Universal game download system for legacy gaming machines

• US 7,938,726 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: Mudalla Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Brunet de Courssou, Thierry
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca; Pierre Eddy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kamal; Shahid
• Application Number:
  US11/761,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20080004121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 463 11- 42, 705/59, 705/57, 705/51, 705/54, 713/150, 713/156, 713/171, 713/191
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/76 Proxy, i.e. using intermediary entity to perform cryptographic operations network architectures or network communication protocols using hop-by-hop encryption H04L63/0464
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• 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 universal method and computer system for downloading game software to legacy gaming machines. A gaming machine includes a locked enclosure; a first computing device disposed within the locked enclosure, the first computing device being programmed to enable game play of the gaming machine; a second computing device disposed within the locked enclosure of the gaming machine, the second computing device being configured for network access, and an interface between the first and the second computing devices. The second computing device is configured to receive game software components over the network that are compatible with (e.g., executable by) the first computing device but not compatible with (e.g., not executable by) the second computing device and to transfer the received game software components to the first computing device over the interface. The second computing device may include, for example, a PC. When the first computing device is a PC, it may be configured with dual-boot capability between two operating computer systems. When the first operating computer system is booted, game play may be enabled and when the second operating computer system is booted, game software components may be received over the network.

Claims

1. A method for ensuring that only regulatory certified authorized software components execute on a non PC-based gaming machine, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a central server coupled to a network;

providing a PC connected to the network and controlled by certificate software restriction policies configured in the central server, the PC including storage;

coupling the PC to the network;

providing an interface between the PC and the non PC-based gaming machine;

packaging regulatory certified authorized software components that are executable to the non-PC gaming machine but not executable to the PC into a code signed installation package;

configuring policies to enable execution in the PC of the code signed installation package;

enforcing the certificate software restriction policies;

sending the code signed installation package to the PC;

executing the code signed installation package in the PC under certificate software restriction policy enforcement and storing the unpacked regulatory certified authorized software components in the storage;

forwarding the unpacked regulatory certified authorized software components from the storage to the non-PC over the interface, and

executing the unpacked regulatory certified authorized software components in the non-PC.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of booting up the PC upon startup of the non-PC gaming machine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the packaging step further includes a step of using a distinct PKI certificate in the packaging step to create the code signed installation package.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second providing step is carried out such that the policies are controlled by administrative scripts or commands issued by the central server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the administrative scripts include .ADM administrative scripts.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second providing step is carried out with the central server generating and providing the PC with a password over the network, the password being generated, provided to and configured in the PC without a human knowing the password.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the certificate software restriction policies are enforced on the PC only if the password is used.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the code signed installation package in the packaging step includes a code signed Microsoft MSI installation package.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-PC gaming machine includes a locked enclosure and wherein the method further includes a step of disposing the PC within the locked enclosure of the non-PC gaming machine.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the PC is configured to execute the code signed installation package under certificate software restriction policy enforcement and wherein the method further includes a step of storing the unpacked regulatory certified authorized software components in the storage, upon startup of the non-PC gaming computer or upon command.

11. A gaming machine coupled to a central server over a network, the gaming machine comprising:

a non-PC computer configured to enable game play on the gaming machine;

a PC coupled to the network and controlled by certificate software restriction policies configured in the central server, the PC including storage;

an interface between the PC and the non-PC gaming computer;

a code signed installation package that includes regulatory certified authorized software components that are executable to the non-PC gaming computer but not to the PC, wherein the PC, under the control of the certificate software restriction policies, is configured to execute the code signed installation package and to store the unpacked regulatory certified authorized software components in the storage.

12. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein the PC is further configured to boot up upon startup of the non-PC gaming computer.

13. The gaming machine of claim 11, further comprising a distinct PKI certificate bound to the code signed installation package.

14. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein the policies are controlled by administrative scripts or commands from the central server coupled to the gaming machine.

15. The gaming machine of claim 14, wherein the administrative scripts include .ADM administrative scripts.

16. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein the PC is configured with a password and wherein the password is generated by the central server and configured in the PC via the network without a human knowing the password.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the certificate software restriction policies are enforced on the PC only if the password is provided to the PC.

18. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein the code signed installation package includes a code signed Microsoft MSI installation package.

19. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein the gaming machine includes a locked enclosure and wherein the PC is disposed within the locked enclosure.

20. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein the PC includes a Microsoft Windows operating computer system.