Patent Application
20100075732
Future-draw lottery games involve purchasing a chance or wager, usually in the form of a ticket, to match a result in a drawing to be held after the chance is purchased. Lotto and keno are two examples of future-draw lottery games. In future-draw lottery games, customers can typically purchase tickets or other chances at a dedicated lottery terminal in a convenience store or similar establishment, where the tickets are printed to order. Each dedicated lottery terminal communicates with a central lottery server to exchange information and instructions associated with a given lottery transaction.
In an instant-win or instant lottery game, whether a ticket or chance will be a winner is determined before or at the time of purchase. Thus, a winning instant lottery ticket may typically be redeemed for a prize immediately. Common types of instant win lottery games include pre-printed tickets such as pull-tab tickets, peel-off tickets, or scratch-off tickets. Instant win lottery games may also be provided electronically. Pre-printed instant lottery games are provided in a wide range of types, sizes, colors, and themes. They are typically sold near a cash register or point of sale terminal in a convenience store or other similar establishment, or from unattended terminals or vending machines in high traffic areas, for example train stations, other transportation hubs, bowling alleys, or other entertainment venues. Instant lottery games are typically printed with bright colors in a visually attractive design to attract consumer attention and encourage purchases.
While, in reality, the distribution of lottery winners across various stored or points of purchases is generally random, some lottery players may prefer to make their ticket purchases at “lucky” stores or “lucky” terminals. Other lottery players may prefer to play at “cold stores” or “cold machines”, believing that they are overdue for a win. While these preferences are not necessarily based on an accurate understanding of the mathematics of lottery games, they still may affect the purchasing preferences of many players.
Winner awareness data is information describing the historical results that have been achieved by a population of players in a lottery or other game of chance, (e.g., all players who have purchased chances in a lottery in a particular time period at a particular lottery terminal, retail location, or within a particular geographic area). Winner awareness data may include, for example, information about the quantity of prizes won, total value of prizes won, quantity of prizes won of at least a minimum size, total value of prizes won of at least a minimum size, a highest prize won, etc. The winner awareness data may also be associated with a particular historical time interval, for example, the last day, the last week, or the last month. Example winner awareness data displays may include a count of winning chances associated with a particular lottery terminal or geographic area, a sum of the winnings from lottery chances associated with the lottery terminal or geographic area and/or a highest prize from lottery chances associated with the lottery terminal. A winning chance may be considered associated with a lottery terminal or geographic area, for example, if the chance was either purchased from or redeemed at the lottery terminal or at another lottery terminal in the geographic area. Alternatively, the data may focus only on where chances were purchased, or only on where they were redeemed. According to various example embodiments, the winner awareness data may be divided and displayed by terminal, lottery game, lottery game category (e.g., instant lottery and/or future draw lottery), retail chain where a lottery terminal is located, whether winning chances were purchased or redeemed at the lottery terminal or geographic area, etc.
Some example embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems for providing winner awareness data directly to lottery players at or near the place where lottery chances are sold. For example, the winner awareness data may be displayed at or near a lottery terminal, and may include information describing winning chances associated either with the lottery terminal, with lottery terminals in the same retail location, and/or with lottery terminals in the same geographic area. Displaying winner awareness data (e.g., winner display data) in this manner may encourage potential lottery players to purchase lottery chances from the lottery terminal.
According to various example embodiments, the winner awareness data displayed at a given lottery terminal may be selected based on predetermined thresholds. For example, if the winner awareness data from chances purchased at the lottery terminal fails to meet a predetermined threshold (e.g., if the quantity of winners or the amount of winnings at the lottery terminal is too low), then the lottery terminal may instead display winner awareness data from a first geographic area including the lottery terminal. If the winner awareness data from the first geographic area fails to meet a predetermined threshold, then the lottery terminal may display winner awareness data from a second geographic area, which may include the lottery terminal and the first geographic area. In this way, the terminal may tend to display data that will encourage potential players to purchase lottery chances.
