Alterable storage media gaming machine

• US 8,613,662 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2010
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Morrow, James, McAllister, Lawrence, Dubner, Robert, Carman, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Nigh, James D
• Application Number:
  US12/788,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20100234101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/70 Game security or game management aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/006 Identification G06F11/2289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2289 by configuration test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1011 to devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2029/4402 Internal storage of test result, quality data, chip identification, repair information

Abstract

A system for verifying one or more downloaded components 54 of a gaming device 10 that includes the gaming device, which has an alterable hard drive 80 (or other persistent storage media 90), and the downloaded components that further include gaming-related content 92-96. A related method includes: enabling initiation of a game on the gaming device 10; downloading the gaming-related content 92-96 to the alterable hard drive 80 while the gaming device 10 is enabled for game play; reading an identifier associated with the gaming-related content 92-96; verifying that the identifier is valid (using verification software 70); and reconfiguring the gaming device 10 to utilize the newly-downloaded, gaming-related content 92-96 in response to an initiating event.

Claims

1. A casino gaming device comprising an alterable storage media configured to store a downloaded component comprising casino gaming-related content, the casino gaming device comprising:

a processor and a memory containing embedded executable instructions executed by the processor to;

enable initiation of a casino game on the gaming device,

download gaming-related content to the alterable storage media while the casino gaming device is enabled for casino game play, wherein the downloading of casino gaming-related content is non-player initiated,

read an identifier associated with the gaming-related content;

determine if the identifier is valid, and reconfigure the casino gaming device to utilize the newly-downloaded, gaming-related content in response to an initiating event if the identifier is valid, or

determine if tampering with the downloaded gaming-related content has occurred and attempt to replace the downloaded gaming-related content if the identifier is invalid and only if tampering has not been determined.

2. The casino gaming device of claim 1, wherein the alterable storage media comprises an alterable hard drive and the downloaded gaming-related content is authenticated on the alterable hard drive by the processor according to the embedded executable instructions while the gaming device is enabled for game play.

3. The casino gaming device of claim 1, wherein the alterable storage media comprises an alterable hard drive and the downloaded gaming-related content is authenticated on the alterable hard drive by the processor according to the embedded executable instructions in response to an initiating event.

4. The casino gaming device of claim 1, wherein the alterable storage media comprises an alterable hard drive and the gaming-related content is downloadable to a separate partition area of the alterable hard drive while the gaming device is enabled for game play, and wherein downloaded gaming-related content is escrowed by the processor according to the embedded executable instructions for later authentication by the processor according to the embedded executable instructions.

5. The casino gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming-related content is downloadable to a staging area by the processor according to the embedded executable instructions while the gaming device is enabled for game play, and wherein downloaded gaming-related content is escrowed for later authentication by the processor according to the embedded executable instructions.

6. The casino gaming device of claim 1, wherein determining if the identifier is valid comprises algorithmically verifying the identifier associated with the gaming-related content to a value in a datastore.

7. The casino gaming device of claim 6, further comprising the prevention of utilization of the gaming-related content by the processor according to the embedded executable instructions if the identifier is not algorithmically verified in the datastore.

8. The casino gaming device of claim 6, wherein the datastore is remote from the gaming device, wherein the determination is performed over a network that connects the gaming device with a database server containing the datastore, and wherein the gaming device processor, according to the embedded executable instructions, transmits an identifier for each of the components to the database server where the verifying step is performed.

9. The casino gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming device further comprises persistent storage media.

10. The casino gaming device of claim 9, wherein the persistent storage media is a removable storage unit selected from the group consisting of:

a CD-ROM device, a WORM device, a CD-RW device, a floppy disk device, a removable hard disk device, a ZIP disk device, a JAZZ disk device, a DVD device, a removable flash memory device, and a hard card device.

11. The casino gaming device of claim 1, wherein unsecured components are downloaded across an unsecured network to the gaming device, and wherein the validity of the components is determined in the gaming device by the processor according to the embedded executable instructions in response to an initiating event.

12. The casino gaming device of claim 1, wherein a reconfiguration announcement is displayed by the processor according to the embedded executable instructions when the gaming machine is reconfigured by the processor according to the embedded executable instructions using the downloaded gaming-related content.

13. The casino gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming machine is reconfigured by the processor according to the embedded executable instructions using gaming-related content while the gaming machine is disabled for game play and a reconfiguration announcement is displayed by the processor according to the embedded executable instructions.

14. The casino gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming-related content is downloaded by the processor according to the embedded executable instructions from a server via a network.

15. The casino gaming device of claim 1, wherein the gaming-related content is downloaded by the processor according to the embedded executable instructions from a portable device that is connected to the gaming device without requiring an interconnecting network.