Content dependency verification for a gaming machine

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method for dependency verification of content distributed to a gaming machine is described herein. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving, over a network and into a gaming machine, data that includes a software component. The method also includes verifying that the gaming machine includes the version or the range of versions of a component, upon determining that the software component is dependent on a version or a range of versions of the component that is part of the gaming machine.

1 . A machine-readable, non-transitory medium including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a gaming machine, cause the gaming machine to perform a method comprising:
 receiving, via a network interface, one or more source code components, at least one of the one or more source code components including gaming content utilized in with a wagering game;   compiling, via at least one of the one or more processors, the one or more source code components into at least one executable file; and   executing, via at least one of the one or more processors, the at least one executable file to initiate installation of the gaming content on the gaming machine.   
     
     
         2 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the gaming machine to:
 receive, via one or more input devices, an input from a player indicative of a selection of the wagering game; and   terminate the initiated installation in response to one or more designated player activities.   
     
     
         3 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the gaming machine to:
 receive, via one or more input devices, an input from a player indicative of a selection of the wagering game;   terminate the initiated installation and reinstall a previously installed wagering game on the gaming machine, in response to one or more designated player activities.   
     
     
         4 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more source code components include at least an exemplary version of a software component, the exemplary version of the software component depending on an existing or previous installation of a different version of the software component, and wherein the instructions further cause the gaming machine to:
 verify that the gaming machine includes the different version of the software component; and   in response to at least the verifying, install the exemplary version of the software component on the gaming machine.   
     
     
         5 . The machine-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more source code components are received in an encrypted data file that is digitally signed by a master game server, and wherein the instructions further cause the gaming machine to authenticate the encrypted data package based on the digital signature appended to the encrypted data file. 
     
     
         6 . A gaming machine configured to conduct one or more wagering games, the gaming machine comprising:
 a network interface connected to a communications network;   one or more processors, and   one or more memory devices storing executable instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause the at least one processor to operate with the network interface and the one or more memory devices to:
 receive, via the communications network, one or more source code components, at least one of the one or more source code components including gaming content utilized in a wagering game; 
 compile the one or more source code components into at least one executable file; and 
 execute the at least one executable file to initiate installation of the gaming content on the gaming machine. 
   
     
     
         7 . The gaming machine of  claim 6 , wherein the instructions further cause the gaming machine to:
 receive, via one or more input devices, an input from a player indicative of a selection of the wagering game, and   terminate the initiated installation in response to one or more designated player activities.   
     
     
         8 . The gaming machine of  claim 6 , wherein the instructions further cause the gaming machine to:
 receive, via one or more input devices, an input from a player indicative of a selection of the wagering game; and   terminate the initiated installation in response to at least one of the player cashing out and the player failing to provide further input to the gaming machine within a predetermined time period.   
     
     
         9 . The gaming machine of  claim 6 , wherein the instructions further cause the gaming machine to:
 receive, via one or more input devices, an input from a player indicative of a selection of the wagering game;   terminate the initiated installation and reinstall a previously installed wagering game on the gaming machine, in response to one or more designated player activities.   
     
     
         10 . The gaming machine of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more source code components includes at least an exemplary version of a software component, the exemplary version of the software component depending on an existing or previous installation of a different version of the software component, and wherein the instructions further cause the gaming machine to:
 verify that the gaming machine includes the different version of the software component; and   in response to at least the verifying, install the exemplary version of the software component on the gaming machine.   
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method of installing gaming content in a gaming machine, the gaming machine including a network interface, one or more processors, and one or more memory devices storing executable instructions, the method comprising:
 receiving, via the network interface, one or more source code components, at least one of the one or more source code components including gaming content utilized in a wagering game;   compiling, via the executable instructions, the one or more source code components into at least one executable file;   executing, via at least one of the one or more processors, the at least one executable file to initiate installation of the gaming content on the gaming machine.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more source code components include at least an exemplary version of a software component, the exemplary version of the software component depending on an existing or previous installation of a different version of the software component, the method further comprising:
 verifying that the gaming machine includes the different version of the software component; and   in response to at least the verifying, installing the exemplary version of the software component on the gaming machine.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the gaming machine further includes one or more input devices, the method further comprising:
 receiving, via at least one of the one or more input devices, an input from a player indicative of a selection of the wagering game; and   terminating, via at least one of the one or more processors, the initiated installation in response to one or more designated player activities.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the gaming machine further includes one or more input devices, the method further comprising:
 receiving, via at least one of the one or more input devices, an input from a player indicative of a selection of the wagering game; and   terminating, via at least one of the one or more processors, the initiated installation in response to at least one of the player cashing out and the player failing to provide further input to the gaming machine within a predetermined time period.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the gaming machine further includes one or more input devices, the method further comprising:
 receiving, via at least one of the one or more input devices, an input from a player indicative of a selection of the wagering game;   terminating, via at least one of the one or more processors, the initiated installation and reinstalling a previously installed wagering game on the gaming machine, in response to one or more designated player activities.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising receiving an encrypted data package including the one or more source code components and decrypting the data package using a key encryption operation. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving an encrypted data package including the one or more source code components, wherein the encrypted data package is accompanied by a digital signature;   authenticating the encrypted data package via the digital signature; and   decrypting the encrypted data package using a key encryption operation.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the encrypted data package is authenticated by decrypting the encrypted data package with a public key of a private/public key pair. 
     
     
         19 . A computer-implemented method of installing gaming content transmitted over a communications network into a plurality of remotely connected gaming machines, each gaming machine of the plurality including a network interface, one or more processors, and one or more memory devices storing executable instructions, the method comprising:
 receiving, via each gaming machine's network interface, a data package including one or more source code components, at least one of the one or more source code components including gaming content utilized in a wagering game;   compiling, via each gaming machine's stored instructions, the one or more source code components from the data package into one or more respective executable files, and   executing, via at least one of each gaming machine's one or more processors, the one or more respective executable files to initiate installation of the gaming content on each gaming machine.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the data package is transmitted to each gaming machine of the gaining system by a game server residing on the communications network. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the game server is part of the gaming system. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of gaming machines includes a first gaming machine running a first operating system and a second gaming machine running a second, different operating system. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the first operating system is an updated version of the second operating system. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the first gaming machine is a conventional computerized slot machine and the second gaming machine is one of a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and a cellular telephone. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the data package is an encrypted data package, and wherein each gaming machine's stored instructions further cause each gaming machine to decrypt the data package using a key encryption operation.