Off-line remote lottery system

• US 6,024,640 A
• Filed: 05/19/1997
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Walker Asset Management Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Walker Asset Management Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Schneier, Bruce, Walker, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): ONEILL, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US08/858,123
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 273/269, 273/139 R, 463/17, 463/18, 463/16, 463/42, 463/41, 463/40
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/086 played via telephone, e.g. using a modem
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

An off-line remote lottery system which enables players to purchase instant-type lottery game outcomes from a randomized prize datastream in a central computer and view the outcomes on remotely disposed gaming computers which do not require an on-line connection to the central computer during play, the central computer storing identification data for a plurality of gaming computers and being configured for randomly assigning outcomes from the randomized prize datastream to the gaming computers in response to purchase requests by players for a requested number of outcomes in each purchase request, each gaming computer including a game program in memory for execution on the gaming computer to generate games which yield the purchased outcomes or aggregate net payoff of the purchased outcomes, and a redemption function for generating a redemption request to cash-out winnings, the system enabling outcome purchase and redemption of winnings to be effectuated directly with the central computer over a telephone network, or via a plurality of agent terminals located at various lottery retailers.

Claims

1. A remote lottery system which enables a player to purchase outcomes from a randomized prize datastream in a central computer and view the outcomes on at least one device which is not in electronic communication with the central computer during play, comprising:

a central computer including a processor and a central computer memory, said central computer memory operative to store a randomized prize datastream comprised of a finite series of random win/lose outcomes and identification data for at least one remotely disposed gaming computer, said central computer further including assignment means responsive to an outcome purchase request by a player for assigning a requested number of outcomes from said randomized prize datastream to said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer, and for storing a record representative of said purchased outcomes with said identification data for said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer in said central computer memory to enable subsequent redemption of outcome wins;

said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer including a gaming computer processor, gaming computer memory, display, player input controls and at least one program stored in said gaming computer memory that, when executed by said gaming computer processor, generates and presents on said display at least one game that yields at least one of the group consisting of said purchased outcomes and an aggregate net payoff of said purchased outcomes, and directs said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer to generate a redemption request message to be communicated to said central computer to cash-out, said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer not being in electronic communication with said central computer during game play; and

a plurality of agent terminals disposed in electronic communication with said central computer, said agent terminals programmed for enabling the player to purchase outcomes from said randomized prize datastream in said central computer and for enabling the player to redeem outcome wins, where at least one of said plurality of agent terminals comprises an agent terminal read/write interface for reading data from and writing data to portable data storage media, and where said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer comprises a gaming computer read/write interface for reading data from and writing data to said portable data storage media, to communicate said outcome transfer message from said at least one of said plurality of agent terminals to said gaming computer via said portable data storage media, and to communicate said identification data and said redemption request message to said at least one of said plurality of agent terminals from said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer via said portable data storage media,

wherein, said central computer includes means for processing said redemption request message to check said record in said central computer memory of said outcomes assigned to said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer in connection with said outcome purchase request to enable any payoff on said assigned outcomes to be made to the player.

2. A remote lottery system enables a player to purchase outcomes from a randomized prize datastream in a central computer and view the outcomes on at least one remotely disposed gaming computer having no on-line connection to the central computer during play, comprising:

a central computer including a processor and a central computer memory, said central computer memory operative to store a randomized prize datastream comprised of a finite series of random win/lose outcomes and identification data for said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer, said central computer further including assignment means responsive to an outcome purchase request by a player for assigning a requested number of outcomes from said randomized prize datastream to said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer, and for storing a record representative of said purchased outcomes with said identification data for said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer in said central computer memory to enable subsequent redemption of outcome wins;

said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer including a gaming computer processor, gaming computer memory, display, player input controls and at least one program stored in said gaming computer memory, that, when executed by said gaming computer processor, generates and presents on said display at least one game that yields at least one of the group consisting of said purchased outcomes and an aggregate net payoff of said purchased outcomes, and directs said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer to generate a redemption request message to be communicated to said central computer to cash-out, said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer having no on-line connection to said central computer during game play; and

a plurality of agent terminals disposed in communication with said central computer, each of said agent terminals programmed for enabling the player to purchase outcomes from said randomized prize datastream in said central computer and for enabling the player to redeem outcome wins, wherein at least one of said agent terminals is adapted to physically connect said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer thereto, whereby said outcome transfer message may be communicated to said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer from said agent terminal and said identification data and said redemption request message may be communicated from said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer to said agent terminal,

wherein, said central computer includes means for processing said redemption request message to check said record in said central computer memory of said outcomes assigned to said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer in connection with said outcome purchase request to enable any payoff on said assigned outcomes to be made to the player.

