Encryption in a secure computerized gaming system
First Claim
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1. A computerized wagering game apparatus, comprising:
- a computerized game controller having a processor for executing a game program, a memory comprising a random access memory (RAM), and a nonvolatile storage, the computerized game controller operable to control the computerized wagering game apparatus; and
game program stored in the nonvolatile storage and copied into the RAM, wherein the game program copied to the RAM is verified during execution and play of the computerized wagering game apparatus by hashing with a one-way hash function to produce a resulting hash value that is compared to a reference hash value using a continuously executing program thread executing on the computerized game controller during play of the computerized wagering game apparatus to continuously ensure that game program copied to the RAM has not changed since calculation of the reference hash value.
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Abstract
An architecture and method for a gaming-specific platform are disclosed that features secure storage and verification of game code and other data, provides the ability to securely exchange data with a computerized wagering gaming system, and does so in a manner that is straightforward and easy to manage. Some embodiments provide the ability to identify game program code as certified or approved, such as by the Nevada Gaming Regulations Commission or other regulatory agency. These and other functions make use of encryption, including digital signatures and hash functions as well as other encryption methods.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A computerized wagering game apparatus, comprising:
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a computerized game controller having a processor for executing a game program, a memory comprising a random access memory (RAM), and a nonvolatile storage, the computerized game controller operable to control the computerized wagering game apparatus; and game program stored in the nonvolatile storage and copied into the RAM, wherein the game program copied to the RAM is verified during execution and play of the computerized wagering game apparatus by hashing with a one-way hash function to produce a resulting hash value that is compared to a reference hash value using a continuously executing program thread executing on the computerized game controller during play of the computerized wagering game apparatus to continuously ensure that game program copied to the RAM has not changed since calculation of the reference hash value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for continuously verifying authenticity of game data of a computerized wagering game apparatus, the method comprising:
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copying game data stored in a nonvolatile storage of the computerized wagering game apparatus to a RAM of the computerized wagering game apparatus; continuously hashing the game data copied to the RAM with a one-way hash function in a continuously executing thread to produce a resulting hash value; comparing the resulting hash value to a reference hash value in a continuously executing thread to ensure that game the data has not changed since calculation of the reference hash value; wherein the copying, hashing and comparing are carried out continuously during execution of the computerized wagering game apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A computerized wagering game apparatus, comprising:
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a computerized game controller having a processor, a main memory comprising a random access memory (RAM) and a nonvolatile storage and operable to control the computerized wagering game apparatus; gaming program code and gaming program code signature stored in the nonvolatile storage, and an authentication program stored in nonvolatile storage, wherein the authentication program, when executed, continually copies gaming program code and game program code signature from the nonvolatile storage to the RAM during execution of the gaming program code and continually verifies that the gaming program code has not changed by means of generating a message digest from the gaming program code copied to the RAM, decrypting the message digest using a first decryption program;
decrypting the gaming program code signature with a second decryption program and comparing the two decrypted messages to verify that they are identical, wherein the authentication program is continuously executed on the gaming program code copied to the RAM by a continuously executing program thread executing on the computerized game controller during play of the computerized wagering game apparatus by a player.
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Specification