1. A gaming machine comprising:
(i) a connector for connecting a memory card which stores gaming information for execution of a game;
(ii) a first memory for storing an authentication program for authenticating the gaming information stored in the memory card and an auxiliary authentication program for authenticating the authentication program;
(iii) a first board including the connector, the first memory, and a first CPU for authenticating the authentication program by executing the auxiliary authentication program in the first memory;
(iv) a second CPU;
(v) a second board including a second memory and the second CPU, the second memory for reading and storing from the first memory of the first board, the authentication program authenticated by execution of the auxiliary authentication program by the first CPU, the second memory for reading and storing from the memory card, the gaming information authenticated as a result of execution of the authentication program under control of the second CPU, and
(vi) a bus for connecting the second board to the first board and the connector; wherein:
(a) the first CPU of the first board executes the auxiliary authentication program stored in the first memory of the first board, and executes based on the auxiliary authentication program, a first authentication process for authenticating the authentication program stored in the first memory;
(b) the second CPU of the second board writes, in a case where the authentication program is authenticated on the first board as a result of the first authentication process in (a), the authentication program authenticated and stored in the first memory of the first board, in the second memory of the second board;
(c) the second CPU of the second board executes the authentication program authenticated and stored in the second memory of the second board, and executes based on the authentication program, a second authentication process for authenticating the gaming information in the memory card connected to the second board and the connector through the bus;
(d) the second CPU of the second board writes, in a case where the gaming information in the memory card is authenticated as a result of the second authentication process in (c), the gaming information stored in the memory card, in the second memory of the second board; and
(e) the second CPU of the second board executes the game based on the gaming information stored in the second memory of the second board.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method comprising the steps of polymerizing, via free radical polymerization, HEMA monomer having less than about 0.5% crosslinker and optionally at least one hydrophilic or hydrophobic comonomer to form a high polydispersity poly-HEMA having a peak molecular weight between about 25,000 and about 100,000 and a polydispersity greater than about 2.2 and about 4 respectively, and purifying said high polydispersity poly-HEMA to form a low polydispersity poly-HEMA having a peak molecular weight between about 25,000 and about 100,000 and a polydispersity of less than about 2 to less than about 3.8 respectively.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said free radical polymerization is conducted in a solvent capable of dissolving the monomer and the poly-HEMA during the polymerization, at a temperature between about 40 and about 150\xb0 C. and for a time from about 2 to about 30 hours.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein said solvent is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, glycols, polyols, aromatic hydrocarbons, amides, sulfoxides, pyrrolidones, ethers, esters, ester alcohols, glycoethers, ketones and mixtures thereof.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein said solvent is selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, 1-propanol, methyllactate, ethyllactate, isopropyllactate, ethoxypropanol, glycol ethers, DMF, DMSO, NMP and cyclohexanone.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said free radical polymerization is conducted at about ambient pressure, at a temperature between about 60 and about 90\xb0 C.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said free radical polymerization is initiated via thermal initiation using at least one thermal initiator.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein said thermal initiator is selected from the group consisting of lauryl peroxide, benzoyl peroxide, isopropyl percarbonate, azobisisobutyronitrile, 2,2-azobis isobutyronitrile, 2,2-azobis 2-methylbutyronitrile and mixtures thereof.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein said thermal initiator comprises 2,2-azobis 2-methylbutyronitrile, 2,2-azobis isobutyronitrile and mixtures thereof.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein said purifying step is conducted via temperature control andor solventnon-solvent fractionation using Hansen Solubility parameters.
