Game at cash register

• US 10,467,643 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2018
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Lutnick, Howard W., Gelman, Geoffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pinheiro, Jason
• Application Number:
  US16/161,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20190066139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3253 involving articles, e.g. paying in bottles, paying out toys
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/24 with change-giving

Abstract

In various embodiments, a method may include receiving an indication of a price of an item to be purchased by a person from a merchant, receiving an indication of an amount tendered by the person, determining an amount of change due to the person based on the price and based on the amount tendered, determining the rules of a game, generating a first outcome of the game using a random number generator, determining based on the rules whether the first outcome is winning or losing, authorizing, if the first outcome is winning, that the amount tendered be returned to the person and that the person be allowed to keep the item, and authorizing, if the first outcome is losing, that the amount tendered be kept by the merchant.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a memory;

at least one processor to;

detect a plurality of cash registers within a predetermined proximity of the mobile device;

transmit a signal to each of the cash registers;

receive the signal from each of the cash registers;

identify which cash register is nearest to the mobile device based on an elapsed time between transmission of each signal and receipt of each signal;

select, based on the elapsed time, the cash register nearest to the mobile device for an opportunity to play a game;

in response to determining that more than one cash register are approximately nearest to the cash register, execute a tie breaking scheme to select one of the nearest cash registers;

transmit, to a selected nearest cash register, an indication that an item is being purchased via the mobile device; and

receive, from the selected nearest cash register, information indicative of the opportunity to play the game in which a payout of the game comprises a reduction in or elimination of a purchase price of the item.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined proximity is approximately thirty feet.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit, to the selected nearest cash register, an instruction to initiate the game.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein to execute the tie breaking scheme the at least one processor is configured to select one of the nearest cash registers randomly.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein to execute the tie breaking scheme the at least one processor is configured to select a cash register that is not currently involved in a transaction.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein to execute the tie breaking scheme the at least one processor is configured to select a cash register based on a predetermined priority scheme.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to establish an exclusive communication channel with the selected nearest cash register.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to detect a beacon emitted from the plurality of cash registers.

9. A method comprising:

detecting, by at least one processor, a plurality of cash registers within a predetermined proximity of a mobile device;

transmitting, by the at least one processor, a signal to each of the cash registers;

receiving, by the at least one processor, the signal from each of the cash registers;

identifying, by the at least one processor, which cash register is nearest to the mobile device based on an elapsed time between transmission of each signal and receipt of each signal;

selecting, by the at least one processor, the cash register nearest to the mobile device based on the elapsed time for an opportunity to play a game;

in response to determining that more than one cash register are approximately nearest to the cash register, executing, by the at least one processor, a tie breaking scheme to select one of the nearest cash registers;

transmitting, by the at least one processor, an indication to the selected nearest cash register that an item is being purchased via the mobile device; and

receiving, by the at least one processor, information from the selected nearest cash register indicative of the opportunity to play the game, in which a payout of the game comprises a reduction in or elimination of a purchase price of the item.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined proximity is approximately thirty feet.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting, by the at least one processor, a game initiation instruction to the selected nearest cash register.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein executing the tie breaking scheme comprises selecting, by the at least one processor, a cash register randomly.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein executing the tie breaking scheme comprises selecting, by the at least one processor, a cash register that is not currently involved in a transaction.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein executing the tie breaking scheme comprises selecting, by the at least one processor, a cash register based on a predetermined priority scheme.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprises establishing, by the at least one processor, an exclusive communication channel with the selected nearest cash register.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprises detecting, by the at least one processor, a beacon emitted from the plurality of cash registers.