Lottery system

• US 20040097283A1
• Filed: 09/23/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sole Survivor Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Cool 123 Limited
• Inventors: Smith, Glen David, Piper, James William
• Granted Patent: US 7,100,822 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/00 Generating random numbers; Lottery apparatus
• 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 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking

Abstract

A computer based lottery which allows entries to be sold over the telephone, by ATM or POS machines, by email, or via kiosks, in which participants are invited to choose at least one unique number from a defined range of numbers, e.g. between one and one million which hopefully no-one else has or will select before the end of the competition. The participant can register their selection with an entry-logging engine (which can be an automated call answering system allowing the user to key in the number chosen by using the telephone keypad). This records the identity or contact details of the participant (for example telephone number or email address), the number selected by the participant, and the date and time of the entry, the entry-logging engine giving the participant an optional receipt number.

Claims

1. A computerised lottery having at least one computer system for recording entries and determining one or more winners, in which participants are invited to select at least one number from a defined range of n numbers, and to register their selection with the computer, the computer being capable of recording at least the identity or contact details of the participant, the number selected by the participant, the rules of the competition being such that participants are aware that the competition will run until a winner is declared, but that more than one selection of the same number by more than one participant or entry will prevent that number from being chosen for a primary prize, the competition running until either:

(a) a defined time has expired to determine one or more winners based on the participants who had selected numbers that other participants had not selected;

or (b) until all but one of the numbers have been selected two or more times, and only one number remains having been selected by only one participant, with that final number being declared the winning number, and the participant having chosen that number being notified as the winner.

2. A computerised lottery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the registration process includes time and date recordal of each entry.

3. A computerised lottery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer system includes a transaction engine and a lottery engine.

4. A computerised lottery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lottery engine is capable of maintaining (a) a register of all of the possible numbers to be used in the defined lottery, and (b) a record of the number of times each number is chosen;

and the lottery engine has means for identifying the outcome when only one number remains having been selected by only one participant.

5. A computerised lottery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lottery engine includes at least one database.

6. A computerised lottery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transaction engine is separate from the lottery engine and passes registered entries sequentially to the lottery engine.

7. A computerised lottery as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input to the transaction engine is capable of receiving remote entries from any one or more of (a) a telephone keypad, or (b) an SMS message from a mobile phone, or (c) an email or (d) an entry direct to a website, or (e) an entry at an ATM, or (f) an entry at a POS terminal, or (g) an entry direct to a kiosk or computer terminal at a retail outlet.

8. A computer program for conducting a lottery in which participants are invited to select at least one number from a defined range of “

n”

numbers, and to register their selection with a computer running the program, the program adapted to record at least the identity or contact details of the participant, the number selected by the participant, and to separately record the number of times each number within the range of “

n”

numbers is chosen by participants, the program allowing the competition to run until all but one of the numbers have been selected two or more times, and only one number remains having been selected by only one participant, with that final number being declared the winning number.

9. A method of conducting a lottery, in which participants are invited to select at least one number from a defined range of numbers, for example between one and n, to register their selection with a computer system, the computer system being capable of recording at least the identity or contact details of the participant, the number selected by the participant, and preferably the date and time of the entry, the rules of the competition being such that participants are aware that the competition will run until a winner is declared, but that more than one selection of the same number by more than one participant or entry will prevent that number from being chosen as the primary prize, the competition running until either a defined time has expired, or more preferably until all but one of the numbers have been selected two or more times, and only one number remains having been selected by only one participant, with that final number being declared the winning number, and the participant having chosen that number being notified as the winner.