Secure improved remote gaming system

• US 6,527,638 B1
• Filed: 12/12/1996
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Schneier, Bruce, Walker, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROCKETTI, JULIE K
• Application Number:
  US08/766,576
• Time in Patent Office: 2,273 Days
• Field of Search: 364/410, 364/412, 380/3-4, 380/22-25, 463/25, 463/29, 463/40-42, 902/23
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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 17/3241 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A remote gaming system whereby a player can gamble against a wagering establishment or state-run lottery from a remote location on a personal computer or portable computer device where it is unnecessary to establish an on-line connection with a host computer associated with the wagering establishment, the gaming computer having associated gaming software for providing at least one wagering opportunity and enabling the player to obtain gambling credit and cash-out any resulting winnings, the host computer enabling the player to purchase and redeem gambling credit at the remote location in one embodiment of the invention using cryptographic protocols such as through a series of authenticatable message exchanges between the player and the wagering establishment, the gaming computer and the host computer directly on-line, or the gaming computer having a detachable tamper-resistant or tamper-evident credit module associated therewith or for use with a personal computer being provided to the player with preinstalled or preloaded gambling credit, the gaming system also enabling participation in future events of which the outcome is uncertain such as, for example, a lottery whereby the player makes selections on a gaming computer at a remote location.

Claims

1. A gaming system which enables a player at a remote location to purchase and redeem gambling credit for playing games of chance off-line on a remote game computer, comprising:

at least one game computer including associated memory, means for receiving manual input, and processing means for executing at least one program from said associated memory, said at least one program including a game program, said processing means executing said game program to enable the player to play at least one game of chance on said game computer to the extent of available gambling credit in said associated memory while said game computer is not communicating with any other game device during game play except for loading gambling credit into said game computer, said gambling credit being loaded into said game computer by a central host computer using a challenge/response protocol, said game computer further having authentication means operatively associated therewith for generating authenticatable messages, at least one of said processing means, said authentication means and said associated memory being disposed within a secure enclosure; and

said central host computer for authorizing game play on at least one remote game computer in the form of gambling credit and providing for verification of winnings after game play, said central host computer having associated memory, processing means for executing at least one program from said central host computer associated memory, and central host computer authentication means operatively associated therewith for generating, receiving, and authenticating authenticatable messages, said authenticatable messages being transmitted between said game computer and said central host computer to verify the integrity and winnings in the form of gambling credit stored in said at least one game computer associated memory, said central host computer loading and verifying authenticatable game data by communicating data through at least one direct electronic connection, said game computer manually receiving input data using said means for receiving manual input to enable said central host computer to authorize game play on said game computer.

2. A method for a player to provide a credit value to a gaming device, comprising:

transmitting to a computer remote from, and not connected to, the gaming device a financial account identifier and a credit request;

receiving by the player from the remote computer an encoded credit value code associated with the credit request, the encoded credit value code being in a human-recognizable format and representing a monetary value;

providing by the player the encoded credit value code to the gaming device via an input means of the gaming device;

responsive to the providing step, adding to the player'"'"'s available gambling credit balance in the gaming device; and

playing the gaming device to generate a game outcome value.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving by the player from the gaming device an encoded current balance code based on the monetary value and the game outcome value.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting to the remote computer the encoded current balance code to apply the monetary value and the game outcome value to a financial account associated with the financial account identifier.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the encoded current balance code includes tamper evidence information.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the encoded current balance code includes audit information.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the encoded current balance code includes information associated with the gaming device.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said providing comprises providing the encoded credit value code to a dedicated gaming device.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein said providing comprises providing the encoded credit value code to a personal computer.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein said transmitting comprises:

entering the financial account identifier and the credit request via a numeric keypad of a telephone; and

transmitting the financial account identifier and the credit request to the computer remote from the gaming device.

11. A method for a gaming device to receive a credit value from a player, comprising:

receiving from the player an encoded credit value code via an input means of the gaming device, the encoded credit value code being associated with a monetary value and being provided by the player in a human-recognizable format;

decoding the encoded credit value code to determine a current balance based on the monetary value;

enabling the player to play the gaming device; and

generating a game outcome value based on the play of the gaming device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a current balance based on the monetary value and the game outcome value.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

encoding the current balance to generate an encoded current balance code; and

providing the encoded current balance code to the player.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said providing comprises displaying the encoded current balance code to the player.