U.S. patent application number 11/317236 was filed with the patent office on 2007-06-28 for system and method for pooling lottery chances.
Invention is credited to Robert G. Gingher, Richard Lacava.
Application Number | 20070149271 11/317236 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38194566 |
Filed Date | 2007-06-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070149271 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gingher; Robert G. ; et
al. |
June 28, 2007 |
System and method for pooling lottery chances
Abstract
A system and methods for facilitating player participation in a
lottery. The present system and methods provide players with the
ability to pool their purchases in order to increase their chances
of winning. In addition, the system provides players with the
ability to purchase tickets through the Internet and can
automatically notify players when they have won, the amount they
have won and provides the winnings securely into an electronic
account.
Inventors: |
Gingher; Robert G.; (West
Islip, NY) ; Lacava; Richard; (Syosset, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DICKSTEIN SHAPIRO LLP
1177 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS (6TH AVENUE)
NEW YORK
NY
10036-2714
US
|
Family ID: |
38194566 |
Appl. No.: |
11/317236 |
Filed: |
December 27, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/17 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F 17/32 20130101;
A63F 3/06 20130101; G07F 17/329 20130101; G07F 17/3232 20130101;
A63F 3/0645 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/017 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for facilitating player participation in a lottery,
said apparatus comprising: a Web server connected to the Internet
containing software that, when executed by said Web server, causes
said Web server to: provide the player with access to an account;
securely electronically transfer funds between the account and a
player's source of funds; and permit said player to participate in
a lottery pool wherein said lottery tickets entered and winnings
from said tickets are shared among pool participants.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said software further causes
said Web server to permit said player to enter lottery numbers
purchased by said player.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said software further causes
said Web server to determine if a ticket won.
4. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said software further causes
said Web server to notify the player of an amount that said player
won.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said software further causes
said Web server to automatically transfer a pool participant's
winning share into the account.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a computing
interface coupled to said central state lottery computer and to
said Web server that submits lottery ticket numbers to said central
lottery computer and provides purchase confirmation information of
lottery tickets purchased to said Web server.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said software further causes
said Web server to automatically purchase a predefined number of
tickets for said pool participant.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said software further causes
said Web server to automatically purchase tickets for said pool
participant when the probabilistic worth of a ticket is more than a
price to purchase said ticket.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pool consists of a single
player.
10. A method of playing a lottery, said method comprising:
establishing an account for receipt and withdraw of electronic
funds; purchasing a lottery ticket; and entering said ticket in a
lottery pool, wherein said lottery tickets entered and winnings
from said tickets are shared among pool participants.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein entering the ticket comprises
entering lottery numbers of a ticket purchased by said player.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically
determining if a ticket won.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising automatically
notifying the player of an amount that said player won.
14. The method of claim 10, further comprising automatically
transferring a pool participant's winning share into the
account.
15. The method of claim 10 wherein the ticket is automatically
purchased.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising automatically
purchasing a predefined number of tickets for said pool
participant.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising automatically
purchase tickets for said pool participant when the probabilistic
worth of a ticket is more than a price to purchase said ticket.
18. An electronic media containing a program software product,
that, when loaded and executed on a general purpose computer,
causes the computer to: establish an account for receipt and
withdraw of electronic funds; permit a player to enter lottery
numbers of a ticket purchased by said player; permit a player to
enter said ticket in a lottery pool, wherein said lottery tickets
entered and winnings from said tickets are shared among pool
participants; determine if a ticket won; and notify the player of
an amount that said player won.
19. The electronic media of claim 18, wherein the program software
product contained thereon, when loaded and executed on a general
purpose computer, causes the computer to purchase a lottery ticket
for the player using funds from the account.
20. The electronic media of claim 18, wherein the program software
product contained thereon, when loaded and executed on a general
purpose computer, causes the computer to perform one or more of the
following tasks: transfer a pool participant's winning share into
the account; purchase a predefined number of tickets for said pool
participant; and purchase tickets for said pool participant when
the probabilistic worth of a ticket is more than a price to
purchase said ticket.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to a system for
automated processing of lottery ticket transactions, and more
particularly, to a system for processing lottery tickets through
the Internet so that winning results can be pooled among the
participants.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Many state governments conduct lotteries.
