Patent · US Expired

Electronic game licensing apparatus and method

US6264561A · kind A · utility

486Cited by
8References
40Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 1, 1998
Grant dateJul 24, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 1, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA63F3/081
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A use enabling method and mechanism to enable use of a disabled game resident on multiple platform gaming machines. When a gaming operator elects to enable a particular disabled game, an enabling device of generates an encrypted Request Code (27) having components identifying the specific gaming machine and the specific game to be enabled. This Request Code (27) is then communicated through a communication coupling (55) to a compatible, mating encoder device (28) operated by the licensing game vendor or game manufacture. In response, the encoder device (28) generates an encrypted Enabling Code (31) which enables use only for the selected game or games, and only in the gaming machine (21) upon which the corresponding Request Code originated. Upon inputting the corresponding Enabling Code (31) into the enabling device (32) incorporated on the particular gaming device, the selected disable game or games may be subsequently enabled for use.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.