Electronic verification machine for documents

• US 6,435,408 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panda Engineering Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Panda Engineering Incorporated
• Inventors: Daigle, Steven J., Irwin, Kenneth E. Jr., Streeter, Gary R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Diane I.
• Application Number:
  US09/557,337
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/440, 235/441, 235/451, 283/83, 283/102, 283/103, 283/903
• US Class Current: 235/441
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0665 having a message becoming legible after rubbing-off a coating or removing an adhesive layer for educational purposes G09B
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/067 Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/08 using markings of different kinds or more than one marking of the same kind in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical and the other by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/081 electrostatic, e.g. by detecting the charge of capacitance between electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/085 metal detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/087 flux-sensitive, e.g. magnetic, detectors G06K7/10336 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 5/04 for recording or registering tickets issued
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0043 using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/02 Testing electrical properties of the materials thereof G07D7/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/026 using capacitive sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/04 Testing magnetic properties of the materials thereof, e.g. by detection of magnetic imprint G07D7/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/12 using thick film techniques, e.g. printing techniques to apply the conductive material or similar techniques for applying conductive paste or ink patterns

Abstract

Determination of the authenticity and integrity of various types of documents such as lottery tickets is accomplished by using an electronic verification machine to compare data contained in electronic circuits printed on the document to document data printed on the document. The electronic circuits are printed on the document in conductive or semiconductive ink using, for example, the gravure printing process, and the presence and status of the circuits can be used to verify or authenticate the document. Data can be represented in the electronic circuits by the electrical signature of the circuit which is measured by the electronic verification machine. In the case of lottery tickets, a ticket can be validated by having the electronic verification machine determine which play spots have been removed from the ticket and comparing data on the ticket with the removed play spots to determine a play redemption value for the ticket. Document verification or lottery ticket validation can also be accomplished by transmitting signature data from the electronic circuits via the electronic verification machine to a central computer for comparison with document data.

Claims

1. A verification machine for use with lottery tickets having player removable play spots covering play indicia, comprising:

a housing;

a transport mechanism for moving the lottery tickets through said housing;

a source of electromagnetic energy located within said housing; and

a detector circuit including an array of photo-detectors responsive to said electromagnetic energy and responsive to the movement of the lottery tickets through said housing to generate a signal indicating which of the player removable spots have been removed from the lottery tickets.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein said transport mechanism moves the play spots into registry with said array of photo-detectors.

3. The machine of claim 2 further including a stigmatizing circuit including a DC voltage supply for stigmatizing the lottery tickets.

4. The machine of claim 3 wherein the lottery tickets includes a fuse element and wherein said circuit for stigmatizing the lottery tickets include:

first and second pads disposed to the lottery ticket aligned with the fuse element;

a control circuit including a microcontroller adapted to control said stigmatizing circuit;

a switch, operatively connected to said control circuit, and connected between said voltage supply and said first pad for selectively applying a DC voltage from said power voltage supply to the fuse element via said first pad; and

a voltage discharge circuit connected to said second pad.

5. The circuit of claim 4 wherein said control circuit causes said transport mechanism to align said the fuse element with said first and second pads.

6. The circuit of claim 5 wherein said control circuit additionally includes means for determining the status of the fuse element after said DC voltage has been applied to the fuse element.

7. The circuit of claim 5 wherein said control circuit additionally includes means for measuring the value of said DC voltage from said voltage supply.

8. An electronic verification machine for a lottery tickets having a plurality of play indicia and a plurality of player removable play spots, each of the player removable play spots covering at least one of the play indicia, and ticket data including redemption information;

comprising;

a detector including an array of electromagnetic sensors adapted to generate a removed spot signal identifying which of said player removable play spots have been removed from the lottery tickets; and

a reader configured to read at least a portion of said the ticket data.

9. The machine of claim 8 wherein the lottery tickets include at least one electrical circuit element located in registry with the play spots and said detector detects the presence or absence of said circuit elements on said the lottery ticket to generate said removed play spot signal.

10. The machine of claim 8 wherein said array of electromagnetic sensors includes an array of photo-detectors responsive to an electromagnetic energy source and is effective to generate said removed play spot signal.

11. The machine of claim 8 additionally including an indicator display adapted to display information relating to the status of said machine.

12. The machine of claim 8 additionally including a printer responsive to said reader adapted to print information relating to the lottery ticket.

