Method and Apparatus for Software Authentication

• US 20070149280A1
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Benbrahim, Jamal, Chen, Xuedong, LeMay, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,520,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2109 Game systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00782 Hash function, e.g. MD5, MD2, SHA
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus for authenticating gaming machine software is disclosed. In one embodiment the method and apparatus is used to authenticate the contents of a removable media. Use of a removable media provides means to store large amounts of software on a single media to install software, perform software updates, diagnose gaming machines, authenticate software, or configure gaming machines. An authentication file may contain a listing of each file on the removable media and an associated hash value calculated with a hash function. The hash values are calculated and stored in an authentication file and encryption of the one or more hash values may occur. A hash value re-calculation is performed on each file at a later time to determine the hash value at the time of use. The recalculated hash values are compared to the decrypted hash values stored in the authentication file.

Claims

1. A method of providing application data to a gaming machine, said gaming machine having a fixed media for storing application data and a main memory into which application data is loaded from the fixed media at one or more times, comprising:

providing to said gaming machine said application data and first authentication data;

generating second authentication data from said application data;

comparing said first and second authentication data;

determining if said first authentication data is identical to said second authentication data, and if so, authenticating said application data;

storing said authenticated application data at said fixed media if said comparing determines that said first authentication data is identical to said second authentication data; and

transferring at one or more times to said main memory said authenticated application data for use in presenting a game.