or other starter device is pressed to indicate that an inappropriate action has occurred or has occurred . While users are engaged in online activities, networkable devices record the online behavior of all monitored users in the community by buffering the time segment or time-based history of online activity. That is, the buffer in the device 102c of the third user has a sliding window of memory that records a portion of the previous online action by the users. When the panic button is depressed, the previous actions of the network as well as the current and future actions are stored for the desired duration. This entire buffer may then be transmitted to the coordinating entity 108. [ In addition to transmitting the recorded online action, the message sent to the coordinating entity 108 may include an indication of the type of offensive or inappropriate behavior that the third user 102c is reporting. Embodiments of types of online actions that can be buffered include time-based history of online actions such as the status of test chats, audio chat, characters and / or online participants as well as other types of online activity.

In another embodiment, the appearance and sound of the avatars participating in the online game may be obtained and stored in a time-based history. The coordinating entity 108 may then evaluate the time-based history of the users' online behavior and may determine whether the first user 102a's behavior, such as whether the first user is cheating .

FIG. 3C is a block diagram of the peer-to-peer network of FIG. 3A showing the coordinating entity 108 taking preventive action. When the first user 102a determines that the action of the first user 102a is inappropriate, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3C, the coordinating entity 108 may take preventative action. For example, the coordinating entity 108 may send an alert to the first user 102a indicating that the behavior of the first user 102a is inappropriate and will not participate in such an activity in the future. In addition, other types of safeguards can be taken. For example, the adjusting entity 108 may send a command to the device of the first user 102a and may lose communication capability of the first user 102a, such as turning off the microphone of the first user.

In other embodiments, the coordinating entity 108 may take steps such as blocking the offending user's application so that the offending user is no longer able to take part in the online action. In addition, the coordinating entity 108 may add or increase the watch of a particular user who has participated in an inappropriate action. In other embodiments, these types of corrective measures may be used individually or in combination.

Although the embodiments shown in Figures 3A-3C illustrate three users, there may be other personnel in different embodiments. Also, in other embodiments, users of other personnel and groups may be monitored or monitored.

4A is a block diagram of a client server communication network illustrating a community coordination method. As shown in FIG. 4A, three users 102a, 102b, and 102c use devices capable of networking to communicate through the server 106 while participating in an online action. In FIG. 4A, a first user 102a participates in an audio chat session with a second user 102b and a third user 102c. The audio message from the first user 102a is routed to the server 106. [

4B shows the network of FIG. 4A in which a server sends an audio chat message from a first user to other users. In the embodiment of Figure 4b, the server 106 sends an audio chat message from the first user 102a to the second user 102b and the third user 102c. In other embodiments, there may be many other users in the network. For example, the message of the first user may be transmitted to one other user or a plurality of other users.

4C shows the network of FIG. 4A where the user sends an inappropriate message. In this embodiment, the first user 102a transmits the intended audio chat message to the second user 102b and the third user 102c, and the message contains inappropriate content.

4D shows the network of FIG. 4A showing a server taking inappropriate actions for inappropriate messages sent by a user. As shown in Figure 4d, the server 106 detects the audio message sent by the first user 102a and determines that the audio message is inappropriate. Since the audio message contains inappropriate content, the server 106 does not transmit the audio message to the second user 102b and the third user 102c. In addition, the server 106 may be configured to alert the first user 102a that audio messages and actions are inappropriate as well as additional or increased monitoring of the first user, to block the application of the first user, Other actions, such as the type of actions.

In the embodiments shown in Figures 4A-4D, the function of the coordinating entity is included in the server 106. [ In other embodiments, the function of the coordinating entity may be included in other network entities such as, for example, a user device or other network device.

The embodiments shown in Figures 4A-4D illustrate three users, but in other embodiments there may be users of different personnel. Also, in other embodiments, users of other personnel and groups can be monitored and monitored.

5 is a flow chart illustrating a method for detecting and preventing inappropriate online actions. The flow begins at block 502, where an online user observes an offensive or inappropriate activity. Types of behavior that are considered offensive or inappropriate may be based on recognition of inappropriate behavior by an individual user or based on community standards as to what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior. Various techniques for establishing what is an appropriate act and an improper act are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 502,265, filed on August 9, 2006, entitled " Dynamic Rating of Content. &Quot;

The flow continues at block 504, where the user presses the panic button or performs another action in response to an offensive or inappropriate online action. The flow then continues to block 506, in which a time-based history of all community member actions is obtained. The time-based history can be stored in the user's device and includes a sliding window of online actions. That is, when the panic button is pressed, a portion of the past online action is continuously recorded in the buffer such that the previous online action as well as the current and future duration of the online action are stored. In this way, evidence indicative of the user's inappropriate or offensive online behavior is obtained within the time-based history.

The flow continues to block 508. At block 508, the time-based history is sent to the coordinating entity. In addition to the time-based history, a selective indication of the type of offending behavior may also be sent to the coordinating entity. For example, a user may be presented with an indication that the inappropriate behavior is believed to be an illegal act, such as an offensive language, online pornography or player cheating within the game, or other inappropriate behavior.

