Lottery transaction device, system and method

• US 20040242309A1
• Filed: 03/15/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GTECH Corporation (GTECH SpA)
• Original Assignee: GTECH Corporation (GTECH SpA)
• Inventors: Metayer, Frank, Melesko, Robert S., Breindel, James R., Alexandre, Raymond, Mallin, Timothy J., Rafuse, Charles A. Jr., Meehan, Richard S., Corvese, Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/801,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20040242309A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/18
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• 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 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A lottery device, system and method incorporates lottery and non-lottery transaction capabilities within a single, network-connected device, whereby the device communicates lottery transaction information to a central lottery server, while separately managing non-lottery transaction information. The system of the present invention provides a lottery network within which one or more devices of the invention can operate. The lottery network includes a back-end transaction processor and an interface for introducing new game types into the lottery system. In this way, a lottery distributor can not only offer a range of games that changes over time, but the distributor can choose which games to offer from an ever-changing menu of game options over a variety of device types.

Claims

1. A transaction processing device, comprising:

a POS terminal having a CPU and a display;

a lottery game controller in communication with said terminal;

a lottery transaction controller in communication with said terminal;

retailer software operable by said CPU for displaying an interface associated with at least one non-lottery-related retailer function on said terminal display; and

lottery software operable by said CPU for displaying an interface associated with at least one lottery-related retailer function on said terminal display.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said terminal is provided with memory and said retailer software is stored in and operable from said memory for display on said display.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said retailer software is stored on a retailer controller in communication with said terminal and operable by said CPU for display on said display.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said terminal is provided with memory and said lottery software is stored in and operable from said memory for display on said display.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said lottery software is stored on a lottery controller in communication with said terminal and operable by said CPU for display on said display.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said lottery software is operable for managing lottery game offerings and wherein said interface is a game selection interface.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said lottery game controller hosts a plurality of available lottery games and wherein said interface allows selection of a game offering hosted by said game controller and selected by a user of said POS terminal, said selection being communicated to said lottery game controller.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein said interface displays an interface associated with said selected game upon said selection being communicated to said game controller.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said lottery software is operable for managing lottery transactions and wherein said displayed interface is taken from the group consisting of:

lottery ticket purchase, lottery ticket cancellation, lottery ticket validation, lottery game result query.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said lottery transaction controller facilitates processing of lottery transactions with a remote lottery host system.

11. The device of claim 9 wherein said display is a lottery ticket purchase display and wherein said display includes selection options for executing one of:

a quick pick ticket, a draw ticket.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein said terminal further is in operating communication with a printing device.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein said interface is displayed via a web browser.

14. A method of conducting lottery transactions, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one POS device adapted for lottery and non-lottery transactions, said POS device being further provided with a CPU and a display;

providing a lottery game controller operatively connected to said at least one POS device;

providing a lottery transaction server operatively connected to said at least one POS device;

providing retailer software operable by said CPU for displaying an interface associated with at least one non-lottery-related retailer function on said terminal display; and

providing lottery software operable by said CPU for displaying an interface associated with at least one lottery-related retailer function on said terminal display.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said terminal is provided with memory and said retailer software is stored in and operable from said memory for display on said display.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said retailer software is stored on a retailer controller in communication with said terminal and operable by said CPU for display on said display.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said terminal is provided with memory and said lottery software is stored in and operable from said memory for display on said display.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said lottery software is stored on a lottery controller in communication with said terminal and operable by said CPU for display on said display.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein said lottery software is operable for managing lottery game offerings and wherein said interface is a game selection interface.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said lottery game controller hosts a plurality of available lottery games and wherein said interface allows selection of a game offering hosted by said game controller and selected by a user of said POS terminal, said selection being communicated to said lottery game controller.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said interface displays an interface associated with said selected game upon said selection being communicated to said game controller.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein said lottery software is operable for managing lottery transactions and wherein said displayed interface is taken from the group consisting of:

lottery ticket purchase, lottery ticket cancellation, lottery ticket validation, lottery game result query.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said lottery transaction controller facilitates processing of lottery transactions with a remote lottery host system.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said display is a lottery ticket purchase display and wherein said display includes selection options for executing one of:

a quick pick ticket, a draw ticket.

25. The method of claim 14 wherein said terminal further is in operating communication with a printing device.

26. The method of claim 14 wherein said interface is displayed via a web browser.

27. A system for processing lottery transactions, comprising:

a POS terminal having a CPU and a display;

a retailer controller, a lottery game controller, and a lottery transaction controller, all in communication with said terminal, said retailer controller including function determination means for determining whether a retailer function input via said POS device is lottery-related or non-lottery related;

retailer software operable by said CPU for displaying an interface associated with at least one non-lottery-related retailer function on said terminal display; and

lottery software operable by said CPU for displaying an interface associated with at least one lottery-related retailer function on said terminal display, whereby, upon receipt via said POS device of an input corresponding to a retailer function, said CPU transmits said input to said retailer controller and upon said input corresponding to a lottery-related function, said retailer controller transmits said input to one of;

said lottery game controller or said lottery transaction controller.

28. A method of adapting a point-of-sale device to incorporate lottery transaction capabilities, said POS device having a CPU and a display, comprising the steps of:

providing lottery software operable by said CPU for displaying an interface associated with at least one lottery-related retailer function on said terminal display;

providing a lottery game controller operatively connected to said at least one POS device for providing at least one lottery game option selectable by an interface displayed using said lottery software; and

providing a lottery transaction server operatively connected to said at least one POS device for providing at least one lottery transaction option selectable by an interface displayed using said lottery software.

29. A method for facilitating lottery and non-lottery transactions, comprising the steps of:

providing a point-of-sale device with a plurality of display interfaces, including at least one non-lottery transaction interface, and at least one lottery transaction interface;

providing means for selecting one or more lottery applications for display on said lottery interface;

providing means for communicating said lottery application selection to a central lottery server;

providing means for conducting lottery transactions via said device, including receiving lottery transaction requests, entering said request into said POS device, and communicating said transaction to a lottery transaction server; and

providing means for conducting non-lottery transactions via said device.

30. A lottery system, comprising:

a lottery server operable to process lottery transactions and provide interactive lottery games over a network; and

a plurality of distributor server systems, each having at least one browser-based point-of-sale device for processing lottery and non-lottery transactions, said distributor server systems being in operable communication with said network.

31. A lottery system, comprising:

a lottery server operable to process lottery transactions and provide interactive lottery games over a network;

at least one first distributor server system having at least one browser-based point-of-sale device for processing lottery and non-lottery transactions, said first distributor server system being in operable communication with said network; and

at least one second distributor server system having at least one self-service, browser-based point-of-sale device for processing lottery and non-lottery transactions, said second distributor server system being in operable communication with said network.