METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR LOTTERY GAME PLAY AGGREGATION

• US 20060247009A1
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James Jorasch, Jay S. Walker, John M. Packes, Magdalena M. Fincham, Stephen C. Tulley
• Original Assignee: James Jorasch, Jay S. Walker, John M. Packes, Magdalena M. Fincham, Stephen C. Tulley
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., WALKER, JAY S., Fincham, Magdalena M., Tulley, Stephen C., Packes, John M.
• Application Number:
  US11/424,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20060247009A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• 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 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/901 Concealed data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/903 Lottery ticket

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a player may accumulate occurrences of a bonus symbol over at least two outcomes. The player may be allowed a bonus if a running count of the occurrences is at least equal to a predetermined number. According to another embodiment, a player may accumulate occurrences of matched lottery numbers over a plurality of lottery outcomes (e.g., lottery number drawings) and/or a plurality of lottery entries. The player may be allowed a bonus if a running count of occurrences of matched numbers is at least equal to a predetermined number.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a number of occurrences of a first symbol in at least two predetermined lottery game outcomes;

determining a number of occurrences of a second symbol in the at least two predetermined lottery game outcomes; and

causing a bonus to be provided if the number of occurrences of the first symbol is at least a first minimum number of occurrences and if the number of occurrences of the second symbol is at least a second minimum number of occurrences.

2. A method comprising:

determining a total number of occurrences of a first symbol in at least two outcomes of an instant lottery game; and

allowing a bonus to be provided to a player if the determined total number of occurrences of the first symbol is not less than a first minimum number of occurrences.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a total number of occurrences of a second symbol in the at least two outcomes; and

in which allowing a bonus to be provided comprises;

allowing a bonus to be provided to the player if the determined total number of occurrences of the first symbol is not less than the first minimum number of occurrences and if the determined total number of occurrences of the second symbol is not less than a second minimum number of occurrences.

4. The method of claim 3, in which at least one of the at least two outcomes is provided on a first type of physical ticket, and in which at least one of the at least two outcomes is provided on a second type of physical ticket.

5. The method of claim 2, in which at least one of the at least two outcomes is provided on a physical ticket.

6. The method of claim 2, in which at least one of the at least two outcomes is provided electronically.

7. The method of claim 2, in which the step of determining the total number of occurrences comprises:

determining a number of occurrences of the first symbol that qualify for the bonus; and

in which allowing a bonus to be provided comprises;

allowing a bonus to be provided if the number of occurrences of the first symbol that qualify for the bonus is at least a minimum number of occurrences.

8. The method of claim 7, in which determining the number of occurrences of the first symbol that qualify for the bonus comprises:

determining at least one rule; and

determining the number of occurrences of the first symbol that qualify for the bonus in accordance with the at least one rule.

9. The method of claim 8, in which the at least one rule comprises:

a period of time during which the occurrence of the first symbol qualifies for the bonus.

10. The method of claim 9, in which the period of time begins at a time of the occurrence of the first symbol.

11. A method comprising:

determining an actual number of occurrences of a symbol in a plurality of instant lottery game outcomes for a player;

determining a number of occurrences of the symbol that qualify for a bonus based on the actual number of occurrences of the symbol and a predetermined rule; and

causing a bonus to be provided to the player based on the number of occurrences of the symbol that qualify for the bonus.

12. A method comprising:

initializing a running count of occurrences of at least one tracked symbol;

determining an instant lottery game outcome that is represented by a plurality of symbols;

determining an occurrence of the at least one tracked symbol;

adjusting the running count of occurrences by increasing the running count to reflect the determined occurrence; and

determining a bonus payout based on the adjusted running count.

13. A method comprising:

initializing a running count of occurrences of a symbol;

determining at least one expiration condition for determining an expiration of an occurrence of the symbol;

determining a plurality of instant lottery game outcomes, in which each instant lottery game outcome comprises a plurality of symbols; and

adjusting the running count based on the at least one expiration condition and the plurality of instant lottery game outcomes.

14. A method comprising:

determining a total number of lottery numbers matched by a player in at least two lottery drawings; and

allowing a bonus to be provided to the player if the determined total number of lottery numbers matched is not less than a minimum number of lottery numbers matched.

15. The method of claim 14, in which the minimum number of lottery numbers matched is greater than six.

16. The method of claim 14, in which determining the total number of lottery numbers matched comprises:

comparing a first set of numbers from a first lottery entry to a first set of drawn numbers; and

comparing a second set of numbers from a second lottery entry to a second set of drawn numbers.

17. The method of claim 16, in which the first set of numbers from the first lottery entry is different than the second set of numbers from the second lottery entry.

18. The method of claim 16, in which the first set of drawn numbers is different than the second set of drawn numbers.

19. The method of claim 14, in which allowing the bonus comprises:

allowing the bonus to be provided to the player;

if the determined total number of lottery numbers matched is not less than the minimum number of lottery numbers matched, and

if the at least two lottery drawings occurred during a predetermined period of time.

20. The method of claim 14, in which the step of determining the total number of lottery numbers matched comprises:

determining a number of matched lottery numbers that qualify for the bonus; and

in which allowing a bonus to be provided comprises;

allowing a bonus to be provided if the number of lottery numbers matched that quality for the bonus is at least a minimum number of lottery numbers matched.

21. The method of claim 20, in which determining the number of lottery numbers matched that qualify for the bonus comprises:

determining at least one rule; and

determining the number of lottery numbers matched that qualify for the bonus in accordance with the at least one rule.

22. A method comprising:

initializing a running count of matched lottery numbers for a player;

determining a plurality of occurrences of matched lottery numbers for the player over a plurality of lottery outcomes,

in which each lottery outcome is represented by a plurality of lottery numbers;

adjusting the running count of matched lottery numbers by increasing the running count to reflect the determined plurality of occurrences; and

determining a bonus payout based on the adjusted running count.