The flow then continues to block 510. At block 510, the mediating entity evaluates the time-based history to determine whether the behavior is offensive or inappropriate. Optionally, if an indication of the type of offending behavior is included in the message sent to the regulating entity, the time based history may be routed to the appropriate regulating entity based on the particular engine or types of behavior in the regulating entity. That is, one coordinating entity, or engine in the coordinating entity, may be optimized to identify and take appropriate action for a particular type of inappropriate behavior, such as, for example, an insulting language. Other engines or coordinating entities may be optimized to detect and take action for other types of inappropriate behavior, such as, for example, illegal online behavior or game cheating.

The flow then continues to block 512 where the coordinating entity takes the appropriate action. During the evaluation, the coordinating entity may not take any action if it determines that the action is not inappropriate. If the coordinating entity determines that the behavior is offensive or inappropriate, the coordinating entity may take appropriate action. For example, the coordinating entity may either increase or add monitoring to warn the user of his behavior, block the user's application, or track the offending behavior of the offending user.

Optionally, if it is determined that inappropriate activity has occurred, the user reporting the inappropriate activity is compensated. If it is determined that there is no inappropriate activity, the user reporting the inappropriate activity is penalized. In this way, users are hindered from doing false reports, but are encouraged to report inappropriate behavior.

Figure 6 is a flowchart of another embodiment for detecting inappropriate online behavior. The flow begins at block 602, where the user participates in an online community action. For example, a user may participate in an online game action, or participate in an online virtual reality session, such as a Sony Home® environment, or other online activities. The flow continues to block 604, where the user interacts with other members of the online community. The flow then continues to block 606 where the user is aware of the improper behavior of one of the other community members. The flow then continues to block 608 where the user presses the panic button or indicates that an inappropriate action has been observed. The flow then continues to block 610, in which a time-based history of inappropriate behavior of the online environment is obtained and transmitted to the coordinating entity. As previously mentioned, the time-based history includes a sliding window that records actions after pressing the panic button as well as before clicking the panic button. In this way, the online behavior at the time of the offending action is obtained and sent to the coordinating entity. Optionally, users who do false reports may be penalized, while users reporting inappropriate activity may be compensated.

7 is a flowchart showing a method for taking an appropriate action in response to an inappropriate action. In one embodiment, actions may be taken by a network entity, such as the coordinating entity 108 or the server 106 in Figures 1 and 2. Flow begins at block 702 and an indication of the occurrence of an inappropriate action, such as a depression of a panic button, is received. The flow then continues to block 704 where a time-based history of the activities of the online community members is received. The flow then continues to block 706. At block 706, the behavior of the online community member is evaluated. At block 708, an inappropriate action recorded in the time-based history of the online community is identified. The flow then continues to block 710 where appropriate action is taken. At block 708, if no inappropriate behavior is identified, no action is taken at block 710. If an inappropriate action is identified at block 708, appropriate action is taken at block 710. [ For example, a warning may be delivered to an offending user, an offending user may be blocked, or an offensive user may be added and / or monitored. Optionally, users who report inappropriate behavior may be compensated, while users who do false reports may be penalized.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of community adjustment use to prevent cheating in an online video game. In one embodiment, tamper prevention in an online video game can be accomplished by a network entity such as the coordinating entity 108 and the server 106 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The flow begins at block 802 where the online game user observes suspicious game play of one of the other participants. The flow continues to block 804 where the user observing the suspicious play displays a belief that another user is cheating by pressing a panic button, a start-up mechanism, or other type of indication. The flow then continues to block 806, in which a time-based history of the behavior of the online game member is obtained. The time-based history includes the duration of the game play after the depression of the panic button, as well as the duration of the game play stored before the depression of the panic button. In this manner, a sliding window of time before and after depression of the panic button has been recorded. The types of behaviors that can be included in the time-based history include text chat, audio chat, status of all characters, their location, and other data useful for reproducing the online environment. The flow then continues to block 810. At block 810, the time-based history is transmitted to the coordinating entity. In one embodiment, a selective indication of the type of inappropriate behavior observed is also included. For example, if a player observes that a player suspected of cheating is disappearing, has an exceptional force, or is resistant to attacks from other players, this information may be included and transmitted along with the time-based history .

The flow then continues to block 812. At block 812, the coordinating entity evaluates the online behavior of the game participants. Using the time-based history, the adjusting entity can play back the scenarios that have spanned the depression of the panic button. In this way, it can be determined whether someone has committed a cheating. Various techniques for detecting fraud in online games are disclosed in U. S. Patent Application Serial No. 11 / 386,039 entitled " Active Validation of Network Devices ", filed March 20, 2006, May 1, 2006 U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 11 / 415,881 entitled " Passive Validation of Network Devices "filed on June 7, 2006, U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 449,141, Metrics ", and United States Patent Application Serial No. 11 / 725,175, filed March 16, 2007, entitled" Maintaining Community Integrity ".

