Patent Application
20190325696
The present invention generally relates to a system and method for implementing a scratch-off (“instant”) lottery ticket game, and more particularly to a method and system for facilitating easier reading and confirmation of winning game indicia in play of such games.
“Scratch-off” or “instant-win” lottery tickets have enjoyed immense popularity in the lottery industry for decades. These games offer distinct advantages to the lottery authorities and are attractive to a broad spectrum of players.
As conventional scratch-off games have grown in complexity, potential prize awards, and entertainment features, the size of the game play indicia has decreased in order to still offer the games on the same size substrate. In other words, the “real estate” of the ticket has not grown, but the volume and complexity of game play indicia in the game play area has increased, resulting in smaller, harder-to-read, and more complex game play indicia.
For a certain segment of the public, the smaller game play indicia is problematic. Those with poorer eyesight can become frustrated by the decreased ability to quickly ascertain the winning or losing status of the ticket, and may shy away from playing the tickets.
For others, the complexity of the games and game play indicia can be intimidating, and such people may not be comfortable relying on themselves to determine the winning or losing status of the tickets. These customers are hesitant to discard tickets and typically turn the tickets in to the retailer for scanning and confirmation of the ticket status.
The above scenarios are obviously disadvantageous. The industry and public would benefit from improved methods and game systems to facilitate easier play of scratch-off lottery tickets having smaller and more complex game play indicia.
Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In a particular embodiment, an instant lottery ticket game system and method includes a set of master instant lottery tickets (“master tickets”) for a common game. The master instant lottery tickets may be printed paper tickets, or may be electronically simulated tickets that are transmitted to and played by the player via an application running on a smart device, such as a mobile phone, tablet, computer, etc. The master tickets are produced for a single common game, for example all of the tickets produced for a common game identified by a single name (e.g., “Lucky Seven” instant scratch-off tickets). Such tickets may be produced under multiple production runs, wherein the prize structure for the expected value of the common game is implemented by winning tickets distributed throughout the production run(s).
Each master ticket includes a game play area with variable game play indicia that determines whether or not the ticket is a winning or losing ticket. The game play indicia is “variable” in that it changes from one ticket to the next. The game play area is covered by a removable scratch-off coating (SOC) layer, as is well-known in the industry. Each master ticket also includes static game instruction indicia (words and graphics) that does not change and is common to all of the master tickets in the common game. This indicia generally instructs the player on how to play the game, the potential prizes, and so forth.
Each master ticket further includes a ticket-specific code (e.g., a bar code or alpha-numeric code) thereon that links the master instant lottery ticket to a ticket-specific computer file that is stored with a central server (e.g., in the central server or accessible by the central server)
For each master ticket, a digital game play area is generated that corresponds to the game play area of the respective master instant lottery ticket, wherein the digital game play is stored in the ticket-specific computer file.
The central server is configured for communication with a player's smart device. Via an application running on the smart device, the player scans or otherwise enters the ticket-specific code. Upon receipt of the code, the central server downloads the respective digital game play area for the master ticket to the smart device.
The digital game play area is specifically configured such that winning game play indicia therein is marked or tagged in a manner recognized by the application on the smart device, wherein such application then visually enhances the marked game play indicia in an image of the digital game play area that is presented to the player via the smart device.
In a particular embodiment, the digital game play area is a digital image and the winning game play indicia is marked with a character or symbol that is recognized by character recognition capability of the application running on the smart device. The character or symbol can be embedded in the game play indicia or set apart from the game play indicia within a defined area or distance.
In an alternative embodiment, the digital game play area is a digital image and the winning game play indicia is marked with a font or color that differentiates the winning game play indicia from non-winning game play indicia and that is recognized by the application running on the smart device.
Visual enhancement of the winning game play indicia can take place in various ways. In one embodiment, the winning game play indicia is significantly magnified or enlarged as compared to the non-winning game play indicia, and may be further set out, for example in a magnified bubble-like view.
Embodiments of the present system and method may also encompass providing a visually enhanced indication in the digital game play area of a non-winning master ticket in the event that the application running on the smart device does not detect winning game play indicia. This indication may be a message or other suitable graphics/indicia presented in an enlarged field in the digital game play area.
In further embodiments, the system and method may also include generation of a digital game instruction area that contains the static game instruction indicia for the common game and is also presented to the player with the digital game play area on the smart device. This digital game instruction area may be combined and stored with the digital game play area in the ticket-specific computer file at the central server such that essentially a complete digital image of the master ticket is stored in the ticket-specific computer file or generated by the player's smart device by combining the two areas.