Government-conducted lotteries offer players the chance to win a
large prize, and have the added benefit of increasing governmental
revenues without burdening the public with additional taxes. In
many instances, the revenue generated from a governmental lottery
is dedicated, at least in part, to a particular purpose or goal,
such as improving the education system or reducing property
taxes.
[0003] Typically, government-conducted lottery systems utilize a
central lottery computer to communicate with remote dedicated
lottery terminals. A player typically selects numbers on a lottery
"sense mark slip," and the lottery terminal operator inserts the
sense mark slip into a reader at the lottery terminal, which
optically reads the sense mark slip using a known mark sensing
process. Alternatively, most lottery systems offer automatic
lottery number generation features, commonly referred to as
"quick-pick" systems, which randomly select lottery numbers on
behalf of the player. The dedicated lottery terminal then
communicates the player's selected numbers to the central lottery
computer for validation and storage. After the lottery numbers have
been stored, the dedicated lottery terminal, under the direction of
the central lottery computer, prints and issues the official
lottery ticket.
[0004] One popular lottery game, commonly referred to as
"Mega-Millions," typically requires the player to choose five
numbers between one and fifty-six, plus a "Mega-Ball" number
between one and forty-six. The selected group of numbers are then
compared to the winning lottery numbers, which have been randomly
selected, at some specified time and date after purchase of the
lotto ticket. To win a prize, the player-selected lotto ticket
numbers must match all or some of the winning lottery numbers.
[0005] If the jackpot prize is not awarded for a particular lotto
drawing, the jackpot prize value typically rolls over to increase
the jackpot for the subsequent drawing. Thus, jackpots increase
from week to week as no one wins. The amount of the jackpot prize
is typically determined based on a sales trend from the prior year.
It has been found that many people only buy lottery tickets when
the jackpot exceeds a certain amount. Thus, as the jackpot prize
gets larger, there is a dramatic increase in the number of tickets
sold. Occasionally, when jackpots have risen to particularly large
amounts, some lottery systems have not had sufficient capacity to
meet the increased ticket demand.
[0006] Lotto drawings are typically conducted on a periodic basis,
with many state lotteries conducting "lotto" drawings as often as
twice per week. Previously, players were required to appear in
person at a dedicated lottery terminal to purchase their lottery
tickets for each lottery drawing. In order to increase ticket
sales, as well as customer-convenience, many lottery systems now
offer subscription sales of lottery tickets, which automatically
enter a player in the lottery game for a predefined number of
weeks, often at a discounted price. But generally speaking, unless
such arrangements are made in advance, when a large jackpot
develops, a person wishing to enter must appear at an authorized
ticket sales agent to obtain a ticket.
[0007] Thus, during times of peak demand, players are met with
longer lines at lottery terminals, and generally find it more
frustrating to obtain a lottery ticket. In fact, since some
lotteries are offered by certain states, but not others, players
would have to travel to remote destinations in order to purchase
tickets in advance. Rather than providing an environment that
encourages such infrequent players to become regular players, the
difficulty associated with obtaining a lottery ticket for a large
jackpot often discourages players from returning. While the
subscription sale of lottery tickets allows regular players to
enroll in all drawings for a predefined period, and thereby avoid a
time-consuming trip to the lottery terminal when the jackpot
increases, conventional lottery subscription sale systems do not
provide a solution for infrequent players who only want to enroll
in drawings associated with larger jackpot prizes.
[0008] Furthermore, since lottery tickets are typically bearer
instruments, lottery participants must keep their tickets in a safe
location. Additionally, the participant must check the results of
the lottery against their ticket. If the lottery participant
forgets to check their ticket within an allotted time period and
make a claim, or otherwise discards the instrument, the participant
will forfeit their potential prize.
[0009] As apparent from the above-described deficiencies with
conventional systems for processing lottery ticket transactions, a
need exists for a lottery ticket sale system that allows a player
to buy lottery tickets in advance without being physically present.
A further need exists for a system that increases ticket sales, as
well as player convenience, particularly at times of peak demand.
