US 7,320,642 B2
Security of gaming software
Thomas A. Gentles, Algonquin, Ill. (US); Timothy C. Loose, Chicago, Ill. (US); and Wayne H. Rothschild, Northbrook, Ill. (US)
Assigned to WMS Gaming Inc., Waukegan, Ill. (US)
Filed on Sep. 06, 2002, as Appl. No. 10/236,164.
Prior Publication US 2004/0048660 A1, Mar. 11, 2004
Int. Cl. A63F 13/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 463—29  [463/16; 463/20] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
17. A gaming machine to conduct a wagering game, comprising:
a system memory to store and provide access to game data, wherein the system memory must receive an enable signal before storing and providing access to the game data stored in the system memory;
a processing apparatus to periodically transmit a security message for periodic security verifications, store and access the game data in the system memory, and execute gaming machine software, wherein the storing and accessing of the game data are necessary for executing the gaming machine software;
a secondary apparatus to receive the periodically-transmitted security message for the periodic security verifications, the secondary apparatus including,
a comparator to compare the periodically-transmitted security message to a reference message, and if the periodically-transmitted security message matches the reference message, transmit a reset signal, and
a watchdog timer to determine whether the reset signal has been received at a refresh interval, wherein if the watchdog timer has not received the reset signal at the refresh interval, the watchdog timer does not transmit the enable signal to the system memory.