After making an evaluation of the online behavior at block 812, the flow continues to block 814. [ At block 814, the coordinating entity may take appropriate action based on the severity of the inappropriate behavior. In one embodiment, if an inappropriate action is not detected, the coordinating entity will not take action. In other embodiments, if an inappropriate behavior is detected, the coordinating entity may take appropriate action, including a warning, a blocking of the user's request, an increased monitoring addition, or a combination thereof.

Figures 3-7 describe embodiments related to inappropriate online behavior, such as offensive language, but the same techniques can be applied to prevent cheating in online gaming. For example, in FIGS. 3A-3C, instead of a user who detects and reports an offensive language as a coordinating entity, the user may detect suspicious activity in the online game environment, Can be reported as coordinating entities. Similarly, in Figures 4A-4D, in the case of a server / client based architecture, the server can detect online actions suspected of being cheated by the user and take appropriate action. Similarly, in the case of Figures 5 through 7, the offensive or inappropriate behavior may be a dishonest act in an online gaming environment.

9 is a flowchart showing an online behavior adjustment method. In one embodiment, the method of FIG. 9 may be implemented by an adjusting entity or server as shown in FIGS. The flow begins at block 902 where an indication is received that an inappropriate action has been observed such that the panic button is depressed. The flow continues to block 904 where a time-based history of the behavior of the community members during the time the panic button was pressed is received. Next, at block 906, the behavior of the community member is evaluated to determine whether it is an inappropriate activity. Improper conduct may include offensive or inappropriate language, distribution of pornography to other online users, or cheating in online games. In the case of block 906, if it is determined that the action is not inappropriate, the flow continues to block 910. In the case of block 910, complaints about the user are logged in the user's file. This user file is maintained to keep track of a number of indications that other users believe that there has been an improper act performed by the suspected user.

The flow then continues to block 912. In the case of block 912, the number of complaints is compared to a predetermined threshold. If it is determined that the number of complaints for this user does not exceed the threshold level, the flow returns to block 902 and the system waits for the next depression of the panic button. Referring back to block 912, if it is determined that the number of complaints exceeds the threshold, the flow continues to block 914. Because the number of complaints has exceeded the threshold, there may be some improper conduct, or the type of offensive behavior to other members of the community may have been done by a suspicious user. In this case, at block 914, appropriate actions may be taken. Such action may be to warn or notify the suspicious user that other members of the community have discovered that the behavior of the suspicious user is unacceptable, or may be more severe, such as blocking the application. Moreover, since other members of the community find that his behavior is offensive, user surveillance can be increased. Returning to block 906, if it is determined that the user's action is inappropriate, the flow continues to block 914 where appropriate action is taken. In other words, such measures may range from notifying the user that his conduct is inappropriate, increasing the blocking of the application or increasing the monitoring.

The flow then continues to block 916. At block 916, the user's file is updated to indicate that there has been an inappropriate action or action has been taken. For example, the user file may indicate that a warning has been distributed to this user for his actions. At block 916, when a subsequent action is taken by the same user, the severity of the action may be increased in response to a previously taken action.

9, when a plurality of users press a panic button indicating that a particular type of behavior can not be accommodated by other members of the community, the criteria the coordinating entity uses to assess the current inappropriate behavior The number of complaints logged in a particular type of action may be used to change the criteria and rules set for use by the coordinating entity in the behavioral assessment. For example, if a particular type of behavior is not considered inappropriate in nature but the majority of other online users find that the particular behavior is inappropriate as indicated by multiple complaints about the behavior, You can change the criteria and set this new behavior to be inappropriate. In this way, as the community evolves and evolves over time, the criteria in which actions are considered inappropriate will evolve with the community.

10 is a flowchart of another embodiment of a user online behavior evaluation. In one embodiment, the method of FIG. 10 may be implemented by a coordinating entity or server as shown in FIGS. The flow begins at block 1002 and an indication is received that an inappropriate action has occurred, such as a panic button being pressed. The flow continues to block 1004 where a time-based history of the actions of the community members during the time the panic button is pressed is received. This time based history may include data used to play back online behavior during the time the panic button was pressed so that the coordinating entity could evaluate whether the online behavior of a particular user was inappropriate.

The flow continues to block 1006 where the time-based history is evaluated to see if there is any improper behavior. If the inappropriate action exceeds the threshold, the flow continues to block 1008. At block 1006, a threshold may be set such that the appropriate action is taken when the initially specified inappropriate action is taken. For example, if there is an illegal act, such as pornography or some other illegal act, the flow continues to block 1008, where appropriate action is taken immediately depending on the severity of the act. In addition to taking the appropriate action, a certain level of monitoring for a particular user can be coordinated. For example, a certain level of monitoring can be increased such that the online behavior of this particular offending user is always monitored by the coordinating entity. Also, the user's file is updated to indicate inappropriate behavior.