Various example embodiments are directed to systems and methods for facilitating the operation of a lottery system. For example, winner display data may be determined for each of a plurality of lottery terminals. Determining the winner display data may comprise determining whether historical winner data from the lottery terminal meets a predetermined criteria (e.g., a predetermined count of winners, a predetermined amount of winnings, etc.). The historical winner data for the lottery terminal may include information concerning prizes won from chances associated with the lottery terminal. If the historical winner data from the lottery terminal meets the predetermined criteria, then the winner display data for the lottery terminal may be determined based on the historical winner data for the lottery terminal. If the historical winner data from the lottery terminal fails to meet the predetermined criteria, then the winner display data may be determined based on historical winner data for a set of lottery terminals comprising the lottery terminal. In example embodiments where the winner display data is determined at a lottery host or other central location, the data may be transmitted to the respective lottery terminals, which may display the data to potential players. In example embodiments where the winner display data is determined by individual lottery terminals, the data may be directly displayed by the lottery terminals.
In some example embodiments, the host 102 may comprise various sub-systems for performing certain processing tasks and storing data. A central sales recording module 124 may receive and store information from the various lottery terminals 106, 108, etc., regarding chances sold at the respective terminals. This information may be received, for example, from the terminals. A winner log 126 may be used by the host 102 and/or a functional module thereof, to store the value of prizes associated with each of the chances sold at the various lottery terminals. The host 102 may determine whether any given chance is associated with a prize and determine the value of the prize. In other example embodiments, the individual terminals may report prizes to the host 102 as winning chances are redeemed at the terminal. A winner display data analysis module 128 may analyze the value of prizes stored at the winner log 126 to determine winner display data for each terminal. The winner display data may be found, for example, as described below with respect to the process flows shown in
According to various example embodiments, the system 100 may also comprise an e-mail server 122 for facilitating communications between the host 102 and the various lottery terminals 106, 108, etc. While the email server is illustrated as a separate component, it will be appreciated that this service could be provided directly by the host itself, or with other arrangements of system components. When the host 102 directs a communication toward one or more lottery terminals, it may first prepare an e-mail message and send or otherwise direct the e-mail message to the lottery terminal. In some example embodiments, the subject line of the e-mail message may be used by the lottery terminal to identify and properly process the e-mail. For example, e-mails may be used by the host 102 to transmit winner awareness data to the terminals. Each e-mail may be directed to a terminal or terminals and may identify, for example, the type and/or freshness of the winner awareness data therein in the subject line. Also, for example similar e-mail messages may be used by the terminals to direct messages to the host 102. It will be appreciated that as an alternative to the email server, a variety of other approaches may be used to provide the winner awareness to the various clients, including direct writing from the host, synchronous or asynchronous direct communication, other types of messaging services, as a web service that is accessed by the clients, or as auxiliary payloads to other forms of transaction data communicated between the host and the various clients.
The various lottery clients 106, 108, etc., may include functionality for selling and/or administering lottery chances (e.g., future draw tickets or other chances, instant lottery tickets or other chances, or both). In some example embodiments, each lottery terminal may be configured to facilitate instant lottery games as well as future-draw lottery games. A more detailed description of an example lottery terminal 200 is provided below with reference to
According to various example embodiments, some lottery terminals (e.g., lottery terminals 112, 114) may be in communication with the lottery host 102 via a local server 110. The local server 110 may have some or all functionality of the host 102. For example, the local server 110 may mirror a database stored on the host 102. The local server 110 may serve to manage a collection of lottery terminals, (e.g., at a single large location), and to facilitate communications between these terminals and the host 102. The local server 110 may be in communication with the host 102 through the network 104. Communications between the local server 110 and the network 104 may be encrypted. A first lottery terminal 112 and a second lottery terminal 114 may be connected to the local server 110. The communications between the first lottery terminal 112, the second lottery terminal 114 and the network 104 may be encrypted. It will be appreciated that other devices, including other lottery terminals, may also be connected to the local server 110.
According to various example embodiments, the system 100 may include functionality allowing a player's own computer equipment or telephone to server as a lottery terminal. For example, a player may utilize a personal computer 118 to participate in a game, for example, via a secure internet connection with a web-server at the host 102. The personal computer 118 may have an attached local printer. Communications between the personal computer 118 and the network 104 may be encrypted. Also, a portable wireless device 120 may serve as a lottery terminal. For example, the portable wireless device 120 may allow the player to play in a lottery game remotely. The portable wireless device 120 may be, for example, a cell phone or a wireless personal data assistant (PDA) and may be in encrypted communication with the lottery host 102 via the network 104. Also, according to various embodiments, players may take part in a game using a standard telephone. For example, the host 102 may include suitable equipment and software for receiving a telephone call from a player. On the telephone call, the player may purchase one or more chances.