However, it may be desired that the ticket-specific computer file be limited to storage and transmission of only ticket-specific data and information. Thus, in alternate embodiments, the digital game instruction area may be generated as a digital template for the common game that contains the static game instruction indicia, wherein the digital template downloaded by the central server and stored on the player's smart device. With this configuration, only the digital game play area for the specific master ticket need be transmitted to the smart device by the central server upon receipt of the ticket-specific code. The application on the smart device functions to combine or overlay the digital template on the digital game play area so that the player is presented with an essentially complete digital image of the master ticket with the winning game play indicia displayed in the visually enhanced manner.
In certain embodiments of the system and method, the ticket-specific code on the master ticket is the validation code and the ticket-specific computer file is a validation file at the central server that contains ticket-specific information for validation and redemption of the master instant lottery ticket, as commonly understood in the industry. The digital game play area can be stored in the validation file for the master instant lottery ticket, and may be combined with the digital game instruction area.
The system and method also contemplate that each master ticket is specifically configured to include an easily and universally recognized symbol printed thereon that indicates to players that the visually enhanced version of the master ticket is available to the player via their smart device.
A full and enabling disclosure including the best mode of practicing the appended claims and directed to one of ordinary skill in the art is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification. The specification makes reference to the appended figures, in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to various and alternative exemplary embodiments and to the accompanying drawings, with like numerals representing substantially identical structural elements. Each example is provided by way of explanation, and not as a limitation. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure and claims. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure includes modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Generally, the present disclosure is directed to a computer-based instant lottery ticket game system and associated method that enables a visually enhanced (e.g., magnified or enlarged) view of the game play area of a master ticket via a smart device (e.g., a mobile phone) so that a player can more easily see the game play indicia that indicates the winning or losing status of the master ticket. The system and method should have appeal to players and retailers for its ease of operation and versatility, particularly for players that find it difficult to see or read the game play indicia on the master tickets.
In a particular embodiment depicted in the figures, an instant lottery ticket game system 10 (
Referring to
The master tickets 14 may be printed paper tickets, or may be electronically simulated tickets 14 that are transmitted to and played by the player via an application running on a smart device 32 (
Still referring to
In the embodiment of
Generally, conventional instant lottery tickets include a validation code printed thereon, which may also be covered by a SOC layer 24, that links the ticket to a validation file 36 (
For each master ticket 14, a digital game play area 28 is generated that corresponds to the game play area 16 of the respective master ticket 14, wherein the digital game play is stored in the ticket-specific computer file 30. Comparing
In
Referring to
The digital game play area 28 is specifically configured such that winning game play indicia 48 contained therein is marked in a manner recognizable by the application on the smart device 32. In other words, the smart device 32 is capable of detecting the mark and discerning winning game play indicia 48 from non-winning game play indicia 50. This marking functionality can be accomplished in various ways. For example, referring to
In order to detect the marks 54, the smart device 32 may utilize digital image analysis software provided by the application running on their device 32 (or otherwise provided by the smart device 32). A number of commercially available digital image software analysis programs are available that can be readily configured or modified by those skilled in the art for the systems and methods described herein, and a detailed discussion of digital image analysis is not necessary for an understanding of the present invention.
Referring to
Referring to
As mentioned above, the system and method may also include generation of a digital game instruction area or template 26 that contains the static game instruction indicia 20 for the common game and is also presented to the player with the digital game play area 28 on the smart device 32, as depicted in
Referring to
In an alternate embodiment, the digital templates 26 are not downloaded and stored in the player's smart device 34, but are individually transmitted by the central server 38 to the smart device upon receipt of the code 22 from the smart device 32.
In the embodiment of
As discussed above, the ticket-specific computer code 22 provided on the master ticket 14 links the master ticket 14 to the ticket-specific computer file 30 at the central server 38. The code 22 may contain the common game identification data needed to retrieve the digital template 26 and the ticket specific data needed to retrieve the digital game play area 28. A validation code (or modified validation code) may serve this function, as depicted in
The system 10 and method 100, 200 also contemplate that each master ticket 14 is specifically configured to include an easily and universally recognized symbol 40 printed thereon, such the magnifying glass symbol in
It should be appreciated that the host server 38 can include a network interface for providing communications over the network 42. A network interface can include any suitable components for interfacing with one more networks, including for example, transmitters, receivers, ports, controllers, antennas, or other suitable components.
