System for linking a unique identifier to an instant game ticket

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to electronic games and, more specifically, to a system for administering electronic instant win on-line games.

[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0005] Instant win games, such as those sponsored by state lotteries, often come in the form of “scratch-and-play” games, in which an instant win game ticket is sold to a user and the user removes a removable cover from a play area to indicate whether or not the ticket is a “winner.”

[0006] One type of instant win game ticket is an on-line instant win game, in which the user fills out a playslip so as to indicate a selection of numbers. The playslip is read via a scanner at the point of sale and a game ticket, including information as to whether or not the user won a prize, is printed and delivered to the user. The game ticket printing usually occurs shortly after the playslip is scanned and is usually part of the same transaction.

[0007] Because the game ticket includes information as to whether the game ticket is a “winner,” dishonest clerks sometimes attempt to “palm” a winning game ticket and give the user a substitute game ticket that is not a winner. Although instant win games may use security systems, (e.g., security cameras aimed at the clerks) such systems are not completely reliable and the user (who has the incentive to ensure that he receives the proper ticket) is not provided with a mechanism to verify the correspondence of the game ticket to the playslip.

[0008] The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention which, in one aspect, is a method of linking a unique identifier to an instant game ticket. A user is instructed to enter a unique identifier on an identifier entry mechanism. An image of the unique identifier is received from the user via the identifier entry mechanism. The unique identifier is stored in a computer-readable memory. A representation of the unique identifier and at least one game result is printed on an instant win game ticket. The user is instructed not to accept the instant win game ticket unless the representation of the unique identifier printed thereon corresponds to the unique identifier that the user entered on the identifier entry mechanism.

[0009] Another aspect of the invention is a method of linking a playslip to an instant win game ticket. A user is instructed to enter a playslip identifier on a first predetermined area of a playslip. The playslip is read with a playslip reader. The system determines if the user included a playslip identifier on the first predetermined area of the playslip. If the user included the playslip identifier on the first predetermined area, then the playslip identifier is stored in a computer-readable memory, a representation of the playslip identifier and at least one game result is printed on an instant win game ticket, and the user is instructed not to accept the instant win game ticket unless the representation of the playslip identifier printed thereon corresponds to the playslip identifier that the user entered on the playslip. If the user did not include the playslip identifier on the first predetermined area, then the playslip is rejected from the playslip reader.

[0010] Another aspect of the invention is an apparatus for generating instant game tickets. The apparatus includes a scanner that is capable of reading information from a playslip, a printer that is capable of printing an instant game ticket and a computer. The computer is programmed to instruct the scanner to read the playslip and read a playslip identifier on the playslip. If a playslip identifier is detected on the playslip, then the computer instructs the printer to print an instant win game ticket that includes at least one game result and the playslip identifier. If a playslip identifier is not detected on the playslip, then the computer rejects the playslip.

[0011] These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings. As would be obvious to one skilled in the art, many variations and modifications of the invention may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the entities and hardware in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a flowchart demonstrating the method of the invention.

[0014] FIG. 3A is a schematic view of an unused playslip in accordance with a first aspect of the invention.

[0015] FIG. 3B is a schematic view of the backside of the playslip shown in FIG. 2A.

[0016] FIG. 3C is a schematic view of the playslip shown in FIG. 2A, after having been filled in by a user.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an instant win game ticket corresponding to the playslip shown in FIG. 2C.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an unused playslip in accordance with a second aspect of the invention.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an unused playslip in accordance with a third aspect of the invention.

[0020] A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise: the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.”

[0021] The figures referred to herein include examples of embodiments of the invention that contain depictions that may resemble trademarks or trade names. It is the intention of the inventor that such depictions represent only the idea of such an identifier being used in association with the embodiment, and that such depictions do not resemble any actual trademarks or trade names. Any resemblance of any of the depictions in the figures to any actual trademark or trade name is completely unintentional and merely coincidental. Therefore, none of the depictions in the figures should be interpreted as showing any affiliation with any actual source of goods or services.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the entities involved in executing the method of the invention include a controlling authority 20, such as a lottery administration company, and a local game administering entity 30, such as a lottery ticket retailer. The controlling authority 20 would have control over a central game server 22, which would communicate with an identifier entry mechanism 34 a game ticket printer 32, both of which would be located at the site of the local game administering entity 30. The identifier entry mechanism 34 could comprise a digital capture pad (such as a digital signature capture pad, of the type used in association with many cash registers) or a playslip scanner, in the case of embodiments of the invention that require the user to fill out a playslip. The server 22 would typically be a computer system, including a computer-readable memory. Both the game ticket printer 32 and the identifier entry mechanism 34 could be embedded into a game administration device 36 (or they could be stand alone devices) that includes a microprocessor and some of the computational functions of the central game server 22 could be distributed to the local game administering device 36. The server 22 could communicate with the game administering device 36 via one of many types of electronic communications channels 12 (for example, a dedicated line, a global computer network, or a telephone line).

