Patent ID: 7878902

Claim:
A method of authenticating configuration data within or about a gaming machine with respect to a gaming machine boot process, the method comprising: configuring a central processing unit to execute executable programming instructions to generate a wager-based game on the gaming machine; storing the executable programming instructions in a memory device for generating the wager-based game; connecting a volatile programmable electronic device comprising a plurality of logic elements programmable to form logic gates in a communication path between the central processing unit and the memory device; monitoring a communication between the central processing unit and at least one of an input device and an output device by using the volatile programmable electronic device; storing instructions for configuring the volatile programmable electronic device to enable communications between the central processing unit and the memory device, wherein said storing instructions comprises storing the instructions within a read only configuration file included within a configurator; accessing a separate read only custodial file, wherein at least a substantial portion of said custodial file is identical to at least a substantial portion of said configuration file when said configuration file is authentic, said custodial file residing in a location separate from said configurator; determining whether to hold said volatile programmable electronic device in a reset mode; if the reset mode is held, holding a plurality of operating contents of said volatile programmable electronic device as substantially empty upon a shut down phase of said gaming machine to disable communication between the central processing unit and the memory device; booting up said gaming machine after said shut down phase; transferring said configuration file from said configurator to said volatile programmable electronic device; comparing at least a representative portion of data from said configuration file with at least a representative portion of data from said custodial file; confirming whether said configuration file has been successfully compared to said custodial file; continuing to hold said volatile programmable electronic device in the reset mode until said confirming of said successful comparison is completed; configuring said volatile programmable electronic device with said configuration file; permitting a substantial amount of regular gaming machine operations only after confirming that said configuration file has been successfully compared to said custodial file; and facilitating communication between said memory device and said central processing unit upon said confirming that said configuration file has been successfully compared to said custodial file.