Universal game server

• US 20050209006A1
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cyberview Technology, Inc. (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Cyberview Technology, Inc. (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Gatto, Jean-Marie, Brunet De Courssou, Thierry, Beney, Pierre-Jean
• Application Number:
  US11/131,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20050209006A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• 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 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes

Abstract

A trusted disaster tolerant system architecture supporting concurrently a number of distributed online gaming operations such as slip-scan lottery, video lottery, fixed odd betting terminals, Internet gaming, and interactive TV. A personality front end resolves the peculiarities of the various client systems before submitting the relevant transactional payload to a trusted transactional cache. A universal game random generator may be used either at the central game server or at each individual gaming machine, thus conferring a significant trust to the entire estate of gaming machines fitted with the game random generator. An auditable trusted log allows to rapidly resolve any dispute. The instant-draw model and the differed-draw model are supported. The system may advantageously be used in casino environments.

Claims

1-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A game random number generator for supplying random game numbers to a gaming machine, comprising:

at least one hardware number generator configured to provide random number seeds at a predetermined rate, and

at least one pseudo-random number generator coupled to the at least one hardware number generator, the at least one pseudo-random number generator being configured to generate the random game numbers from the random number seeds generated by the at least one hardware number generator.

34. The game random number generator according to claim 33, further comprising a first trusted log configured to securely log all of random number seeds generated by the at least one hardware number generator.

35. The game random number generator according to claim 33, further comprising a second trusted log configured to securely log all of random game numbers generated by the at least one pseudo-random number generator.

36. The game random number generator according to claim 33, wherein the at least one pseudo-random number generator is configured to supply game random numbers on demand for each individual game draw within the gaming machine.

37. The game random number generator according to claim 33, further comprising at least one game result assembler coupled to the at least one pseudo-random number generator, the at least one game result assembler being configured to receive random game numbers produced by the at least one pseudo-random number generator and to generate ranging random game numbers.

38. The game random number generator according to claim 33, wherein the at least one hardware random number generator is one of:

a RNG of Intel 8XX series of PC motherboard chipsets, the chipset being integrated on a motherboard of a computer within the gaming machine;

a RNG of a secure smart card communicating with the computer within the gaming machine;

a RNG of a secure smart device communicating with the computer of the gaming machine;

a RNG of a processor compliant with Microsoft Next-Generation Secure Computing Base, the processor being integrated on the motherboard of the computer of the gaming machine;

a RNG of a motherboard chipset compliant with Microsoft Next-Generation Secure Computing Base, the chipset being integrated on the motherboard of the computer of the gaming machine;

a RNG of a security plug-in device communicating with the computer within the gaming machine, and

a RNG of an add-on card or add-on board security device communicating with the computer within the gaming machine.

39. A gaming system comprising:

at least one gaming machine;

at least one central game server coupled to the at least one gaming machine over a network, the at least one central game server including;

at least one hardware number generator configured to provide random number seeds at a predetermined rate, and

at least one pseudo-random number generator coupled to the at least one hardware number generator, the at least one pseudo-random number generator being configured to generate, on demand, the random game numbers from the random number seeds generated by the at least one hardware number generator.

40. The gaming system according to claim 39, further comprising a first trusted log configured to securely log all of random number seeds generated by the at least one hardware number generator.

41. The gaming system according to claim 39, further comprising a second trusted log configured to securely log all of random game numbers generated by the at least one pseudo-random number generator.

42. The gaming system according to claim 39, wherein the at least one pseudo-random number generator is configured to supply game random numbers on demand for each individual game draw within the gaming machine.

43. The gaming system according to claim 39, further comprising at least one game result assembler coupled to the at least one pseudo-random number generator, the at least one game result assembler being configured to receive random game numbers produced by the at least one pseudo-random number generator and to generate ranging random game numbers.

