Lottery ticket dispensing machine for multiple priced tickets based on variable ratios

• US 20050164769A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lottery Dynamics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Integrated Group Assets Inc.
• Inventors: Wright, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,635,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine is disclose. A price category reception module receives a first price category of a first distribution. The price category reception module receives a second price category of a second distribution. The second distribution is established so that a first association between the first distribution and the first price category has a variable ratio with a second association between the second distribution and the second price category. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine also has a user input module. Further, the multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine has a lottery ticket printer. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine also has a controller that receives the price categories, receives an input from the user, and provides an instruction to the lottery ticket printer.

Claims

1. A multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine comprising:

a price category reception module, wherein the price category reception module receives a first price category of a first distribution, wherein the price category reception module receives a second price category of a second distribution, wherein the second distribution is established so that a first association between the first distribution and the first price category has a variable ratio with a second association between the second distribution and the second price category;

a user input module, wherein the user input module receives an input from a user indicating one of a plurality of price categories in which a lottery ticket is to be purchased, wherein one of the plurality of price categories is the first price category, wherein another one of the plurality of price categories is the second price category;

a lottery ticket printer, wherein the lottery ticket printer prints a lottery ticket from the price category chosen by the user input device; and

a controller, wherein the controller receives the first price category from the price category reception module, wherein the controller receives the second price category from the price category reception module, wherein the controller receives the input from the user, wherein the controller provides an instruction to the lottery ticket printer to print the lottery ticket according to the input.

2. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein the price category reception module receives the first price category from a server through a network.

3. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein the price category reception module receives the second price category from a server through a network.

4. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 1, further comprising a lottery ticket purchase transmission module that transmits a verification code from the lottery ticket that was purchased.

5. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 1, further comprising a display that receives the input from the user input module, wherein the display displays the input.

6. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 5, wherein the display is a graphical user interface.

7. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 1, further comprising a payment module that receives payment from a user for the purchase of the lottery ticket.

8. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 1, further comprising a lottery ticket purchase transmission module that transmits a verification code to a server through a network upon the purchase of a the lottery ticket.

9. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein the first association is the first distribution divided by the first price category.

10. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein the second association is the second distribution divided by the second price category.

11. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 10, wherein the variable ratio is variable because the difference between the second association and the first association is a positive number.

12. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 10, wherein the variable ratio is variable because the difference between the second association and the first association is a negative number.

13. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein a higher priced ticket is in the second price category.

14. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein the first distribution is the total distribution that is shared by holders of lottery tickets in the plurality of first-price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number.

15. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein the second distribution is the total distribution that is shared by holders of lottery tickets in the plurality of second-price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number.

16. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein the winning lottery number is randomly selected.

17. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein the first distribution and the second distribution are provided from a single shared jackpot.

18. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 1, wherein the price category reception module receives a third-price category of a third distribution in which a plurality of third price category lottery tickets are purchased.

19. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 18, wherein the third distribution is determined so that the first association has a constant ratio with a third association between the third distribution and the third-price category.

20. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 19, wherein the constant ratio is constant because the difference between the third association and the first association equals zero.

21. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 18, wherein the third prize is the total distribution that is shared by holders of lottery tickets in the plurality of third-price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number.

22. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 18, wherein the first distribution, the second distribution, and the third distribution are provided from a single shared jackpot.

23. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 18, wherein the highest priced ticket is in the third price category.

24. The multi-priced lottery ticket dispensing machine of claim 18, wherein the third distribution is determined so that the second association has a constant ratio with a third association between the third distribution and the third price category.

25. A lottery distribution calculation system comprising:

a first price category module, wherein the first price category indicates the price in which a plurality of first price category lottery tickets are purchased;

a second price category module, wherein the second price category indicates the price in which a plurality of second price category lottery tickets are purchased; and

a multi-priced distribution module, wherein the multi-priced distribution module calculates a variable ratio, wherein the multi-priced distribution module receives the first price category input, wherein the multi-priced distribution module receives the second price category input, wherein the multi-priced distribution module establishes a first distribution that can be won with the lottery tickets in the plurality of first price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number, wherein the multi-priced distribution module establishes a second distribution so that a first association between the first distribution and the first price category has the variable ratio with a second association between the second distribution and the second price category, wherein the second distribution can be won with the lottery tickets in the plurality of second price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number.