10. The method of claim 9 where said purifying step is conducted via temperature control comprising the steps of
(a) dissolving said poly-HEMA in a solvent having Hansen solubility parameters within said poly-HEMA’s solubility sphere, to form a separation solution;
(b) cooling said separation solution to a temperature below the Ts so that at least a lower phase comprising high molecular weight poly-HEMA and an upper phase forms; and
(c) removing the lower phase.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of subjecting said upper phase to further purification via repeating the steps (a) through (c); or adding to said upper phase a non-solvent that decreases at least one solubility parameter of said separation mixture in amounts sufficient to precipitate said low polydispersity poly-HEMA from said separation mixture.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein said purifying step is conducted via solventnon-solvent fractionation comprising:
(a) dissolving said poly-HEMA in a solvent having Hansen solubility parameters of \u03b4D from about 13 to about 20, \u03b4P from about 5 to about 18, and \u03b4H from about 10 to about 25 to form a separation solution;
(b) adding, to said separation mixture, a non-solvent that decreases at least one solubility parameters of said separation solution in amounts sufficient to precipitate high molecular weight poly-HEMA from said separation solution; and
(c) removing said high molecular weight poly-HEMA.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of subjecting said separation solution to further purification via repeating the steps (a) through (c); or cooling said separation solution to a temperature below the Ts so that at least a lower phase comprising high molecular weight poly-HEMA and an upper phase forms; and removing the lower phase.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein said at least one solubility parameters comprises the \u03b4H parameter.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein said decrease in at least on solubility parameter is between about 2 to about 5 units.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein said comonomer comprises at least one hydrophilic monomer.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein said at least one hydrophilic monomer is selected from vinyl-containing monomers.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein said at least one vinyl containing monomer is selected from the group consisting of N,N-dimethyl acrylamide, glycerol methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylamide, polyethyleneglycol monomethacrylate, methacrylic acid, acrylic acid, N-vinyl lactams, N-vinyl-N-methyl acetamide, N-vinyl-N-ethyl acetamide, N-vinyl-N-ethyl formamide, N-vinyl formamide, vinyl carbonate monomers, vinyl carbamate monomers, oxazolone monomers and mixtures thereof.
19. The method of claim 16 wherein said at least one hydrophilic monomer is selected from the group consisting of N,N-dimethyl-acrylamide, glycerol methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylamide, N-vinylpyrrolidone, polyethyleneglycol monomethacrylate, methacrylic acid and acrylic acid and mixtures thereof.
20. The method of claim 16 wherein said at least one hydrophilic monomer comprises N,N-dimethyl acrylamide, methacrylic acid and glycerol methacrylate.
21. The method of claim 16 wherein said at least one hydrophilic monomer is present in an amount less than about 50 weight %.
22. The method of claim 16 wherein said at least one hydrophilic monomer is present in an amount between about 0.5 and 40 weight %.
23. The method of claim 16 wherein said hydrophilic monomer comprises glycerol methacrylate in amounts up to about 50 weight %.
24. The method of claim 16 wherein said hydrophilic monomer comprises glycerol methacrylate in amounts between about 25 and about 45 weight %.
25. The method of claim 16 wherein said hydrophilic monomer comprises methacrylic acid in amounts less than about 5 weight %.
26. The method of claim 16 wherein said hydrophilic monomer comprises methacrylic acid in amounts between about 0.5 and about 5.0 weight %.
27. The method of claim 16 wherein said hydrophilic monomer comprises N,N-dimethyl acrylamide in amounts up to about 50 weight %.
28. The method of claim 16 wherein said hydrophilic monomer comprises N,N-dimethyl acrylamide in amounts between about 10 and about 40 weight %.
29. The method of claim 1 wherein said poly-HEMA a homopolymer.
30. The method of claim 1 wherein said copolymer comprises at least one hydrophobic monomer.
31. The method of claim 30 wherein said hydrophobic monomer comprises at least one silicone-containing monomers or macromer having at least one polymerizable vinyl group.
32. The method of claim 31 wherein said polymerizable vinyl group comprises 2-methacryloxy.
33. The method of claim 30 wherein said hydrophobic monomer is selected from the group consisting of mPDMS type monomers, SiGMA type monomers, TRIS type monomers and combinations thereof.