Methods and apparatuses for facilitating user verification

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are provided for facilitating user verification. A method may include accessing an image captured of a user of a computing device being used by a plurality of players to play a multiplayer game. The method may further include determining based at least in part on the image whether the user is a player from among the plurality of players that is presently authorized to perform an action in the game. The method may additionally include granting game play privileges to the user when it is determined that the user is the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game. The method may also include denying the user game play privileges when it is determined that the user is not the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game. Corresponding apparatuses are also provided.

1 . A method comprising:
 accessing an image captured of a user of a computing device being used by a plurality of players to play a multiplayer game;   determining, by verification circuitry, based at least in part on the image whether the user is a player from among the plurality of players that is presently authorized to perform an action in the game;   granting game play privileges to the user when it is determined that the user is the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game; and   denying the user game play privileges when it is determined that the user is not the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the user is a player presently authorized to perform an action in the game comprises comparing the image of the user to a reference image for the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the image captured of the user comprises an image of at least a portion of the user's face and the reference image comprises an image of at least a portion of the face of the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game, and wherein comparing the image of the user to the reference image comprises using a face recognition algorithm. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 registering each of the plurality of players in response to initiation of the game, wherein registering a player comprises obtaining a reference image captured of the player.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the multiplayer game comprises a turn-based multiplayer game, and wherein determining whether the user is a player presently authorized to perform an action in the game comprises determining whether the user is a player having a present turn in the game. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 determining whether the user is the player that is presently authorized to perform an action in the game comprises determining whether the user is the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game prior to display of personal game data privileged to the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game;   granting game play privileges to the user comprises causing display of the personal game data; and   denying the user game play privileges comprises not displaying the personal game data.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing display of an indication of the player that is presently authorized to perform an action in the game;   determining an assertion that the user of the computing device is the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game; and   causing capture of the image of the user of the computing device in response to determining the assertion.   
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to at least:
 access an image captured of a user of a computing device being used by a plurality of players to play a multiplayer game;   determine based at least in part on the image whether the user is a player from among the plurality of players that is presently authorized to perform an action in the game;   grant game play privileges to the user when it is determined that the user is the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game; and   deny the user game play privileges when it is determined that the user is not the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to determine whether the user is a player presently authorized to perform an action in the game by comparing the image of the user to a reference image for the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the image captured of the user comprises an image of at least a portion of the user's face and the reference image comprises an image of at least a portion of the face of the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game, and wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to compare the image of the user to the reference image by using a face recognition algorithm. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to further cause the apparatus to register each of the plurality of players in response to initiation of the game, wherein registering a player comprises obtaining a reference image captured of the player. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the multiplayer game comprises a turn-based multiplayer game, and wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to determine whether the user is a player presently authorized to perform an action in the game by determining whether the user is a player having a present turn in the game. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:
 determine whether the user is the player that is presently authorized to perform an action in the game prior to display of personal game data privileged to the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game;   grant game play privileges to the user by causing display of the personal game data; and   deny the user game play privileges by not displaying the personal game data.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus comprises the computing device being used to play the game. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the computing device being used to play the game is remote from the apparatus. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus comprises or is embodied on a mobile phone, the mobile phone comprising user interface circuitry and user interface software stored on one or more of the at least one memory; wherein the user interface circuitry and user interface software are configured to:
 facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone through use of a display; and   cause at least a portion of a user interface of the mobile phone to be displayed on the display to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone.   
     
     
         17 . A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:
 program instructions configured to access an image captured of a user of a computing device being used by a plurality of players to play a multiplayer game;   program instructions configured to determine based at least in part on the image whether the user is a player from among the plurality of players that is presently authorized to perform an action in the game;   program instructions configured to grant game play privileges to the user when it is determined that the user is the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game; and   program instructions configured to deny the user game play privileges when it is determined that the user is not the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game.   
     
     
         18 . The computer program product according to  claim 17 , wherein the program instructions configured to determine whether the user is a player presently authorized to perform an action in the game comprise program instructions configured to use a face recognition algorithm to compare the image of the user to a reference image for the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product according to  claim 17 , wherein the multiplayer game comprises a turn-based multiplayer game, and wherein the program instructions configured to determine whether the user is a player presently authorized to perform an action in the game comprise program instructions configured to determine whether the user is a player having a present turn in the game. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the program instructions configured to determine whether the user is the player that is presently authorized to perform an action in the game comprise program instructions configured to determine whether the user is the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game prior to display of personal game data privileged to the player presently authorized to perform an action in the game;   the program instructions configured to grant game play privileges to the user comprise program instructions configured to cause display of the personal game data; and   the program instructions configured to deny the user game play privileges comprise program instructions configured to not display the personal game data.