Still a further need exists to provide a user with an automated
ability to be notified that their ticket has won. Finally, there
exists a need for players to reliably pool ticket resources without
incurring legal disputes about the partnership formed to share in
their winnings.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The system and methods of the present application provide
several unique and heretofore unavailable features to players in a
lottery. Rather than manually purchasing tickets, the player can
purchase their tickets online thorough a preferred embodiment of
the present invention. Players can submit their tickets to a
lottery pool in order to increase their chances of winning the
lottery. In addition, the system can automatically notify players
when they have won, the amount that they have won and can provide
their winnings securely into an electronic account.
[0011] In one aspect, the present invention is directed to an
apparatus for facilitating player participation in a lottery, said
apparatus comprising:
[0012] a Web server connected to the Internet containing software
that, when executed by said Web server, causes said Web server
to:
[0013] provide the player with access to an account;
[0014] securely electronically transfer funds between the account
and a player's source of funds; and permit said player to
participate in a lottery pool wherein said lottery tickets entered
and winnings from said tickets are shared among pool
participants.
[0015] In another aspect of the present invention, said software
further causes said Web server to permit said player to enter
lottery numbers purchased by said player.
[0016] In another aspect of the present invention, said software
further causes said Web server to determine if a ticket won.
[0017] In another aspect of the present invention, said software
further causes said Web server to notify the player of an amount
that said player won.
[0018] In another aspect of the present invention, said software
further causes said Web server to automatically transfer a pool
participant's winning share into the account.
[0019] In another aspect of the present invention, said apparatus
further comprises a computing interface coupled to said central
state lottery computer and to said Web server that submits lottery
ticket numbers to said central lottery computer and provides
purchase confirmation information of lottery tickets purchased to
said Web server.
[0020] In another aspect of the present invention, said software
further causes said Web server to automatically purchase a
predefined number of tickets for said pool participant.
[0021] In another aspect of the present invention, said software
further causes said Web server to automatically purchase tickets
for said pool participant when the probabilistic worth of a ticket
is more than a price to purchase said ticket.
[0022] In another aspect of the present invention, said pool
consists of a single player.
[0023] In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a
method of playing a lottery, said method comprising:
[0024] establishing an account for receipt and withdraw of
electronic funds;
[0025] purchasing a lottery ticket; and
[0026] entering said ticket in a lottery pool, wherein said lottery
tickets entered and winnings from said tickets are shared among
pool participants.
[0027] In another aspect of the present invention, entering the
ticket comprises entering lottery numbers of a ticket purchased by
said player.
[0028] In another aspect of the present invention, the method
further comprises automatically determining if a ticket won.
[0029] In another aspect of the present invention, the method
further comprises automatically notifying the player of an amount
that said player won.
[0030] In another aspect of the present invention, the method
further comprises automatically transferring a pool participant's
winning share into the account.
[0031] In another aspect of the present invention, the ticket is
automatically purchased.
[0032] In another aspect of the present invention, the method
further comprises automatically purchasing a predefined number of
tickets for said pool participant.
[0033] In another aspect of the present invention, the method
further comprises automatically purchase tickets for said pool
participant when the probabilistic worth of a ticket is more than a
price to purchase said ticket.
[0034] In another aspect, the present invention is directed to an
electronic media containing a program software product, that, when
loaded and executed on a general purpose computer, causes the
computer to:
[0035] establish an account for receipt and withdraw of electronic
funds;
[0036] permit a player to enter lottery numbers of a ticket
purchased by said player;
[0037] permit a player to enter said ticket in a lottery pool,
wherein said lottery tickets entered and winnings from said tickets
are shared among pool participants;
[0038] determine if a ticket won; and
[0039] notify the player of an amount that said player won.
[0040] In another aspect of the present invention, the program
software product contained thereon, when loaded and executed on a
general purpose computer, causes the computer to purchase a lottery
ticket for the player using funds from the account.
