# US 10,478,732 B2 · Arbitrating an outcome of a multiplayer game session > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,478,732 B2 - Document ID: US10478732B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/388,379 - Filed: 2016-12-22 - Published: 2018-05-10 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-07 - Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Inventors: Wisgary F. Torres; Justin David Brown; Michael A. Siebert; Keith R. Kline - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478732B2 ## CPC - A63F 13/798: for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame - A63F 13/46: Computing the game score - A63F 13/75: Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players - A63F 13/35: Details of game servers - A63F 2300/558: by assessing the players' skills or ranking - A63F 2300/5586: for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play - A63F 2300/61: Score computation - A63F 2300/63: for controlling the execution of the game in time - A63F 2300/638: according to the timing of operation or a time limit - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract An arbitration system is configured to receive, as a set of results data, separate instances of results data from corresponding client computing devices being used to participate in a multiplayer game session. In some examples, an instance of results data comprises input representing an indication or a selection of an identity associated with an outcome of the multiplayer game session. For instance, the input can indicate a participant identity that won the multiplayer game session. In some examples, an instance of results data comprises game data describing the overall activity in a multiplayer game session from a perspective of a player's client computing device, the game data indicating a particular participant identity as a winner of the multiplayer game session. The arbitration system is configured to use the set of results data to determine an arbitrated outcome for the multiplayer game session. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An arbitration system comprising: one or more processing units; and a computer-readable medium having encoded thereon computer-executable instructions to configure the one or more processing units to: determine that a third-party gaming system hosting a multiplayer game session is not certified for determining an outcome of the multiplayer game session; in response to determining that the third-party gaming system is not certified for determining the outcome of the multiplayer game session, receive, as a set of results data, a plurality of instances of results data from a corresponding plurality of computing devices, wherein an individual instance of results data provides an indication of an outcome for an individual identity of a plurality of identities participating in the multiplayer game session; associate a title of the multiplayer game session with a category of multiplayer games; determine that a total number of indications for an identity is greater than or equal to a threshold number of indications, wherein the threshold number of indications is determined based at least in part on (i) a total number of the plurality of identities participating in the multiplayer game session and (ii) the category of multiplayer games; and in response to determining that the total number of indications is greater than or equal to the threshold number of indications, determine that the set of results data is valid, and store, in association with the identity and based at least in part on the valid set of results data, data indicating that the identity is an arbitrated winner of the multiplayer game session. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The arbitration system of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further configure the one or more processing units to, in response to determining that the total number of indications is not greater than or equal to the threshold number of indications, generate a notification indicating that the set of results data is invalid data that is unable to be used to determine the arbitrated winner of the multiplayer game session. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The arbitration system of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further configure the one or more processing units to: determine that at least one computing device provides late results data received outside of a predetermined time period; and ignore the late results data when determining that the set of results data received from the plurality of computing devices indicates the total number of indications for the identity is greater than or equal to the threshold number of indications. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The arbitration system of claim 3, wherein the predetermined time period comprises a threshold amount of time after completion of the multiplayer game session. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The arbitration system of claim 1, wherein the threshold number of indications increases as a reliability ratio increases, wherein the reliability ratio comprises a total number of reliable indications received from the plurality of computing devices over a total number of identities participating in the multiplayer game session. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The arbitration system of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further configure the one or more processing units to expose performance data to a plurality of third-party systems via one or more application programming interfaces (APIs). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The arbitration system of claim 1, wherein the threshold number of indications is determined based at least in part on a likelihood of a consensus amongst the plurality of identities given the category of the multiplayer games. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The arbitration system of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further configure the one or more processing units to use the data indicating that the identity is the arbitrated winner of the multiplayer game session to determine a skill rating of the identity. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The arbitration system of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further configure the one or more processing units to: provide an opportunity for the plurality of computing devices to send the plurality of instances of results data based, at least in part, on the determination that the third-party gaming system hosting the multiplayer game session is not certified for determining the outcome of the multiplayer game session. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The arbitration system of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further configure the one or more processing units to: access trustworthiness data indicating trustworthiness values for identities that provide the plurality of instances of results data; and weight the indications based at least in part on the trustworthiness values. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The arbitration system of claim 10, wherein the computer-executable instructions further configure the one or more processing units to determine a trustworthiness value based at least in part on a results history of a particular identity. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The arbitration system of claim 11, wherein the trustworthiness value increases as a number of arbitrated winners correctly indicated by the particular identity increases. ### Claim 13 A method performed by an arbitration system, comprising: determining that a third-party gaming system hosting a multiplayer game session is not certified for determining an outcome of the multiplayer game session; in response to determining that the third-party gaming system is not certified for determining the outcome of the multiplayer game session, receiving, as a set of results data, a plurality of instances of results data from a corresponding plurality of computing devices, wherein an individual instance of results data discretely indicates an indication of an outcome for an individual identity of a plurality of identities participating in the multiplayer game session; associating a title of the multiplayer game session with a category of multiplayer games; determining, by one or more processing units, that a total number of indications for an identity is greater than or equal to a threshold number of indications, wherein the threshold number of indications is determined based at least in part on (i) a total number of the plurality of identities participating in the multiplayer game session and (ii) the category of multiplayer games; and in response to determining that the total number of indications is greater than or equal to the threshold number of indications, determining that the set of results data is valid, and storing, in association with the identity and based at least in part on the valid set of results data, data indicating that the identity is an arbitrated winner of the multiplayer game session. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: determining that at least one computing device provides late results data received outside of a predetermined time period; and ignoring the late results data when determining that the set of results data received from the plurality of computing devices indicates the total number of indications for the identity is greater than or equal to the threshold number of indications. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined time period comprises a threshold amount of time after completion of the multiplayer game session. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: accessing trustworthiness data indicating trustworthiness values for identities that provide the plurality of instances of results data; and weighting the indications based at least in part on the trustworthiness values. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising determining a trustworthiness value based at least in part on a results history of a particular identity. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the trustworthiness value increases as a number of arbitrated winners correctly indicated by the particular identity increases. ### Claim 19 An arbitration system, comprising: one or more processing units; and a computer-readable medium having encoded thereon computer-executable instructions to configure the one or more processing units to: set a threshold number of indications based at least in part on a category of multiplayer games; determine that a third-party gaming system hosting a multiplayer game session is not certified for determining an outcome of the multiplayer game session; in response to determining that the third-party gaming system is not certified for determining the outcome of the multiplayer game session, receive, as a set of results data, a plurality of instances of results data from a corresponding plurality of computing devices, wherein an individual instance of results data discretely indicates an indication of an outcome for an individual identity of a plurality of identities participating in the multiplayer game session; associate a title of the multiplayer game session with the category of multiplayer games; determine, based at least in part on associating the title of the multiplayer game session with the category of multiplayer games, that a total number of indications for an identity is greater than or equal to the threshold number of indications; and in response to determining that the total number of indications is greater than or equal to the threshold number of indications, determine that the set of results data is valid, and store, in association with the identity and based at least in part on the valid set of results data, data indicating that the identity is associated with an arbitrated outcome of the multiplayer game session. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The arbitration system of claim 19, wherein the threshold number of indications is further based at least in part on a total number of the plurality of identities participating in the multiplayer game session.