Patent ID: 7549922

Claim:
A verification method for software in a gaming device, the gaming device having a host processing system for running a game program for carrying out a game to be played on the gaming device, the method comprising: a. providing an authorized first circuit entirely housed within the gaming device, the first circuit being a modular secure circuit whereby data stored in the first circuit is protected by security features, the first circuit being in communication with the host processing system, wherein the first circuit is a dongle; b. carrying out a succession of games played on the gaming device by running a game program by the host processing system; c. while carrying out the succession of games played on the gaming device, generating a challenge code by the host processing system prior to a next game being performed by the gaming device, the challenge code being for determining if the first circuit is an authorized first circuit; d. receiving the challenge code by the first circuit; e. performing a function on the challenge code by the first circuit to generate a response code by the first circuit, the response code being uniquely determined by the function performed on the challenge code, the first circuit being a secure circuit whereby data stored in the first circuit is protected by security features; f. determining by the host processing system if the response code was a proper response code by comparing the response code generated by the first circuit to the proper response code; g. if the response code was determined to be a proper response code, then determining that the first circuit is an authorized first circuit and carrying out the game program to perform at least the next game, the game program being processed and carried out, after determining that the first circuit is an authorized first circuit, independently of the first circuit, wherein, after it is determined that the first circuit is an authorized first circuit, the game program continues to be executed without further involvement by the first circuit until a next challenge code is transmitted by the host processing system to the first circuit; h. if the response code was determined to not be a proper response code, then determining that the first circuit is not an authorized first circuit and preventing the game being performed by the gaming machine; and i. repeating the steps b through h at various times while the game program is running to ensure the first circuit is still in communication with the host processing system prior to commencing a game.