US 9,002,745 B2Granted

Secure media distribution in a wager gaming system

AssigneeIgt

InventorsDavid Muir, Binh Nguyen, Brian Underdahl

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Abstract

Novel wager gaming systems, machines, and methods for ensuring that wager game code on a game disc executes on an authorized wager gaming machine are described. To prevent an unauthorized copy of a wager game disc or other storage medium is not able to execute on a gaming machine, the machine checks whether an authorization code has been previously written to the disc. If the disc does not have a code, the gaming machine generates a first segment of an authorization code which is used, along with other data, by a game provider to generate a final authorization code. This is done after the game provider verifies that the machine operator has permission, such as a license, to execute that game code contained on that specific disc. The final authorization code is transmitted to the gaming machine, equipped with a writeable optical disc drive, where it is written or “burned” onto the game disc. At this stage the game disc is tied to or associated with the gaming machine and can execute on that machine.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method of operating a gaming system, the method comprising:

(a) accessing, by one of a plurality of gaming machines, a portable storage medium;
(b) determining, at a controller of said one of the plurality of gaming machines, whether any final authorization code has been written to the portable storage medium and whether any final authorization code has been written to a memory of said one of the plurality of gaming machines;
(c) when different final authorization codes have been written to the portable storage medium and to the memory of said one of the plurality of gaming machines, preventing said one of the plurality of gaming machines from executing wager gaming software stored on the portable storage medium;
(d) when final authorization codes have not been written to the portable storage medium or to the memory of said one of the gaming machines:
(i) preventing said one of the plurality of gaming machines from executing wager gaming software stored on the portable storage medium;
(ii) generating, at the controller of said one of the plurality of gaming machines, a first authorization code using data stored on the portable storage medium;
(iii) transmitting, by said one of the plurality of gaming machines, the first authorization code to an authorization server;
(iv) receiving, at said one of the plurality of gaming machines, a final authorization code from the authorization server;
and
(v) writing, by said one of the plurality of gaming machines, the final authorization code to both (A) the portable storage medium and (B) a memory of said one of the plurality of gaming machines;
and
(e) when the same final authorization code has been written to both the portable storage medium and the memory of said one of the plurality of gaming machines, enabling said one of the plurality of gaming machines to execute the wager gaming software stored on the portable storage medium.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/644,229Filed 21 Dec 2006
Published: US 2008/0153588 A126 Jun 2008
Granted: 7 Apr 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G07F 17/32
Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services: for games, toys, sports, or amusements
G06F 21/10
Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity: protecting distributed…
G06F 2221/2109
Indexing scheme relating to G06F21/00 and subgroups addressing additional information or applications relating to security arrangements for…: game…
G07F
Coin-freed or like apparatus