Method and apparatus for facilitating play of fractional value lottery games

• US 7,351,142 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Van Luchene, Andrew S., Tulley, Stephen C., Walker, Jay S., Jorasch, James A., Jindal, Sanjay K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Assistant Examiner(s): BANTA, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US10/457,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20040032083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 463/17, 463/25, 273/269
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/006 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/24 with change-giving
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a method is provided for redeeming a game entry. The method includes steps of determining a wager amount that is associated with a winning game entry, determining a proportional share based on the wager amount, and determining a prize share amount based on the proportional share. The method may further include providing the prize share amount to a holder of the winning game entry. In some alternative embodiments, a prize for a winning game entry may be a non-monetary benefit.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving from a customer a request to purchase a lottery ticket in exchange for a purchase amount that is less than one dollar;

generating a combination of characters at random, the combination comprising;

a first alphanumeric character,

a second alphanumeric character,

a third alphanumeric character,

a fourth alphanumeric character,

a fifth alphanumeric character, and

a sixth alphanumeric character;

printing a lottery ticket, the lottery ticket including;

an indication of the combination of characters,

an indication of the purchase amount,

an indication of a draw date, and

a signature line;

providing the lottery ticket to the customer in exchange for the purchase amount;

determining a set of lottery tickets purchased for a day'"'"'s drawing,

in which each lottery ticket is associated with a respective purchase amount and a respective combination of characters,

the set of lottery tickets including the lottery ticket of the customer;

determining a prize amount based on the respective purchase amounts;

drawing a first winning lottery ticket from the set of lottery tickets;

drawing a second winning lottery ticket from the set of lottery tickets;

drawing a third winning lottery ticket from the set of lottery tickets;

determining a total cost based on a purchase amount of the first winning lottery ticket, a purchase amount of the second winning lottery ticket, and a purchase amount of the third winning lottery ticket;

receiving an indication of the combination of characters of the lottery ticket that was provided to the customer;

determining whether the combination of characters is the same as the respective combination of characters associated with the first winning lottery ticket; and

determining a share of the prize amount based on the purchase amount of the first winning lottery ticket and the total cost.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the share of the prize amount to the customer.

3. The method of claim 1, in which receiving the indication of the combination of characters of the lottery ticket comprises:

receiving the lottery ticket of the customer at a lottery retailer.

4. The method of claim 1, in which receiving the indication of the combination of characters of the lottery ticket:

receiving the lottery ticket of the customer at a lottery office.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the customer signed the lottery ticket that was provided to the customer.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the lottery ticket of the customer corresponds to a lottery game having at least three respective guaranteed winners for each day'"'"'s drawing.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the lottery ticket corresponds to a lottery game having odds of winning a day'"'"'s drawing that are based on a total number of tickets sold for the day'"'"'s drawing.

8. The method of claim 1, in which drawing the first winning lottery ticket comprises:

drawing the first winning lottery ticket at approximately a predetermined drawing time.

9. The method of claim 1, in which the combination of characters comprises, in sequence:

the first alphanumeric character,

the second alphanumeric character,

the third alphanumeric character,

the fourth alphanumeric character,

the fifth alphanumeric character, and

the sixth alphanumeric character.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

drawing a fourth winning lottery ticket from the set of lottery tickets;

drawing a fifth winning lottery ticket from the set of lottery tickets; and

drawing a sixth winning lottery ticket from the set of lottery tickets, and

in which determining the total cost comprises;

determining the total cost based on the purchase amount of the first winning lottery ticket, the purchase amount of the second winning lottery ticket, the purchase amount of the third winning lottery ticket, a purchase amount of the fourth winning lottery ticket, a purchase amount of the fifth winning lottery ticket, and a purchase amount of the sixth winning lottery ticket.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a customer to purchase a lottery ticket in exchange for a fractional monetary amount;

receiving the fractional monetary amount from the customer;

determining a ticket value based on the fractional monetary amount;

outputting a ticket identifier that identifies the lottery ticket;

outputting an indication of the ticket value;

determining a proportional share based on the ticket value;

determining a prize share amount based on the proportional share; and

providing the prize share amount to the customer.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a customer to purchase a lottery ticket in exchange for a fractional monetary amount;

receiving the fractional monetary amount from the customer;

outputting a ticket identifier that identifies the lottery ticket;

determining whether the lottery ticket is a winning ticket; and

if the lottery ticket is a winning ticket,

determining a benefit that is associated with the lottery ticket, and providing the benefit to the customer.

13. The method of claim 12, in which the benefit has a value that is proportional to the fractional monetary amount.

14. The method of claim 12, in which the fractional monetary amount is based on a change amount for a transaction.

15. The method of claim 12, in which the benefit is a fixed prize amount.

16. The method of claim 12, in which the benefit comprises at least one of:

a discount,

a voucher,

a rebate, and

a coupon.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a ticket value based on the fractional monetary amount; and

in which determining whether the lottery ticket is a winning ticket comprises;

determining whether the lottery ticket is a winning ticket based on the ticket value.

18. The method of claim 17, in which a probability that the lottery ticket is a winning ticket is based on the ticket value.

19. A method comprising:

receiving a request to purchase a lottery ticket in exchange for a fractional monetary amount;

receiving the fractional monetary amount;

determining a fractional ticket value based on the fractional monetary amount;

outputting a ticket identifier that identifies the lottery ticket; and

outputting an indication of the fractional ticket value.

20. A method comprising:

receiving a request by a customer to purchase a lottery ticket in exchange for a wager amount,

in which the wager amount is not a whole-number multiple of one dollar, and

in which the lottery ticket corresponds to a variably-priced lottery game;

determining a ticket value based on the wager amount;

generating a lottery ticket having the ticket value; and

providing the lottery ticket to the customer.

21. A method comprising:

determining a wager amount that is associated with a winning lottery ticket;

determining a proportional share based on the wager amount;

determining a prize share amount based on the proportional share; and

providing the prize share amount to a holder of the winning lottery ticket.

22. A method comprising:

determining a first wager amount that is associated with a first winning lottery ticket;

determining a second wager amount that is associated with a second winning lottery ticket;

determining a proportional share based on the first wager amount and the second wager amount;

determining a prize share amount based on the proportional share; and

providing the prize share amount to a holder of the first winning lottery ticket.

23. A method comprising:

receiving first ticket numbers from a first holder of a first fractional lottery ticket,

in which the first fractional lottery ticket is associated with a lottery game;

determining a first purchase price that is associated with the first fractional lottery ticket;

receiving second ticket numbers from a second holder of a second fractional lottery ticket,

in which the second fractional lottery ticket is associated with the lottery game;

determining a second purchase price that is associated with the second fractional lottery ticket;

determining a prize amount of the lottery game;

determining a first share of the prize amount based on the first ticket numbers and the first purchase price;

determining a second share of the prize amount based on the second ticket numbers and the second purchase price; and

providing the first share of the prize amount to the first holder.

24. The method of claim 23, in which determining the first share of the prize amount comprises:

determining the first share of the prize amount based on the first ticket numbers, the first purchase price, and the second purchase price.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

providing the second share of the prize amount to the second holder.