26. The lottery distribution calculation system of claim 25, wherein the first association is the first distribution divided by the first price category.

27. The lottery distribution calculation system of claim 25, wherein the second association is the second distribution divided by the second price category.

28. The lottery distribution calculation system of claim 25, wherein the variable ratio is variable because the difference between the second association and the first association is a positive number.

29. The lottery distribution calculation system of claim 25, wherein the variable ratio is variable because the difference between the second association and the first association is a negative number.

30. A multi-priced shared lottery system comprising:

a first price category module that provides a first price category in which a plurality of first price category lottery tickets can be purchased, wherein the first price category indicates a first distribution that can be won with lottery tickets in the plurality of first price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number;

a second price category module that provides a second price category in which a plurality of second price category lottery tickets can be purchased, wherein the second price category ticket indicates a second distribution that can be won with lottery tickets in the plurality of second price category lottery tickets having the winning number, wherein the second distribution is determined so that a first association between the first distribution and the first price category has a variable ratio with a second association between the second distribution and the second price category;

a random number selection module that randomly selects the winning lottery number;

a first price intra-shared distribution module that provides a first price category intra-shared distribution of the first percentage of the prize if at least one of the lottery tickets in the plurality of first price category lottery tickets has a winning number, wherein the first category is the only price category having a winning ticket, wherein each of the winning tickets in the plurality of first price category lottery tickets shares the first percentage of the prize according to a first price category intra-sharing distribution formula; and

a second price category intra-shared distribution module that provides a second price category intra-shared distribution of the second percentage of the prize if at least one of the lottery tickets in the plurality of second price category lottery tickets has a winning number, wherein the second category is the only price category having a winning ticket, wherein each of the winning tickets in the plurality of second price category lottery tickets shares the second percentage of the prize according to a second price category intra-sharing distribution formula.

31. The multi-priced shared lottery system of claim 30, wherein the first association is the first distribution divided by the first price category.

32. The multi-priced shared lottery system of claim 30, wherein the second association is the second distribution divided by the second price category.

33. The multi-priced shared lottery system of claim 30, wherein the variable ratio is variable because the difference between the second association and the first association is a positive number.

34. The multi-priced shared lottery system of claim 30, wherein the variable ratio is variable because the difference between the second association and the first association is a negative number.

35. A multi-priced shared lottery system comprising:

a server;

a database operably connected to the server, wherein the database stores a first price category module and a second price category module, wherein the first price category module establishes a first distribution that can be won with lottery tickets in a plurality of first-price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number, wherein the second price category module establishes a second distribution that can be won with lottery tickets in a plurality of second-price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number, wherein the second distribution is determined so that a first association between the first distribution and the first price category has a variable ratio with a second association between the second distribution and the second price category; and

a lottery ticket dispensing machine that communicates with the server through a network, wherein the lottery ticket dispensing machine receives the first distribution and the second distribution from the server.

36. The multi-priced shared lottery system of claim 35, wherein the first association is the first distribution divided by the first price category.

37. The multi-priced shared lottery system of claim 35, wherein the second association is the second distribution divided by the second price category.

38. The multi-priced shared lottery system of claim 35, wherein the variable ratio is variable because the difference between the second association and the first association is a positive number.

39. The multi-priced shared lottery system of claim 35, wherein the variable ratio is variable because the difference between the second association and the first association is a negative number.

40. A multi-priced shared lottery system comprising:

a first price category module, wherein the first price category module establishes a first distribution that can be won with lottery tickets in a plurality of first-price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number;

a second price category module, wherein the second price category module establishes a second distribution that can be won with lottery tickets in a plurality of second-price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number, wherein the second distribution is determined so that a first association between the first distribution and the first price category has a variable ratio with a second association between the second distribution and the second price category.

41. The multi-priced shared lottery system of claim 40, wherein the first association is the first distribution divided by the first price category.

42. The multi-priced shared lottery system of claim 40, wherein the second association is the second distribution divided by the second price category.

