Identifying message senders

Abstract

A disclosed gaming network provides a method and system for identifying message senders through use of a communication protocol that includes a message field containing message contents and a verification field containing a verification signature. The verification signature is calculated by a message sender utilizing a valuation of the message contents and an identifier value provided by the message receiver.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of communicating between two gaming devices on a gaming machine network, the method comprising: 
 sending a request for a first identifier value from a first gaming device to a second gaming device, the first gaming device having message contents to be sent to the second gaming device;    receiving the first identifier value from the second gaming device;    generating a verification signature at the first gaming device using a valuation of the message contents and the first identifier value; and    sending the message contents and the verification signature from the first gaming device to the second gaming device.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 storing the first identifier value in a memory structure at the first gaming device.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 receiving a request from the second gaming device to resend the message contents and the verification signature;    resending the message contents and the verification signature.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 sending a plurality of messages to the second gaming device from the first gaming device, the sending of each message comprising: 
 generating a message identifier value;  
 generating a message verification signature using a valuation of the message contents and the message identifier value; and  
 generating a message with the message contents and the message verification signature.  
   wherein the message identifier value generated in each message is from a sequence of identifier values that are known by the second gaming device.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the sequence of identifier values is a random number sequence generated using a random number generator seeded with the first identifier value.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein a message verification algorithm used to generate the message verification signature changes from message to message.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the verification signature is generated using a private signature key.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the message contents and the verification signature are sent from the host server to the target gaming machine according to a protocol comprising at least: 
 a message field containing the message contents, and    a verification field containing the first verification signature.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 decrypting the first identifier value using a private encryption key.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 generating a symmetric encryption key;    encrypting the symmetric encryption key using a public encryption key from the second gaming device;    encrypting the message contents using the symmetric encryption key;    and sending the encrypted symmetric encryption key to the second gaming device.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 identifying the second gaming device.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second gaming device is identified using a unique hardware serial number stored on the first gaming device.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first gaming device is a gaming machine and the second gaming device is a gaming machine.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first gaming device is a host server and the second gaming device is a gaming machine.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein first gaming device is selected from the group consisting of a gaming machine, a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, a host server, a remote computer and a portable gaming device.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein second gaming device is selected from the group consisting of a gaming machine, a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, a host server, a remote computer and a portable gaming device.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the message contents are at least one of player tracking information, accounting information, bonus game information, a game event from a game of chance played on a gaming machine, electronic fund transfer information, gaming software and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         18 . A method of communicating between two gaming devices on a gaming machine network, the method comprising: 
 receiving a request at the first gaming device from a second gaming device for a first identifier value wherein the first gaming device has message contents to be sent to the second gaming device;    generating a first identifier value;    sending the first identifier value to the second gaming device;    receiving a first message comprising the message contents and a verification signature from the second gaming device;    generating a second verification signature using the message contents and the stored first identifier value; and    determining whether the second verification signature is equal to the verification signature, and if equal, accepting the first message for further processing by the gaming machine.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 storing the first identifier value in a memory structure at the second gaming device.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 rejecting the verification signature and    terminating the processing of the first message.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 encrypting the first identifier value prior to sending it to the second gaming device.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first identifier value is encrypted using a public encryption key for the second gaming device.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 authenticating an identify of the second gaming device.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the identity of the second gaming device is authenticated using a serial number supplied by the second gaming device.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the identity of the second gaming device is authenticated using a public signature key provided by the second gaming device.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 generating the second verification signature using a public signature key corresponding to a private signature key used by the second gaming device to generate the verification signature.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 decrypting at least one of the a portion of the message contents, the verification signature and combinations thereof.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the at least one of the portion of the message contents, the first verification and combinations thereof have been encrypted with a public encryption key corresponding to a private encryption key used by the first gaming device.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 receiving a plurality of messages from the second gaming device, the receiving of each message comprising: 
 receiving first message contents and a first verification signature for each of the plurality of message;  
 determining a message identifier value in a sequence of message identifier values used to generate the first verification signature;  
 generating a message verification signature using a valuation of the message contents and the message identifier value; and  
 determining whether the first verification signature is equal to the message verification signature.  
   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first gaming device is a gaming machine and the second gaming device is a gaming machine.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first gaming device is a host server and the second gaming device is a gaming machine.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein first gaming device is selected from the group consisting of a gaming machine, a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, a host server, a remote computer and a portable gaming device.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein second gaming device is selected from the group consisting of a gaming machine, a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, a host server, a remote computer and a portable gaming device.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the message contents are at least one of player tracking information, accounting information, bonus game information, a game event from a game of chance played on a gaming machine, electronic fund transfer information, gaming software and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         35 . A gaming machine network comprising: 
 at least one host server, the host server including verification software that enables the host server to obtain an identifier value from a gaming machine, and in response to obtaining the identifier value, enables the host server to generate a message according to a protocol that permits the gaming machine to identify a sender of the message;    a plurality of gaming machines, each gaming machine comprising: 
 a master gaming controller configured to control one or more games of chance played on the gaming machine,  
 a memory configured to store a plurality of verification software elements that allow the gaming machine to identify the sender of a message on the gaming machine network; and  
 a network allowing communication between the host server and the plurality of gaming machines.  
   
     
     
         36 . The gaming machine network of  claim 35 , wherein the protocol further comprises: 
 a message field; and    a verification field.    
     
     
         37 . The gaming machine network of  claim 36 , wherein the message field contains message contents and the verification field contains a verification signature.  
     
     
         38 . The gaming machine network of  claim 37 , wherein the verification signature is generated using a valuation of the message contents and the identifier value.  
     
     
         39 . The gaming machine network of  claim 35 , wherein the host server further comprises: 
 host server encryption software for decrypting the identifier value encrypted by the gaming machine and for encrypting, as needed, at least a portion of the message sent to the gaming machine.    
     
     
         40 . The gaming machine network of  claim 39 , wherein the host server encryption software utilizes a private encryption key.  
     
     
         41 . The gaming machine network of  claim 35 , wherein the gaming machine further comprises: 
 gaming machine encryption software for encrypting the identifier value prior to sending to the host server and for decrypting, as needed, at least a portion of the message encrypted by the host server.    
     
     
         42 . The gaming machine network of  claim 41 , wherein the gaming machine encryption software utilizes a public key.  
     
     
         43 . The gaming machine network of  claim 35 , wherein the verification software further comprises: 
 verification signature generation software for generating a verification signature.    
     
     
         44 . The gaming machine network of  claim 43 , wherein the verification signature generation software utilizes at least one of a private signature key, the identifier value, message contents and combinations thereof to generate the verification signature.  
     
     
         45 . The gaming machine network of  claim 35 , wherein the verification software elements further comprise: 
 verification signature authentication software elements for determining the authenticity of a verification signature.    
     
     
         46 . The gaming machine network of  claim 45 , wherein the verification signature authentication software utilizes at least one of a public signature key, the identifier value, message contents and combinations thereof to authenticate the verification signature.  
     
     
         47 . The gaming machine network of  claim 35 , wherein the host server and the plurality of gaming machines further comprise: 
 identifier generation software for generating a sequence of message identifier values that are used to generate verification signatures for a sequence of messages.