Lottery channel

• US 20060063516A1
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Grossman, Joel K., Skinner, Kent H., Tan, Albert W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,383,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.300
• 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 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention provides lottery content to a user on a mobile device. The lottery content is automatically delivered and stored on a mobile electronic device for access by a user. Using the device, users can quickly access the lottery information they are interested in without having to type in information to specifically download the content to the device. The lottery channel is directed at providing a quicker and less cumbersome way of accessing lottery information as compared to having to access a web site or some other service.

Claims

1. A method for receiving, displaying and interacting with lottery content on a mobile electronic device, comprising:

receiving the lottery channel content encoded on a communication signal that is broadcast to many electronic devices, wherein the lottery channel content includes results of lottery games in a predetermined area;

filtering the lottery channel content according to pre-defined user preferences;

storing at least a portion of the filtered lottery content on the electronic device;

associating the lottery channel content with a channel application on the electronic device;

setting a current view associated with the lottery content; and

displaying the current view on a display of the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-define user preferences are obtained by receiving a configuration message indicating selected lottery games.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuration message further includes a value indicating how to display results associated with the selected lottery games.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the value indicates whether the selected lottery game includes a bonus ball, a power ball;

and whether the selected lottery game is a keno-like game.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the current view further comprises selecting a detail view corresponding to a glance view.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the detailed view includes a result of a lottery game and a date of the result.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein setting the current view further comprises automatically cycling through views associated with the lottery content at a predetermined rate.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising periodically receiving updates to the lottery content and storing the updated lottery content.

9. The method of claim 1, further adjusting the current view based on user preferences set through a web interface.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically expiring lottery content on the mobile electronic device that is out of date.

11. An apparatus for receiving, navigating, and displaying lottery content, comprising:

a data store;

a communication connection configured to receive a communication signal including the lottery content that is directed to a plurality of mobile electronic devices and store a portion of the lottery content in the data store based upon user preferences;

a display;

a user interface that includes a selector; and

an electronic system that is arranged to interact with the user interface, the data store, the communication connection, and the display, wherein the electronic system is configured to;

select a current view from a selection of lottery views; and

display the current view on the display.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the electronic system is further configured to select a details view associated with the current view in response to the selector, wherein the details view shows details associated with a selected lottery game.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the electronic system is further configured to automatically receive the communication signal including the lottery content that includes updates to the lottery content.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the communication connection is further configured to receive a communication signal including configuration parameters relating to the user preferences.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising automatically expiring the lottery content on the mobile electronic device.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the electronic system is further configured to create an animation.

17. A system for providing and interacting with lottery content associated, comprising:

a data collector configured to collect the lottery content;

a broadcast device configured to transmit a communication signal including at least a portion of the lottery content to a plurality of mobile electronic devices at the same time;

a mobile electronic device, having;

a data store;

a communication connection configured to receive the communication signal and store at least a portion of the lottery content in the data store based on user preferences;

a display;

a user interface that includes a selector; and

an electronic system that is arranged to interact with the communication connection, the user interface, the data store and the display, wherein the electronic system is configured to;

select a current view associated with the lottery content;

change the current view in response to the selector; and

display the current view on the display.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the broadcast device is configured to broadcast an FM communication signal.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a server configured to receive user preferences associated with users receiving the diversion content.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the communication signal includes a configuration message for the mobile electronic device that includes the user preferences.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the configuration message further includes a value indicating how to display results associated with the selected lottery game, wherein the value indicates whether the selected lottery game includes a bonus ball, a power ball;

and whether the selected lottery game is a keno-like game.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the broadcast device is further configured to transmit a communication signal including lottery content for a region where the broadcast device is located.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the electronic system is further configured to display an animation.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the mobile electronic device is further configured to store names that do not frequently change such that the broadcast device may broadcast an index value to indicate one of the names that does not change.