43. The multi-priced shared lottery system of claim 40, wherein the variable ratio is variable because the difference between the second association and the first association is a positive number.

44. The multi-priced shared lottery system of claim 40, wherein the variable ratio is variable because the difference between the second association and the first association is a negative number.

45. A method of distributing a plurality of lottery tickets in a multi-priced shared lottery, the method comprising:

establishing a first distribution that can be won with lottery tickets in a plurality of first-price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number;

establishing a second distribution that can be won with lottery tickets in a plurality of second-price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number, wherein the second distribution is determined so that a first association between the first distribution and the first price category has a variable ratio with a second association between the second distribution and the second price category.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the first association is the first distribution divided by the first price category.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the second association is the second distribution divided by the second price category.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the variable ratio is variable because the difference between the second association and the first association is a positive number.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the variable ratio is variable because the difference between the second association and the first association is a negative number.

50. The method of claim 45, wherein the higher priced ticket is in the second price category.

51. The method of claim 45, wherein the first distribution is the total distribution that is shared by holders of lottery tickets in the plurality of first-price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number.

52. The method of claim 45, wherein the second distribution is the total distribution that is shared by holders of lottery tickets in the plurality of second-price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number.

53. The method of claim 45, further comprising randomly selecting the winning lottery number.

54. The method of claim 45, wherein the first distribution and the second distribution are provided from a single shared jackpot.

55. The method of claim 45, further comprising providing a third-price category in which a plurality of third price category lottery tickets can be purchased.

56. The method of claim 55, further comprising establishing a third distribution that can be won with the lottery tickets in the plurality of third-price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number, wherein the third distribution is determined so that the first association has a constant ratio with a third association between the third distribution and the third-price category.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the constant ratio is constant because the difference between the third association and the first association equals zero.

58. The method of claim 56, wherein the third prize is the total distribution that is shared by holders of lottery tickets in the plurality of third-price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number.

59. The method of claim 56, wherein the first distribution, the second distribution, and the third distribution are provided from a single shared jackpot.

60. The method of claim 56, wherein the highest priced ticket is in the third price category.

61. The method of claim 56, further comprising establishing a third distribution that can be won with the lottery tickets in the plurality of third-price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number, wherein the third distribution is determined so that the second association has a constant ratio with a third association between the third distribution and the third price category.

62. A method of distributing a plurality of lottery tickets in a multi-priced shared lottery, the method comprising:

establishing a first distribution that can be won with lottery tickets in a plurality of first-price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number;

establishing a second distribution that can be won with lottery tickets in a plurality of second-price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number, wherein the second distribution is determined so that a first association between the first distribution and the first price category has a variable ratio with a second association between the second distribution and the second price category.

randomly selecting the winning lottery number;

providing a first price category intra-shared distribution of the first distribution if at least one of the lottery tickets in the plurality of first price category lottery tickets has a winning number, wherein the first category is the only price category having a winning ticket, wherein each of the winning tickets in the plurality of first price category lottery tickets shares the first distribution according to a first price category intra-sharing distribution formula;

providing a second price category intra-shared distribution of the second distribution of the prize if at least one of the lottery tickets in the plurality of second price category lottery tickets has a winning number, wherein the second category is the only price category having a winning ticket, wherein each of the winning tickets in the plurality of second price category lottery tickets shares the second distribution according to a second price category intra-sharing distribution formula;

providing a divided first price category intra-shared distribution of the first distribution, a divided second price category intra-shared distribution of the second distribution, and an inter-shared distribution of the first distribution if at least one of the lottery tickets in the plurality of first price category lottery tickets has a winning number and if at least one of the lottery tickets in the plurality of second price category lottery tickets has a winning number, wherein each of the winning tickets in the plurality of first price category lottery tickets shares the first distribution according to the divided first price category intra-sharing distribution formula, wherein each of the winning tickets in the plurality of second price category lottery tickets shares the second distribution according to the divided second price category intra-sharing distribution formula, and wherein each of the winning tickets in the plurality of the second price category lottery tickets shares the first distribution with each of the winning tickets in the plurality of the first price category lottery tickets according to an inter-sharing distribution formula.

63. The method of claim 62, wherein the first price category intra-sharing distribution formula is an equal distribution.