Coordinating a certain level of surveillance allows systems with limited resources to more effectively allocate resources to community members. For example, if there is a large community with many members, the coordinating entity can monitor the online behavior of all members. By increasing the level of surveillance for individuals identified as participating in improper conduct, limited system resources can be more effectively applied.

The flow then continues to block 1002, where the online behavior is continuously monitored. Returning to block 1006, if the inappropriate action does not exceed the threshold value, flow continues to block 1010. [ At block 1010, the member's file is evaluated to see if previous complaints have been made to this particular member. The flow continues to block 1012 where it is evaluated to see if the accumulated improper behavior exceeds a threshold. If the inappropriate activity accumulated by this particular member does not exceed the threshold, the flow continues to block 1014.

At block 1014, the level of monitoring of such a user may be adjusted. For example, the level of surveillance can be increased to more closely monitor the activities of a particular member. In addition, the member's file is updated to indicate that there are possible inappropriate actions. The flow then continues to block 1002, where it continues to monitor whether there is an indication of inappropriate behavior, such as pressing a panic button. Returning to block 1012, if the accumulated inappropriate behavior exceeds a threshold value, the flow continues to block 1016, where the monitoring level of this particular user will be adjusted according to the number and severity of accumulated examples. For example, the level of surveillance may be increased according to the number of instances where other members are dissatisfied with the behavior of this particular user. The member's file is also updated, and the flow continues to block 1002, where monitoring of network activity continues.

11 is a block diagram of a test environment. For example, Figure 11 may be a test environment for testing an online game or other online application. As shown in FIG. 11, there are a plurality of testers 1102a, 1102b, and 1102c. In other embodiments, there may be a desired number of testers, for example, one, two, or any other number of testers. These online testers communicate with network 1104 and server 1106. As testers interact with online behavior and evaluate online behavior, they will find bugs or defects that they want to report to the server to fix and update the application. One of the testers can initiate a display such as pressing a panic button to record an online environment for the duration that the panic button was depressed when it finds a defect. For example, the duration may be extended for a desired period of time from before the button is pressed down to after the button is pressed. In this way, the online environment can be obtained for evaluation of the cause of defects.

In another embodiment of FIG. 11, testers communicate with network 1104. Network 1104 may be a local network, a wide area network such as the Internet, or other types of networks. Other network entities also communicate with the network. For example, server 1106, coordinating entity 1108, or other network entities may be communicated with network 1104. In one embodiment, tester 1102a includes a network interface 1110, a processor 1112, and a startup mechanism 1114, such as a panic button. In one embodiment, the start-up mechanism 1114 may be depressed and the processor 1112 obtains a time-based history of an action, such as a game action, when the start-up mechanism is activated. The time-based history may be communicated to another network entity via the network interface 1110. [ For example, the time-based history may be communicated to the server 1106, the coordinating entity 1108, or other network entities.

In one embodiment, as the testers interact with and evaluate applications such as online games, non-online games, or other applications, the testers may use bugs or bugs that want to report to the server to resolve and update the application You will find defects. Testers can start a mechanism, such as pressing a panic button, to provide an indication of defects when they find defects. The time-based history of the test environment is recorded during the duration that the start-up mechanism is activated. For example, the duration may be extended from when the starter mechanism is activated to after the starter mechanism is activated. In this way, the behavior and parameters of the application can be obtained for evaluation of the cause of the defect.

12A is a flowchart of the online test environment shown in FIG. The flow begins at block 1202, where the testers participate in the testing of the online environment or application. The flow continues to block 1204, where the tester identifies an example of interest during testing. For example, a tester can identify defects or some discontinuities in an application that you want to report. The flow continues to block 1206, where the tester presses the panic button at the point of interest. The flow then continues to block 1208, in which a time-based history of the online environment during the testing act is obtained. In one embodiment, the time-based history is a sliding window of the memory that is started before the panic button is pressed and after the panic button is pressed. The flow then continues to block 1210, where the time-based history is stored to evaluate and resolve the application.

12B is a flowchart of one embodiment of the test environment shown in FIG. The flow begins at block 1212, where the testers participate in the testing of the application. For example, the application may be a non-online game, an online game, or other application. The flow continues to block 1214, where the tester identifies an example of interest during testing. For example, the tester identifies flaws or some discontinuities in the application that you want to report. The flow continues to block 1216, where the tester activates the start-up mechanism. For example, the tester may press a panic button or other type of mechanism to indicate the point of interest point of interest. The flow then continues to block 1218, in which a time-based history of the online environment during the testing act is obtained. In one embodiment, the time-based history is a sliding window of memory that begins before the activation of the startup mechanism and continues until after activation of the startup mechanism. The flow then continues to block 1220, where the time-based history is evaluated. In one embodiment, the time-based history is passed to the server via the local network. In another embodiment, the time-based history is delivered to the server over a wide area network such as the Internet. In one embodiment, the time-based history is used for solving the application.