3. A remote lottery system which enables a player to purchase outcomes from a randomized prize datastream in a central computer and view the outcomes on a remotely disposed gaming computer with no on-line connection to the central computer during play, comprising:

a central computer including a processor and a central computer memory, said central computer memory operative to store a randomized prize datastream comprised of a finite series of random win/lose outcomes and identification data for said remotely disposed gaming computer, said central computer further including assignment means responsive to an outcome purchase request by a player for assigning a requested number of outcomes from said randomized prize datastream to said remotely disposed gaming computer, and for storing a record representative of said purchased outcomes with said identification data for said remotely disposed gaming computer in said central computer memory to enable subsequent redemption of outcome wins;

said remotely disposed gaming computer including a gaming computer processor, gaming computer memory, display, player input controls and at least one program stored in said gaming computer processor, that, when executed by said gaming computer processor, generates and presents on said display at least one game that yields at least one of the group consisting of said purchased outcomes and an aggregate net payoff of said purchased outcomes, and directs said gaming computer to generate a redemption request message to be communicated to said central computer to cash-out, said remotely disposed gaming computer having no on-line to said central computer during game play; and

wherein said central computer is programmed to store at least one outcome reference string for said remotely disposed gaming computer with said identification data for said remotely disposed gaming computer in said central computer memory, said outcome reference string being comprised of a plurality of random reference outcomes, each of said reference outcomes having an address in said central computer memory, and said remotely disposed gaming computer having a corresponding outcome reference string stored in said gaming computer memory, wherein said central computer assignment means assigns outcomes from said randomized prize datastream by retrieving at least one address of a series of reference outcomes in said reference string from said central computer memory and generating said outcome transfer message which represents said at least one address to enable said remotely disposed gaming computer to reveal reference outcomes in said reference string stored in said remotely disposed gaming computer memory at said at least one address.

4. A remote lottery system which enables a player to purchase outcomes from a randomized prize datastream in a central computer and view the outcomes on remotely, comprising:

a central computer including a processor and a central computer memory, said central computer memory programmed to store a randomized prize datastream comprised of a finite series of random win/lose outcomes and identification data for said at least one gaming computer, said central computer further including assignment means responsive to an outcome purchase request by a player for assigning a requested number of outcomes from said randomized prize datastream to a device disposed remotely from said central computer, and for storing a record representative of said purchased outcomes with said identification data for said device in said central computer memory to enable subsequent redemption of outcome wins, said central computer further assigning a number of standby outcomes from said randomized prize datastream greater than said requested number of outcomes for said outcome purchase;

said remote device, said remote device comprising at least one gaming computer including a gaming computer processor, gaming computer memory, display, player input controls, and at least one program stored in said gaming computer memory, that, when executed by said gaming computer processor, generates and presents on said display at least one game that yields at least one of the group consisting of said purchased outcomes and an aggregate net payoff of said purchased outcomes, said at least one gaming computer further including means for reinvesting winnings on said requested number of outcomes to enable the purchase of said standby outcomes on said at least one gaming computer, said at least one gaming computer further including means for directing said at least one gaming computer to generate a redemption request message to be communicated to said central computer to cash-out, said at least one gaming computer not being connected to said central computer during game play,

wherein, said central computer includes means for processing said redemption request message to check said record in said central computer memory of said outcomes assigned to said at least one gaming computer in connection with said outcome purchase request to enable any payoff on said assigned outcomes to be made to the player.

5. A remote lottery system which enables a player to purchase outcomes from a randomized prize datastream in a central computer and view the outcomes on at least one remotely disposed portable gaming computer which does not require an on-line connection to the central computer, comprising:

a central computer including a processor and a central computer memory, said central computer memory operative to store a randomized prize datastream comprised of a finite series of random win/lose outcomes and identification data for said at least one portable gaming computer, said central computer further including assignment means responsive to an outcome purchase request by a player for assigning a requested number of outcomes from said randomized prize datastream to said at least one portable gaming computer, and for storing a record representative of said purchased outcomes with said identification data for said at least one portable gaming computer in said central computer memory to enable subsequent redemption of outcome wins;

said at least one portable gaming computer including a gaming computer processor, gaming computer memory, display, player input controls, and at least one program stored in said gaming computer memory, that, when executed by said gaming computer processor, generates and presents on said display at least one game that yields one of the group consisting of said purchased outcomes and an aggregate net payoff of said purchased outcomes, and directs said portable gaming computer to generate a redemption request message to be communicated to said central computer to cash-out; and

a plurality of agent terminals networked to said central computer, each of said agent terminals for enabling the player to purchase said requested number of outcomes from said randomized prize datastream in said central computer by entering said identification data for said at least one portable gaming computer and said outcome purchase request into said agent terminal and communicating said identification data and said outcome purchase request from said agent terminal to said central computer, and for enabling the player to redeem outcome wins by entering said identification data and said redemption request message generated by said at least one portable gaming computer into said agent terminal and communicating said identification data and said redemption request message from said agent terminal to said central computer,

wherein, said central computer includes means for processing said redemption request message to check said record in said central computer memory of said outcomes assigned to said at least one gaming computer in connection with said outcome purchase request to enable any payoff on said assigned outcomes to be made to the player.

6. A lottery system, comprising:

a plurality of agent terminals disposed in electronic communication with a central computer, said agent terminals programmed for enabling a player to purchase outcomes from a randomized prize datastream from a central computer and for enabling the player to redeem outcome wins, where at least one of said plurality of agent terminals comprises an agent terminal read/write interface for reading data from and writing data to portable data storage media, and

at least one gaming computer comprising a gaming computer read/write interface for reading data from and writing data to said portable data storage media, to communicate said outcome transfer message from said at least one of said plurality of agent terminals to said gaming computer via said portable data storage media, and to communicate identification data and a redemption request message to said at least one of said plurality of agent terminals from said at least one remotely disposed gaming computer via said portable data storage media to enable a payoff to be made to the player, wherein said at least one gaming computer has no on-line communication with the central computer.