[0041] In another aspect of the present invention, the program
software product contained thereon, when loaded and executed on a
general purpose computer, causes the computer to perform one or
more of the following tasks:
[0042] transfer a pool participant's winning share into the
account;
[0043] purchase a predefined number of tickets for said pool
participant; and
[0044] purchase tickets for said pool participant when the
probabilistic worth of a ticket is more than a price to purchase
said ticket.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0045] FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a computer system
that facilitates Internet-based lottery ticket sales;
[0046] FIG. 2 illustrates information comprising an electronic
lottery ticket;
[0047] FIG. 3 is a block diagram that illustrates a preferred
lottery Web server;
[0048] FIG. 4 illustrates a lottery ticket database;
[0049] FIG. 5 illustrates a pooled lottery ticket database;
[0050] FIG. 6 is a flowchart that illustrates a lottery
process;
[0051] FIG. 7 is a flowchart that illustrates a ticket sale
transaction process;
[0052] FIG. 8 is a flowchart that illustrates a pooled ticket
evaluation process;
[0053] FIG. 9 is a flowchart that illustrates a winning ticket
evaluation process; and
[0054] FIG. 10 illustrates examples of recording media.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0055] The present invention comprises a system and methods for
facilitating the participation of a player in a lottery. In a
preferred embodiment, the system provides players with the ability
to pool their purchases in order to increase their chances of
winning. In an alternative preferred embodiment, the present
invention permits the player to purchase of lottery tickets through
the Internet. In addition, the system can automatically notify
players when they have won, the amount that they have won and can
provide their winnings securely into an electronic account.
[0056] Additionally, the present invention may be described herein
in terms of functional block components, code listings, optional
selections and various processing steps. It should be appreciated
that such functional blocks may be realized by any number of
hardware and/or software components configured to perform the
specified functions. For example, the present invention may employ
various integrated circuit components, e.g., memory elements,
processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables, and the like,
which may carry out a variety of functions under the control of one
or more microprocessors or other control devices.
[0057] Similarly, the software elements of the present invention
may be implemented with any programming or scripting language such
as C, C++, C#, Java, COBOL, assembler, PERL, Python or-the like,
with the various algorithms being implemented with any combination
of data structures, objects, processes, routines or other
programming elements. The object code created can be executed by
any computer having an Internet Web Browser, on a variety of
operating systems including Windows, Mac or Linux.
[0058] Further, it should be noted that the present invention may
employ any number of conventional techniques for data transmission,
signaling, data processing, network control, and the like.
[0059] It should be appreciated that the particular implementations
shown and described herein are illustrative of the invention and
its best mode and are not intended to otherwise limit the scope of
the present invention in any way. Indeed, for the sake of brevity,
conventional data networking, application development and other
functional aspects of the systems (and components of the individual
operating components of the systems) may not be described in detail
herein. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various
figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary
functional relationships and/or physical or virtual couplings
between the various elements. It should be noted that many
alternative or additional functional relationships or physical or
virtual connections may be present in a practical electronic data
communications system.
[0060] As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art,
the present invention may be embodied as a method, a data
processing system, a device for data processing, and/or a computer
program product. Accordingly, the present invention may take the
form of an entirely software embodiment, an entirely hardware
embodiment, or an embodiment combining aspects of both software and
hardware. Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of a
computer program product on a computer-readable storage medium
having computer-readable program code means embodied in the storage
medium. Any suitable computer-readable storage medium may be
utilized, including hard disks, CD-ROM, optical storage devices,
magnetic storage devices, and/or the like.
[0061] The present invention is described below with reference to
block diagrams and flowchart illustrations of methods, apparatus
(e.g., systems), and computer program products according to various
aspects of the invention. It will be understood that each
functional block of the block diagrams and the flowchart
illustrations, and combinations of functional blocks in the block
diagrams and flowchart illustrations, respectively, can be
implemented by computer program instructions. These computer
program instructions may be loaded onto a general purpose computer,
special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing
apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions that
execute on the computer or other programmable data processing
apparatus create means for implementing the functions specified in
the flowchart block or blocks.
[0062] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a
computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other
programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular
manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable
memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction
means that implement the function specified in the flowchart block
or blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded
onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to
cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer
or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented
process such that the instructions that execute on the computer or
other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the
functions specified in the flowchart block or blocks.
