Methods and apparatus for lottery game play aggregation

• US 7,727,063 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2000
• 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: Walker, Jay S., Jorasch, James A., Fincham, Magdalena M., Tulley, Stephen C., Packes, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter Dungba
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Application Number:
  US11/424,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20060247008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 273/139, 273/269, 283/901, 283/903
• US Class Current: 463/17
• 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 17/3234 about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/901 Concealed data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/903 Lottery ticket

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a player may accumulate occurrences of a bonus symbol over at least two outcomes. The player may be allowed a bonus if a running count of the occurrences is at least equal to a predetermined number. According to another embodiment, a player may accumulate occurrences of matched lottery numbers over a plurality of lottery outcomes (e.g., lottery number drawings) and/or a plurality of lottery entries. The player may be allowed a bonus if a running count of occurrences of matched numbers is at least equal to a predetermined number.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a lottery server comprising a processer, a total number of occurrences of a first symbol in at least two predetermined outcomes for a player in an instant lottery game,

in which determining the total number of occurrences of the first symbol comprises

determining, by a lottery server for each occurrence of the first symbol in the at least two predetermined outcomes for the player in the instant lottery game, a period of time of a predetermined fixed length, wherein after the respective period of time following a respective time of the occurrence, the respective occurrence expires, and

determining, by a lottery server, for each occurrence of the first symbol, whether the respective period of time has passed following the respective time of the respective occurrence;

determining, by the lottery server, that the total number of occurrences of the first symbol is not less than a first minimum number of occurrences greater than one; and

providing a bonus to the player in response to determining that the total number of occurrences of the first symbol in the at least two predetermined outcomes for the player is not less than the first minimum number of occurrences.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a total number of occurrences of a second symbol in the at least two predetermined outcomes;

determining that the total number of occurrences of the second symbol in the at least two predetermined outcomes is not less than a second minimum number of occurrences greater than one; and

in which providing the bonus further comprises;

providing the bonus to the player in response to determining that the determined total number of occurrences of the second symbol is not less than the second minimum number of occurrences greater than one.

3. The method of claim 2, in which at least one of the at least two predetermined outcomes is provided on a first type of physical ticket, and

in which at least one of the at least two outcomes is provided on a second type of physical ticket.

4. The method of claim 1, in which at least one of the at least two predetermined outcomes is provided on a physical ticket.

5. The method of claim 1, in which at least one of the at least two predetermined outcomes is provided electronically.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the step of determining the total number of occurrences comprises:

determining a number of occurrences of the first symbol that qualify for the bonus; and

in which providing the bonus further comprises;

providing the bonus if the number of occurrences of the first symbol that qualify for the bonus is at least a minimum number of occurrences greater than one.

7. The method of claim 6, in which determining the number of occurrences of the first symbol that qualify for the bonus comprises:

determining at least one rule; and

determining the number of occurrences of the first symbol that qualify for the bonus in accordance with the at least one rule.

8. A method comprising:

determining, by a lottery server comprising a processor, a total number of occurrences of a first symbol in at least two predetermined outcomes for a player in an instant lottery game;

determining, by the lottery server, that the total number of occurrences of the first symbol is not less than a first minimum number of occurrences greater than one; and

providing a bonus to the player in response to determining that the total number of occurrences of the first symbol in the at least two predetermined outcomes for the player is not less than the first minimum number of occurrences,

in which the step of determining the total number of occurrences comprises;

determining a number of occurrences of the first symbol that qualify for the bonus; and

in which providing the bonus further comprises;

providing the bonus if the number of occurrences of the first symbol that qualify for the bonus is at least a minimum number of occurrences greater than one,

in which determining the number of occurrences of the first symbol that qualify for the bonus comprises;

determining at least one rule; and

determining the number of occurrences of the first symbol that qualify for the bonus in accordance with the at least one rule,

in which the at least one rule comprises;

a period of time of a predetermined fixed length during which the occurrence of the first symbol qualifies for the bonus, and

in which the period of time begins at a time of the occurrence of the first symbol.

9. A computer readable medium storing instructions configured to direct a computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

determining, by a lottery server comprising a processor, a total number of occurrences of a first symbol in at least two predetermined outcomes for a player in an instant lottery game,

in which determining the total number of occurrences of the first symbol comprises

determining, by the lottery server for each occurrence of the first symbol in the at least two predetermined outcomes for the player in the instant lottery game, a period of time of a predetermined fixed length, wherein after the respective period of time following a respective time of the occurrence, the respective occurrence expires, and

determining, by the lottery sever for each occurrence of the first symbol, whether the respective period of time has passed following the respective time of the respective occurrence;

determining, by the lottery server that the total number of occurrences of the first symbol is not less than a first minimum number of occurrences greater than one; and

transmitting an indication of a bonus to be provided to the player in response to determining that the total number of occurrences of the first symbol in the at least two predetermined outcomes for the player is not less than the first minimum number of occurrences.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

an output device in communication with the processor; and

a storage device in communication with the processor, the storage device storing computer-readable instructions configured to direct the processor to perform a method, the method comprising;

determining a total number of occurrences of a first symbol in at least two predetermined outcomes for a player in an instant lottery game,

in which determining the total number of occurrences of the first symbol comprises

determining, for each occurrence of the first symbol in the at least two predetermined outcomes for the player in the instant lottery game, a period of time of a predetermined fixed length, wherein after the respective period of time following a respective time of the occurrence, the respective occurrence expires, and

determining, for each occurrence of the first symbol, whether the respective period of time has passed following the respective time of the respective occurrence;

determining that the total number of occurrences of the first symbol is not less than a first minimum number of occurrences greater than one; and

transmitting via the output device an indication of a bonus to be provided to the player in response to determining that the total number of occurrences of the first symbol in the at least two predetermined outcomes for the player is not less than the first minimum number of occurrences.