A management terminal 130 in communication with the lottery host may be provided. The management terminal may provide a user interface to an administrator to set the predetermined thresholds for the various types of winner awareness display data, e.g., the number or amount of prizes that are considered a minimum positive result that a retailer would display on their terminal, the various rules that are used in analyzing and selecting the information, the way geographic regions should be divided, and the time periods that should be used. Alternatively, an interface can be provided directly on the retail terminal, allowing a retailer to set the predetermined thresholds themselves for their store, or to opt in or out of the display of winner awareness data on their retail terminal.
The lottery terminal 200 may include various components such as, for example, a central processor 202, a reader 204, a printer 206, a payment acceptor 208, a dispenser 210 and a display 212. Not all lottery terminals 200 will have an example of each of these components, and some may have more or fewer components than are shown. For example, a PC lottery terminal 118 may not have a dedicated payment acceptor 208 or dispenser 210. Alternatively, some online terminals 106 may have both a payment acceptor 208 and a dispenser 210. In use, the central processor 202 of the terminal 200 may direct the operations of some or all of the other terminal components, and may also be in communication with the host 102 over the network 104. For example, communications between the host 102 and the central processor 202 may be in real-time or may be batch-asynchronous.
Each of the other components of the example terminal 200 may be configured to perform game-related tasks. The reader 204 may be configured to read a machine readable code on various game pieces, (e.g., when the player presents a game piece as part of a request to play a game). The display 212 may be configured to display information to a player including, for example, winner awareness data as described herein. In some terminals, the display 212 may include security measures to prevent damage or tampering. For example, the display 212 may be placed behind a shatter and scratch resistant panel for protection. The printer 206 may be configured to print various game pieces including, for example, future-draw lottery game tickets. The payment acceptor 208 may be configured to accept cash, credit cards, debit cards, vouchers, or other forms of payment. For example, the payment acceptor 208 may include a magnetic strip reader for reading credit and debit cards, a device for receiving cash payments, etc. The dispenser 210 may be configured to dispense the game pieces or tickets including, for example, pre-printed tickets as well as tickets generated by the printer 206.
At 3200, the lottery terminal may maintain historical winner data. The historical winner data for a given terminal may include any kind of data describing winnings and/or prizes associated with the terminal. For example, these may include winnings from chances purchased at the terminal and/or winnings from chances redeemed at the terminal. According to various example embodiments, historical winner data for each terminal may include one or more of a terminal count, a terminal sum and a terminal highest prize. The terminal count may be a count of the qualifying prizes associated with the terminal. The terminal sum may be a sum of the qualifying prizes associated with the terminal. The terminal highest prize may be the highest prize associated with the terminal during a predetermined time period (e.g., within a month, within a quarter, etc.). According to various example embodiments, all prizes considered for the terminal count, terminal sum and highest prize may be qualifying prizes, or prizes having amounts exceeding a predetermined threshold. For example, a prize may be a qualifying prize if its amount is greater than the cost of purchasing the winning chance. Also, in some example embodiments, qualifying prizes may exclude prizes awarding merchandise and other non-monetary items.
According to various example embodiments, the lottery terminal may maintain the historical winner data in real time. For example, as a winning instant lottery chance is sold and/or redeemed at the terminal, it may increment the terminal count, adjust the terminal sum and determine whether the new winning chance is a terminal highest prize. For future-draw lottery games, the terminal may receive the results of a draw (e.g., from the host), determine whether any future-draw chances sold at the terminal are winners, and then update the terminal sum, terminal count and terminal highest prize accordingly. The terminal may also organize the historical winner data into appropriate time periods. For example, historical winner data may be kept for a current week, a previous week, a previous month, etc. In some example embodiments, terminals having the capability of facilitating more than one lottery game may keep separate counts, sums, and highest prizes for each game or game type. For example, historical winner data regarding instant lottery games and future-draw lottery games may be kept separately.
