Granted Patent B2

US 8,023,657 · App. 11/841,557 · Granted Sep 20, 2011

Abstract

Claims (72)

1. A casino gaming system, comprising:

at least one gaming machine configured to determine an outcome of a game;

a gaming server including a plurality of keys and configured to receive a request to initiate game play on a gaming machine from a remote machine, wherein the remote machine is separate from the gaming machine; and

a network bus configured to interconnect said at least one gaming machine and said gaming server, said network bus used to transmit information between said at least one gaming machine and said gaming server,

said gaming server configured to transmit at least one of said plurality of keys over said network bus to said at least one gaming machine, said at least one gaming machine is further configured to use said at least one of said plurality of keys to encrypt said information and wherein said at least one gaming machine is further configured to transmit said encrypted information over said network bus to said remote machine.

2. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said plurality of keys are session keys.

3. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said plurality of keys comprise asymmetric key pairs.

4. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said gaming server is interconnected to an outside network.

5. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of keys includes a time stamp, said time stamp indicating a period of time for which each of said plurality of keys is used.

6. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said gaming server further comprises a random number generator that generates said plurality of keys.

7. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 1 , said gaming server further comprising:

an encryption algorithm, said gaming server using said encryption algorithm to encrypt said at least one of said plurality of keys,

said gaming server transmitting said encrypted at least one of said plurality of keys over said network bus to said at least one gaming machine.

8. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said encrypted information is transmitted over said network bus to another of said at least one gaming machines.

9. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said encrypted information is transmitted over said network bus to said gaming server.

10. A casino gaming system, comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines configured to determine an outcome of a game;

a gaming server configured to receive a request to initiate game play on a gaming machine from a remote machine, wherein the remote machine is separate from the gaming machines, said gaming server comprising:

a plurality of keys, each of said plurality of keys including a time stamp, said time stamp indicating a period of time for which each of said plurality of keys is used;

a random number generator that generates said plurality of keys; and

an encryption algorithm;

a network bus interconnecting said plurality of gaming machines and said gaming server, said network bus used to transmit information between said plurality of gaming machines and said gaming server,

said gaming server using said encryption algorithm to encrypt at least one of said plurality of keys,

said gaming server transmitting said at least one of said plurality of keys over said network bus to at least one of said plurality of gaming machines where said key is decrypted, said at least one of said plurality of gaming machines using said at least one of said plurality of keys to encrypt said information,

said at least one of said plurality of gaming machines transmitting said encrypted information over said network bus to said remote machine.

11. A method for communicating information using a casino gaming system having at least one gaming machine and a gaming server, said method comprising:

receiving a request on said gaming server from a remote machine to initiate game play on said at least one gaming machine, wherein the remote machine is separate from the gaming machine;

establishing a first communication link between said at least one gaming machine and said gaming server;

first transmitting at least one of a plurality of keys stored at said gaming server over said first communication link from said gaming server to said at least one gaming machine;

encrypting information sent from said at least one gaming machine using said at least one of said plurality keys;

determining an outcome of said game play on said at least one gaming machine;

second transmitting said encrypted information over said first communication link from said at least one gaming machine to said remote machine;

receiving encrypted information from said remote machine; and

decrypting said received encrypted information using said at least one of said plurality of keys.

12. The method, as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said plurality of keys include session keys.

13. The method, as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising:

randomly generating said plurality of keys at said gaming server.

14. The method, as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising:

encrypting each of said plurality of keys transmitted from said gaming server to said at least one gaming machine.

15. A casino gaming system for communicating information using asymmetric key pairs that includes a private key and a public key, said casino gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each configured to determine an outcome of a game of game play and provide said outcome to a remote machine, wherein the remote machine is separate from the gaming machine;

a certificate authority server including a memory storing at least a plurality of said public keys and at least a plurality of said asymmetric key pairs;

a network bus interconnecting said plurality of gaming machines and said certificate authority server,

said certificate authority server transmitting at least one of said plurality of public keys over said network bus to at least one of said plurality of gaming machines wherein said certificate authority server signs said at least one of said plurality of public keys transmitted over said network bus,

said at least one of said plurality of gaming machines using said at least one of said plurality of said keys to encrypt information,

said at least one of said plurality of gaming machines transmitting said encrypted information over said network bus to said remote machine.

16. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 15 , wherein each of said plurality of gaming machines validates said at least one of said signed plurality of public keys received from said network bus.

17. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said certificate authority server is connected to an outside network.

18. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said encrypted information is transmitted over said network bus to another of said at least one gaming machines.

19. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said encrypted information is transmitted over said network bus to said gaming server.

20. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising:

an outside network connected to said gaming server; and

a remote machine connected to said outside network wherein said encrypted information is transmitted over said network bus and said outside network to said remote machine.

21. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said network bus is connected to at least one gaming server,

said certificate authority server transmitting at least one of said plurality of said public keys to said at least one gaming server,

said gaming server encrypts information using said at least one of said plurality of said public keys,

said gaming server transmits said encrypted information over said network bus.

22. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said certificate authority server comprises a random number generator for generating said plurality of said asymmetric key pairs.

23. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 15 , wherein each of said asymmetric key pairs includes a time stamp, said time stamp indicating a period of time for which said asymmetric key pairs are used.

24. The casino gaming system, as claimed in claim 15 , wherein said network bus is connected to a plurality of other certificate authority servers, said certificate authority server transmitting at least one of said plurality of said public keys to said plurality of other certificate authority servers wherein said plurality of other certificate authority servers encrypts information using said at least one of said plurality of said public keys and transmits said encrypted information over said network bus.

25. A casino gaming system connected to at least one outside computer via an outside network, said casino gaming system comprising:

a gaming server;

a plurality of gaming machines and configured to determine an outcome of a game,

wherein said gaming server is configured to receive a request to initiate game play on at least one of the gaming machines from said at least one outside computer and configured to provide at least one encryption key to said at least one of the gaming machines, and wherein said at least one of the gaming machines is configured to use said at least one encryption key to communicate with said at least one outside computer, wherein the outside computer is separate from the gaming machines;

a plurality of access switches, each one of said plurality of access switches individually connected to a different one of said plurality of gaming machines; and

a network bus connected to said gaming server and each of said plurality of access switches;

one of said plurality of access switches connecting one of said plurality of gaming machines and said outside computer over said outside network, so as to enable a remote player of said outside computer to play said one of said plurality of gaming machines,

the other of said plurality of access switches disconnecting said outside computer from the other of said plurality of gaming machines.

26. A gaming server comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of keys;

a receiver configured to receive a request to initiate game play on a gaming machine from a remote machine, wherein the remote machine is separate from the gaming machine and wherein the gaming machine is configured to determine an outcome of a game; and

a transmitter configured to transmit at least one of the plurality of keys to the gaming machine, wherein the gaming machine is further configured to use said at least one of said plurality of keys to encrypt information and transmit the encrypted information to the remote machine.

Assignments (9)