Gaming software authentication

• US 8,226,473 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2002
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Gazdic, Daniel J., Ryan, Chad A., Sylla, Craig J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US10/119,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20030195033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,758 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 16- 20, 463 24- 25, 463/29, 463 42- 44, 380/4, 713/168, 713/150, 713/189
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• 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 of preparing memory contents of a gaming machine for subsequent authentication and a method of authenticating the prepared memory contents are disclosed. A first memory stores a game data set and a first authentication code generated from the game data set. The game data set includes game data files and second authentication codes generated from the respective data files. A second memory stores an authentication program for authenticating the first memory'"'"'s contents, as well as a third authentication code generated from the second memory'"'"'s contents. To authenticate the memory contents, the second memory'"'"'s contents are first authenticated and, if deemed authentic, the game data set as a whole and each data file in the first memory are authenticated. The authentication process involves generating fresh authentication codes using the authentication program and comparing the fresh codes with appropriate ones of the stored authentication codes.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating memory contents of a gaming machine, comprising:

storing, in a high capacity storage device, a game data set including a plurality of data files and a manifest file having a stored authentication code for each of the plurality of data files;

storing, in a boot memory, contents including an authentication program;

prior to operation of a wagering game on the gaming machine, authenticating the contents of the boot memory;

after authenticating the contents of the boot memory and prior to operation of the wagering game at the gaming machine, authenticating the game data set as a whole with the authentication program;

after authenticating the contents of the boot memory and the game data set as a whole, operating the wagering game at the gaming machine by using data files from the plurality of data files; and

during the operation of the wagering game at the gaming machine, performing a parallel authentication of (i) the game data set as a whole in a first cycle of the parallel authentication and (ii) the data files being used to operate the wagering game in a second cycle of the parallel authentication, the authentication of the data files in the second cycle using the stored authentication codes in the manifest file within the game data set that has been authenticated as a whole in the first cycle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the boot memory is a read-only memory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the high-capacity storage device is selected from the group consisting of a CD-ROM, a hard disk drive, and a flash storage device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication of the game data set as a whole in the first cycle of the parallel authentication includes comparing a computed message digest corresponding to the game data set.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication of the data files in the second cycle of the parallel authentication includes comparing computed message digests corresponding to the data files.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication of the data files in the second cycle of the parallel authentication includes a DSA verify operation.

7. The method of claim 1, further including, within the second cycle of the parallel authentication, authenticating the boot memory.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication of the game data set as a whole and each data file includes authenticating the data files in a order listed in the manifest file stored in the high capacity storage device.

9. A method of authenticating memory contents of a gaming machine, comprising:

storing, in at least one memory device, (i) a game data set including a plurality of data files and a file-level authentication code for each of the plurality of data files, and (ii) a game-data-set authentication code generated from the game data set as a whole, the plurality of data files including executable code files, sound files, and graphics files;

prior to operation of a wagering game at the gaming machine, authenticating the game data set as a whole using the game-data-set authentication code;

after authenticating the game data set as a whole, operating the wagering game at the gaming machine by using the executable code files, the sound files, and the graphics files from the plurality of data files; and

during the operation of the wagering game at the gaming machine, conducting a continuous run-time authentication procedure having a first cycle and a second cycle, the first cycle including the repeated authentication of the game data set as a whole with the use of game-data-set authentication code, the second cycle including the repeated authentication of each of the plurality of data files with the use of the file-level authentication codes from the game data set that is subject to authentication in the first cycle.

10. The method of claim 9, further including, prior to operation of the wagering game at the gaming machine, authenticating a boot memory containing an authentication program to be used in the first cycle and the second cycle of the parallel authentication.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory device is a high-capacity storage device that is selected from the group consisting of a CD-ROM, a hard disk drive, and a flash storage device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the game-data-set authentication code is a message digest and the authentication of the game data set as a whole in the first cycle includes comparing a computed message digest corresponding to the game data set.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the file-level authentication codes are message digests and the authentication of the data files in the second cycle of the parallel authentication includes comparing computed message digests corresponding to the data files.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the file-level authentication codes are digital signatures and the authentication of the data files in the second cycle of the parallel authentication includes a DSA verify operation.

15. The method of claim 9, further including, within the second cycle of parallel authentication, authenticating a boot memory as a whole.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the authentication of the data files includes authenticating the data files in an order listed in a manifest file stored in the at least one memory device, the manifest file being a file within the game data set and including the file-level authentication codes.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the manifest file is authenticated in the first cycle of the parallel authentication as the game data set as a whole is authenticated.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the another memory device is a serial memory containing jurisdictional-related information.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the parallel authentication includes authenticating another memory device as a whole during the first cycle or second cycle.