[0063] Accordingly, functional blocks of the block diagrams and
flowchart illustrations support combinations of means for
performing the specified functions, combinations of steps for
performing the specified functions, and program instruction means
for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood
that each functional block of the block diagrams and flowchart
illustrations, and combinations of functional blocks in the block
diagrams and flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by either
special purpose hardware-based computer systems that perform the
specified functions or steps, or suitable combinations of special
purpose hardware and computer instructions.
[0064] One skilled in the art will also appreciate that, for
security reasons, any databases, systems, or components of the
present invention may consist of any combination of databases or
components at a single location or at multiple locations, wherein
each database or system includes any of various suitable security
features, such as firewalls, access codes, encryption,
de-encryption, compression, decompression, and/or the like.
[0065] The scope of the invention should be determined by the
appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the
examples given herein. For example, the steps recited in any method
claims may be executed in any order and are not limited to the
order presented in the claims. Moreover, no element is essential to
the practice of the invention unless specifically described herein
as "critical" or "essential."
System Architecture
[0066] FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a computer system
that shows a lottery ticket system 100 for processing lottery
ticket transactions, including the acceptance and validation of
play entries, for example, in a state lottery. The lottery ticket
system 100 includes a Web browser 110 in communication through the
Internet 120 with a Web server 130, such as an illustrative lottery
server 300, discussed below in conjunction with FIG. 3, an
interface 140 for transferring information between Web server 130
and a central lottery computer 150.
[0067] According to a feature of the present invention, the lottery
ticket system 100 permits a player to enter lottery numbers through
Web browser 110 for a ticket purchased by the player. In this
fashion, Web server 130 will record the numbers that the player has
entered. After the lottery drawing has been conducted, Web server
130 can compare the numbers entered by the player with winning
numbers obtained over the Internet. As with conventional lottery
systems, the lottery ticket system 100 may automatically notify the
player through means well known in the art, such as email, text
messaging or the like, that the player's ticket has won and may
optionally include a mechanism for automatically notifying pool
participants and regular players of prize winnings.
[0068] According to a further feature of the invention, the lottery
ticket system 100 preferably permits a player to purchase lottery
tickets (i) individually and; (ii) to enter the ticket purchased
into a pool, whereby the player's lottery ticket is automatically
shared among the pool participants. In a further feature of the
invention, the player's lottery ticket is automatically purchased
for the player whenever the probabilistic worth of a ticket exceeds
the purchase price. According to a feature of the present
invention, the lottery ticket system 100 permits the player to
specify the numbers to be played for each game.
[0069] The Web server 130 may comprise conventional hardware and
software, as modified herein to carry out the functions and
operations described below. Web server 130 and central lottery
computer 150 transmit digitally encoded data and other information
between one another through interface 140. The interface 140
preferably comprises equipment that emulates a standard lottery
terminal as is commonly found in a neighborhood lottery vendor's
shop. Communications between interface 140 and either Web server
130 and central lottery computer 150 may be physically facilitated
through cable or wireless links on which electronic signals can
propagate, and may be embodied, for example, as (i) a dedicated
wide area network (WAN), (ii) a telephone network, including the
combination of local and long distance wire or wireless facilities
and switches known as the public switched telephone network
("PSTN"), or (iii) the Internet. The data and other information
transmitted by Web server 130 to the central lottery computer 150
represent the information commonly provided by the vendor's
terminal replaced by the interface. Likewise, the data and other
information transmitted by the central lottery computer 150 to the
standard lottery terminal may represent play results and an
acknowledgement or validation of play information for printing of
an official lottery ticket by the lottery terminal, which is now
passed along to Web server 130 for later transmission to the
player.
[0070] Once the central lottery computer 150 has validated and
stored the player's numbers and any activation conditions, in a
manner discussed further below, the Web server 130 preferably
issues an electronic lottery ticket to the player. A sample lottery
ticket is shown in FIG. 2.
