Battery powered gaming machine security monitoring system

• US 20020032051A1
• Filed: 10/09/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Stockdale, James W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,773,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10

Abstract

A disclosed battery powered security monitoring system provides a security system that monitors validation signals detected by a sensor at least twice during each oscillation of the validation signal. This technique may be applied both while the main power to the gaming machine is on and while a backup power source (e.g., a battery) is on. Preferably, the security system of this invention employs a custom integrated circuit (e.g., an end-user programmed complex programmable logic device) to perform some the security functions such as supplying the validation signal to the sensor and comparing a sensor output signal to the validation signal to determine whether access to a gaming machine device has occurred.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

(a) a plurality of gaming devices coupled to the gaming machine

(b) an access mechanism allowing access to one or more gaming devices of said gaming machine; and

(c) access monitoring circuitry comprising;

(i) a sensor including a signal emitter and a signal detector indicating when the access mechanism has been actuated in a manner in allowing access to one or more of the gaming devices;

(ii) a source circuit providing an oscillating validation signal controlling operation of the sensor'"'"'s signal emitter; and

(iii) a detection circuit for monitoring the output of the sensor'"'"'s signal detector in a manner sampling the output at least twice within a single oscillation.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor, a magnetic sensor, or a mechanical sensor.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the access mechanism is a lock, a wire, a retaining latch or a device receptor.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the access mechanism is provided on a door which is selected from the group consisting of a main door, a bill stacker door, a CPU security door, a belly door, a drop door, a coupon dispenser door, a printer access door, a token dispenser door and a top box access door.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the sensor to the access mechanism is actuated by an open door, an unengaged lock, a cut wire, an open retaining latch or an empty device receptor.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit samples the output of the sensor'"'"'s detector at times when the output magnitude is expected to be at different levels.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the validation signal and a sample rate of the detector'"'"'s output by the detection circuit are in synchronization and are at least 30 Hz.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the source circuit and the detection circuit are provided on a single integrated circuit.

9. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the integrated circuit is a custom integrated circuit that is either a programmable logic device, a field programmable gate array, or an application specific integrated circuit.

10. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising a battery coupled to the source circuit and the detection circuit of the sensor in a manner allowing it to power these elements.

11. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit can monitor the output of at least 7 sensors simultaneously.

12. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the gaming device is a bill stacker, a coupon dispenser, a CPU, a drop box, a coupon dispenser, a card cage interlock, a printer, a token dispenser.

13. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein the access monitoring circuitry includes an inverter arranged to invert signals emitted by the source circuitry.

14. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein the access monitoring circuitry includes an amplifier arranged to amplify signals emitted by the source circuitry.

16. The custom integrated circuit of claim 15, further comprising a power connection allowing a battery to be coupled to the custom integrated circuit such that the battery can power the source circuit, the detection circuit, and the comparison circuitry.

17. The custom integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the storage region includes a random number storage region for storing at least one random number.

18. The custom integrated circuit of claim 15, further comprising a power status storage region for storing signals on the operational status of one or more power sources including a main power supply and a battery for powering the sensor.

19. The custom integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the integrated circuit is either a programmable logic device, a field programmable gate array, or an application specific integrated circuit.

20. The custom integrated circuit of claim 15, further comprising a connection to a master clock which provides a timing signal with a frequency of 30 Hz or greater.

21. The custom integrated circuit of claim 15, further comprising a connection allowing a device external to the custom integrated circuit to read the contents of the storage region.

22. The custom integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the comparison circuitry compares the validation signal with the output signal from at least 7 sensors.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising storing to a memory device a power signal indicating whether the gaming machine is using normal power or backup power.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the method is implemented on a custom integrated circuit.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein indicating access comprises storing a signal indicating that access to the access mechanism has occurred, wherein the signal is stored in a non-volatile memory located on the custom integrated circuit.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the custom integrated circuit is a custom integrated circuit that is a programmable logic device, a field programmable gate array, or an application specific integrated circuit.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

storing an identical random string of numbers to two non-volatile memory locations within the gaming machine when main power is on to the gaming machine; and

clearing the random number located within one of the non-volatile memory locations when access to one or more specified access mechanisms has occurred while main power is off.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining that primary power to the gaming machine is off; and

powering the sensor with battery power.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising storing a power signal in memory, the power signal indicating that primary power to the gaming machine is off, wherein determining that primary power to the gaming machine is off comprises evaluating the power signal in memory.

31. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

monitoring a voltage level in the battery; and

clearing a battery status indicator stored in a non-volatile memory located on the custom integrated circuit when the battery voltage is below a defined level.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein the validation signal has a frequency of at least about 30 Hz.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein the validation signal contains an on portion that turns on the emitter and an off portion that turns off the emitter, and wherein the off portion lasts for a greater length of time than the on portion.

34. The method of claim 23, further comprising inverting the validation signal prior to transmitting it to the emitter, wherein a normal access state is represented by opposite values of the validation signal and the output signal.

35. The method of claim 23, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor, a magnetic sensor or a mechanical sensor.

36. The method of claim 23, wherein the access mechanism is a lock, a wire, a retaining latch or a device receptor.

37. The method of claim 23, wherein the access mechanism provides access to a door selected from the group consisting of a main door, a bill stacker door, a CPU security door, a belly door, a drop door, a coupon dispenser door, a printer access door, a top box access door, a token dispenser door.

15. A custom integrated circuit for use in detecting access via one or more access mechanisms of a gaming machine having at least one sensor associated with each of the access mechanisms, each sensor having a signal emitter and a signal detector, the custom integrated circuit comprising:

(a) a source circuit providing an oscillating validation signal for controlling operation of a sensor'"'"'s signal emitter;

(b) a detection circuit for monitoring an output signal of the sensor'"'"'s signal detector by sampling the output signal at least twice within a single oscillation of the validation signal;

(c) comparison circuitry for comparing the values of the output signal sample and the validation signal at particular times; and

(d) a storage region for storing data indicating when access has been detected by the comparison circuitry.

23. A method of monitoring an access mechanism allowing access to one or more gaming devices within a gaming machine using a sensor that provides an output signal indicating whether the access mechanism has allowed access, the method comprising:

sending an oscillating validation signal to the sensor, the validation signal controlling generation of an emitter signal at the sensor;

detecting the output signal from a signal detector of the sensor;

comparing the value of the validation signal and the value of the output signal at least twice during a single oscillation; and

indicating access to the gaming machine when compared values of the validation signal and the output signal show that access to the gaming machine feature has occurred.