The present invention generally relates to a system and method for implementing a scratch-off (“instant”) lottery ticket game, and more particularly to a system and method that provide personalized lottery tickets that can be composed at least in part by purchasers of the lottery tickets.
“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. The lottery tickets have a predetermined outcome that is revealed to the player upon removing a scratch-off coating from over game play indicia in a game play area on the ticket. Typically, such lottery tickets are printed with a game theme, such as a sports theme or treasure hunt game theme, that is reflected by the indicia (including images, graphics, and words) in the game play area and the other “real estate” areas on the front face of the ticket, such as the header and instruction areas of the ticket.
The types, formats, and games embodied on the scratch-off lottery tickets must continuously evolve and provide new and exciting gaming experiences to maintain current players and entice new players to the games. It would be beneficial to providers and sponsors of lottery ticket games to generate increased player excitement and enthusiasm by allowing the players to design their own personalized scratch-off lottery tickets without unduly complicating the manufacturing, distribution, and sale of the tickets to the public.
The present invention provides a system and method to address the above-cited need.
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 one embodiment of the invention, an instant lottery ticket game system is provided and includes at least one set of scratch-off lottery ticket blanks, wherein each lottery ticket blank has a game play area with play indicia that presents a pre-determined outcome to the game embodied by the ticket. The play indicia in the game play area is covered by a scratch-off coating (SOC). Each lottery ticket blank also includes a composition area adjacent the game play area. The system includes an automated dispenser, wherein the set of lottery ticket blanks is housed within the dispenser. An interface, such as any combination of an interactive screen, keyboard, touchscreen, and the like, is configured with the dispenser and is in communication with a printer associated with the dispenser. The interface is configured to accept player input of personalized indicia for printing in the composition area. A printer is operably configured with the dispenser (e.g., within or external to the dispenser) and is in communication with the interface, wherein the printer prints the personalized indicia from the player in the composition area to generate a finished scratch-off lottery ticket prior to dispensing the finished lottery ticket from the dispenser.
In a particular embodiment of the game system, the dispenser includes a controller in communication with the interface and the printer, the controller including a plurality of indicia templates that are presentable to the player via the interface. The personalized indicia input by the player may be combined by the controller with the indicia template selected by the player prior to printing the indicia template in the composition area by the printer.
The dispenser controller may be in communication with a central game server, wherein the indicia templates are updated or downloaded to the controller by the central game server.
In another embodiment, the indicia templates may include static indicia associated with a particular event or occasion, wherein the personalized indicia from the player is combined with the static indicia. The indicia is “static” in that it is not changeable by the player input. For example, the static indica may include a “Happy Birthday” message and the player may input personalized indicia to complete or modify the message with a particular name or other unique information or indicia provided by the player.
In yet another embodiment of the system, the dispenser interface and controller are configured to present an empty canvas template to the player that corresponds to the composition area and to accept the player input of personalized indicia for printing in the empty canvas template. For example, the interface and controller may be configured to accept an external image (e.g., a digital picture) presented by the player as the player's personalized indicia. This image may be, for example a digital image in an external storage device presented by the player, wherein the interface includes conventional means for communicating with the external storage device to accept the digital image (e.g., a USB port, Bluetooth connection, etc.).
In still other embodiments, the interface and controller can be configured to present to the player options for backgrounds or borders to be printed in the empty canvas template along with the personalized indicia from the player. These backgrounds and borders may include any manner of design, color scheme, words, etc.
In another unique embodiment of the system, the interface and controller are configured to present to the player an option to purchase the finished lottery ticket with the empty canvas template remaining blank. This option provides the player with the ability to personalize the composition area post-purchase. For example, the player may wish to sketch or paint an image in the composition area, or attach a photograph in the area, and so forth.
In any of the embodiments, the controller may also present a plurality of game play area templates to the player via the interface, wherein the game play area templates present overprint indicia options selectable by the player for printing over the SOC by the printer.
The dispenser may include a plurality of the sets of scratch-off lottery ticket blanks for different games having a different purchase price and prize structure. For example, the dispenser may offer a $1, $5, $10, and $20 ticket, wherein each ticket is associated with a game having a different prize structure (i.e., greater prizes for more expensive tickets).
As with conventional scratch-off lottery tickets, each of the lottery ticket blanks may include a validation code that is linked to an electronic validation file associated with the lottery ticket blank, the validation file containing ticket-specific information for validation and pay-out on the lottery ticket blank.
The invention also encompasses various method embodiments for conducting an instant lottery ticket game, the methods including providing an automated dispenser with a set of scratch-off lottery ticket blanks, wherein each lottery ticket blank has a composition area and a game play area with play indicia that presents a pre-determined game outcome, the play indicia covered by a scratch-off coating (SOC). Via an interface configured with the dispenser and in communication with a printer associated with the dispenser, the method includes accepting input from a player containing personalized indicia for printing in the composition area. The method includes printing the personalized indicia from the player in the composition area to generate a finished scratch-off lottery ticket and then dispensing the finished lottery ticket from the dispenser.