[0071] As shown in FIG. 2, each lottery ticket 210 indicates the
lottery numbers to be played in a field 220, as well as a ticket
identification number 230 and the date of the drawing 240. In an
alternative embodiment, a lottery ticket may be issued by a
standard lottery terminal, but the player may enter the numbers on
the ticket through Web browser 110 into Web server 130. Other
information such as the drawing date for the ticket may also be
selected.
[0072] FIG. 3 illustrates a Web server of the preferred embodiment.
Web server 300 preferably includes a processor 310 and related
memory, such as a data storage device 320. The processor 310 may be
embodied as a single processor, or a number of processors operating
in parallel. The data storage device 320 and/or a read only memory
(ROM) are operable to store one or more instructions, which the
processor 310 is operable to retrieve, interpret and execute. The
processor 310 preferably includes a control unit, an arithmetic
logic unit (ALU), and a local memory storage device, such as, for
example, an instruction cache or a plurality of registers, in a
known manner. The control unit is operable to retrieve instructions
from the data storage device 320 or ROM. The ALU is operable to
perform a plurality of operations needed to carry out instructions.
The local memory storage device is operable to provide high-speed
storage used for storing temporary results and control
information.
[0073] The data storage device 320 preferably includes a database
comprising accounts 350. Players have accounts in database 350 that
represent a cash balance capable of being maintained by the player
through electronic funds transfer in a secure manner through the
Internet, as is well known in the art.
[0074] As discussed further below in conjunction with FIG. 6, the
data storage device 320 preferably includes software for a lottery
process 600. Generally, lottery process 600 receives play
information from a player through the Internet, for example, and
communicates with the central lottery computer 150 via the
interface 140 to validate and store the play information and
thereafter issue an electronic lottery ticket 210 to the
player.
[0075] As discussed further below in conjunction with FIGS. 4 and
5, respectively, the data storage device 320 preferably includes a
ticket database 400 and pooled ticket database 500. The ticket
database 400 preferably stores information on each ticket that is
currently active in the lottery ticket system 100. The pooled
ticket database 500 preferably stores information on each ticket
which has been contributed to a pool in the lottery ticket system
100.
[0076] In addition, as discussed further below in conjunction with
FIGS. 7 through 9, the data storage device 420 preferably also
includes a ticket sale transaction process 700, a pooled ticket
evaluation process 800 and a winning ticket evaluation process 900.
Generally, the ticket sale transaction process 700, shown in FIG.
7, coordinates lottery ticket transactions, such as the acceptance,
validation and storage of play entries, including the player's
numbers and identity. The pooled ticket evaluation process 800,
shown in FIG. 8, preferably evaluates pending lottery tickets to
enter confirmed tickets into a pool. The winning ticket evaluation
process 900, shown in FIG. 9, preferably compares the numbers
associated with each lottery ticket for a given drawing with
winning number combinations to identify winning tickets and
associated prize amounts. Pooled ticket evaluation process 800, in
conjunction with winning ticket evaluation process 900, determines
the amount of the proceeds from the pooled tickets.
[0077] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary ticket database 400 that
preferably stores information on each ticket which is currently
active in the lottery ticket system 100. The ticket database 400
maintains a plurality of records, such as records 405-420, each
associated with a different active ticket. For each active ticket
identified by ticket number in field 425, the ticket database 400
includes an indication of the game type and numbers selected in
fields 430 and 435. In addition, the ticket database 400 preferably
records the ticket purchase date, drawing date, merchant identifier
and whether the ticket has been confirmed in fields 440 through
455, respectively.
[0078] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary pooled ticket database 500
that preferably stores information on each ticket which is
currently contributed to a lottery pool in the lottery ticket
system 100. The ticket database 500 maintains a plurality of
records, such as records 505-520, each associated with a different
active ticket contributed to a particular pool. For each confirmed
ticket identified by ticket number in field 525, the pooled ticket
database 500 includes an indication of the pool to which the ticket
has been contributed in field 530. In addition, the pooled ticket
database 500 preferably records the date the ticket was entered
into the pool in field 535.
System Operation
[0079] The following discussion describes the methods performed by
the inventive system. To provide context, the operation of an
exemplary, preferred embodiment of software processes 600-900 are
described.
