Multiple levels of participation in a lottery jackpot
First Claim
1. A virtual lottery unit comprising:
- a virtual lottery ticket price display that displays a first virtual lottery ticket price and a second virtual lottery ticket price;
a virtual lottery processor configured to (i) operate a virtual lottery game in which the first virtual lottery ticket price corresponds to a first distinct known potential percentage of a progressive jackpot prize that can be won with a virtual lottery ticket purchased according to the first virtual lottery ticket price having a winning virtual lottery ticket number and the second virtual lottery ticket price corresponds to a second distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize that can be won with a virtual lottery ticket purchased according to the second virtual lottery ticket price having the winning virtual lottery ticket number, (ii) compare a selection of a virtual lottery ticket number from a player with a winning lottery ticket number, and (iii) calculate a distribution of the progressive jackpot prize to the player based upon a virtual lottery ticket price selected by the player if the virtual lottery ticket number from the player equals the winning virtual lottery ticket number, a sum of the first distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize and the second distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize being greater than the progressive jackpot prize, the progressive jackpot prize increasing in size based on a portion of ticket sales revenue, the second distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize established such that a first association subtracted from a second association results in a fixed non-zero value, the first association equaling the first distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize divided by the first virtual lottery ticket price, the second association equaling the second distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize divided by the second virtual lottery ticket price;
a price selection input that receives the selection of a virtual lottery ticket price at which the virtual lottery ticket is purchased;
a number selection input that receives the selection of a virtual lottery ticket number from the player; and
a random number generator that generates the winning virtual lottery ticket number.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A virtual lottery unit can be utilized by a player to play a virtual lottery. A virtual lottery ticket display is provided to display a plurality of virtual lottery ticket prices. Each of the virtual lottery ticket prices corresponds to a distinct known percentage of a progressive jackpot that can be won with a winning virtual lottery number. The progressive jackpot increases progressive jackpot increases in size based on a portion of ticket sales revenue and that can be won with a winning virtual lottery number. A price selection input receives a selection of the virtual lottery ticket price of which the lottery ticket is to be purchased. Further, a number selection input receives a selection of a virtual lottery ticket number from the player. In addition, a random number generator generates the winning virtual lottery ticket number. A virtual lottery processor compares the selection of the virtual lottery ticket number form the player with the winning virtual lottery ticket number.
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Citations
60 Claims
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1. A virtual lottery unit comprising:
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a virtual lottery ticket price display that displays a first virtual lottery ticket price and a second virtual lottery ticket price; a virtual lottery processor configured to (i) operate a virtual lottery game in which the first virtual lottery ticket price corresponds to a first distinct known potential percentage of a progressive jackpot prize that can be won with a virtual lottery ticket purchased according to the first virtual lottery ticket price having a winning virtual lottery ticket number and the second virtual lottery ticket price corresponds to a second distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize that can be won with a virtual lottery ticket purchased according to the second virtual lottery ticket price having the winning virtual lottery ticket number, (ii) compare a selection of a virtual lottery ticket number from a player with a winning lottery ticket number, and (iii) calculate a distribution of the progressive jackpot prize to the player based upon a virtual lottery ticket price selected by the player if the virtual lottery ticket number from the player equals the winning virtual lottery ticket number, a sum of the first distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize and the second distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize being greater than the progressive jackpot prize, the progressive jackpot prize increasing in size based on a portion of ticket sales revenue, the second distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize established such that a first association subtracted from a second association results in a fixed non-zero value, the first association equaling the first distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize divided by the first virtual lottery ticket price, the second association equaling the second distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize divided by the second virtual lottery ticket price; a price selection input that receives the selection of a virtual lottery ticket price at which the virtual lottery ticket is purchased; a number selection input that receives the selection of a virtual lottery ticket number from the player; and a random number generator that generates the winning virtual lottery ticket number. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 52, 55, 56)
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17. A virtual lottery system comprising:
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a server that stores a progressive jackpot that can be won with a winning virtual lottery ticket number, compares a selection of a virtual lottery ticket number received from a virtual lottery unit with the winning virtual lottery ticket number to determine if a virtual lottery game has been won by a player, and calculates a distribution of the progressive jackpot prize to the player based upon a virtual lottery ticket price selected by the player if the virtual lottery ticket number from the player equals the winning virtual lottery ticket number, a sum of a first distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize and a second distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize is greater than the progressive jackpot prize, wherein the progressive jackpot increases in size based on a portion of virtual lottery ticket sales revenue; a plurality of virtual lottery units in communication with the server, each of the plurality of virtual lottery units receiving the progressive jackpot value from the server, each of the virtual lottery units having a virtual lottery ticket price display that displays the first virtual lottery ticket price and the second virtual lottery ticket price, each of the virtual lottery units having a virtual lottery unit processor configured to (i) operate a virtual lottery game in which the first virtual lottery ticket price corresponds to the first distinct known potential percentage of a progressive jackpot prize that can be won with a virtual lottery ticket purchased according to the first virtual lottery ticket price having a winning virtual lottery ticket number and the second virtual lottery ticket price corresponds to the second distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize that can be won with a virtual lottery ticket purchased according to the second virtual lottery ticket price having the winning virtual lottery ticket number, each of the virtual lottery units having a number selection input that receives a selection of a virtual lottery ticket number from a player, the second distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize established such that a first association subtracted from a second association results in a fixed non-zero value, the first association equaling the first distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize divided by the first virtual lottery ticket price, the second association equaling the second distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize divided by the second virtual lottery ticket price; and a random number generator that generates the winning virtual lottery ticket number. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 53, 57, 58)
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38. A method comprising:
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receiving a selection of a virtual lottery ticket price; determining, with a virtual lottery processor configured to operate a virtual lottery game, a percentage of a progressive jackpot prize value which increases in size based on a portion of virtual lottery ticket sales revenue, wherein the percentage of the progressive jackpot prize value can be won according to the selection of the virtual lottery ticket price from a first virtual lottery ticket price and a second virtual lottery ticket price, the first virtual lottery ticket price corresponding to a first distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize value that can be won with a virtual lottery ticket purchased according to the first virtual lottery ticket price having a winning virtual lottery ticket number, the second virtual lottery ticket price corresponding to a second distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize value that can be won with a virtual lottery ticket purchased according to the second virtual lottery ticket price having the winning virtual lottery ticket number, the second distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize established such that the first association subtracted from the second association results in a fixed non-zero value, the first association equaling the first distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize value divided by the first virtual lottery ticket price, the second association equaling the second distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize value divided by the second virtual lottery ticket price; receiving a player selection of a virtual lottery ticket number; randomly generating a winning virtual lottery ticket number; comparing, with the virtual lottery processor, the virtual lottery ticket number with the randomly generated winning lottery ticket number; calculating, with the virtual lottery processor, a distribution of the progressive jackpot prize value to the player based upon a virtual lottery ticket price selected by the player if the virtual lottery ticket number from the player equals the winning virtual lottery ticket number, a sum of the first distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize value and the second distinct known potential percentage of the progressive jackpot prize value is greater than the progressive jackpot prize value; and providing the distribution of the progressive jackpot prize value to the player if the virtual lottery ticket number from the player equals the winning virtual lottery ticket number. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 54, 59, 60)
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Specification