Patent Application
20230065775
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). A coating layer is applied over at least the game play area such that an entirety of the front face presents an empty composition area void of lottery ticket indicia. Thought of another way, viewed from the front face, the article gives no indication that it embodies a scratch-off lottery ticket.
The system includes an automated dispenser, wherein the set of lottery ticket blanks is housed within the dispenser. An interface is configured with the dispenser and is in communication with a printer operably associated with the dispenser. The interface is configured to accept input of composition indicia from a patron for printing in the composition area on the front face of the lottery ticket blank. The printer prints the composition indicia received from the patron on portions of or the entirety of the front face to generate a finished scratch-off lottery ticket prior to dispensing the finished lottery ticket.
In a particular embodiment, the coating layer is applied entirely over the front face of the lottery ticket blank and provides the empty composition area with a continuous single color appearance for the patron to compose the finished lottery ticket using the composition indicia.
In an alternate embodiment, the coating layer is applied only over the game play area and visually matches remaining potions of the front face such that the remaining portions and the coating layer define the empty composition area.
The coating layer may be any type of suitable primer coating that “hides” the SOC and any indicia in the game play area and presents a suitable surface for overprinting of the composition indicia thereon. It should thus be understood that the term “primer coating” is used herein generically to encompass any type or formulation of coating that achieves these purposes.
Embodiments of the game system may also include means for indicating to a player of the finished lottery ticket that the game play area is present on the front face of the finished lottery ticket. These means may vary. For example, in one embodiment, the means may include instruction indicia on the back face of the lottery ticket blank that indicates location of the game play area on the front face. The instruction indicia may also include instructions on how to play the game embodied by the game play indicia, prize awards, and generally any other information related to play of the game.
In another embodiment, the means may include a tactile feel imparted to the game play area that distinguishes the game play area from the remaining portions of the front face. For example, the tactile feel may be a “rough” feel as compared to other portions of the front face provided by a matte finish of the coating layer applied over the game play area.
In still another embodiment, the patron may be provided with the option to print indicia on the front face when composing the finished lottery ticket that indicates the location of the game play area.
In a particular embodiment of the game system, the dispenser includes a controller in communication with the interface and the printer, the controller configured to present a plurality of indicia templates to the patron via the interface, wherein the composition indicia input by the patron may be combined by the controller with the indicia template selected by the player and printed in the empty 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 player input personalizes 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 composition indicia to complete or modify the message with a particular name or other unique information provided by the player.
In yet another embodiment of the system, the dispenser interface and controller are configured to accept an external image (e.g., a digital picture) presented by the player as the player’s composition 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 composition 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 lottery ticket blank without any additional printing on the front face. In other words, the front face is left completely blank (void of any indicia). 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.
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, each lottery ticket blank having a front face and a back face, and a game play area on the front face with play indicia that presents a pre-determined game outcome, the play indicia covered by a scratch-off coating (SOC). The lottery ticket blanks include a coating layer applied over at least the game play area such that an entirety of the front face presents an empty composition area void of lottery ticket indicia. 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 composition indicia for printing in the composition area. The method includes printing the composition 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 a particular embodiment of the method, the coating layer is applied entirely over the front face of the lottery ticket blank and provides the empty composition area with a continuous single color appearance for the patron to compose the finished lottery ticket using their composition indicia (or other indicia options provided to the patron).
In an alternate method, the coating layer is applied only over the game play area and includes a primer coating suitable for overprinting of the composition indicia thereon, the primer coating visually matching remaining potions of the front face such that the remaining portions and the coating layer define the empty composition area.
Embodiments of the method may include providing means for indicating to a player of the finished lottery ticket that the game play area is present on the front face of the finished lottery ticket. Such means may include, for example, a tactile feel imparted to the game play area that distinguishes the game play area from the remaining portions of the front face. The tactile feel may be provided by the coating layer. Alternate means may include providing instruction indicia on the back face of the lottery ticket blank or, at the option of the patron, on the front face of the lottery ticket blank.
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 “patron” is used herein to encompass a person that composes and purchases a finished lottery ticket as described herein. The term “player” is used herein to encompass a person that actually plays the finished lottery ticket. The patron and the player may be the same or different persons.
Generally, the present disclosure is directed to an instant lottery ticket game system 10 (
Referring to
The concept and various forms/styles of scratch-off lottery tickets are well-known to those skilled in the art and a detailed explanation thereof is not necessary for an appreciation or understanding of the present invention. In general, the game play area 18 typically includes a first set 22 of game play indicia 20 covered by a scratch-off coating (SOC) 26 and a separate, second set 24 of game play indicia 20 also covered by the SOC 26. In a particular game format, the player scratches off the SOC from both sets 22, 24 and the outcome of the game is determined by the number of matches between the game play indicia 20 in the first set 22 and the second set 24 of game play indicia. Instruction indicia may be provided in the game play area 18 and also covered by the SOC that instructs the player as to how to play the game embodied on the ticket blank 14.
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 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. The validation code 30 may be covered by the SOC or may be provided on the back face 17 of the lottery ticket blank 14 (
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
As mentioned above, the coating layer 25 may be any type of suitable primer coating that “hides” the SOC and any indicia in the game play area 18 and presents a suitable surface for overprinting of the composition indicia thereon. Thus, the term “primer coating” is used herein generically to encompass any type or formulation of coating that achieves these purposes.
In addition, 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 provided with any suitable combination of layers known and used in the art.
The present system 10 and method 100 are not limited to any particular type of composition indica 53 selected or entered by the patron to be printed on the front face 16 (i.e., in the empty canvas area 56) when composing a finished lottery ticket. For example,
Thus, the finished lottery ticket 46 is “personalized” by the patron at least to the extent that the patron is essentially the artist that composes the visual appearance of the front face 16 of the finished lottery ticket 46 in the empty canvas area 56.
Referring to
In another embodiment, the means 82 may include a tactile feel imparted to the game play area 18 that distinguishes the game play area 18 from the remaining portions of the front face 16. For example, the tactile feel may be a “rougher” or “smoother” feel as compared to other portions of the front face 16 provided by a particular finish of the coating layer 25 applied over the game play area 18. This tactile option for the means 82 may be used alone or along with instruction indicia 83 on the back face 17, as indicated in
In still another embodiment of the means 82, the patron may be provided with the option to print indicia on the front face when composing the finished lottery ticket 46 that indicates the location of the game play area 18.
Referring to
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 composition indicia 53 for printing in the empty canvas area 56 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 (
Referring to
Referring to
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 (
Referring to
Still referring to
Referring to
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.
Referring again to
The present invention also encompasses various method embodiments for conducting an instant lottery game with composition 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 patron 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 by supplying or selecting composition indicia. Step 108 indicates that the options may be presented by way of indicia templates, background and border selections, and so forth. Step 110 indicates that, via the interface, the player enters composition 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 composition 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 subcombinations of various features discussed herein, along with such variations and modifications as would occur to a person of skill in the art.