[0080] As discussed above, system 100 preferably executes a lottery
process 600, shown in FIG. 6, to receive play information from a
player, for example, through interaction with Web server 130.
Lottery process 600 receives information about tickets purchased by
the player, either through the player's data entry, by receiving
information about the ticket from Lottery Computer 150 or by direct
purchase of the ticket through system 100. As illustrated in FIG.
6, lottery process 600 begins in step 610 by the player
authenticating his/her identity, upon logging into Web server 130.
In step 620, lottery process 600 determines whether the player
wishes to purchase a ticket through Web server 130, or merely wants
to provide data to Web server 130 that indicates the purchase of a
ticket by conventional means. If a ticket has not yet been
purchased, control is transferred to ticket sale process 700. If a
ticket has already been purchased by the player, in step 630,
lottery process 600 determines whether or not it can obtain data
concerning the ticket from Lottery Computer 150.
[0081] If data is not available from Lottery Computer 150, in step
640, information concerning the specification of the lottery ticket
purchased by the player is provided by the player. The player
provides information is that contained in a record of ticket
database 400, and includes the ticket number, game type, numbers
selected and purchase date. This information is then stored in
ticket database 400. This information will be used to confirm the
ticket later, as described in connection with step 690.
[0082] If data is available from Lottery Computer 150, in step 650,
the player provides the ticket identification number, which is then
transmitted to Lottery Computer 150. In step 660, Lottery Computer
150 responds by supplying information through interface 140 to Web
server 130 concerning the ticket purchased by the player. The
supplied information includes the ticket number, game type, numbers
selected, purchase date, drawing date and merchant identifier code.
In step 670, this information is stored in ticket database 400.
[0083] In step 680, Web server 130 generates an electronic ticket
210 comprising the appropriate ticket information including the
ticket identification number, game selected and numbers played.
This information may be printed by the player as a hardcopy
record.
[0084] Since tickets are bearer instruments, the physical ticket
purchased by the player must be sent in for validation before the
actual drawing, in order for the ticket to be confirmed. In step
690, the ticket received from player is validated against the
information contained in Lottery Computer 150 to guard against
fraud. Alternatively, winning tickets may be redeemed in accordance
with winning ticket process 900 to ensure their validity. However,
such unconfirmed tickets are not eligible to be submitted for entry
into a ticket pool.
[0085] As discussed above, Web server 130 preferably executes a
ticket sale process 700, shown in FIG. 7, to coordinate lottery
ticket transactions, such as the acceptance, validation and storage
of play entries, including the player's numbers. As illustrated in
FIG. 7, the ticket sale process 700 begins the processes embodying
the principles of the present invention either during step 710,
upon an automatic determination that lottery tickets should be
purchased, as described below, or via lottery process 600, wherein
the player has indicated that he is not entering data for a ticket
purchased in the conventional manner, and seeks to initiate a
ticket purchase through Web server 130.
[0086] Web server 130 will then determine the player's transaction
data during step 720, including the number of games played, game
type, numbers selected per game played and purchase time and date.
It is noted that in a "quick-pick" implementation, the play numbers
will preferably be randomly generated, either by Central Lottery
Computer 150 or by Web server 130.
[0087] In step 730, ticket sale process 700 will then transmit the
required information through interface 140 to Central Lottery
Computer 150. In step 740, ticket sale process 700 receives a
response from Central Lottery Computer 150 confirming the purchase
of the requested ticket. Additionally, Central Lottery Computer 150
will provide information via interface 140 to Web server 130
concerning the ticket purchased. In step 750, ticket sale
transaction process 700 will parse the response data provided and
will access the ticket database 400 and create an appropriate
number of new records in the ticket database 400 for each active
ticket. Thereafter, the cost of the ticket is deducted from the
player's account during step 760 for each game played, before the
ticket number, numbers selected and game type information is stored
in the appropriate new record in the ticket database 400. The
ticket data is then transmitted to the player during step 770 as an
electronic ticket 210 before program control ends.
