VERIFYING WHETHER A GAMING DEVICE IS COMMUNICATING WITH A GAMING SERVER

• US 20080113808A1
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Alderucci, Dean P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,012,015 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• 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 17/3232 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis

Abstract

A gaming server provides activities and/or services to a player through a gaming device. To verify whether the gaming device is communicating with the gaming server, a verification server may send an indicator to the gaming device, via the gaming server, and also send the indicator to a verification device. Alternatively, the verification server may send an indicator, via the gaming server, to the gaming device, for example, which indicator may then be sent back to the verification server from a verification device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a gaming device, in which the gaming device, together with a gaming server, is operable to provide a player of the gaming device with at least one gaming activity;

determining an indicator;

sending the indicator via the gaming server to the gaming device; and

sending the indicator to a verification device.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the verification device comprises a device operable to receive the indicator from a computing device and to convey the indicator to a person.

3. The method of claim 2, in which the verification device comprises at least one of:

a POTS phone,

a cellular phone,

an IP phone,

a personal computing device,

a pocket personal computer,

a PDA,

a kiosk,

a terminal, and

an output device to the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the at least one gaming activity comprises at least one of:

a gambling activity,

wagering on an event,

a lottery activity, and

a non-gambling activity.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the gaming device, together with the gaming server, is also operable to provide to the player at least one convenience service.

6. The method of claim 5, in which the at least one convenience service comprises at least one of:

a restaurant service,

an entertainment service,

a hotel service,

a money management service,

a news service, and

a financial exchange service.

7. The method of claim 1, in which determining the indicator comprises determining a value unknown to the player of the gaming device.

8. The method of claim 1, in which the indicator comprises at least one of:

an alphanumeric text value,

a plurality of alphanumeric text values,

an audible signal,

an audible tone,

an audible text value, and

a plurality of audible text values.

9. The method of claim 1, in which determining the gaming device further comprises using identification information to determine the gaming device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving the identification information from the verification device.

11. The method of claim 9, in which the identification information comprises at least one of:

a name of a player using the gaming device,

security information associated with the player using the gaming device,

a tracking value assigned to the gaming device, and

a name assigned to the gaming device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the verification device a request to verify that the gaming device is in communications with the gaming server.

13. An apparatus comprising a computing device operable to perform the method of claim 1.

22. The method of claim 1, in which the second indicator comprises the first indicator.

14. A method comprising:

determining a gaming device, in which the gaming device, together with a gaming server, is operable to provide a player of the gaming device with at least one gaming activity;

determining a first indicator;

sending the first indicator via the gaming server to the gaming device;

receiving a second indicator from a verification device; and

sending a notification to the verification device as to whether the first indicator matches the second indicator.

15. The method of claim 14, in which the verification device comprises a device operable to receive the second indicator and to convey the indicator to a computing device.

16. The method of claim 14, in which the gaming device, together with the gaming server, is also operable to provide to the player at least one convenience service.

17. The method of claim 14, in which determining the gaming device comprises using identification information to determine the gaming device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving the identification information from the verification device.

19. The method of claim 14, in which determining the first indicator comprises determining a value unknown to the player of the gaming device.

20. The method of claim 14, in which the first indicator comprises at least one of:

an alphanumeric text value,

a plurality of alphanumeric text values,

an audible signal,

an audible tone,

an audible text value, and

a plurality of audible text values.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising causing the player to be prompted to send, from the verification device, the second indicator upon the gaming device receiving the first indicator.

23. An apparatus comprising a computing device operable to perform the method of claim 14.