The host server 38 can be any computing device and can include one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media. The computer-readable media can store instructions which cause the processor to perform the operations described herein, as well as other functions related to conduct of the overall game for the lottery authority.
The player's smart device 32 can be any portable computing device that can be used by a player to interface with the host server 38. For instance, the device 32 can be a wireless device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), portable gaming device, cellular phone, smart phone, tablet, navigation system, handheld GPS system, wearable computing device, a display having one or more processors, or other such device. In short, the player's smart device 36 can be any computer-device or system that can execute a gaming module to allow a player to interact with the host computer 38 as described herein.
The technology discussed herein makes reference to servers, computers, databases, software applications, and other computer-based systems, as well as actions taken and information sent to and from such systems. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the inherent flexibility of computer-based systems allows for a great variety of possible configurations, combinations, and divisions of tasks and functionality between and among components. For instance, server processes discussed herein may be implemented using a single server or multiple servers working in combination. Databases and applications may be implemented on a single system or distributed across multiple systems. Distributed components may operate sequentially or in parallel.
At step 102, the master language tickets 14 are produced with the ticket-specific code 22 and symbol 40 provided thereon.
Step 104 depicts generation of the common game instruction digital templates 26, which are initially stored at the central server 38.
Step 106 depicts generation of the ticket-specific digital game play areas 28 with the marks 54 to distinguish winning game play indicia 48 from non-winning game play indicia 50.
At step 108, the player purchases one or more of the master tickets 14 (paper or electronic).
At step 110, the player may play the master ticket 14 by physically removing the SOC layer 24 from the game paly indicia in the game play area of the ticket to reveal the winning or losing status of the ticket. It should be appreciated, however, that this step may be omitted, and that the player may rely on the visually enhanced game play area 28 presented on their smart mobile device 32 to determine the status of the ticket. In other words, it is not required that the player actually play the physical master ticket 14.
At step 112, the player scans or otherwise enters the ticket-specific code 22 from the master ticket 14 into their smart device 32 via the application running on the smart device 32. At this time, the common game digital template 26 may be downloaded to the smart device 32, or retrieved from memory by the smart device 32 is previously downloaded.
At step 114, the application on the smart device 32 analyzes the digital game play area 28 and visually enhances winning game play indicia.
At step 116, the player confirms the winning or losing status of the master ticket 14 by viewing the visually enhanced digital game play area 28 of the digital ticket image 56 on their smart device 32.
At step 118, the player presents the master ticket 14 or the digital image 56 (if it includes the ticket validation code) for validation and redemption of a wining master ticket 14.
At step 202, the master language tickets 14 are produced with the ticket-specific code 22 and symbol 40 provided thereon.
Step 204 depicts generation of the common game instruction digital templates 26, which are initially stored at the central server 38 and subsequently downloaded to the player's mobile device 32.
Step 206 depicts generation of the ticket-specific digital game play areas 28 with the marks 54 to distinguish winning game play indicia 48 from non-winning game play indicia 50, with digital game play areas 28 stored in the ticket-specific computer file 30 at the central server 38.
At step 208, the player purchases one or more of the master tickets 14 (paper or electronic).
At step 210, the player scans or otherwise enters the ticket-specific code 22 from the master ticket 14 into their smart device 32 via the application running on the smart device 32.
At step 212, the digital template 26 corresponding to the common game of the master ticket 14 is retrieved by the smart device 32 (if previously downloaded) or downloaded from the central server 38.
At step 214, the digital game play area 28 for the master ticket 14 is retrieved by the central server 38 from the ticket-specific computer file 30 (e.g., the validation file) and downloaded to the player's mobile smart device 32. The application on the smart device 32 analyzes the digital game play area 28 and visually enhances winning game play indicia 48 in the digital game play area 28.
At step 216, the mobile smart device 32 combines the digital template 26 and digital game play area 28 into a digital ticket image 56 of the master ticket 14 with the winning game indicia 48 visually enhanced.
At step 218, the player confirms the winning or losing status of the master ticket 14 by viewing the visually enhanced digital game play area 28 of the digital ticket image 56 on their smart device 32.
At step 220, the player presents the master ticket 14 or the digital image 56 (if it includes the ticket validation code) for validation and redemption of a wining master ticket 14.
The material particularly shown and described above is not meant to be limiting, but instead serves to show and teach various exemplary implementations of the present subject matter. As set forth in the attached claims, the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and sub-combinations of various features discussed herein, along with such variations and modifications as would occur to a person of skill in the art.