[0088] In addition, in step 710, the player may specify
pre-determined criteria for purchasing a ticket. For example, if
the amount of the jackpot prize already exceeds the odds of winning
the jackpot times the cost of the ticket, then the probabilistic
value of the ticket exceeds the cost, and the player may choose to
have a ticket automatically purchased and entered in the ticket
database 400. Players may choose to purchase tickets automatically
on a periodic basis, and may also specify whether tickets
automatically purchased should be entered into a pool.
[0089] At the request of a player, Web server 130 preferably
executes a ticket pooling process 800. As shown in FIG. 8, during
step 810 Web server 130 ensures that the ticket the player seeks to
enter into a pool is confirmed, as discussed in lottery process 600
above. If the player is submitting a confirmed ticket, in step 820
Web server 130 queries which pool the player wishes to submit the
confirmed ticket into. Information concerning the pooled ticket is
entered into pooled ticket database 500. In step 830, an account is
created for each pool in account database 350 and winning ticket
evaluation process 900 is invoked for all pooled tickets in
database 500. Finally, in step 840, the accumulated winnings from
all pooled tickets collected during winning ticket evaluation
process 900 is transferred out from the pool account to each of the
pool participant's accounts. The distributions are made in a
pro-rata share according to the number and value of the tickets
pooled, and the pool account is then deleted from account database
350. In a preferred embodiment, pool participants are notified and
provided with a report of the activity generated by the pool.
[0090] Web server 130 preferably executes a winning ticket
evaluation process 900, shown in FIG. 9, to identify winning
tickets and associated prize amounts. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the
winning ticket evaluation process 900 initially accesses the set of
winning numbers during step 910 and the ticket database 400 during
step 920. A test is then performed during step 920 to determine if
the tickets are confirmed, as explained above in connection with
lottery process 600. If a ticket in ticket database 400 is
confirmed, the ticket information is processed via Lottery Computer
150 during step 930 to confirm that the ticket is a winning ticket.
Alternatively, such winning ticket confirmation may be skipped in
favor of merely redeeming the winning tickets during step 940. The
ticket is a physical ticket, the redemption most likely will also
have to be processed manually. If it is determined during step 930
that the ticket was not a winning ticket, the associated record in
the ticket database 400 may be deleted.
[0091] Next, the proceeds from the winning ticket are processed. A
test is performed during step 950 to determine whether the ticket
is a pooled ticket. If the ticket is pooled, an account created for
the pool is credited with the proceeds during step 970. If,
however, it is determined during step 950 that the ticket was not
contributed to a pool, then in step 960 the proceeds are credited
to the player's account. In a preferred embodiment, during step
960, the player is notified that they have won the lottery.
Software on Media
[0092] In the specification, the term "media" means any medium that
can record data therein. FIG. 10 illustrates examples of recording
media.
[0093] The term "media" includes, for instance, a disk shaped media
for 1001 such as CD-ROM (compact disc-read only memory), magneto
optical disc or MO, digital video disc-read only memory or DVD-ROM,
digital video disc-random access memory or DVD-RAM, a floppy disc
1002, a memory chip 1004 such as random access memory or RAM, read
only memory or ROM, erasable programmable read only memory or
E-PROM, electrical erasable programmable read only memory or
EE-PROM, a rewriteable card-type read only memory 1005 such as a
smart card, a magnetic tape, a hard disc 1003, and any other
suitable means for storing a program therein.
[0094] A recording media storing a program for accomplishing the
above mentioned apparatus maybe accomplished by programming
functions of the above mentioned apparatuses with a programming
language readable by a computer 1000 or processor, and recording
the program on a media such as mentioned above.
[0095] A server equipped with a hard disk drive may be employed as
a recording media. It is also possible to accomplish the present
invention by storing the above mentioned computer program on such a
hard disk in a server and reading the computer program by other
computers through a network.
[0096] As a computer processing device 1000, any suitable device
for performing computations in accordance with a computer program
may be used. Examples of such devices include a personal computer,
a laptop computer, a microprocessor, a programmable logic device,
or an application specific integrated circuit.
[0097] Having thus described at least illustrative embodiments of
the invention, various modifications and improvements will readily
occur to those skilled in the art and are intended to be within the
scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description is
by way of example only and is not intended as limiting. The
invention is limited only as defined in the following claims and
the equivalents thereto.
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