ORDERING LOTTERY TICKETS USING MACHINE-READABLE CODE IMAGES DISPLAYED ON MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20120246034A1
• Filed: 08/23/2011
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intralot, Inc. (Intralot SA)
• Original Assignee: Intralot S.A. Integrated Lottery Systems And Services
• Inventors: Kolios, Georgios, Sarlis, Stamatios
• Granted Patent: US 9,652,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0457 the tickets being sent electronically
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/047 using payment protocols involving electronic receipts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3227 using secure elements embedded in M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3267 In-app payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A mobile application or mobile website allows a user of a mobile device to make player selections associated with the order of a lottery ticket. The mobile device then displays a machine-readable code image. When a lottery retailer scans the image, the code conveys the lottery ticket order to the retail system, allowing the retailer to sell lottery tickets corresponding with the order. The mobile application or website may record player selections for reuse, record purchased tickets to report lottery status to the player, and assist the player in locating a lottery retailer.

Claims

1. A method of filling an order for a lottery ticket, comprising:

reading a machine-readable code image to identify a code, the code representing an order for a lottery ticket including at least one player selection; and

selling a lottery ticket having player selections matching the player selections included in the order.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the code image is a QR code image, barcode image, or other known code image for use with an optical scanner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable code image is displayed on a mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the machine-readable code image is produced by the mobile device in response to selections made on the mobile device by the purchaser of the ticket.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

printing a lottery ticket consistent with the order.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with a lottery system, the lottery system tracking and authorizing the sale of lottery tickets.

7. A lottery ticket retail system, comprising:

an optical scanner operable to read a machine-readable code image displayed on a lottery player'"'"'s mobile device; and

a computer operable to receive data from the optical scanner and associate the received data with an order for a lottery ticket and at least one player selection for that ticket;

wherein the computer is further operable to communicate a sale of a lottery ticket corresponding with the order to a lottery system associated with the sold ticket.

8. The retail system of claim 7, further comprising a lottery ticket printer operable to print a lottery ticket corresponding with the order.

9. A method for generating a lottery ticket order, comprising:

generating and displaying a user interface allowing a player to make the player selections associated with a type of lottery ticket;

receiving input from a player corresponding to the player selections for the lottery ticket; and

generating and displaying a machine-readable code image representing an order for the lottery ticket including the player selections.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

recording the player selections; and

when subsequently generating and displaying the user interface for the same type of lottery ticket, generating and displaying the recorded selections.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

installing a mobile application on a mobile device;

executing the mobile application, the mobile application carrying out the steps of generating and displaying the user interface, receiving input from the player, and generating and displaying the machine-readable code image.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

accessing a mobile website from an internet client on a mobile device;

displaying a first web page associated with the mobile website, the first web page including the user interface;

communicating data associated with the input from the player to a web server; and

displaying a second web page associated with the mobile website, the second web page including the machine-readable code image.

13. A method for facilitating and tracking a lottery ticket order, comprising:

receiving information uniquely identifying a user;

receiving lottery ticket order information including player selections associated with the lottery ticket;

generating a unique code associated with the order information and user information;

upon receipt of the unique code, associating a lottery ticket with the user, the lottery ticket corresponding with the order; and

subsequently reporting the status of the lottery ticket to the user.

14. A method of claim 13, wherein generating a unique code comprises generating a machine-readable code image corresponding to the code on a user'"'"'s mobile device.

15. A method of selling a lottery ticket comprising the steps of:

prompting a user to install an application on a mobile device which is operable to receive lottery game selection information from the user and to generate a code image on the mobile device representative of the lottery game selection information;

scanning the code image on the mobile device by a lottery retailer;

selling the lottery ticket to the user consistent with the lottery game selection information; and

communicating the sale of the lottery ticket to a lottery authority.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

printing the lottery ticket; and

issuing the lottery ticket to the user.

17. A method of filling an order for a lottery ticket, comprising:

reading a machine-readable code image to identify a code, the code representing an order for a lottery ticket including at least one player selection; and

selling a lottery ticket having player selections matching the player selections included in the order;

wherein the code image is a QR code image, barcode image, or other known code image for use with an optical scanner and wherein the machine-readable code image is displayed on a mobile device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the machine-readable code image is produced by the mobile device in response to selections made on the mobile device by the purchaser of the ticket.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

communicating with a lottery system, the lottery system tracking and authorizing the sale of lottery tickets.