Storage method for a gaming machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9842464-B2
Application number	US-201615215325-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2016
Priority date	Mar 29, 2007
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

In a first aspect the invention provides a storage method for a gaming machine, including allocating program code to one of at least two program categories including a first category of program code that is expected to be modified more frequently than a second category of program code and storing program code from the first and second categories in logically separate storage areas.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A storage method in a gaming system having a server and a gaming machine for play of a game and having (1) a credit input mechanism configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value for establishing a credit balance, (2) an electronic storage medium arranged into at least two logically separate partitions storing program code, including a first logical partition and a second logical partition, (3) an authenticator, and (4) a modification controller, the method comprising:
establishing a credit balance via said credit input mechanism receiving the physical item;
allocating the first logical partition to a first category of program code;
allocating the second logical partition to a second category of program code;
executing via the authenticator an initial authentication of program code stored in the first and second logical partitions;
receiving via the modification controller modified program code from said servers;
determining via the modification controller whether the modified program code belongs to the first category of program code or the second category of program code;
storing the modified program code in the first logical partition if the modified program code belongs to the first category, and in the second logical partition if the modified program code belongs to the second category; and
in response to said storing the modified program code, authenticating via the authenticator the modified program code of one of the first logical partition and the second logical partition in which the modified program code is stored prior to executing the stored modified program code.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 and further including playing a game following said authenticating, said playing a game occurring in accord with having established a credit balance via said credit input mechanism receiving the physical item.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the program code is stored as packages and the method comprises authenticating a package that modifies the partitions.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 comprising authenticating each package at least each time the gaming machine is booted.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , and further including modifying said program code via said modification controller by adding program code to the program code stored in one of the first logical partition and the second logical partition, replacing program code in one of the first logical partition and the second logical partition, and updating program code in one of the first logical partition and the second logical partition.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first category of program code is game code.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein there are three categories of program code stored in the logically separate partitions: game code, core code and system code.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the logically separate partitions further includes a third logical partition.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the logically separate partitions are on one electronic storage medium.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one first category of program code and the second category of program code is stored in a logically separate partition separate to the partitions of other categories.

11. A gaming system, comprising:
at least one content server configured to provide modifying program code; and
a gaming machine comprising:
a credit input mechanism configured to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value for establishing a credit balance;
one or more non-transitory electronic storage mediums arranged into at least two logically separate partitions, including a first logical partition and a second logical partition, wherein the first logical partition is allocated to a first category of program code and the second logical partition is allocated to a second category of program code;
an authenticator configured to authenticate program code stored on the first and second logical partitions;
a modification controller configured to receive the modified program code from the at least one content server, wherein the modification controller is configured to determine whether the modified program code belongs to one of the first category of program code and the second category of program code, wherein the modification controller is configured to store the modified program code in the first logical partition if the modified program code belongs to the first category, and wherein the modification controller is configured to store the modified program code in the second logical partition if the modified program code belongs to the second category;
wherein, in response to the modification controller storing the modified program code in one of the first logical partition and the second logical partition, the authenticator authenticates one of the first logical partition and the second logical partition in which the modified program code is stored prior to executing the stored modified program code, wherein the modified program code is executed from the authenticated logical partition.

12. A gaming system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the modified program code is delivered to the gaming machine by one of a plurality of modes of delivery: a pull from the at least one content server, a push to the gaming machine, and a combination of push and pull.

13. A gaming system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the one of a plurality of modes of delivery depends on a characteristic of the modified program code.

14. A gaming system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein gaming code is pulled and system code is pushed.

15. A gaming system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the authenticator authenticates each logically separate partitions at least each time the gaming machine is booted.

16. A gaming system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the program code is stored as packages and wherein the authenticator authenticates a package that modifies the partitions.

Assignees

• Aristocrat Technologies Au
• Aristocrat Technologies Au

Inventors

• Lenger Drazen

Classifications

• G07F17/3225

  Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users · CPC title

• G06F21/575

  Secure boot · CPC title

• G06F2221/034

  Test or assess a computer or a system · CPC title

• G06F9/4406

  Loading of operating system · CPC title

• G06F21/57

  Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities · CPC title