Downloadable operating system for wager gaming systems
View Patent ↗This disclosure describes embodiments of a wagering game machine that includes a wager gaming operating system including downloadable components. This disclosure also describes methods for downloading such components. In one embodiment, the method includes booting the wagering game machine for operation, wherein the booting is performed in-part by core operating system components. The method can also include downloading, over a network, a non-core operating system component, wherein the downloading is performed with assistance from the core operating system components. The method can also include installing the non-core operating system component on the wagering game machine, wherein the installing is performed by the core operating system components. The method can also include presenting a wagering game upon which monetary value can be wagered, wherein the presenting is performed in-part by the non-core operating system component.
1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions which when executed by a wagering game machine cause the wagering game machine to perform operations comprising:
booting the wagering game machine, wherein the booting is performed in-part by core operating system components installed on a file system of the wagering game machine;
downloading, over a network, a non-core operating system component, the non-core operating system component comprising a file system image configured for integration into the file system of the wagering game machine, wherein the non-core operating system component provides services to the core operating system components, and wherein the downloading is performed with assistance from the core operating system components;
installing the non-core operating system component onto the file system of the wagering game machine, wherein the installing is performed by the core operating system components, wherein the installing includes mounting the file system image within the file system of the wagering game machine, and wherein the installing does not modify the core operating system components in the file system; and
presenting a wagering game upon which monetary value can be wagered, wherein the presenting is performed in-part by the non-core operating system component.
2. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the installing makes the non-core operating system component available to application programs stored on the file system of the wagering game machine.
3. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the non-core operating system component includes a media presentation unit, operating system kernel configurator, kernel module, or fault log.
4. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the non-core operating system component includes files and digital signatures.
5. The machine-readable medium of claim 4 , wherein the installing includes configuring the core operating system to use the digital signatures for authenticating the files when the files are accessed.
6. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the installing is completed without a rebooting of the wagering game machine.
7. The machine-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the installing is performed and is completed with a background operation while the wagering gaming machine is presenting one or more wagering games.
8. A method comprising:
downloading, over a network, a file system image, wherein the file system image includes files that constitute a downloadable wager gaming operating system component for use in a wager gaming operating system, wherein the downloading occurs by using core components of the wager gaming operating system;
mounting, with the core components of the wager gaming operating system, the file system image onto a file system accessed by the wager gaming operating system, wherein mounting of the file system image does not modify the core components of the wager gaming operating system in the file system;
configuring the downloadable wager gaming operating system component based on information included in the files;
launching the downloadable wager gaming operating system component in the wager gaming operating system using the core components of the wager gaming operating system; and
presenting a wagering game upon which monetary value can be wagered using the wager gaming operating system, wherein the presenting is performed in part by the downloadable wager gaming operating system component.
9. The method of claim 8 ,further comprising:
storing digital signatures from the file system image, wherein the digital signatures are for use in authenticating the files when they are opened in the course of the presenting the wagering game.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the downloadable wager gaming operating system component includes software for presenting media, managing memory, configuring an operating system kernel, or recording faults.
11. The method of claim 8 ,further comprising:
validating the file system image;
authenticating the file system image based on a digital signature associated with the file system image.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein after the configuring, the downloadable wager gaming operating system component is operable to function in coordination with the core components of the wager gaming operating system.
13. An apparatus comprising:
a main memory including,
core wager gaming operating system components including,
a download manager configured to download a downloadable wager gaming operating system component over a communications network, the downloadable wager gaming operating system component comprising a file system image;
a file system configured to organize files included in the file system image of the downloadable wager gaming operating system component;
an installation manager configured to mount the downloadable wager gaming operating system component onto the file system, wherein mounting of the downloadable wager gaming operating system component does not modify the core wager gaming operating system components in the file system; and
a central processing unit configured to execute the downloadable wager gaming operating system component.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the file system image is based on a hard disk drive file system format.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the file system image is based on a compact flash RAM file system format.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the core wager gaming operating system components include a kernel, and wherein the digital signatures are stored in the kernel.
17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the core wager gaming operating system components include a kernel, and wherein the kernel is configured to authenticate the files using the digital signatures.
18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the downloadable wager gaming operating system component includes files and digital signatures for authenticating the files.