Pull-tab manufacturing and distribution system and method

• US 6,648,755 B1
• Filed: 08/03/2001
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sierra Design Group (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: White, Warren Rapelye, Luciano, Robert Anthony Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dolinar, Andrew M.
• Application Number:
  US09/922,491
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 463/17-21, 283/100, 283/101, 283/103, 283/104, 283/105, 283/903
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/903 Lottery ticket

Abstract

A distributed manufacturing and distribution process for lottery tickets is disclosed. The manufacturing/vending system comprises a centralized ticket manufacturing controller located at a centralized location and one or more vending devices located at remote sites. Each vending device is operatively coupled for communication with the centralized ticket manufacturing controller, normally via a network connection. Each vending devices is further equipped with a printer and ticket media secured from potential customers, so that a customer is able to purchase on-demand tickets from vending device in communication with the centralized ticket manufacturing controller. Additionally, the vending devices may be configured as electronic aid to display the results of the purchased lottery tickets to the customer.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing on-demand lottery tickets comprising:

providing a central server at a central location;

generating, by said central server, a plurality of lottery pool games;

providing at least one vending device at a remote location, said vending device operatively coupled for communication with said central server and further comprising;

a plurality of blank lottery ticket media secured within said vending device, said blank lottery ticket media inaccessible to prospective customers; and

, a printer;

retrieving, upon a purchase request by a customer at said vending device, from a central server “

ticket data”

corresponding to said purchase request, said purchase request specifying at least one of said plurality of games, said ticket data including;

a ticket identification number; and

a game outcome;

printing, by said printer, said ticket identification number and game outcome onto a blank lottery ticket media to generate a printed lottery ticket;

dispensing said printed lottery ticket to said customer; and

supplementing one pool of said first set of lottery pool games when the number of un-played games within said one pool drops to a predetermined threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said game outcome comprising an amount of a win.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said game outcome comprises game symbols which may be compared against a pay table to determine an associated amount of a win.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising printing a plurality of game outcome transactions on said printed lottery ticket, each of said game outcome transactions associated with a purchase request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said printed lottery ticket is further redeemable for any win amounts associated with said printed lottery ticket.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said vending device further comprises a video display, said method further comprising:

displaying said game outcome of said printed lottery ticket via said video display.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said displaying said game outcome is carried out during said printing of said printed lottery ticket.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising reading said printed lottery ticket to determine said game outcome, said displaying said game outcome carried out after said reading said printed lottery ticket.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying a win amount associated with said game outcome.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said displaying said game outcome comprises:

animating spinning slot reels on said video display and

stopping said animated spinning slot reels to indicate resulting game symbols corresponding to said game outcome along at least one payout line.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said stopping said animated spinning slot reels is carried out after said printing is completed.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein said displaying said game outcome comprises displaying game symbols from one of:

a poker hand, a keno game, or a bingo game.

13. A method of manufacturing on-demand lottery tickets comprising:

providing a central server at a central location;

generating, by said central server, a plurality of lottery pool games;

providing at least one vending device at a remote location, said vending device operatively coupled for communication with said central server and further comprising;

a plurality of blank lottery ticket media secured within said vending device, said blank lottery ticket media inaccessible to prospective customers; and

, a printer;

retrieving, upon a purchase request by a customer at said vending device, from a central server “

ticket data”

corresponding to said purchase request, said purchase request specifying at least one of said plurality of games, said ticket data including;

a ticket identification number; and

, a game outcome;

printing, by said printer, said ticket identification number and game outcome onto a blank lottery ticket media to generate a printed lottery ticket, wherein said printed lottery ticket further comprises printing media and an opaque cover removably attached to said printing media, said printing said printed lottery ticket further comprising printing outcome game result indicia on said printing media, said opaque cover covering said outcome result indicia printed on said printing media, and wherein said vending device further comprises a thermal printer, said printing media comprising thermal printing media, said opaque covering comprising thermally conductive media, said thermal printer printing said game result indicia further comprising printing through said opaque cover onto said printing media.