Figure 13 is a table showing examples of other types of actions that may be taken in response to a user's improper action. The table shown in Figure 13 has a first column 1302 listing different types of inappropriate actions and a second column 1304 listing different possible actions that can be taken for each type of action. For example, a first type of inappropriate behavior 1306 is an act that deviates from predetermined community criteria. Examples of this type of behavior may be the use of insulting language, racial or ethnic slurs, types of gestures that the community has identified as unacceptable, and other types of behaviors. Embodiments of possible actions 1308 that may be taken in response to these types of behaviors may include sending alerts, blocking the availability of voice messages, blocking an application to a user's online activity, The state includes increasing user surveillance, limiting access to online activity sites, such as limiting access to sites of online environments that children visit.

The second type of inappropriate behavior 1310 listed in FIG. 13 is a cheating behavior of the online game. Examples of possible actions 1312 that may be taken in response to cheating of an online game include sending a warning, reducing player capabilities in the game, disadvantage of the player, such as reducing the score, Limiting access to game options, such as disabling the use of certain game options, blocking player applications to online games, increasing surveillance of fraudsters, and the like.

The third type of behavior listed in Figure 13 is a suspicious activity. While this type of conduct includes acts that do not violate community standards, many members of the community may complain about this behavior. Examples of this type of behavior include contemptuous language, or suspicious or untrusted acts. Examples of possible actions 1316 that may be taken in response to a suspicious activity include sending a warning, increasing a user's surveillance, and the like.

The fourth type of inappropriate action 1318 listed in FIG. 13 is an illegal act. An embodiment of this type of behavior may be to display pornography to children on-line. Examples of possible actions 1320 that may be taken in response to online illegal activity include blocking an application to a player's online game, reporting the action to an authority, And the like.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary networkable device 1450 that may be used in connection with the various embodiments described herein. Networkable device 650 may include one or more processors, such as processor 1452. A dedicated microprocessor (e.g., a digital signal processor) having an architecture suitable for high-speed execution of a signal processing algorithm, a slave subordinate to the main processing system, Such as a slave processor (e.g., a back-end processor), an additional microprocessor or controller for dual or multiple processor systems, or a coprocessor when parallel processing is performed Additional processors may be provided. These coprocessors or coprocessors may be separate processors, or may be integrated into processor 1452. [

Processor 1452 may be coupled to communication bus 1454. Communication bus 1454 may include a data channel for facilitating transfer of information between the storage of computer system 1450 and other peripheral components. Communication bus 1454 includes a data bus, an address bus, and a control bus (not shown), and may provide a set of signals to be used for communication with processor 1452. The communications bus 1454 may be an industry standard architecture (ISA), an extended industry standard architecture (EISA), a micro channel architecture (MCA), a pericheral component interconnect (PCI) local bus, or an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers standard bus architectures such as bus architectures compatible with the IEEE standard, including general-purpose interface bus, IEEE 696 / S-100.

The networkable device 1450 may also include a main memory 1456 and may include a second memory 1458. The main memory 148 may provide a buffer to store online actions during an online session. For example, the buffer may provide a sliding window of memory that stores online behavior of users in an online session. The duration of the online session to be stored may be scheduled or set by the user and may be adjusted by program control or other techniques. Main memory 1456 may also provide storage of instructions and data for programs running on processor 1452. [ Main memory 1456 is typically a semiconductor-based memory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and / or static random access memory (SRAM). Other semiconductor based memory types include, for example, synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), rambus dynamic random access memory (RDRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), and the like, including read only memory .

The second memory 1458 may optionally include a hard disk drive 1460 and / or a removable storage drive such as, for example, a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, a compact disk drive, a digital versatile disc (DVD) (1462). The removable storage drive 1462 reads and / or writes the removable storage medium 1464 in a known manner and / or on a removable storage medium. The removable storage medium 1464 can be, for example, a CD, a DVD, a flash drive, a memory stick, and the like.

Removable storage medium 1464 is typically a computer readable medium having computer executable code (i.e., software) and / or data stored thereon. Computer software or data stored on removable storage medium 1464 may be read into computer system 1450 as electrical communication signals 1478.

In alternative embodiments, the second memory 1458 may include other similar means for enabling computer programs, other data or instructions to be loaded into the computer system 1450. [ Such means may include, for example, an external storage medium 1472 and an interface 1470. Embodiments of external storage medium 1472 include an external hard disk drive, an external optical disk drive, or an external magnetic-optical drive.

Other embodiments of the second memory 1458 may include semiconductor based memory such as programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable read-only memory (EEPROM) . Other removable storage units 1472 and interfaces 1470 are also included that allow software and data to be transferred from the removable storage unit 1472 to the networkable device 1450.

The networkable device 1450 may also include a communication interface 1474. Communication interface 1474 enables software and data to be transmitted between networkable device 450, external devices, networks, or information sources. For example, computer software or executable code may be transmitted from a network entity via a communication interface 1474 to a networkable device 1450. In addition, the communication interface 1474 can establish and maintain wired and wireless communications with external networks such as the Internet. Embodiments of the communication interface 1474 may include a modem, a network interface card (NIC), a communication port, a PCMCIA slot and card, an infrared interface, and an IEEE 1394 FireWire, wireless LAN, IEEE 802.11 interface, IEEE 802.16 interface, And a mesh network interface.