In certain embodiments, the dispenser includes a controller in communication with the interface and the printer, the method presenting a plurality of indicia templates to the player via the controller and interface and accepting via the interface the player input and using the player input to personalize the indicia template. The controller may be in communication with a central game server, wherein the method includes updating or downloading the indicia templates from the central game server.
Other method embodiments may include presenting an empty canvas template to the player via the controller and interface that corresponds to the composition area, and printing the player input of personalized indicia in the empty canvas template. For example, the player input may be an external image presented by the player that is saved in an external storage device presented by the player via the interface.
The method may further include presenting to the player, via the controller and the interface, options for backgrounds or borders to be printed in the empty canvas template along with the personalized indicia from the player.
The method may also include presenting a plurality of game play area templates to the player via the interface, the game play area templates presenting overprint indicia options selectable by the player for printing over the SOC by the printer.
Embodiments of the method may also include providing the dispenser with a plurality of the sets of scratch-off lottery ticket blanks for different games having a different purchase price and prize structure.
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.
The term “player” is used herein in a generic sense to encompass a person that composes and purchases the finished lottery ticket or a different person that plays the finished lottery ticket.
Generally, the present disclosure is directed to an instant lottery ticket game system 10 (
Referring to
The game outcome is “predetermined” in that the game indicia 20 is preprinted on the ticket blank 14 and the player can take no action to change whether or not the ticket blank 14 is a winning ticket or the prize amount. The lottery ticket blank 14 includes a validation code or number 30 (e.g., a bar code) printed thereon (front or back) that links the ticket blank 14 to an electronic validation file in a remote server/computer system. The validation file includes the status of the ticket (i.e., winning ticket or losing ticket and prize amount) and enables redemption of the ticket blank 14 (in a finished version) by the player.
It should be appreciated that the current system and method embodiments are not limited to any particular type, style, rules, or format of scratch-off game embodied on the lottery ticket blank 14.
Still referring to
Those skilled in the art understand that scratch-off lottery tickets are typically printed with a number of different layers on a paper stock. These layers can include any combination of security layer, game play indicia layer, protective coating layer, primer layer, release layer, SOC layer, overprint layer, and so forth. The lottery ticket blanks 14 may be initially printed in accordance with any suitable combination of layers known and used in the art. The composition area 28 includes a layer or coating that is suitable for overprinting, and may be an exposed primer or base layer that is typically provided in conventional scratch-off lottery ticket constructions to enable printing of the game theme indicia in the header section. Alternatively, the composition area 28 may include a layer of material that is printed or applied for the specific purpose of practicing the present invention.
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In an alternative embodiment also depicted in
The dispenser 32, whether embodied as a self-serve vending machine as in
The automated dispenser 32 includes an interface 34 that is configured to accept a player's input of personalized indicia for printing in the composition area 28 by the printer 42. The interface 34 can include any manner of hardware/software configuration. For example, in the embodiment of
When the dispenser 32 is embodied as terminal 72 configured with a ticket array 73 (
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In a particular embodiment of the system 10 and method 100, the controller 44 has access to or contains a plurality of digital indicia templates 48 to present to the player via the interface 34 (e.g., via the interactive screen 36). The indicia templates 48 may be stored in an internal memory within the controller 44 or in an external storage 59 (
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In general, communication between the central host server 52 and controller 44 can be carried via a network interface 54 using any type of wired and/or wireless connection, using a variety of communication protocols (e.g. TCP/IP, HTTP, SMTP, FTP), encodings or formats (e.g. HTML, XML, JSON), and/or protection schemes (e.g. VPN, secure HTTP, SSL). It should be appreciated that the central host server 52 can include a network interface for providing communications over the network 54. 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 central host server 52 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.
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In the embodiments depicted in
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The present invention also encompasses various method embodiments for conducting an instant lottery game with personalized scratch-off lottery tickets.
At step 102, an automated dispenser (vending-machine type or POS terminal based) is supplied with one or more sets of lottery ticket blanks described above.
Step 104 indicates that the player makes a selection of one of the lottery ticket blanks for purchase.
At step 106, via the interface configured with the dispenser, the player is presented with options for personalizing the lottery ticket blank. Step 108 indicates that the options may be presented by way of indicia templates, game play area templates, background and border selections, and so forth. Step 110 indicates that, via the interface, the player enters personalized indicia, such as (but not limited to) images, graphics, messages, and so forth, as discussed above.
At step 112, via a printer configured with the dispenser, the lottery ticket blanks are printed with the player's selected options and personalized indicia to generate a finished lottery ticket.
At step 114, the finished lottery ticket is dispensed from the dispenser.
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.