14. A method of manufacturing on-demand lottery tickets comprising:

providing a central server at a central location;

generating, by said central server, a first set of lottery pool games;

providing at least one pull-tab distribution controller at a remote location, said pull-tab distribution controller operatively coupled for communication with said central server, said pull-tab distribution controller further maintaining a second set of lottery pool games, said second set corresponding to and retrieving from said first set of lottery pool games;

providing at least one vending device at said remote location, said vending device operatively coupled for communication with said pull-tab distribution controller and further comprising;

a plurality of blank lottery ticket media secured within said vending device; and

a printer;

retrieving, upon a purchase request by a customer at said vending device, from said pull-tab distribution controller “

ticket data”

corresponding to said purchase request, said purchase request specifying at least one of said second set of lottery pool games, said ticket data including;

a ticket identification number; and

, a game outcome;

printing, by said printer, said ticket identification number and game outcome onto a blank lottery ticket media to generate a printed lottery ticket;

dispensing said printed lottery ticket to said customer; and

supplementing one pool of said first set of lottery pool games when the number of un-played games within said one pool drops to a predetermined threshold value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said game outcome comprising an amount of a win.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said game outcome comprises game symbols which may be compared against a pay table to determine an associated amount of a win.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising printing a plurality of game outcome transactions on said printed lottery ticket, each of said game outcome transactions associated with a purchase request.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said printed lottery ticket is further redeemable for any win amounts associated with said printed lottery ticket.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said vending device further comprises a video display, said method further comprising:

displaying said game outcome of said printed lottery ticket via said video display.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said displaying said game outcome is carried out during said printing of said printed lottery ticket.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising reading said printed lottery ticket to determine said game outcome, said displaying said game outcome carried out after said reading said printed lottery ticket.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying a win amount associated with said game outcome.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said displaying said game outcome comprises:

animating spinning slot reels on said video display and

stopping said animated spinning slot reels to indicate resulting game symbols corresponding to said game outcome along at least one payout line.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said stopping said animated spinning slot reels is carried out after said printing is completed.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein said displaying said game outcome comprises displaying game symbols from one of:

a poker hand, a keno game, or a bingo game.

26. A method of manufacturing on-demand lottery tickets comprising:

providing a central server at a central location;

generating, by said central server, a first set of lottery pool games;

providing at least one pull-tab distribution controller at a remote location, said pull-tab distribution controller operatively coupled for communication with said central server, said pull-tab distribution controller further maintaining a second set of lottery pool games, said second set corresponding to and retrieving from said first set of lottery pool games;

providing at least one vending device at said remote location, said vending device operatively coupled for communication with said pull-tab distribution controller and further comprising;

a plurality of blank lottery ticket media secured within said vending device; and

a printer;

retrieving, upon a purchase request by a customer at said vending device, from said pull-tab distribution controller “

ticket data”

corresponding to said purchase request, said purchase request specifying at least one of said second set of lottery pool games, said ticket data comprising a ticket identification number and a game outcome;

printing, by said printer, said ticket identification number and game outcome onto a blank lottery ticket media to generate a printed lottery ticket;

printing, by said printer, said ticket identification number and game outcome onto a blank lottery ticket media to generate a printed lottery ticket, wherein said printed lottery ticket further comprises printing media and an opaque cover removably attached to said printing media, said printing said printed lottery ticket further comprising printing outcome game result indicia on said printing media, said opaque cover covering said outcome result indicia printed on said printing media, and wherein said vending device further comprises a thermal printer, said printing media comprising thermal printing media, said opaque covering comprising thermally conductive media, said thermal printer printing said game result indicia further comprising printing through said opaque cover onto said printing media; and

dispensing said printed lottery ticket to said customer.

