Secure decentralized video game transaction platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019282906-A1
Application number	US-201815921471-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 14, 2018
Priority date	Mar 14, 2018
Publication date	Sep 19, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Multiple video game consoles each store a blockchain ledger with multiple blocks, which is either associated with a particular video game or with a the particular type of video game console that the video game consoles are each characterized by. One of the consoles receives a message identifying an intended transaction corresponding to transfer of an identified quantity of an in-game virtual asset from a transferor account to a transferee account. The console verifies that the intended transaction is valid and generates a new block that includes the transaction, optionally one or more additional verified intended transactions, and a block header that includes a hash of a most recent block in the blockchain ledger. The console appends the new block to the blockchain ledger and transmits it to the other consoles, which each also append the new block to their copy of the blockchain ledger, thereby completing the transaction.

First claim

1 . A method for management of in-game virtual asset transactions via a distributed architecture including a plurality of computing devices, the method comprising:
storing a blockchain ledger including a plurality of blocks, wherein each of the plurality of computing devices also stores a copy of the blockchain ledger; receiving a message identifying an intended transaction corresponding to transfer of an identified quantity of an in-game virtual asset from a transferor account to a transferee account, the identified quantity of the in-game virtual asset acquired via gameplay of a video game by a player associated with the transferor account and used within the video game by a player associated with the transferee account upon completion of the intended transaction; verifying that the intended transaction is valid by identifying, based on at least one of the plurality of blocks in the blockchain ledger, that the transferor account possesses at least the identified quantity of the in-game virtual asset; generating a hash of a most recent block of the blockchain ledger; generating a new block header for a new block, wherein the new block header comprises at least the hash of the most recent block of the blockchain ledger; generating the new block, wherein the new block comprises at least the intended transaction and the new block header; appending the new block to the plurality of blocks of the blockchain ledger in response to verifying the intended transaction; and transmitting the new block to the plurality of computing devices that each store the blockchain ledger in response to verifying the intended transaction, wherein each of the plurality of computing devices also appends the new block to their respective copy of the blockchain ledger, thereby completing the intended transaction.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the new block also comprises one or more additional transactions other than the intended transaction, wherein the intended transaction and the one or more additional transactions all occurred within a predetermined time period.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising generating a Merkle root using the intended transaction and the one or more additional transactions, wherein the new block header also comprises the Merkle root.

4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving information identifying the one or more additional intended transactions other than the intended transaction; and verifying that the one or more additional intended transactions other than the intended transaction are valid by verifying that each of a set of one or more additional in-game virtual asset quantities are possessed by each of a set of one or more additional transferor accounts.

5 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising verifying that none of the one or more additional transactions conflict with the intended transaction by identifying that the transferor account will retain a non-negative quantity of the in-game virtual asset after the intended transaction and the one or more additional transactions are completed.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the new block further identifies issuance of a reward for a prior verifier account associated with generation of the most recent block of the blockchain ledger.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
verifying that the transferor account is authorized to play the video game; and verifying that the transferee account is authorized to play the video game.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving a public key corresponding to the transferor account; decrypting an encrypted digital signature portion of the message using the public key corresponding to the transferor account; verifying that the encrypted digital signature portion of the message was encrypted using a private key associated with the transferor account based on decryption of the encrypted digital signature of the message being successful; and verifying that the message was generated via the transferor account based on verification that the encrypted digital signature portion of the message was encrypted using the private key associated with the transferor account.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the new block header also comprises a nonce value.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
generating a prior version of the new block before generating the new block, wherein the prior version of the new block includes a prior version of the new block header that comprises a prior nonce value other than the nonce value; generating a hash of the prior version of the new block; identifying that the hash of the prior version of the new block is greater than a predetermined numeric difficulty target value; generating a hash of the new block after generating the new block; and identifying that the hash of the new block is less than the predetermined numeric difficulty target value.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing a first numeric difficulty target value that corresponds to a difficulty of mining during a first predetermined time period; identifying that the first predetermined time period has ended; calculating a mining efficiency ratio by dividing the first predetermined time period by a total mining time for a predetermined number of transactions occurring during the first predetermined time period; calculating a second numeric difficulty target value by multiplying the first numeric difficulty target value by the mining efficiency ratio, wherein the second numeric difficulty target value corresponds to a difficulty of mining during a second predetermined time period; and identifying that the first predetermined time period has begun.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the in-game virtual asset is an in-game currency that the player associated with the transferee account uses within the video game by trading the in-game currency for one or more additional in-game assets other than the in-game currency within the video game.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the in-game virtual asset is an in-game item that the player associated with the transferee account uses within the video game to modify gameplay of the video game.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the blockchain ledger identifies a plurality of transactions associated only with the video game, wherein each of the plurality of transactions is a transfer of at least one of a set of one or more in-game virtual assets, the set of one or more in-game virtual assets including the in-game virtual asset.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the blockchain ledger identifies a plurality of transactions associated with a set of one or more video games compatible with a particular type of video game console, wherein the set of one or more video games includes the video game, wherein each of the plurality of computing devices is the particular type of video game console, wherein each of the plurality of transactions is a transfer of at least one of a set of one or more in-game virtual assets, the set of one or more in-game virtual assets including the in-game virtual asset.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transferor account represents a first virtual location within a virtual environment of the video game, wherein the transferee account represents a second virtual location within the virtual environment of the video game, and wherein transfer of the identified quantity of the in-game virtual asset from the transferor account to the transferee account represents movement of the identified quantity of the in-game virtual a

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC

Inventors

• Yong Stephen

Classifications

• G06Q20/3827

  Use of message hashing · CPC title

• G06Q20/3825

  Use of electronic signatures · CPC title

• A63F13/792

  for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions · CPC title

• A63F13/69

  by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions · CPC title

• A63F13/71

  using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players · CPC title