Battery powered gaming machine security Monitoring system

• US 6,575,833 B1
• Filed: 01/04/2000
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Stockdale, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US09/477,762
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/13, 463/17, 463/18, 463/19, 463/20, 463/29, 463/47, 463/46, 340/855.4, 340/545.1, 340/545.2, 340/545.3, 340/555, 340/545.6, 340/556, 340/547, 340/548, 340/549, 340/825.2, 194/350, 194/351, 194/206-207, 219/721-722, 235/381-382, 273/143.R, 273/148.R, 273/138.1
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3216 Construction aspects of a gaming system, e.g. housing, seats, ergonomic aspects
• 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 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10

Abstract

A disclosed battery powered security monitoring system provides a security system that monitors validation signals detected by a sensor at least twice during each oscillation of the validation signal. This technique may be applied both while the main power to the gaming machine is on and while a backup power source (e.g., a battery) is on. Preferably, the security system of this invention employs a custom integrated circuit (e.g., an end-user programmed complex programmable logic device) to perform some the security functions such as supplying the validation signal to the sensor and comparing a sensor output signal to the validation signal to determine whether access to a gaming machine device has occurred.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

(a) a master gaming controller that controls a game played on the gaming machine;

(b) a plurality of gaming devices coupled to the gaming machine;

(c) an access mechanism allowing access to one or more gaming devices of said gaming machine;

(d) a sensor including a sensor emitter and a sensor detector for indicating when the access mechanism has been actuated in a manner in allowing access to one or more of the gaming devices;

(e) a security monitoring system, connected to the master gaming controller, said security monitoring system comprising;

sensor monitoring circuitry, said sensor monitoring circuitry including;

(i) source circuitry providing an oscillating validation signal controlling operation of the sensor emitter;

(ii) detection circuitry for monitoring the output of the sensor detector in a manner sampling the output at least twice within a single oscillation;

(iii) comparison circuitry for comparing the oscillating validation signal from the source circuitry with a signal from the detection circuitry to determine when the access mechanism has been actuated;

(iv) a random number storage register for storing a random number that is generated by the master gaming controller prior to actuation of the access mechanism wherein the random number storage register is cleared by the sensor monitoring circuitry when the access mechanism has been actuated; and

(f) a non-volatile memory location different from the random number storage register for storing the random number;

wherein the master gaming controller is used to compare the random number stored in the random number storage register with the random number stored in the non-volatile memory location to determine when the access mechanism has been actuated.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor, a magnetic sensor, or a mechanical sensor.

3. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the access mechanism is a lock, a wire, a retaining latch or a device receptor.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the access mechanism is provided on a door which is selected from a group consisting of a main door, a bill stacker door, a CPU security door, a belly door, a drop door, a coupon dispenser door, a printer access door, a token dispenser door and a top box access door.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the sensor to the access mechanism is actuated by an open door, an unengaged lock, a cut wire, an open retaining latch or an empty device receptor.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the detection circuitry samples the output of the sensor detector at times when the output magnitude of the sensor detector is expected to be at different levels.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein a frequency of the oscillating validation signal and a sample rate of the sensor detector'"'"'s output sampled by the detection circuitry are in synchronization and are at least 30 Hz.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the source circuitry and the detection circuitry are provided on a single integrated circuit.

9. The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein the single integrated circuit is a custom integrated circuit that is either a programmable logic device, a field programmable gate array, or an application specific integrated circuit.

10. The gaming machine of claim 1, further comprising a battery coupled to the source circuitry and the detection circuitry of the sensor monitoring circuitry in a manner allowing it to power these circuitries.

11. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the detection circuitry can monitor the output of at least 7 sensors simultaneously.

12. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the gaming device is a bill stacker, a coupon dispenser, a CPU, a drop box, a coupon dispenser, a card cage interlock, a printer, a token dispenser.

13. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein the security monitoring system includes an inverter arranged to invert signals emitted by the source circuitry.

14. The gaming machine of claim 1 wherein the security monitoring system includes an amplifier arranged to amplify signals emitted by the source circuitry.