27. A method of manufacturing on-demand lottery tickets comprising:

providing a central server at a first location;

generating, by said central server, a plurality of lottery pool games;

providing at least one counter service station at a second location, said counter service station operatively coupled for communication with said central server and further comprising a plurality of blank lottery ticket media secured within said counter service station, said blank lottery ticket media inaccessible to prospective customers, and, a printer, said counter service station operated by an attendant at said second location;

retrieving, upon a purchase request by a customer at said attendant, from said central server “

ticket data”

corresponding to said purchase request, said purchase request specifying at least one of said plurality of games, said ticket data including a ticket identification number, and, a game outcome;

printing, by said printer, said ticket identification number and game outcome onto a blank lottery ticket media to generate a printed lottery ticket;

vending said printed lottery ticket to said customer by said attendant; and

supplementing one pool of said first set of lottery pool-games when the number of un-played games within said one pool drops to a predetermined threshold value.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said game outcome comprises an amount of a win.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said game outcome comprises game symbols which may be compared against a pay table to determine an associated amount of a win.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising printing a plurality of game outcome transactions on said printed lottery ticket, each of said game outcome transactions associated with a purchase request.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein said printed lottery ticket is further redeemable for any win amounts associated with said printed lottery ticket.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein said printed lottery ticket further comprises printing media and an opaque cover removable attached to said printing media, said printing said printed lottery ticket further comprising printing outcome game result indicia on said printing media, said opaque cover covering said outcome result indicia printed on said printing media.

33. A method of manufacturing on-demand lottery tickets comprising:

providing a central server at a first location;

generating, by said central server, a plurality of lottery pool games;

providing at least one counter service station at a second location, said counter service station operatively coupled for communication with said central server and further comprising a plurality of blank lottery ticket media secured within said counter service station, said blank lottery ticket media inaccessible to prospective customers, and, a printer, said counter service station operated by an attendant at said second location,

retrieving, upon a purchase request by a customer at said attendant, from said central server “

ticket data”

corresponding to said purchase request, said purchase request specifying at least one of said plurality of games, said ticket data including a ticket identification number, and, a game outcome;

printing, by said printer, said ticket identification number and game outcome onto a blank lottery ticket media to generate a printed lottery ticket, wherein said printed lottery ticket further comprises printing media and an opaque cover removably attached to said printing media, said printing said printed lottery ticket further comprising printing outcome game result indicia on said printing media, said opaque cover covering said outcome result indicia printed on said printing media, and wherein said counter service station further comprises a thermal printer, said printing media comprising thermal printing media, said opaque covering comprising thermally conductive media, said thermal printer printing said game result indicia further comprising printing through said opaque cover onto said printing media; and

vending said printed lottery ticket to said customer by said attendant.

34. An on-demand lottery ticket dispensed by a vending device operatively coupled for communication with a centralized ticket manufacturing controller, said vending device located at a local vending site, said lottery ticket media comprising:

printing media;

an opaque cover removably attached to said printing media; and

outcome game result indicia printed on said printing media, said opaque cover covering said outcome game result indicia, said outcome game result indicia provided by said centralized ticket manufacturing controller to said vending device pursuant to purchase of said lottery ticket, and

wherein said printing media further comprises thermal media, said opaque cover further comprises a thermal laminate attached to said thermal media via thermally conductive adhesive.

35. The on-demand lottery ticket of claim 34, wherein said vending device is further associated with a game theme, said thermal laminate having game theme indicia thereon.

36. The on-demand lottery ticket of claim 34, wherein said cover further comprises a tab portion integral therein, said tab portion not attached to said thermal media.

37. On-demand lottery ticket media suitable for use in a vending device operatively coupled for communication with a centralized ticket manufacturing controller, said vending device located at a local vending site, said lottery ticket media comprising:

thermal media;

an opaque thermally conductive cover removably attached to said thermal media; and

a thermally conductive adhesive attaching said opaque cover to said thermal media.

38. The on-demand lottery ticket media of claim 37, wherein said cover further comprises a tab portion integral therewith, aid said tab portion not attached to said thermal media.