AUTHENTICATING COMPONENTS IN WAGERING GAME SYSTEMS

• US 20110117984A1
• Filed: 06/25/2009
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wang, Jun, Veradej, Anussorn, Shimabukuro, Jorge L., Weijers, Gerardus A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,424,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00

Abstract

In some embodiments, a processor includes a plurality of local stores configured to store wagering game assets and at least part of a wagering game controller, and to store authentication keys for use in authenticating the wagering game controller and the wagering game assets; a plurality of processing elements, wherein each processing element is coupled to one of the local stores, each processing element configured to present wagering games by executing the wagering game controller; at least one authentication controller including hardware configured to authenticate, using the authentication keys, the wagering game controller and wagering game assets; a storage device in communication with the processor, the storage device configured to store the wagering game controller and wagering game assets, wherein the wagering game assets include audio and video content for use in presenting the wagering games.

Claims

1. A wagering game machine comprising:

a processor including,

a plurality of local stores configured to store wagering game assets and at least part of a wagering game controller, and to store authentication keys for use in authenticating the wagering game controller and the wagering game assets;

a plurality of processing elements, wherein each processing element is coupled to one of the local stores, each processing element configured to present wagering games by executing the wagering game controller;

at least one authentication controller including hardware configured to authenticate, using the authentication keys, the wagering game controller and wagering game assets;

a storage device in communication with the processor, the storage device configured to store the wagering game controller and wagering game assets, wherein the wagering game assets include audio and video content for use in presenting the wagering games.

2. The wagering game machine of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to authenticate the wagering game controller in an isolation mode during which the wagering game controller is inaccessible to all but one of the processing elements.

3. The wagering game machine of claim 1, wherein the authentication controller is configured to authenticate the wagering game controller and wagering game assets without assistance from a software authenticator.

4. The wagering game machine of claim 1, wherein the authentication controller is configured to periodically authenticate the wagering game controller and wagering game assets as the wagering game controller is executing on one of the processing elements.

5. The wagering game machine of claim 1, wherein the authentication keys include digital signatures associated with the wagering game controller and wagering game assets.

6. A method for authenticating wagering game modules in a wagering game machine that includes a processor having authentication hardware configured to authenticate the wagering game software, the method comprising:

authenticating, using the authentication hardware, a loader module, wherein the loader module is configured to enable the wagering game machine to receive modules over a network;

configuring, by executing the loader module, the wagering game machine to receive the wagering game modules over a network;

receiving, under control of the loader module, a first wagering game controller module configured to present wagering games during execution on the wagering game machine;

determining, using the processor'"'"'s authentication hardware, that the first wagering game controller module is not authentic, the determining occurring before the wagering game machine includes one or more other modules required for presentation of the wagering games;

requesting, under control of the loader module, a second wagering game controller module before receipt of the one or more other modules required for presentation of wagering games;

receiving the second wagering game controller module; and

determining, using the processor'"'"'s authentication hardware, that the second wagering game controller module is authentic.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the loader module is not part of the wagering game operating system.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving the one or more other modules required for presentation of wagering games;

determining, using the processor'"'"'s authentication hardware, that the one or more other modules are authentic; and

executing the one or more other modules and the wagering game controller module.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiving of the one or more modules and the receiving of the second wagering game controller module overlap in time.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the processor'"'"'s authentication hardware includes, before receipt of the first wagering game controller module, one or more authentication keys associated with the first and second wagering game controller modules.

11. A machine-readable medium including instructions which when executed by a machine cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

initializing a wagering game machine to present wagering games, wherein the initializing includes authenticating and executing a BIOS module and a wagering game operating system;

executing, in first processor core, a first wagering game controller, wherein the executing includes using a first group of wagering game assets to present a first group of wagering games;

receiving, over a wagering game network, a second wagering game controller and second group of wagering game assets;

halting the execution of the first wagering game controller in the first processor core;

isolating the second wagering game controller in a second processor core, wherein the isolating renders the second wagering game controller inaccessible to all other software outside the second processor core;

authenticating, the second wagering game controller using authentication hardware included in the second processor core; and

executing, in the second processor core, the second wagering game controller, wherein the executing includes using the second group of wagering game assets to present a second group of wagering games.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the initializing the wagering game machine includes authenticating the BIOS module and the wagering game operating system using authentication hardware included in the first processor core.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the wagering game assets include audio content and video content for use in presenting the wagering games.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the second processor core includes a local store and a processing element.

15. A wagering game system comprising:

a wagering game server to provide a loader module and a wagering game operating system over a wagering game network;

a first wagering game machine to provide, over the wagering game network, wagering game assets to other wagering game machines of the wagering game system;

a second wagering game machine configured

to a receive, over the wagering game network, the loader module from the wagering game server,

to authenticate the loader module using authentication hardware included in a central processing unit,

to execute the loader module, wherein the loader module is configured to receive and authenticate, using the authentication hardware, the wagering game assets, and to receive and authenticate the wagering game operating system after authentication of the wagering game asset, and

to execute the operating system and present wagering games using the wagering game assets.

16. The wagering game system of claim 15, wherein the first wagering game machine further configured to provide the wagering game assets upon request.

17. The wagering game system of claim 15, wherein the second wagering game machine is portable and the first wagering game machine is stationary.

18. The wagering game system of claim 15, wherein receipt of the loader module and the wagering game operating system to occur after checkout of the second wagering game machine from a kiosk.

19. The wagering game system of claim 15, wherein authentication of the wagering game assets occurs in isolation from all other components of the second wagering game machine.

20. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving wagering game software over a wagering game network;

means for authenticating the wagering game software without assistance of software authentication logic that is not embedded in a processor;

means for storing the wagering game software and authentication keys for use in authenticating the wagering software;

means for fetching and executing the wagering game software for presenting wagering games, wherein the fetching and executing occurs in isolation from other components of the apparatus; and

means for encrypting, without assistance from software encryption logic, the wagering game software while in isolation from the other components of the apparatus.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for fetching and executing includes means for ending the isolated execution of the wagering game software.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the wagering game software includes a wagering game controller including logic for presenting wagering games.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for fetching and executing includes means for prompting re-authentication, during execution, of the wagering game software using the means for authenticating.