Methods and apparatus for distributed gaming over a mobile device
A system and method are provided for updating game participants. In some embodiments, the participants receive game control information via a one-way broadcast. The method selects a set of sampling participants from the set of all participants of a game. In some embodiments, the selection occurs prior to the start of the game. The method of some embodiments establishes a two-way connection between a server and each of the sampling participants. For some embodiments, the two-way connection is realtime. The method continuously maintains the two-way connection throughout the game. During each discrete game period, the method receives from a sampling participant, data for the sampling participant's game period performance. Based on the received data, the method determines the performance for the game period and broadcasts this information to a non-sampling participant. A non-sampling participant is a participant who was not selected for the set of sampling participants. In some embodiments, the non-sampling participant determines a standing relative to the other participants in the game event. Some embodiments provide a method and system for detecting unusual performance in a game. The game has a participant. The method calculates for the participant an average performance level. Based on the average performance level, the method tracks for the participant a participant improvement factor and stores the participant improvement factor. The method compares the participant improvement factor to a threshold value.
1. A system for updating game participants, the system comprising:
a server to host a game implemented in real-time, wherein the server is configured to generate sampling data based on performance information received from one or more sampling participants, and further wherein the server broadcasts, based on the generate sampling data, to a mobile device by using a connection; and
the mobile device is configured to determine if a trigger event has occurred based on the server broadcast, record data for the ongoing game play on the mobile device based on if the trigger event occurred, and in order to improve security and based on the recorded data:
determine whether the mobile device has been accessed abnormally; or
determine whether data stored by the mobile device has been altered; or determine whether data stored by the mobile device includes an anomaly, wherein the anomaly indicates a prohibited action for the game.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the connection is realtime.
3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first set of data, wherein the mobile device uploads the first set of data over the connection.
4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a second set of data, wherein the server broadcasts the second set of data to the mobile device over a one-way connection.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the second set of data is based on the uploaded first set of data.
6. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a second set of data, wherein the server broadcasts the second set of data to the mobile device over a multi-cast and/or broadcast connection.
7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the one-way broadcast comprises a histogram.
8. A server for updating game participants, the server comprising:
a communication layer for providing connections through a network, the communication layer further comprising:
a plurality of connections between a plurality of mobile devices and the server;
wherein the connections are updated with sampling data based on performance information related to a game implemented in real-time received from one or more sampling participants; and
in order to improve security and based on the performance information, one or more modules configured to:
determine whether a mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices has been accessed abnormally; or
determine whether data stored by the mobile device has been altered; or
determine whether data stored by the mobile device includes an anomaly, wherein the anomaly indicates a prohibited action for the game.
9. The server of claim 8 further comprising:
a master layer for hosting the game, wherein data received by using the connections are processed by the master layer.
10. The server of claim 8 , wherein the connections are selected by the server.
11. The server of claim 8 , wherein the server comprises a cluster.
12. The server of claim 8 , further comprising a connection to a mobile device.