Extension component for authenticating game data

A peripheral component for authenticating data for playing a game of chance on a state-based gaming machine, the peripheral component in communication with a storage medium storing the data, the peripheral component comprising:

• a communications interface for communication with a motherboard in the gaming machine over a bus, the peripheral component being removably coupled with the bus,
• a memory storing authentication code;
• a processor coupled to the memory and capable of:
• i) loading the authentication code from the memory,
• ii) executing the authentication code, responsive to receiving an authentication instruction message from the motherboard over the bus, to perform an authentication process to verify the authenticity of the data in the storage medium, the storage medium located external to the peripheral component, the storage medium being accessible to the state-based gaming machine, the authentication instruction message including an indication to initiate execution of the authentication code, the authentication instruction message provided as a part of a boot-up operation of a state-based gaming machine adapted to receive a wager from a player for play of a game of chance and output an award responsive to play of the game of chance, the state-based gaming machine adapted to maintain gaming machine state information in a non-volatile memory, the gaming machine state information capable of including award information related to outputting the award responsive to play of the game of chance, the boot-up operation controlled by a BIOS of the motherboard, the boot-up operation including restoration of a state of the gaming machine prior to a power on or reset of the gaming machine in accordance with the gaming machine state information stored in the non-volatile memory, and
• iii) outputting a signal indicating whether the authentication process is successful in authenticating the data.

A state-based gaming machine capable of authenticating data for playing a game of chance, the gaming machine comprising:

• a motherboard in communication with a bus, the motherboard including a BIOS adapted to control a boot-up operation of a state-based gaming machine adapted to receive a wager from a player for play of a game of chance and output an award responsive to play of the game of chance, the state-based gaming machine adapted to maintain gaming machine state information in a non-volatile memory, the gaming machine state information capable of including award information related to outputting the award responsive to play of the game of chance, the boot-up operation including restoration of a state of the gaming machine prior to a power on or reset of the gaming machine in accordance with the gaming machine state information stored in the non-volatile memory;
• a peripheral component in communication with the motherboard over the bus, the peripheral component in communication with a storage medium storing the data, the storage medium located external to the peripheral component, the storage medium being accessible to the state-based gaming machine, the peripheral component having a memory storing authentication code, the peripheral component being removably coupled with the bus;
• a processor in communication with the memory and capable of:
• i) retrieving, from the peripheral component, the authentication code from the memory,
• ii) executing the authentication code, responsive to receiving an authentication instruction message over the bus, to perform an authentication process to verify the authenticity of the data in the storage medium, the authentication instruction message including an indication to initiate execution of the authentication code, the authentication instruction message provided as a part of a boot-up operation of a state-based gaming machine adapted to receive a wager from a player for play of a game of chance and output an award responsive to play of the game of chance, the boot-up operation controlled by a BIOS of the motherboard, the boot-up operation including restoration of a state of the gaming machine prior to a power on or reset of the gaming machine, and
• iii) outputting a signal indicating whether the authentication process is successful in authenticating the data.

A method for authenticating data for playing a game of chance on a state-based gaming machine, the method comprising:

• providing a state-based gaming machine adapted to receive a wager from a player for play of a game of chance and output an award responsive to play of the game of chance, the state-based gaming machine adapted to maintain gaming machine state information in a non-volatile memory, the gaming machine state information capable of including award information related to outputting the award responsive to play of the game of chance;
• providing a motherboard in the gaming machine, the motherboard including a BIOS adapted to control a boot-up operation of the gaming machine, the boot-up operation including restoration of a state of the gaming machine prior to a power on or reset of the gaming machine in accordance with the gaming machine state information stored in the non-volatile memory;
• providing a peripheral component in communication with the motherboard over a bus, the peripheral component having access to authentication code in a memory, the peripheral component being removably coupled with the bus;
• receiving, at the peripheral component, an authentication instruction message over the bus, the authentication instruction message provided as a part of the boot-up operation, the authentication instruction message including an indication to initiate execution of the authentication code;
• executing, at the peripheral component and responsive to receiving the authentication instruction message, the authentication code on a processor to perform an authentication process to verify the authenticity of the data, the data being stored in a storage medium, the storage medium being accessible to the state-based gaming machine;
• and
• outputting a signal indicating whether the authentication process is successful in authenticating the data.