Mobile lottery games over a wireless network

• US 7,163,459 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2002
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Tanskanen, Erkki
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US10/092,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20020151344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,777 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463 17- 22, 463/25, 463/29, 463/30, 463/37, 463/39, 463 40- 42, 463/43, 273/138.1, 273/139, 273/138.2, 273/237, 273/269
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/006 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3288 Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

A method and system for providing real time scratch-off lottery like games over a wireless network. The method and system allow a user of a wireless station to play a lottery game electronically with the feel of real-time scratch and win determination. Substantially concurrently, security, including win/loss determination is maintained by a betting service provider on a system apart from the wireless station of the user. The system tracks user accounts, outstanding lottery games, and randomly determines win/loss information. The user is notified of win or loss (or the value “underneath” the scratch-off block in near real time. The wireless station transmits minimal amounts of data, typically a lottery ticket identifier and description of the users actions to the betting service provider and receives a value to display from the betting service provider.

Claims

1. A method of providing electronic lottery games comprising the steps of:

transmitting a game identification number over a wireless network from a betting service to said wireless game terminal having a display;

transmitting a plurality of game parameters associated with said game identification number over said wireless network to said wireless game terminal, wherein the game parameters include instructions for;

causing the display to present a plurality of graphic objects;

allowing the reception of a user selection of one of said objects;

causing said display to replace said selected object with a second graphic object, wherein said second graphic object is different from said selected object; and

transmitting data related to the selection to said betting service;

receiving at said betting service said data related to selections on said wireless game terminal associated with said game identification number;

calculating a win/loss value at said electronic betting service; and

transmitting said win/loss value to said wireless game terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting a selection of possible games wherein said game identification number and said plurality of game parameters are associated with the game selected from said possible games.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of crediting an account when said win/loss value is a positive value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said calculating step occurs after said receiving step.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said calculating step is performed for each possible selection associated with said game identification number.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing information associated with said game identification number on a database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a user must purchase the lottery game before receiving the game identification number and the win/loss value transmitted to the wireless game terminal indicates the user won the game, the method further comprising the steps of:

linking the game identification number to the user of the wireless game terminal who purchased the game; and

comparing the game identification number to the user playing the game to verify if the user playing the game is the same user that purchased the game.

8. A method comprising the steps of:

accepting a lottery game selection from a wireless network;

receiving a game identification number and a plurality of game parameters associated with said game identification number from said wireless network at a wireless game terminal having a display, wherein said plurality of game parameters include instructions for;

causing the display to present plurality of graphic objects;

allowing the reception of a user selection of one of said objects;

causing said display to replace said selected object with a second graphic object, wherein said second graphic object is different from said selected object; and

transmitting data related to the selection to said betting service;

accepting at least one gaming selection from said wireless network according to the rules of said selected lottery game; and

receiving win/loss value information from said wireless network based on said at least one gaming selection.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of logging on to said wireless network to receive a selection of lottery games.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of crediting an account when said win/loss value is a positive value.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of storing information about said at least one gaming selection on a database.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of calculating a win/loss value for said selected game.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of calculating a win/loss value for each possible gaming selection of said selected game.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein all of said steps are in the form of instructions embodied in a carrier wave sent over the said wireless network to instruct said wireless game terminal to perform all of said steps.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein all of said steps are in the form of instructions embodied in a flash memory to instruct said wireless game terminal to perform all of said steps.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein said graphic objects in said plurality of graphic objects are substantially identical relative to each other.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said graphic objects are block-shaped.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein said second graphic object is a numeral.

19. The method of claim 8, wherein a user must purchase the lottery game before receiving the game identification number and the win/loss value received at the wireless game terminal indicates the user won the game, the method further comprising the steps of:

linking the game identification number to the user of the wireless game terminal who purchased the game; and

comparing the game identification number to the user playing the game to verify if the user playing the game is the same user that purchased the game.

20. An interactive services display and response system for providing games over a wireless network, comprising:

a betting service provider on said wireless network; and

a wireless game terminal connected to said wireless network to communicate with said betting service provider over said wireless network;

wherein said betting service provider is configured to transmit a game identification number over said wireless network to said wireless game terminal, transmit a plurality of game parameters associated with said game identification number to said wireless game terminal, receive data related to selections on said wireless game terminal associated with said game identification number, calculate a win/loss value, and transmit said win/loss value to said wireless game terminal; and

wherein said game parameters include instructions for;

causing a display to present plurality of graphic objects;

allowing the reception of a user selection of one of said objects;

causing said display to replace said selected object with a second graphic object, wherein said second graphic object is different from said selected object; and

transmitting data related to the selection to said betting service.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said betting service provider is further configured to transmit a selection of possible games, and wherein said game identification number and said plurality of game parameters are associated with the game selected from said possible games.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein said betting service provider is further configured to credit an account when said win/loss value is a positive value.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein said betting service provider is further configured to calculate a win/loss value for each possible selection associated with said game identification number.

24. The system of claim 20, further comprising a database which stores information associated with said game identification number.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein said wireless game terminal is further configured to log on to said wireless network to receive a selection of lottery games.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein said wireless game terminal is further configured to credit an account when said win/loss value is a positive value.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein said wireless game terminal is further configured to calculate a win/loss value for said at least one gaming selection.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein said instructions are embodied in a flash memory to instruct said wireless game terminal to perform all of said steps.

29. The system of claim 20, wherein said graphic objects in said plurality of graphic objects are substantially identical relative to each other.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said graphic objects are block-shaped.

31. The system of claim 20, wherein said second graphic object is a numeral.

32. The system of claim 20, wherein a user must purchase the lottery game before receiving the game identification number and the win/loss value transmitted to the wireless game terminal indicates the user won the game, the system further comprising the steps of:

linking the game identification number to the user of the wireless game terminal who purchased the game; and

comparing the game identification number to the user playing the game to verify if the user playing the game is the same user that purchased the game.

33. A wireless user terminal having a computer-readable medium having computer readable instructions thereon that when executed allow the terminal to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving a game identification number over a wireless network from a betting service;

receiving a plurality of game parameters associated with said game identification number over said wireless network to said wireless user terminal, wherein the game parameters include instructions for;

causing a display of the wireless user terminal to present plurality of graphic objects;

allowing the reception of a user selection of one of said objects;

causing said display to replace said selected object with a second graphic object, wherein said second graphic object is different from said selected object; and

transmitting data related to the selection to said betting service;

transmitting said betting service said data related to user selections on said wireless user terminal associated with said game identification number; and

receiving win/loss value at said wireless user terminal.

34. A betting service server having a computer-readable medium having computer readable instructions thereon that when executed perform a method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a game identification number over a wireless network from a betting service server to a wireless game terminal;

transmitting a plurality of game parameters associated with said game identification number over said wireless network to said wireless game terminal, wherein the game parameters include instructions for;

causing a display of the wireless game terminal to present plurality of graphic objects;

allowing the reception of a user selection of one of said objects;

causing said display to replace said selected object with a second graphic object, wherein said second graphic object is different from said selected object; and

transmitting data related to the selection to said betting service;

receiving at said betting service server said data related to selections on said wireless game terminal associated with said game identification number;

calculating a win/loss value at said betting service server; and

transmitting said win/loss value to said wireless user terminal.