Communication interface 1474 typically includes an Ethernet IEEE 802 standard, a Fiber Channel, a digital subscriber line (DSL), an asynchronous digital subscriber line (ADSL), an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) industry promulgated protocol standards such as network, personal communication services (PCS), transmission control protocol / internet protocol (TCP / IP), and serial line Internet protocol / point to point protocol (SLIP / PPP) , And can implement customized or non-standard interface protocols.

The software and data transmitted via the communication interface 1474 generally takes the form of telecommunication signals 1478. These signals 1478 may be provided to communication interface 1474 via communication channel 1480. Communication channel 1480 carries signals 1478 and may be communicated using various wired or wireless communication means including wired or cable, optical fiber, conventional telephone line, cellular link, wireless data communication link, radio frequency link, .

Computer executable code (i.e., computer programs or software) may be stored in the main memory 1456 and / or the second memory 1458. The computer programs may also be received via the communication interface 1474 and stored in the main memory 1456 and / or the second memory 1458. [ These computer programs, when executed, may enable the computer system 1450 to perform various functions of the present invention as previously described.

As used herein, the term "computer readable medium" refers to a medium that is used to store data and / or provide computer executable code (e.g., software and computer programs) . ≪ / RTI > Embodiments of such media may include a second memory 1458 (including a main memory 1456, a hard disk drive 1460, a removable storage medium 1464 and an external storage medium 1472) And a peripheral device communicatively coupled to the communication interface 1474 (which includes a plurality of devices). These computer-readable media are means for providing executable code, programming instructions, and software, or for storing and / or writing data to networkable device 1450.

The networkable device 1450 also includes a start-up mechanism 1476. The startup mechanism may be activated by the user to indicate the occurrence of an event. For example, if the user observes inappropriate behavior by another online user, the startup mechanism may be activated. Activation of the start-up mechanism can cause various actions by the networkable device. For example, if the user activates the startup mechanism, the time-based history of the online session may be stored. In one embodiment, the starting mechanism is a panic button.

In one embodiment, Figure 15 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary game malfeasance monitoring entity that may be used in connection with the various embodiments described herein. As shown in FIG. 15, the game cheating monitoring entity 1500 includes a network interface 1502 that receives an indication that there is a cheating behavior. For example, a player of an online game may transmit an indication that another player of the online game is cheating. The game cheating monitoring entity 1500 also includes a processor 1504 that gathers game information of a player's play suspected of cheating. In another embodiment, the game fraud monitoring entity 1500 collects game information of the play of all players in the online game session. The game information may include a period of extending the duration before and after receiving the display. For example, in one embodiment, the game misconduct monitoring entity may be a game server that collects game information as players play the game. In another embodiment, the game fraud monitoring entity may be a separate network entity, or may be included in another network entity. In another embodiment, the cheating monitoring entity may receive game information from another network entity, such as a game server, players in the game, or other sources.

The processor 1504 uses the game information to play the online game behavior of the players in the game session to determine whether there has been a cheating behavior by one or more processors. If there has been a fraud by one or more players, the game fraud monitoring entity takes appropriate action. For example, the game fraud monitoring entity may restrict access to an online game session or other game sessions identified by a "fraudulent actor ", or may limit game options available to players identified as fraudsters Can be limited.

In yet another embodiment, Figure 15 is a block diagram of a coordinating entity capable of allocating resources such as on-line resources or other network resources. The coordinating entity referred to as the network allocation coordinating entity may be a separate entity communicating with a network, such as the network 104 shown in FIGS. 1-4, or the operations of the network resource allocation coordinating entity may be, for example, May be implemented in another network entity such as the coordinating entity 108, the server 106, the user 102, or other network entity. As shown in FIG. 15, the network entity 1500 includes a network interface 1502. The network entity 1500 may receive an indication that the online user may participate in an inappropriate action.

Network entity 1500 also includes a processor that is capable of obtaining a time-based history of online behavior of users in an online community when an indication is received. The network entity plays back the online behavior of the online community, determines whether there has been inappropriate online behavior by one or more online users and whether there has been inappropriate behavior, Allocate resources.

In yet another embodiment, the functions of network entity 1500 may be implemented in other entities or in several network entities. For example, coordinating entity 108, server 106, or user 102 may implement operations of network entity 1500. For example, the coordinating entity may receive an indication of an inappropriate behavior and may obtain a time-based history of such an action. The coordinating entity may then send an indication of the desired level of supervision to the network entity that coordinates a certain level of network resources allocated to monitor the offending user.

16 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of cheating detection in an online environment. The flow begins at block 1602 where the player in the online game session detects suspected fraud by another online game player. The flow continues to block 1604 where the game information is collected for the game play behavior of the players in the online game. The game information may include a game action of a player suspected of cheating, all players, or players of a desired number of players. In one embodiment, the game information includes a period of a game in which an act suspected of cheating occurs. The game information may include actions of game players. For example, it may include information about where game players are moving, how fast they travel, and whether they have greater abilities and powers than typical.

