Method and apparatus for software authentication

• US 7,520,811 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Chen, Xuedong, LeMay, Steven G., Benbrahim, Jamal
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARPER, TRAMAR YONG
• Application Number:
  US11/680,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20070149280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• 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: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2109 Game systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00782 Hash function, e.g. MD5, MD2, SHA
• 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: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00

Abstract

A method and apparatus for authenticating gaming machine software is disclosed. In one embodiment the method and apparatus is used to authenticate the contents of a removable media. Use of a removable media provides means to store large amounts of software on a single media to install software, perform software updates, diagnose gaming machines, authenticate software, or configure gaming machines. An authentication file may contain a listing of each file on the removable media and an associated hash value calculated with a hash function. The hash values are calculated and stored in an authentication file and encryption of the one or more hash values may occur. A hash value re-calculation is performed on each file at a later time to determine the hash value at the time of use. The re-calculated hash values are compared to the decrypted hash values stored in the authentication file.

Claims

1. A method of installing application data including a software application program for generating a game on a gaming machine, the method comprising:

providing the gaming machine, said gaming machine comprising a) a processor, b) a main memory coupled to the processor configured to store the application data wherein during operation of the gaming machine the application data is loaded from a fixed media to the main memory to generated the game, c) the fixed media configured to store the application data wherein the fixed media is installed on the gaming machine, d) a secure memory including authentication software and e) a removable media reader configured to read data from a removable media when the removable media is communicatively coupled to the removable media reader;

detecting the removable media is coupled to the removable media reader;

reading first authentication data from said removable media, the first authentication data comprising a file verification table (FVT) comprising an entry for each application file of the application data and a first hash value for each application file, the FVT also comprising an encrypted file signature, the encrypted file signature obtained by performing a hash function on the FVT, the reading of the first authentication data comprising decrypting the encrypted file signature to provide a decrypted file signature;

executing the authentication software on to perform calculations on said application data to obtain second authentication data based on said application data on said removable media, the second authentication data comprising application files stored on the removable media and a re-calculated file signature obtained by performing another hash function on the FVT;

comparing said first authentication data to said second authentication data, the comparing of the first and second authentication data comprising comparing the decrypted and re-calculated file signatures and, if they match, performing a hash function on each application file of the removable media to obtain a second hash value for each application file on the removable media, and one file at a time, comparing the first and second hash values;

installing said application data including the software application program from said removable media to said fixed media if said first authentication data is identical to said second authentication data; and

configuring the software application program installed on said fixed media for generating the game on said gaming machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the installing the application data on the fixed media comprises formatting the fixed media.

3. The method of claim 1, after the removable media is authenticated, locating a service program for configuring the software application program and executing the service program to configure the software application program.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing a service program locator configured to locate one or more service programs.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the service program locator is stored on the secure memory.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein one or more the service programs are selected from the group consisting of an installation program, a configuration program, a set-up program, a tutorial program, an up-date program, a diagnostic program, a demonstration program, and an authentication algorithm.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein a first service program is stored on the removable media.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein a first service program is downloaded from a remote host.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second hash values are compared one file at a time and if any set of first and second hash values do not match, the comparing is stopped.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first authentication data further comprises a directory tree for the FVT and the second authentication data comprises a directory tree for the application files on the removable media and the comparing further comprising the directory trees.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the removable media reader is designed or configured to read the data from the removable media via wireless communication connection.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the removable media comprises one or more of optical memory, flash memory or magnetic memory.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the removable media reader is designed or configured to read the data from the removable media via a USB connection.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixed media comprises one or more of flash memory, optical memory or magnetic memory.