Apparatus and methods for monitoring and filtering player inputs made in a video gaming system

An input monitor for a video gaming system, the input monitor including:

• (a) a signal splitter connected in a game controller input signal path between a game controller input point and an input port of a gaming device, the signal splitter operable to direct game command input signals on the game controller input signal path onto a signal monitoring path;
• (b) a data storage device operatively connected to store game command data representing the game command input signals from the signal monitoring path;
• (c) two or more evaluation units operatively connected to read the game command data stored on the data storage device, each evaluation unit operable to evaluate a respective game control aspect associated with the game command data and to produce a respective automation probability for the respective game control aspect;
• and
• (d) a probability combination unit operatively connected to receive the respective automation probability for each respective game control aspect, the probability combination unit operable to combine the respective automation probability for each game control aspect to produce an overall automation probability value.

A program product comprising one or more non-transitory computer readable data storage devices storing program code, the program code including:

• (a) game command data storage program code executable to receive game command input signals comprising signals taken from a game controller signal input path to a gaming device and to store game command data representing the game command input signals;
• (b) evaluation program code executable to evaluate two or more game control aspects associated with the game command data to produce a respective automation probability for each game control aspect;
• and
• (c) combination program code executable to combine the respective automation probability for each game control aspect to produce an overall automation probability value.

A method including:

• (a) receiving a game command input signal in a video game conducted on a video gaming device, the game command input signal representing a command input defined by the video game as a valid input at a time at which the game command input signal is received;
• (b) determining if the command input is included in a set of prohibited inputs for the video game at the time at which the input signal is received, the set of prohibited inputs being defined by a system external to the video gaming device;
• (c) transmitting a replicated signal corresponding to the input signal to the video gaming device when the command input is not included in the set of prohibited inputs for the video game at the time at which the input signal is received;
• and
• (d) when the command input is included in the set of prohibited inputs for the video game at the time at which the input signal is received, storing a record of the command input represented by the input signal without transmitting a signal corresponding to the input signal to the video gaming device.

A button filter apparatus for a video game system, the button filter apparatus including:

• (a) a data processing device interposed between an input port of a video gaming device and a game controller through which a player enters commands which are communicated to the video game system to control aspects of a video game conducted on the video gaming device, the data processing device operable to receive a game command input signal communicated from the game controller to the video gaming device in the video game, the game command input signal representing a command input defined by the video game as a valid input at a time at which the game command input signal is received by the data processing device;
• (b) memory accessible by the data processing device and operable under control of the data processing device to store data representing the game command input;
• and
• (c) wherein the data processing device is further operable to (i) compare the stored data representing the game command input to a first set of command input records to determine if the command input is included in a set of prohibited inputs for the video game at the time at which the game command input signals is received, the set of prohibited inputs being defined by a system external to the video gaming device, (ii) cause a replicated signal corresponding to the game command input signals to be transmitted to the video gaming device when the command input is not included in the set of prohibited inputs for the video game at the time at which the game command input signals is received, and (iii) when the command input is included in the set of prohibited inputs for the video game at the time at which the game command input signals is received, store a record of the command input represented by the game command input signals without transmitting a signal corresponding to the game command input signals to the video gaming device.

A program product comprising one or more computer readable non-transitory data storage devices storing program code, the program code including:

• (a) signal receiving and buffering program code executable to receive game command input signals in a video game conducted on a video gaming device and to buffer data represented by the game command input signals, the game command input signals being received from a game controller and representing a command input defined by the video game as a valid input at a time at which the game command input signals is received;
• (b) button evaluation program code executable to determine if the buffered data representing the game command input signals is included in a set of prohibited inputs for the video game at the time at which the game command input signals is received, the set of prohibited inputs being defined by a system external to the video gaming device;
• (c) transmission program code executable to cause a replicated signal to be transmitted to the video gaming device when the command input is not included in the set of prohibited inputs for the video game at the time at which the game command input signals is received, the replicated signal comprising a reproduction of the game command input signals;
• and
• (d) when the buffered data representing the game command input signals is included in the set of prohibited inputs for the video game at the time at which the game command input signals is received, storing a record of the command input represented by the game command input signals without causing a signal corresponding to the game command input signals to be transmitted to the video gaming device.