13. A lottery ticket verification machine for validating probability lottery tickets having predetermined play rules, a plurality of player removable play spots covering play indicia, and validation data printed on said ticket, and electromagnetic responsive material printed in registry with said play spots on said lottery ticket;

comprising;

a digital processor,

a data reader for reading the validation data, said data reader being operatively connected to said digital processor,

an electromagnetic sensor operatively connected to said digital processor and configured to detect said electromagnetic responsive material on the ticket;

a ticket interface and transport mechanism operatively connected to said digital processor and adapted to receive said lottery tickets and to position the validation data and the play spots with respect to said data reader and said electromagnetic sensor respectively; and

wherein said digital processor is additionally effective to generate from said electromagnetic sensor a play spot signal indicating which of said play spots have been removed from said the lottery ticket.

14. The machine of claim 13 wherein said electromagnetic responsive material is printed on the lottery tickets in the form of a circuit element and wherein said lay spot signal represents an electrical signature of the circuit element.

15. The machine of claim 14 wherein said play spot signal represents an electrical signature of said circuit element.

16. The machine of claim 13 wherein said electromagnetic sensor is an optical detector.

17. The machine of claim 16 wherein said play spot signal represents an optical signature of the play spots.

18. The machine of claim 16 wherein said optical detector is a photo detector and is configured to detect and classify a frequency of light emitted by said the play spots.

19. The machine of claim 18 wherein said memory stores said the validation data in a form representing an electromagnetic signature of said the electromagnetic responsive material.

20. The machine of claim 13 additionally including a stigmatization circuit operatively connected to said digital processor and configured to stigmatize the lottery ticket after said digital processor has generated said play spot signal.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said stigmatization circuit includes a source of electromagnetic energy for applying sufficient electromagnetic energy to a surface of the lottery ticket to alter a color of said the lottery ticket.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the lottery ticket additionally includes a fuse element and said stigmatization circuit includes a voltage source adapted to apply sufficient power to said the ticket to break said the fuse element.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the lottery ticket includes a temperature sensitive material and said stigmatization means includes an electromagnetic energy source adapted to apply sufficient electromagnetic energy to said temperature sensitive material to cause said temperature sensitive material to change color.

24. The system of claim 13 wherein said the lottery ticket includes a plurality of circuit elements printed on a surface of said the lottery ticket and said machine includes a power source operatively connected to said digital processor effective to apply sufficient power to at least a portion of said circuit elements to alter said the portion of said the electronic circuit elements thereby storing information in said portion of said circuit elements.

25. A lottery ticket verification machine for a validating probability lottery tickets having a player removable material located in predetermined locations on the ticket, comprising:

a digital processor;

a document channel;

a sensor array operatively connected to said digital processor;

a transport mechanism operatively connected to said digital processor effective to transport the lottery ticket through said document channel such that at least a portion of the player removable material is aligned with said sensor array;

a memory; and

a scanning circuit operatively connected to said digital processor and to said sensor array for generating in said memory a scanned bit map of at least a portion of the player removable material.

26. The machine of claim 25 wherein said memory additionally includes validation data.

27. The machine of claim 26 wherein said validation data includes a location of the player removable material.

28. The machine of claim 26 wherein said validation data includes the shape of the player removable material.

29. The machine of claim 26 wherein said validation data includes an expected percentage of removal of the player removable material.

30. The machine of claim 27 wherein said percentage represents a minimum percentage of the player removable material for a played lottery ticket.

31. The machine of claim 30 wherein said minimum percentage is 30 percent.

32. The machine of claim 27 wherein said validation data is contained in said memory as a bit map.

41. The machine of claim 29 wherein said sensor array includes at least one optical detector.

42. The machine of claim 41 wherein said optical detector is a photodetector and is configured to detect and classify a frequency of light emitted by the player removable play spots.

33. A lottery ticket verification machine for validating a probability lottery tickets having a plurality of player removable play spots covering play indicia located in predetermined locations on the probability lottery ticket, and validation data printed on the probability lottery ticket;

a housing;

a sensor array located in said housing;

a document channel configured in said housing;

a transport mechanism including a motor located in said housing that is effective to transport the probability lottery ticket through said document channel such that the player removable play spots are aligned with said sensor array;

at least one ticket location detector; and

a digital processor located in said housing and operatively connected to said sensor array, said transport mechanism and said ticket location detector effective to cause the player removable play spots to be scanned as the lottery ticket is transported by said transport mechanism past said sensor array.

