METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING PLAY OF FRACTIONAL VALUE LOTTERY GAMES

• US 20060247001A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrew S Van Luchene, James Jorasch, Jay S. Walker, Sanjay K. Jindal, Stephen C. Tulley
• Original Assignee: Andrew S Van Luchene, James Jorasch, Jay S. Walker, Sanjay K. Jindal, Stephen C. Tulley
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Van Luchene, Andrew S., Jindal, Sanjay K., Tulley, Stephen C., Walker, Jay S.
• Application Number:
  US11/456,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20060247001A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/006 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/24 with change-giving
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a method is provided for redeeming a game entry. The method includes steps of determining a wager amount that is associated with a winning game entry, determining a proportional share based on the wager amount, and determining a prize share amount based on the proportional share. The method may further include providing the prize share amount to a holder of the winning game entry. In some alternative embodiments, a prize for a winning game entry may be a non-monetary benefit.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving from a customer a request to purchase a lottery ticket in exchange for a purchase amount that is less than one dollar;

generating a combination of characters at random, the combination comprising;

a first alphanumeric character,

a second alphanumeric character,

a third alphanumeric character,

a fourth alphanumeric character,

a fifth alphanumeric character, and

a sixth alphanumeric character;

printing a lottery ticket, the lottery ticket including;

an indication of the combination of characters,

an indication of the purchase amount,

an indication of a draw date, and

a signature line;

providing the lottery ticket to the customer in exchange for the purchase amount;

determining a set of lottery tickets purchased for a day'"'"'s drawing,

in which each lottery ticket is associated with a respective purchase amount and a respective combination of characters,

the set of lottery tickets including the lottery ticket of the customer;

determining a prize amount based on the respective purchase amounts;

drawing a first winning lottery ticket from the set of lottery tickets;

drawing a second winning lottery ticket from the set of lottery tickets;

drawing a third winning lottery ticket from the set of lottery tickets;

determining a total cost based on a purchase amount of the first winning lottery ticket, a purchase amount of the second winning lottery ticket, and a purchase amount of the third winning lottery ticket;

receiving an indication of the combination of characters of the lottery ticket that was provided to the customer;

determining whether the combination of characters is the same as the respective combination of characters associated with the first winning lottery ticket; and

determining a share of the prize amount based on the purchase amount of the first winning lottery ticket and the total cost.

2-25. -25. (canceled)