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the method 100 employed in one embodiment of the invention involves first issuing a playslip 110 to a user, this would typically be done by the local game administering entity 30. Typically, the playslips are preprinted. The user is instructed to enter a playslip identifier on a preassigned area of the playslip. Such an identifier could, for example, take the form of the user's initials or a selection of a group of user-selected characters from a set of characters provided on the playslip. Typically, the instruction to the user comes in the form of instructions printed on the playslip, but could also come from informational brochures and by word of mouth from personnel at the local game administering entity 30.

[0024] Once the user has filled out the playslip, the playslip is read 112 into the playslip scanner 34 and the server performs a test 114 to determine if the user entered a playslip identifier. If the answer to test 114 is “no,” then the playslip is rejected 122 from the system and the user is instructed that the playslip will not be accepted unless it is properly filled out.

[0025] If the answer to test 114 is “yes,” then the playslip identifier is stored 116 in a computer readable memory. Such storage could take the form of storing a scanned image of initials entered, storing a record of positions on the playslip that have been marked by the user or transforming initials into corresponding text characters and storing the text characters.

[0026] Once a playslip has been properly read, the game ticket printer 32 is instructed 118 to print on a game ticket a representation of the playslip identifier and at least one game result. The printed playslip identifier could take the form of a printed image of the originally entered playslip identifier or a plurality of characters corresponding to the original playslip identifier, depending on the type of game ticket printer employed.

[0027] The printed game ticket is then issued to the user and the user is instructed 120 not to accept the game ticket unless the playslip identifier entered by the user is properly printed on the ticket. This instruction 120 could be printed on the playslip or the game ticket, or both.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, a typical playslip 200 would include a game identifier 202 and an area 210 for the user to enter a playslip identifier. The playslip 200 includes a first set of instructions 230 printed thereon that tells the user to enter the user's initials in the area 210 provided for the playslip identifier. (While the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3A-3C use the user's initials as the playslip identifier, other types of playslip identifier could be used without departing from the scope of the invention.) A second set of instructions 220 instruct the user not to accept a game ticket unless the playslip identifier appearing in the playslip identifier area 210 also appears on the subsequently printed game ticket. A third set of instructions 240 tells the user that the game ticket will not be printed unless the playslip identifier area 210 is properly filled in. A shown in FIG. 3C, a playslip 200 that is properly filled out would include the playslip identifier 212 (such as the user's initials) in the playslip identifier area 210.

[0029] A play number entry area 250 may also be provided for games that require the user to enter play information (for example, select a subset of numbers from an array of numbers). Instructions 252 on how to play the game may also be provided.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3B, the back side 204 of the playslip 200 may be provided with a complete set of instructions 260 on how to fill out the playslip 200 and how to play the game. An example 262 of a typical game ticket could also be printed on the back side 204.

[0031] A game ticket 300, which is printed after the user has filled out the playslip 200 and the playslip 200 has been scanned into the system, is shown in FIG. 4. Typically, the game ticket 300 would include a game identifier 302, an indication 354 of the date that the game was played, an indication 350 of user-input play numbers (entered in the play number entry area 250 shown in FIG. 3A, if such play numbers are used in the game), an indication 352 of the game results (such as winning numbers), an area that includes a printed representation 310 of the playslip identifier (as entered by the user on the playslip 200) and a set of instructions 320 instructing the user not to accept the game ticket 300 unless the representation 310 of the playslip identifier on the game ticket 300 is the same as the playslip identifier 212 that the user entered on the playslip 200.

[0032] In an embodiment where the printer 32 is capable of printing an image of user-entered initials, the representation 310 of the playslip identifier should look exactly like the playslip identifier 212 entered on the playslip 200. If the printer 32 is not capable of printing a scanned image (e.g., if the printer 32 is an impact printer), then either the game administering device 36 or the server 22 would transform the scanned playslip identifier 212 into a machine character equivalent (e.g., into corresponding ASCII characters) and the representation 310 of the playslip identifier would be a print-out of the characters.

[0033] A shown in FIG. 5, in an alternate embodiment, the playslip 400 could be preprinted with a plurality of characters 410 and the user could be instructed to mark a subset of the characters 410, with the marked subset serving as the playslip identifier. As shown in FIG. 6, the playslip 500 could be printed with a plurality of character strings 510, one of which the user would mark as the playslip identifier. The embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 6 offer the advantage of facilitating easy machine reading of the playslip identifier and relatively lower memory usage than the embodiment of FIGS. 3A-3C. However, they might be more susceptible to forgery than the embodiment of FIGS. 3A-3C. Selection of the embodiment would depend on the hardware available and the level of security that is required. For example, games with a relatively high pay out might require a higher level of security and, thus, may be subject to more stringent playslip identifier verification requirements. It may be desirable in some applications to use more than one type of playslip identifier. Some applications might require the user to both enter initials and select a set of characters. It is intended that such system fall within the scope of the invention.

[0034] The above described embodiments are given as illustrative examples only. It will be readily appreciated that many deviations may be made from the specific embodiments disclosed in this specification without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be determined by the claims below rather than being limited to the specifically described embodiments above.