Dynamic configuration of a gaming system

• US 20080214309A1
• Filed: 01/22/2008
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Cyberview Technology, Inc. (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Gatto, Jean-Marie, Brunet de Courssou, Thierry
• Application Number:
  US12/017,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20080214309A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2109 Game systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/006 involving public key infrastructure [PKI] trust models network architecture or network communication protocol for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

A method to enable dynamic configuration of gaming terminals installed in one or a plurality of gaming premises whereby certified games, certified data files and certified support software components are activated in accordance with a predetermined schedule or automatically in response to the observed gaming activity. The method may include allocating an individual PKI certificate to each executable software component and each of its versions, binding the PKI certificate to the executable software, associating a distinctive policy for each certificate and then enforcing the software execution policies in accordance with the desired authorized game configuration and schedule. The PKI certificate'"'"'s “Subject Name” (or “Issued to” field or “CommonName” field) may be a concatenation of the software component identification, its version number and optionally other identification characters. The method applies equally to other network connected gaming subsystems. The method enables a fine-grained and secure control of the authorized software components and thus the flexibility to securely configure the gaming system in accordance with a schedule or in a close-loop fashion in order to meet business objectives. In addition, a method to enable the certification authority to bind the certificates to the tested code is described.

Claims

1. A method for a network connected gaming system to prevent unauthorized executable files of constituent computers of the gaming system from executing, comprising the steps of:

packaging the authorized executable files into a code signed installation package;

configuring certificate rule policies to enable execution of the code signed installation package;

enforcing the policies, and

executing the code signed installation package upon every startup of any of the constituent computers of the gaming system or upon a command, wherein execution of any authorized executable file is predicated upon successfully executing the code signed installation package into which the authorized executable file is packaged.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the code signing uses a separate and unique PKI certificate for each installation package.

3. A method for a network connected gaming system to prevent unauthorized executable code of constituent computers of the gaming system from executing, comprising the steps of:

packaging the authorized executable files into a code signed installation package;

configuring certificate rule policies to enable execution of the code signed installation package;

configuring enforcement of the policies, and

re-installing the code signed installation package at every startup of any of the constituent computers of the gaming system or upon a command, wherein execution of any authorized executable file is predicated upon successfully executing the code signed installation package into which the authorized executable file is packaged.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the code signing uses a separate and unique PKI certificate for each installation package.

5. A method for a network connected gaming system to prevent data of unauthorized non-executable files of constituent computers of the gaming system from affecting game outcome, comprising the steps of:

packaging the non-executable files into a code signed installation;

configuring certificate rule policies to enable execution of the code signed installation package;

configuring enforcement of the policies, and

executing the code signed installation package upon every startup of any of the constituent computers of the gaming system or upon a command.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the code signing uses a separate and unique PKI certificate for each installation package.

7. A method for trusting at least one authorized non-executable software component certified to comply with regulatory requirements downloaded into a network connected gaming system, the gaming system including a plurality of computers, the method comprising the steps of:

packaging the at least one non-executable file into at least one code signed installation package;

configuring certificate rule policies to enable execution of the at least one code signed installation package;

configuring enforcement of the policies, and

re-installing the at least one code signed installation package at every startup of any of the constituent computers of the gaming system or upon a command.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one code signed package includes a separate and unique PKI certificate for each of the at least one installation package.

9. A method for scheduling at least one authorized executable software component installed in a network connected gaming system, the gaming system including a plurality of gaming machines, the method comprising the steps of:

packaging at least one authorized non-executable file that controls the scheduling of the at least one authorized executable software component into at least one code signed installation package, each of the at least one code signed installation packages including a predetermined PKI certificate;

configuring certificate rule policies to enable execution of the at least one code signed installation package in selected ones of the plurality of gaming machines; and

configuring enforcement of the certificate rule policies; and

downloading the at least one code signed installation package into the selected ones of the plurality of gaming machines;

executing the at least one code signed installation package.