The flow then continues to block 1606. At block 1606, the game information is passed to the game cheating monitoring entity. The flow continues to block 1608 where the game fraud monitoring entity evaluates the game information to determine if there has been a fraud. In the event of fraud, the game fraud monitoring entity may take appropriate action. In one embodiment, the compensation is provided to a game player that observes the cheating and delivers the game information to the game cheating monitoring entity. There may also be a starting mechanism activated by the player in response to detecting suspected cheating behavior.

In one embodiment, obtaining the game information of the online game session includes obtaining an online game session activity that occurred during a predetermined time prior to detecting a suspicious activity. In one embodiment, acquiring game information includes associating the identity of the online game player with the online behavior of the player.

17 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of cheating detection in an online environment. The flow begins at block 1702 where a player in the online game session receives an indication that another player in the game session suspects that he is engaged in fraud. For example, the game cheating monitoring entity may receive an indication. The flow continues to block 1704, where the game fraud monitoring entity gathers game information of the game activity during the time of the suspected fraudulent activity. For example, the game cheating monitoring entity may be a game server and may collect game information. In another embodiment, the game fraud monitoring entity receives game information. For example, the game cheating monitoring entity may receive game information from players in a game server or an online game. The flow continues to block 1706, where the game cheating monitoring entity reproduces the game behavior from the game information.

The flow continues to block 1708 where the game fraud monitoring entity evaluates the actions of the players in the game to determine whether there has been a fraud. If there is a fraud by one or more game players, the game fraud monitoring entity may take appropriate action on game players who commit fraud. One embodiment of an appropriate action includes restricting access to online games by a cheating player.

18 is a block diagram of another embodiment of a coordinating entity capable of allocating resources. The coordinating entity referred to as the network allocation coordinating entity may be a separate entity communicating with a network, such as the network 104 shown in Figures 1-4, or the operations of the network resource allocation coordinating entity may be controlled by the coordinating entity 108, a server 106, a user 102, or some other network entity, such as another network entity. As shown in FIG. 18, the network entity 1800 includes a network interface 1802. The network interface 1800 may receive an indication that the online user is engaged in inappropriate activity.

The network entity 1800 also includes a processor 1804 that can obtain a time-based history of the online behavior of users in the online community when an indication is received. The network entity is adapted to play back online behavior of the online community, to determine whether there has been inappropriate online behavior by one or more online users and whether there has been inappropriate behavior, and to achieve a desired level of surveillance for offensive users Allocate on-line resources for.

In yet another embodiment, the functions of network entity 1800 may be implemented across other entities or several network entities. For example, the coordinating entity 108, the server 106, or the user 102 may implement the operations of the network entity 1800. For example, the coordinating entity may receive an indication of an inappropriate behavior and may obtain a time-based history of the behavior. The coordinating entity may then send a desired level indication of monitoring to adjust the level of network resources allocated for monitoring of the offending user.

19 is a flowchart showing a method of on-line or other network resource allocation. The flow begins at block 1902, where an indication is received that the online user is engaged in an inappropriate action. The flow then continues to block 1904, in which a time-based history of the online session including the user's actions is obtained. The flow continues to block 1906, where online actions of the online session are played. At block 1906, it is determined whether there has been an inappropriate action by the offending online user. The flow then continues to block 1908. At block 1908, the online resources are allocated for monitoring the desired level of offensive online users.

In one embodiment, obtaining the time-based history of the online session includes obtaining an online session activity that occurred during a predetermined amount of time prior to receiving an indication that the online user participates in the inappropriate activity. In another embodiment, acquiring a time based history includes associating online user identities with online behavior of an online user.

In one embodiment, allocating on-line resources for monitoring a desired level of offending members includes allocating on-line resources to track offensive member's behaviors. In one embodiment, the network resource allocation entity obtains a time-based history. In another embodiment, the coordinating entity acquiring a time-based history conveys a desired level of supervision to the offending user with a network resource allocation entity that recycles the online behavior and allocates network resources. In another embodiment, the time-based history is received from another network entity.

20 is a flowchart showing another method of on-line or other network resource allocation. The flow begins at block 2002, where an indication of a startup mechanism activated by an online community member is received indicating an activity that is suspected to be inappropriate by another online community member. The flow continues to block 2004 where a time-based history of the community member online behavior is received. The flow continues to block 2006, where community actions from the time based history are reproduced. The flow continues to block 2008 where the actions of the community members are evaluated to determine if there has been inappropriate behavior by the offending online member and if there has been any inappropriate activity and the online resource has been engaged in an improper act And is assigned to monitor identified community members.

Also, various embodiments may be implemented primarily in hardware utilizing components such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Implementation of hardware state machines capable of performing the functions described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In addition, various embodiments may be implemented using a combination of hardware and software.

