Game card and system of authorizing game card

• US 5,613,680 A
• Filed: 06/08/1995
• Issued: 03/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Missile Systems Company, International Verifact, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Verifact, Inc.
• Inventors: Groves, David H., Uliana, Virna A., Hemy, Martin F., Spence, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAYNO, BENJAMIN
• Application Number:
  US08/488,736
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 273/138 A, 273/139, 273/269, 273/138.2, 379/96, 379/97, 379/91, 379/92, 379/95, 364/412, 235/383, 463/19, 463/17, 463/25, 463/29
• US Class Current: 273/138.2
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/242 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0645 Electric lottos or bingo games
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets

Abstract

The present invention is directed to game cards and systems for tracking game cards. A computer tracking system is used which includes game or lottery type cards which must be activated to be eligible for a particular game or event. The activation step includes reading of a unique serial number or other identification code uniquely identifying the card. With this system, surplus game cards can be disposed of when they have not been activated. This simplifies tracking of sales of game cards and simplifies the distribution of funds to various parties in the sale and distribution chain.

Claims

1. A system for game card tracking and activation comprising:

game cards for playing a game of chance which game cards are provided to agents for resale to the public and require activation to be eligible to win and where the agents have access to a device for interpreting a coded magnetic stripe, an Electronic Cash Register having an associated bar code scanner, and a communicating device for communicating information derived from interpreting of magnetic stripes, said game cards having fixed game indicia on a face thereof necessary for playing the game of chance and a coded magnetic stripe positioned relative to an edge of the game card for interpreting by said interpreting device, each scannable identifier code uniquely identifying the particular game card associated therewith, and wherein said system activates each game card sold by scanning said identifier code and communicating said unique identifier code by means of said communicating device to an activation computer which records the activation of each game card such that only activated game cards can win said game of chance as recorded by said activation computer, and wherein each game card includes a common bar code generically identifying said game cards which is scanned when the game card is sold by said bar code scanner to track the number of game cards sold.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said interpreting device is part of an Electronic Funds Transfer device allowing a user to pay for purchases using a banking card, said Electronic Funds Transfer device including additional software for distinguishing between interpreting of the magnetic stripe on a game card to be activated and interpreting of a magnetic stripe on a bank card necessary as part of the procedure to transfer funds using said Electronic Funds Transfer device, and wherein said communicating device forms part of said Electronic Funds Transfer device such that said communicating device and said interpreting device are used for activating game cards and as part of the Electronic Funds Transfer procedure.

3. A system for game card tracking and activation comprising:

game cards for playing a game of chance which game cards are provided to agents for resale to the public and require activation to be eligible to win, Electronic Cash Registers each having an associated bar code scanner for scanning bar codes and a magnetic stripe scanner for scanning of coded magnetic stripes and communicating scanned codes to an activation computer, said game cards having a series of fixed game indicia on a face thereof necessary for playing said game of chance and a coded magnetic stripe positioned relative to an edge of the game card for scanning by said magnetic stripe scanner, each coded magnetic stripe having an identifier code uniquely identifying the particular game card associated therewith, and each game card has a common bar code thereon generically identifying said game card;

said system activating each game card sold by scanning said bar codes using said bar code scanners to track sale of game cards by bar code and scanning said coded magnetic stripe and communicating said identifier code to said activation computer which records the activation of each game card such that only activated game cards can win said game of chance as recorded by said activation computer.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said activation computer has a record of all game cards and the identifier codes thereof whereby a game card which appears to be a winning game card can be authenticated to determine if it was properly activated as recorded by said activation computer.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said winning game card is authenticated based on comparison of the identifier code recorded and the identifier code of the game card.

6. A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said activation computer also has record of the indicia on the game card and a winning game card is additionally authenticated by confirming certain indicia on said game card.

7. A system as claimed in claim 3 including a further computer which is in communication with said Electronic Cash Registers when a game card is activated, said further computer tracks the sale of game cards and allocates compensation in accordance with sales of game cards to at least two bank accounts in a predetermined manner.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7 wherein said identifier code includes a portion which uniquely identifies the type of game card followed by unique code of the particular game card.

9. A method of authorizing game cards which have a machine readable code comprising:

producing game cards having fixed game indicia on a face thereof and a coded magnetic stripe having a coded portion uniquely identifying the type of game card and a coded portion providing a unique identity code for the particular game card,

recording the unique identity code of each game card in a computer arrangement, and

activating each game card for a certain period or event when purchased, each game card being activated by scanning said coded magnetic stripe and communicating at least said unique identity code to said computer arrangement which records the same, and wherein each game card includes a common bar code generically identifying said game cards and wherein each came card has the bar code thereof read and recorded when the game card is purchased to thereby track sales of game cards.

10. A method of authorizing game cards as claimed in claim 9 wherein said method also includes automatic electronic distribution to at least two different bank accounts of predetermined portions of the funds received from the purchase of the game card when a game card is activated.

11. A system for game card tracking and activation comprising:

game cards for playing a game of chance which game cards are provided to agents for resale to the public and require activation to be eligible to win and where the agents have access to a device for interpreting a coded magnetic stripe, a communicating device for communicating information derived from interpreting of magnetic stripes and a product tracking system which scans bar codes of products and records the sales thereof, said game cards having fixed game indicia on a face thereof necessary for playing the game of chance, a coded magnetic stripe positioned relative to an edge of the game card for interpreting by said interpreting device, each scannable identifier code uniquely identifying the particular game card associated therewith, said game cards each including a common bar code generically identifying the game cards for tracking sales thereof, and wherein said system activates each game card sold by scanning said bar code and requiring scanning of said identifier code and communicating said unique identifier code by means of said communicating device to an activation computer which records the activation of each game card such that only activated game cards can win said game of chance as recorded by said activation computer and wherein sales of game cards are tracked by said product tracking system and said activation computer.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11 wherein said scanning device for scanning of said magnetic stripe is part of an Electronic Funds Transfer device and said product tracking system includes electronic cash registers and associated bar code scanners.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12 wherein each electronic cash register is programmed upon recognition of a scanned game card bar code to produce a signal displayed on said cash register to proceed with activation of the scanned game card.