44. The gaming system according to claim 39, wherein the at least one hardware random number generator is one of:

a RNG of Intel 8XX series of PC motherboard chipsets, the chipset being integrated on a motherboard of a computer within the gaming machine;

a RNG of a secure smart card communicating with the computer within the gaming machine;

a RNG of a secure smart device communicating with the computer of the gaming machine;

a RNG of a processor compliant with Microsoft Next-Generation Secure Computing Base, the processor being integrated on the motherboard of the computer of the gaming machine;

a RNG of a motherboard chipset compliant with Microsoft Next-Generation Secure Computing Base, the chipset being integrated on the motherboard of the computer of the gaming machine;

a RNG of a security plug-in device communicating with the computer within the gaming machine, and

a RNG of an add-on card or add-on board security device communicating with the computer within the gaming machine.

45. A gaming system comprising at least one gaming machine, including:

at least one first hardware number generator configured to provide random number seeds at a predetermined rate, and

at least one first pseudo-random number generator coupled to the at least one first hardware number generator, the at least one first pseudo-random number generator being configured to generate, on demand, the random game numbers from the random number seeds generated by the at least one first hardware number generator for each game draw performed at the at least one gaming machine;

at least one central game server coupled to the at least one gaming machine, the central game server including;

at least one second hardware number generator configured to provide random number seeds at a predetermined rate, and

at least one second pseudo-random number generator coupled to the at least one second hardware number generator, the at least one second pseudo-random number generator being configured to generate, on demand, the random game numbers from the random number seeds generated by the at least one second hardware number generator for each game draw performed at the at least one gaming machine.

46. The gaming system according to claim 45, further comprising:

a first trusted log configured to securely log all of random number seeds generated by the at least one first hardware number generator, and

a second trusted log configured to securely log all of random number seeds generated by the at least one second hardware number generator.

47. The gaming system according to claim 45, further comprising:

a third trusted log configured to securely log all of random game numbers generated by the at least one first pseudo-random number generator, and

a fourth trusted log configured to securely log all of random game numbers generated by the at least one second pseudo-random number generator.

48. The gaming system according to claim 45, wherein first and second hardware random number generators are identical.

49. The gaming system according to claim 45, wherein first and second pseudo random number generators are identical.

50. The gaming system according to claim 45, wherein that at least one gaming machine is configured to select at least one random game number for each game draw from the at least one first pseudo-random number generator or from the second pseudo-random number generator.

51. A gaming system according to claim 45, further comprising at least one game result assembler coupled to the at least one first pseudo-random number generator or to the at least one second pseudo-random number generator, the at least one game result assembler being configured to receive random game numbers produced by the first or second pseudo-random number generators and to generate ranging random game numbers.

52. The gaming system according to claim 45, wherein the first or second hardware random number generator is one of:

a RNG of Intel 8XX series of PC motherboard chipsets, the chipset being integrated on a motherboard of a computer within the gaming machine;

a RNG of a secure smart card communicating with the computer within the gaming machine;

a RNG of a secure smart device communicating with the computer of the gaming machine;

a RNG of a processor compliant with Microsoft Next-Generation Secure Computing Base, the processor being integrated on the motherboard of the computer of the gaming machine;

a RNG of a motherboard chipset compliant with Microsoft Next-Generation Secure Computing Base, the chipset being integrated on the motherboard of the computer of the gaming machine;

a RNG of a security plug-in device communicating with the computer within the gaming machine, and

a RNG of an add-on card or add-on board security device communicating with the computer within the gaming machine.

53. A gaming machine configured to execute game draws whose outcome depend upon random game numbers, the gaming machine comprising:

at least one hardware number generator configured to provide random number seeds at a predetermined rate, and

at least one pseudo-random number generator coupled to the at least one hardware number generator, the at least one pseudo-random number generator being configured to generate the random game numbers from the random number seeds generated by the at least one hardware number generator.

54. The gaming machine according to claim 53, further comprising a first trusted log configured to securely log all of random number seeds generated by the at least one hardware number generator.

55. The gaming machine according to claim 53, further comprising a second trusted log configured to securely log all of random game numbers generated by the at least one pseudo-random number generator.

56-62. -62. (canceled)