34. The machine of claim 33 wherein the validation data is printed as a bar code on the lottery tickets, and wherein the machine includes a bar code reader located in said housing operatively and connected to said digital processor, and wherein said digital processor is effective to read the validation data when the bar code is transported by said transport mechanism past said bar code reader.

35. The machine of claim 34 wherein said ticket location detector includes a plurality of edge detectors.

36. The machine of claims 34 wherein a first of said edge detectors provides an indication to said digital processor of when one of the lottery tickets is in said document channel, a second edge detector provides an indication to said digital processor of the location one of the lottery tickets in said document channel, and a third of said edge detectors provides an indication to said digital processor of when one of the lottery tickets has exited said document channel.

37. A lottery ticket verification machine for validating a probability lottery tickets having a player removable material located in predetermined locations on the ticket and validation data printed on the probability lottery ticket, comprising;

a housing;

a sensor array located in said housing;

a document channel configured in said housing;

a transport mechanism including a motor located in said housing that is effective to transport the probability lottery ticket through said document channel such that the player removable material is aligned with said sensor array;

at least one ticket location detector;

a digital processor located in said housing and operatively connected to said sensor array, said transport mechanism and said ticket location detector effective to cause the player removable material to be scanned as the probability lottery ticket is transported by said transport mechanism past said sensor array in order to generate a digital representation of the location of the player removable material on the probability lottery ticket.

38. The machine of claim 37 wherein the player removable material includes player removable play spots covering play indicia located in predetermined locations on the lottery ticket and wherein said digital representation represents the play spots that have not been removed from the probability lottery ticket.

39. A lottery ticket verification machine for use with a probability lottery tickets having predetermined play rules, and including validation data printed on said the probability ticket in a bar code format, and a plurality of player removable play spots covering play indicia located in predetermined locations on the probability lottery ticket, comprising:

a housing;

a document channel configured in said housing;

a sensor array located in said housing;

a bar code reader located in said housing

a transport mechanism including a stepper motor operatively connected to a plurality of rollers located in said housing effective to transport said the probability lottery ticket through said document channel past said sensor array and said bar code reader;

at least one ticket location detector;

a memory operatively connected to said controller located in said housing and containing data removed play spot data and further containing at least a portion of the validation data; and

a digital processor operatively connected to said sensor array, said bar code reader, said ticket location detector, and said memory, wherein said digital processor is responsive to said ticket location detector to cause said transport mechanism to move the probability lottery tickets past said sensor array;

cause the said sensor array to scan the probability lottery tickets to determine which play spots have been removed;

input into said memory information relating to said removed the play spots which have been removed into said memory;

cause the said transport mechanism to move the probability lottery tickets past said bar code reader;

cause the said bar code reader to place at least a portion of the validation data in said memory; and

to cause said transport mechanism to exit the lottery probability lottery tickets from said document channel.

40. The machine of claim 39 wherein said sensor array includes a plurality of sensor plates.

43. The machine of claim 39 wherein said housing additionally includes a stigmatization circuit that includes including a source of electromagnetic power and which is operatively connected to said digital processor for stigmatizing the probability lottery ticket prior to said transport mechanism exiting said the probability lottery tickets from said document channel.

44. The machine of claim 43 wherein said source of electromagnetic power applies sufficient electromagnetic power to the probability lottery tickets to change a color of least a portion of the probability lottery tickets.

45. A lottery ticket validation machine for use with a probability lottery ticket having predetermined play rules and including a plurality of player removable play spots covering play indicia located in predetermined locations on the ticket and validation data printed on the ticket, comprising:

a digital processor,

a document channel;

a photo-detector array operatively connected to said digital processor;

a transport mechanism operatively connected to said digital processor effective to transport the probability lottery ticket through said document channel such that at least a portion of the play spots are substantially aligned with said photo-detector array;

a scanning circuit operatively connected to said photo-detector array for generating a first signal indicating which of the play spots have been removed from the probability lottery ticket;

a data reader operatively connected to said digital processor for reading the validation data and generating a second signal representing at least a portion of said validation data;

a memory operatively connected to said digital processor; and

wherein said digital processor is effective to store said first and second signals in said memory.

