Method and gaming device for controlling use of one or more peripheral devices

Abstract

A method of controlling use of one or more peripheral devices with an electronic gaming device, the method including: determining whether at least one peripheral device is authorised for operation with the electronic gaming device by determining whether there is a dongle fitted to the electronic gaming device containing an authorisation of the at least one peripheral device; and at least partially disabling the operation of any peripheral device for which it is determined that there is not a dongle fitted to the electronic gaming device containing an authorisation of the peripheral device.

1 . A method of controlling use of one or more peripheral devices with an electronic gaming device, the method comprising:
 determining whether at least one peripheral device is authorised for operation with the electronic gaming device by determining whether there is a dongle fitted to the electronic gaming device containing an authorisation of the at least one peripheral device; and   at least partially disabling the operation of any peripheral device for which it is determined that there is not a dongle fitted to the electronic gaming device containing an authorisation of the peripheral device.   
   
   
       2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  comprising at least partially disabling operation by disabling the peripheral device. 
   
   
       3 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  comprising at least partially disabling operation by preventing or disrupting communication of the peripheral device with at least one other gaming device component. 
   
   
       4 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising determining whether the dongle is valid. 
   
   
       5 . A method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein determining whether the dongle is valid comprises:
 obtaining from the dongle a dongle public key and a dongle signature of the dongle public key encrypted with a master private key;   decrypting the dongle signature with a master public key; and   determining based on a comparison of the decrypted dongle signature with the dongle public key whether the dongle is valid.   
   
   
       6 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising determining whether the authorisation is valid. 
   
   
       7 . A method as claimed in claim in  claim 1  wherein determining whether an authorisation exists for a peripheral device comprises determining whether an authorisation exists for the type or class of peripheral. 
   
   
       8 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the dongle is a smart card. 
   
   
       9 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  comprising determining whether a plurality of peripheral devices are valid. 
   
   
       10 . A method as claimed in  claim 9  comprising checking a plurality of dongles. 
   
   
       11 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one peripheral performs a plurality of functions and partially disabling operation of the peripheral device involve preventing at least one function from being implemented while allowing another function to be implemented. 
   
   
       12 . An electronic gaming device comprising:
 a main circuit in data communication with one or more peripheral devices, the main circuit arranged to:
 determine whether at least one peripheral device is authorised for operation with the electronic gaming device by determining whether there is a dongle in data communication with the main circuit containing an authorisation of the at least one peripheral device; and 
 at least partially disable the operation of any peripheral device for which it is determined that there is not a dongle fitted to the electronic gaming device containing an authorisation of the peripheral device. 
   
   
   
       13 . An electronic gaming device as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the main circuit is adapted to have a plurality of dongles connected thereto whereby peripheral devices can be authorised independently. 
   
   
       14 . An electronic gaming device as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the main circuit at least partially disables operation by disabling the peripheral device. 
   
   
       15 . An electronic gaming device as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the main circuit at least partially disables operation by preventing or disrupting communication of the peripheral device with at least one other gaming device component. 
   
   
       16 . An electronic gaming device as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the main circuit is arranged to determine whether the dongle is valid. 
   
   
       17 . An electronic gaming device as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein, in order to determine whether the dongle is valid, the main circuit:
 obtains from the dongle a dongle public key and a dongle signature of the dongle public key encrypted with a master private key;   decrypts the dongle signature with a master public key; and   determines based on a comparison of the decrypted dongle signature with the dongle public key whether the dongle is valid.   
   
   
       18 . An electronic gaming device as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the main circuit determines whether the authorisation is valid. 
   
   
       19 . An electronic gaming device as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the main circuit determines whether an authorisation exists for a peripheral device by determining whether an authorisation exists for the type or class of peripheral. 
   
   
       20 . An electronic gaming device as claimed in  claim 12  wherein the dongle is a smart card. 
   
   
       21 . An electronic gaming device as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein at least one peripheral performs a plurality of functions and the main circuit partially disables operation of the peripheral device by preventing at least one function from being implemented while allowing another function to be implemented. 
   
   
       22 . A method of controlling use of peripheral devices with an electronic gaming device comprising:
 providing at least one port to which at least one gaming peripheral devices can be connected; and   requiring an operator of the electronic gaming device to fit to the gaming device one or more dongles containing an authorisation for at least one connected peripheral device in order to enable the peripheral device to function fully with the gaming device.   
   
   
       23 . A method as claimed in  claim 13  comprising requiring the operator to fit to the gaming device one or more dongles containing authorisations for each peripheral device. 
   
   
       24 . A tangible computer readable medium comprising computer program code which when executed by a processor implements a method of controlling use of one or more peripheral devices with an electronic gaming device, the method comprising:
 determining whether at least one peripheral device is authorised for operation with the electronic gaming device by determining whether there is a dongle fitted to the electronic gaming device containing an authorisation of the at least one peripheral device; and   at least partially disabling the operation of any peripheral device for which it is determined that there is not a dongle fitted to the electronic gaming device containing an authorisation of the peripheral device.