Center Device Authentication for Multi-User Game Controllers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional input devices do not effectively accommodate multiple users operating their own controllers in home-use game systems, and existing systems lack adequate access restriction mechanisms based on user age or family membership.
Innovation Solution
A center device that communicates with multiple controller devices, authenticates users by selecting and authenticating specific controllers, and manages access restrictions by using identification information to ensure appropriate content access based on user age or membership.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a home-use game device handles a variety of information for multiple users, then the system becomes more versatile and can accommodate different users' needs, but the complexity of managing user authentication and access restrictions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments user identification and authentication by assigning unique identifiers to each controller device. The center device receives identification information from multiple controllers separately, enabling individual user recognition without requiring complex centralized authentication management. This segmentation of identification at the controller level simplifies the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The center device acts as an intermediary between multiple controller devices and the game system. It receives identification information from controllers, determines user age groups based on this information, and applies appropriate access restrictions. This intermediary role centralizes the authentication logic in a simple manner, avoiding complex peer-to-peer authentication between multiple users.
2Reliability
If the center device authenticates all controller devices, then user access security is improved, but the authentication processing time and system load increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each controller device is pre-assigned a unique identification information before use. This preliminary assignment of identifiers allows the center device to quickly determine user identity and age group without requiring complex real-time authentication processes. The identification is ready in advance, enabling rapid authentication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent simplifies authentication by changing the parameter from complex credential verification to simple identification information comparison. The center device determines user age groups by comparing the received identification information against stored reference data, a much faster process than traditional multi-factor authentication methods.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the system implements detailed access restriction based on user age, then content appropriateness is improved, but the complexity of managing different user permissions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different access restrictions locally to different age groups. Instead of managing complex individual permissions for each user, the system categorizes users into age groups (child, teenager, adult) and applies appropriate content restrictions to each group. This local quality approach simplifies permission management by treating users with similar characteristics uniformly.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-establishes access restriction rules for different age groups before users attempt to access content. The center device stores reference data linking identification information to age groups and corresponding permission levels. When a user connects, their access rights are automatically determined based on their pre-categorized age group, eliminating the need for complex real-time permission negotiations.
Data Source
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AI summary
To provide a center device for accommodating a variety of situations which may occur when a home-use game machine, or the like, is used, in which a plurality of users use their own controller devices such as an input device. A center device (1) communicates between a plurality of controller devices (2), receives an instructing operation carried out by the user of each controller device (2), and executes processing according to the instructing operation. The center device (1) selects at least one of the controller devices (2) as a controller device to be authenticated from among the plurality of controller devices (2) by utilizing communication with each of the plurality of controller devices (2), and conducts authentication processing relative to each of the controller devices while communicating with each of the selected controller device (2).