46. A lottery ticket validation machine for use with probability lottery tickets having predetermined play rules, and including a plurality of player removable play spots covering play indicia located in predetermined locations on the tickets, and validation data printed on the tickets, comprising:

a digital processor,

a document channel;

a sensor array operatively connected to said digital processor;

transport mechanism including a stepper motor and a plurality of ticket detectors operatively connected to said digital processor effective to transport the probability lottery tickets through said document channel such that at least a portion of the play spots are substantially aligned with said sensor array;

a scanning circuit operatively connected to said sensor array for generating a first signal indicating which of the play spots have been removed from the probability lottery tickets;

a data reader including a bar code reader operatively connected to said digital processor for reading the validation data and generating a second signal representing at least a portion of said the validation data;

a memory operatively connected to said digital processor; and

wherein said digital processor is effective to store said first and second signals in said memory.

47. The machine of claim 46 additionally including a stigmatization circuit including a source of electromagnetic power operatively connected to said digital processor effective to apply sufficient electromagnetic power to the probability lottery tickets after the probability lottery tickets have been scanned by said scanning circuit to change a color of at least a portion of the probability lottery ticket.

48. A lottery ticket validation machine for use with probability lottery tickets having predetermined play rules and including a plurality of player removable play spots covering play indicia located in predetermined locations on the tickets and validation data printed on the probability lottery tickets, comprising:

a housing;

a digital processor located in said housing,

a document channel located in said housing;

a sensor array located in said housing and operatively connected to said digital processor;

a transport mechanism located in said housing, including a stepper motor, a plurality of rollers operatively associated with said stepper motor and adapted to engage the probability lottery tickets, and a plurality of ticket detectors operatively connected to said digital processor effective to detect the insertion and position of the probability lottery tickets in said document channel, and said transport mechanism being effective to transport the probability lottery tickets through said document channel such that at least a portion of the play spots are substantially aligned with said sensor array;

a scanning circuit located in said housing operatively connected to said sensor array and said digital processor for generating a first signal indicating which of the play spots have been removed from the probability lottery tickets;

a data reader, including a bar code reader, located in said housing including a bar code reader and operatively connected to said digital processor for reading the validation data and generating a second signal representing at least a portion of the validation data; and

a memory operatively adapted to receive said first and second signals from said digital processor.

49. The machine of claim 48 wherein a first of said ticket detectors indicates to said digital processor that one of the probability lottery tickets is in said document channel.

50. The machine of claim 49 wherein said digital processor responds to said first ticket detector to cause said motor to rotate a first of said rollers thereby moving the probability lottery ticket past said sensor array.

51. The machine of claim 50 wherein a second of said ticket detectors indicates the location of the probability lottery ticket to initiate scanning of the probability lottery ticket by said scanning circuit.

52. The machine of claim 51 wherein a third of said ticket detectors indicates that the probability lottery ticket has exited said document channel.

53. The machine of claim 49 wherein said sensor array includes a plurality of sensor plates.

54. The machine of claim 49 wherein said sensor array includes at least one optical detector.

55. The machine of claim 54 wherein said optical detector is a photodetector and is configured to detect and classify a frequency of light emitted by the player removable play spots.

56. A verification machine for a lottery ticket having player removable material covering cover play indicia located in predetermined locations on the ticket, comprising:

a housing;

a digital processor located in said housing,

a document channel configured in said housing;

a sensor located in said housing and operatively connected to said controllerdigital processor;

a data reader operatively connected to said digital processor and adapted to read the bar code;

a transport mechanism located in said housing and operatively connected to said digital processor, said transport mechanism including a plurality of ticket sensors and a motor effective to transport the probability lottery ticket through said document channel such that at least a portion of the play spots is substantially aligned with said sensor;

a scanning circuit operatively connected to said sensor and to said digital processor for scanning at least a portion of the lottery ticket for the player removable material;

a memory operatively connected to said digital processor and containing a first set of data representing predetermined locations of the player removable material on the lottery ticket; and

wherein said digital processor is effective to transmit to said memory a second set of data from said scanning circuit representing the actual locations of said player removable material on the lottery ticket to said memory for comparison with said first set of data.

57. The machine of claim 56 wherein said first and second sets of data represent the shape of the player removable material.

58. The machine of claim 57 wherein said first and second sets of data are contained in said memory as a bit map.

59. The machine of claim 56 wherein said sensor includes an array of sensor plates.

60. The machine of claim 56 wherein said sensor includes an array of photo detectors.