The term "module" as used herein refers to a software or hardware component, such as an FPGA or an ASIC, which performs certain tasks, but is not limited thereto. The module may be configured to reside on an addressable storage medium and configured to execute on one or more networkable devices or processors. Thus, a module may be, for example, a component, a process, a function, an attribute, a process, a subroutine, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, Data structures, tables, arrays, variables, and the like. The functions provided in the components and modules may be combined into fewer components and modules, or may be divided into additional components and modules. In addition, the components and modules may preferably be implemented to run on one or more networkable devices or computers.

Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and method steps described in connection with the figures and embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both . To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above with regard to functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design conditions imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention. Also, the groupings of functions within a module, block, circuit, or step are for convenience of explanation. Certain functions or steps may be transferred from one module, block or circuit to another, block or circuit without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In addition, various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and methods described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, Transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in alternative embodiments may be another processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or other configuration.

Furthermore, the steps of a method or process described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. The software modules may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium including network storage media. An exemplary storage medium may be coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may also reside in an ASIC.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention are fully described in the foregoing, it is possible to use various choices, modifications and equivalents. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be determined without reference to the above detailed description, but should be determined with reference to the appended claims along with the scope of equivalents. The features described herein may be combined with other features described herein whether or not desired. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown herein but follows the broadest scope to accommodate the novel features disclosed herein.

Claims (42)

As a community coordination method for online sessions,
Receiving a notification of another online user for the particular online user;
Based history of the online session by capturing the appearance or sound of the avatar to monitor the behavior of the avatar controlled by the specific online user, and if the behavior of the specific online user is a predetermined inappropriate behavior Evaluating the time-based history to determine whether the time-based history corresponds to the time-based history;
Transmitting the time-based history to an adjusting entity;
Sending a warning to the particular online user, limiting the online options available to the particular online user, and restricting the particular online user from accessing the online community. ; And
And providing compensation to the other on-line users. The method of claim 1, wherein the time-based history of the online session comprises an online session activity that occurs for a predetermined amount of time prior to activation of the startup mechanism. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring the time based history comprises associating the identities of the particular online users with the online behavior of the particular online user. The method of claim 1, further comprising disadvantaging the other on-line users when the user incorrectly identifies the inappropriate activity. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of action included in the time based history includes text chat, audio chat, status of all characters, position of the character, and data capable of reproducing the online session. How to coordinate the online session. The method of claim 1, wherein the time-based history of the online session is stored in a buffer in a sliding window of an online action. In an action coordination method within an online community,
Providing compensation to the online community member upon receipt of a report from the online community member to another member of the community;
Receiving an indication that a startup mechanism for another member of the online community is activated by the online community member;
Receiving a time-based history of all the member activities of the community during the time the activation mechanism is activated;
Reproducing community activities from the time-based history;
Evaluating the community behaviors to determine whether the behaviors of the community correspond to predefined standards of inappropriate behavior; And
Performing countermeasures including at least one of sending a warning, limiting the available online options, and restricting access to the online community, for specific members meeting the criteria of the inappropriate behavior , ≪ / RTI >
Wherein the time-based history includes capturing an appearance or sound of the avatar to monitor the behavior of the avatar controlled by the specific members, and determining whether the behavior of the specific members corresponds to the preset inappropriate behavior Wherein the action is assessed to determine an action in the online community. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the step of performing the countermeasure against the community member having the inappropriate action includes the step of deactivating the communicating function of the community member having the inappropriate action. An online community system for coordinating behavior comprising: at least two users communicating within the online community system; And
A coordinating entity,
Providing a compensation to the first user when a first user presses a panic button for a second user of the online community system and the behavior of the second user is determined not to conform to a predetermined online community contract,
When the panic button is pressed, it begins to store a time-based history of online community activities
Wherein the time-based history includes capturing a shape or sound of the avatar to monitor the behavior of the avatar controlled by the specific online user, and determining whether the behavior of the specific online user corresponds to the preset inappropriate behavior , ≪ / RTI > and < RTI ID = 0.0 >
Wherein the time-based history includes a period extending from a required first time lapse before the panic button is pressed to a second predetermined time lapse after the panic button is pressed,
Wherein the coordinating entity receives the time-based history and reproduces the online community behavior to determine whether an action of one of the users of the online community system corresponds to the predetermined inappropriate behavior, Sending a warning to any one of the community members when the behavior of one of the users of the online community system is determined to correspond to the criterion, limiting the available online options, And restricting access of the online community system to the user. A network-enabled device used in an online community, comprising: a startup mechanism activated when receiving a notification of another online user for a network user;
Based on the time-based history of the online session including capturing the appearance or sound of the avatar for monitoring the behavior of the avatar controlled by the network user when the startup mechanism is activated, An operation to warn a network user of the online community involved in the inappropriate operation, an operation to restrict available online options, and an operation to restrict access to the online community A processor operable to perform the above operations; And
And a network interface for transmitting the time-based history to an adjusting entity that determines which network user caused the inappropriate behavior. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

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