At 3202, the terminal may transmit the historical winner data to the host, which may receive the same at 3100. In addition, the host may receive historical winner data from other terminals that it is responsible for administering. The historical winner data may be transmitted and/or received according to any suitable frequency including, for example, daily, weekly or upon demand of an operator. Also, according to various example embodiments, the historical winner data may be transmitted to the host via e-mail. It will be appreciated that in some example embodiments, historical winner data may be kept not at the individual terminals, but may instead be kept at a central prize clearing location (not shown). The central prize clearing location may be a server or other computer device for storing and maintaining historical winner data for a plurality of lottery terminals. In this case, the host may receive the historical winner data from the central prize clearing location. Also, according to various example embodiments, the host itself may maintain historical winner data for its terminals. Accordingly, the host may receive the historical winner data from the terminals, from a central prize clearing location, or, in example embodiments where the host maintains the historical winner data, from a local data store.
At 3102, the host may aggregate historical winner data from all of its terminals. This may involve deriving from the terminal historical winner data, aggregated historical winner data describing sets of lottery terminals. Terminals included in a common set may be related to one another in any suitable way. For example, the terminals may be located at a common retail chain (e.g., a common convenience store chain, grocery store chain, etc.). In addition to, or instead the terminals in a set may be related by geographic area. For example, deriving aggregated historical winner data may comprise aggregating the winner data into data describing a series of nested geographic areas.
According to
It will be appreciated that the geographic hierarchy 400 is but one example hierarchy. Aggregated historical winner data may be found for other geographic areas/hierarchies as well in addition to, or instead of the states, counties and municipalities shown in the hierarchy 400. For example, in the case of lottery terminals selling chances for POWERBALL, MEGA MILLIONS and/or other multi-state lottery games, multiple states 402 may be included under a nation or country entry (not shown). Also, different government entities may have different organizations that require modifications to the hierarchy 400. For example, some states and/or countries may have more or fewer intermediate layers of geographic organization than the municipality/county/state organization shown in
Referring back to
To find winner display data for the terminal, the terminal's historical winner data may be compared to the terminal threshold. If the historical winner data meets or exceeds the terminal threshold, then the terminal's historical winner data may become the winner display data. Otherwise, the process may move up the geographic hierarchy toward larger geographic areas until a geographic area is found with aggregated historical winner data that exceeds that geographic area's associated threshold. In this way, winner display data may be found for all chances sold by a terminal. In addition, or instead, winner display data may be found in a similar way for each retail chain, individual game or category of game supported by the terminal. In some example embodiments, the host may begin applying thresholds above the terminal level of the geographic hierarchy. For example, terminal-level winner display data may not be displayed at terminals owned or controlled by a single player, such as a PC terminal 118, or portable wireless device terminal 120. Instead, for these devices, the host may begin applying thresholds, as described above, at a geographic level above the terminal level.
Referring back to
At 3206, the terminal may display the winner display data. The terminal may display the winner display data according to any suitable method. For example, as described above, many terminals have a display. The display may run a constant program of images and/or text including, for example, advertisements for lottery games that may be played at the terminal, other advertisements, etc. According to various example embodiments, one or more slides or other subdivisions of the display program may be reserved for winner display data. When there are multiple types of winner display data (e.g., count, sum and/or highest prize data), then some example embodiments may reserve a separate slide or subdivision of the display program for each data type. In some example embodiments, the process flow shown in
The process illustrated in
According to various example embodiments, some or all of the processing performed by the host in the process flow may be pushed to the terminals. For example,
At 9204, the terminal may transmit the historical winner data to the host (e.g., via e-mail). The host may receive the same at 9102. At 9104, the host may aggregate the historical winner data, for example, as described above. At 9106, the host may transmit terminal specific aggregated historical winner data to each terminal under its control. The terminal may receive the terminal specific aggregated historical winner data at 9206. Terminal specific aggregated historical winner data may include historical winner data describing all of the geographic areas to which a terminal belongs. For example, in a geographic hierarchy similar to that shown in
It will be appreciated that all of the disclosed methods, games, and procedures described herein can be implemented using one or more computer programs or components. These components may be provided as a series of computer instructions on any conventional computer-readable medium, including RAM, ROM, flash memory, magnetic or optical disks, optical memory, or other storage media. The instructions may be configured to be executed by a processor, which when executing the series of computer instructions performs or facilitates the performance of all or part of the disclosed methods, games, and procedures.
In the preceding specification, the present invention has been described with reference to specific example embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereunto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.