64. The method of claim 62, wherein the second price category intra-sharing distribution formula is an equal distribution.

65. The method of claim 62, wherein the inter-sharing formula is an equal distribution.

66. The method of claim 62, wherein the inter-sharing formula is a weighted distribution that provides a larger portion of the first distribution to winning tickets in the plurality of the second price category lottery tickets.

67. The method of claim 62, further comprising providing a third price category in which a plurality of third price category lottery tickets can be purchased, wherein the third price category indicates a third distribution of a prize that can be won with lottery tickets in the plurality of third price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number.

68. The method of claim 67, further comprising providing a third price category intra-shared distribution of the third distribution of the prize if at least one of the lottery tickets in the plurality of third price category lottery tickets has a winning number, wherein the third price category is the only price category having a winning ticket, wherein each of the winning tickets in the plurality of third price category lottery tickets shares the third distribution of the prize according to a third price category intra-sharing distribution formula.

69. The method of claim 68, further comprising providing the divided first price category intra-shared distribution of the first distribution of the prize, the divided second price category intra-shared distribution of the second distribution of the prize, the divided third price category intra-shared distribution of the third distribution of the prize, and the inter-shared distribution of the first distribution of the prize if at least one of the lottery tickets in the plurality of first price category lottery tickets has a winning number, if at least one of the lottery tickets in the plurality of second price category lottery tickets has a winning number, and if at least one of the lottery tickets in the plurality of third price category lottery tickets has a winning number, wherein each of the winning tickets in the plurality of first price category lottery tickets shares the first distribution of the prize according to the divided first price category intra-sharing distribution formula, wherein each of the winning tickets in the plurality of second price category lottery tickets shares the second distribution of the prize according to the divided second price category intra-sharing distribution formula, wherein each of the winning tickets in the plurality of third price category lottery tickets shares the third distribution of the prize according to the divided third price category intra-sharing distribution formula, wherein each of the winning tickets in the plurality of the second price category lottery tickets and each of the winning tickets in the plurality of the third price category lottery tickets shares the first distribution of the prize with each of the winning tickets in the plurality of the first price category lottery tickets according to a first triplet inter-sharing distribution formula, wherein each of the winning tickets in the plurality of the third price category lottery tickets shares the second distribution of the prize with each of the winning tickets in the plurality of the second price category lottery tickets according to a second triplet inter-sharing distribution formula.

70. The method of claim 62, wherein the first association is the first distribution divided by the first price category.

71. The method of claim 62, wherein the second association is the second distribution divided by the second price category.

72. The method of claim 71, wherein the variable ratio is variable because the difference between the second association and the first association is a positive number.

73. The method of claim 71, wherein the variable ratio is variable because the difference between the second association and the first association is a negative number.

74. The method of claim 62, wherein a higher priced ticket is in the second price category.

75. The method of claim 62, wherein the first distribution is the total distribution that is shared by holders of lottery tickets in the plurality of first price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number.

76. The method of claim 62, wherein the second distribution is the total distribution that is shared by holders of lottery tickets in the plurality of second price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number.

77. The method of claim 62, further comprising randomly selecting the winning lottery number.

78. The method of claim 62, wherein the first distribution and the second distribution are provided from a single shared jackpot.

79. The method of claim 62, further comprising providing a third price category in which a plurality of third price category lottery tickets can be purchased.

80. The method of claim 79, further comprising establishing a third distribution that can be won with the lottery tickets in the plurality of third price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number, wherein the third distribution is determined so that the first association has a constant ratio with a third association between the third distribution and the third price category.

81. The method of claim 79, wherein the constant ratio is constant because the difference between the third association and the first association equals zero.

82. The method of claim 79, wherein the third distribution is the total distribution that is shared by holders of lottery tickets in the plurality of third price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number.

83. The method of claim 79, wherein the first distribution, the second distribution, and the third distribution are provided from a single shared jackpot.

84. The method of claim 79, wherein the highest priced ticket is in the third price category.

85. The method of claim 79, further comprising establishing a third distribution that can be won with the lottery tickets in the plurality of third price category lottery tickets having a winning lottery number, wherein the third distribution is determined so that the second association has a constant ratio with a third association between the third distribution and the third price category.