Lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game

• US 20030181236A1
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Douglas M. Okuniewicz
• Original Assignee: AIM Management, Inc.
• Inventors: Okuniewicz, Douglas M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,495,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2001/008 adapted for being playable on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/081 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3202 Hardware aspects of a gaming system, e.g. components, construction, architecture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game includes at least one detection device operative to detect selected event occurrences of an electronic gaming device and output event occurrence signals upon detection of an event or series of events occurring on an electronic gaming device and an interface device in information transmission connection with the detection device, the interface device operative to detect and receive event occurrence signals from the detection device, analyze and translate the event occurrence signals and output lottery entry dispensing commands. Finally, a lottery entry device is in information transmission connection with the interface device and in information transmission connection with a central lottery system, the lottery entry device operative to receive the lottery entry dispensing commands output by the interface device and output at least one entry ticket into a lottery event via and in connection with the central lottery system.

Claims

1. A lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game comprising;

at least one detection means operative to detect selected event occurrences of an electronic gaming device and output event occurrence signals upon detection of an event or series of events occurring on an electronic gaming device;

interface means in information transmission connection with said detection means, said interface means operative to detect and receive event occurrence signals from said detection means, analyze and translate said event occurrence signals and output lottery entry dispensing commands; and

lottery entry means in information transmission connection with said interface means and in information transmission connection with a central lottery system, said lottery entry means operative to receive said lottery entry dispensing commands output by said interface means and output at least one entry ticket into a lottery event via and in connection with said central lottery system whereby an operator of an electronic gaming device receives at least one entry into a lottery event.

2. The lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game of claim 1 wherein said detection means further comprises software programming in at least one of said electronic gaming device, said interface means, said lottery entry means, an electronic gaming device central computer system and said central lottery system operative to detect selected event occurrences on an electronic gaming device and output event occurrence signals upon detection of an event.

3. The lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game of claim 1 wherein said detection means further comprises firmware and hardware in at least one of said electronic gaming device, said interface means, said lottery entry means, an electronic gaming device central computer system and said central lottery system operative to detect selected event occurrences on an electronic gaming device and output event occurrence signals upon detection of an event.

4. The lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game of claim 1 wherein said detection means comprises an activity monitoring unit connected to said electronic gaming device for monitoring selected event occurrences in said electronic gaming device, the activity monitoring unit comprising;

a programmable electronic activity detector and command generator, said programmable electronic activity detector and command generator including at least one detection device adapted to be connected to said electronic gaming device in information transmission connection therewith,

an event detection sampling device in information transmission connection with the detection device; and

a programmable event occurrence information signal computing device connected to the event detection sampling device operative to output command signals therefrom for commanding said interface means to generate lottery entry dispensing commands to said lottery entry means to output a lottery entry in response to a specific occurrence or occurrences in said electronic gaming device.

5. The lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game of claim 1 wherein said interface means comprises a lottery interface board (LIB) including a circuit board having at least one programmable microchip programmed to receive, analyze and translate said event occurrence signals from said detection means and output lottery entry dispensing commands to said lottery entry means.

6. The lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game of claim 1 wherein said interface means comprises software programming programmed to receive, analyze and translate said event occurrence signals from said detection means and output lottery entry dispensing commands to said lottery entry means.

7. The lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game of claim 1 wherein said lottery entry means further comprises a manual input means operative to permit entry of lottery-specific characters and a printing unit operative to output lottery tickets in response to lottery entry dispensing commands received from said interface means via said lottery entry means.

8. The lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game of claim 7 wherein said manual input means is selected from the group consisting of a keypad, a touch screen, a touch pad, a joystick, a mouse, a trackball and a voice data entry device.

9. The lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game of claim 1 wherein said detection means, said interface means and said lottery entry means are cooperatively operative to transfer electronic gaming device-generated character information from said electronic gaming device to said lottery entry means, said character information identifying selected character values used for outputting at least one lottery entry including said selected character values in response to lottery entry dispensing commands received from said interface means into said lottery entry means.

10. The lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game of claim 1 wherein said lottery entry means further comprises an automatic input means operative to transfer electronic gaming device-generated character information from said electronic gaming device to said lottery entry means, said character information identifying selected character values used for outputting at least one lottery entry including said selected character values in response to lottery entry dispensing commands received from said interface means into said lottery entry means.

11. The lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game of claim 1 wherein at least one of said lottery entry means and said central lottery system further comprises a generally random character value generating device operative to generally randomly select character values for inclusion on at least one lottery entry including said generally randomly selected character values in response to lottery entry dispensing commands received from said interface means into said lottery entry means.

12. The lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game of claim 11 wherein said central lottery system periodically generates a pool of entries for dispensing via said lottery entry means at least one entry from said pool of entries to a player such that said pool of entries is usable during a period when said central lottery system is not operatively connected to said lottery entry means to output a lottery entry.

13. The lottery system/electronic gaming device interface and gambling game of claim 5 wherein said interface means is programmable to include accounting and security tracking functions for electronic gaming devices and for central lottery systems, said accounting and security tracking functions selected from the group consisting of tracking coin in, coin out, machine win, door open, jackpots, tilts, game outcomes, power on/off, number of tickets printed, characters on the tickets, time and date functions, paper jams and malfunctions.

14. In combination:

at least two lottery system/electronic gaming device interfaces in information transmission connection with each other for providing inter-interface communication, each of said at least two lottery system/electronic gaming device interfaces including;

at least one detection means adapted for connection to an electronic gaming device, said detection means operative to detect selected event occurrences on said electronic gaming device and output event occurrence signals upon detection of an event or series of events;

interface means in information transmission connection with said detection means, said interface means operative to detect and receive event occurrence signals from said detection means, analyze and translate said event occurrence signals and output lottery entry dispensing commands; and

lottery entry means in information transmission connection with said interface means and in information transmission connection with a central lottery system, said lottery entry means operative to receive said lottery entry dispensing commands output by said interface means and output at least one entry ticket into a lottery event via and in connection with said central lottery system whereby an operator of the electronic gaming device receives at least one entry into a lottery event.

15. The combination of claim 14 wherein said information transmission connection between said at least two lottery system/electronic gaming device interfaces for providing inter-interface communication comprises a network selected from the group consisting of local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), the Internet, TCP/IP protocol networks, radio-frequency (RF) , line-of-sight, fiber-optic, wireless and G3 cellular networks.

16. The combination of claim 14 wherein said information transmission connection between said at least two lottery system/electronic gaming device interfaces for providing inter-interface communication performs at least one of the functions selected from the group consisting of updating, accounting, security, bi-directional downloads, enabling and disabling of said at least two lottery system/electronic gaming device interfaces, enabling, disabling and controlling said electronic gaming device, controlling associated equipment and control of peripheral devices.

17. The combination of claim 14 wherein said information transmission connection between said at least two lottery system/electronic gaming device interfaces is via at least one of said central lottery system, an electronic gaming device central computer system and a master lottery system/electronic gaming device interface programmed to facilitate information transmission between said at least two lottery system/electronic gaming device interfaces.