Methods and apparatus for enhanced interactive game play in lottery and gaming environments

• US 8,241,100 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milestone Entertainment LLC
• Original Assignee: Milestone Entertainment LLC
• Inventors: Katz, Randall, Dawson, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsu, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US11/870,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20080220840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/17, 463/18, 463/19, 463/20, 463/25, 273/138.1, 273/138.2, 273/143.R
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

Methods and systems for electronic interaction comprising a display for presenting a grid of identifying objects, an input for receiving a player selection of an identifying object, a random generator for randomly selecting a winning identifying object, and a point tally system for awarding points to the player according to the rules comprising a first point value if the player selected identifying object exactly matches the winning identifying object, a second point value if the player selected identifying object is in a geometric relationship with the winning identifying object, and a third, negative, point value if the player is not awarded the first point value or the second point value.

Claims

1. A method for enhanced lottery play in a multi-user environment comprising:

providing a central system for storing user identification data, user game information and for timing selection and control of interaction with the system,

receiving at the central system an indication from multiple users of interest to participate in a game, including receipt of user identification information,

generating at the central system and transmitting a display of user selectable icons arranged in rows and columns,

receiving at the central system an indication of selections of the user selectable icons,

selecting at the central system one of the selectable icons,

modifying the game information for the players by;

(i) providing a superior point value to a player if the user selected icon equals the icon selected by the central system,

(ii) providing a lesser point value to the player if the user selected icon does not equal the icon selected by the central system, but appears in a row or column common with the system selected icon, and

(iii) decreasing the user information if the user selected icon does not appear in the row or column including the central system selected icon,

repeating the steps of receiving the player'"'"'s selection, system selection, and modifying the game information at least by cumulating the point values into user scores for a predetermined number of times, and

comparing the users scores and awarding prizes according to predefined prizing criteria.

2. The method for enhanced lottery play of claim 1 wherein the central system is the lottery system.

3. The method for enhanced lottery play of claim 1 wherein the icons are numbers.

4. The method for enhanced lottery play of claim 2 wherein the numbers are 1 through 49.

5. The method for enhanced lottery play of claim 2 wherein the numbers are 1 through 36.

6. The method for enhanced lottery play of claim 1 wherein the icons comprise a n ×

n matrix.

7. The method for enhanced lottery play of claim 1 wherein wherein six numbers are selected.

8. A system for electronic interaction comprising:

a display presenting a grid of identifying objects,

an input receiving a player selection of an identifying object,

a random generator randomly selecting a winning identifying object, and

a point tally system awarding points to the player according to the rules comprising;

a first positive point value if the player selected identifying object exactly matches the winning identifying object,

a second positive point value, the second positive point value being less than the first positive point value, if the player selected identifying object is in a geometric relationship with the winning identifying object, and

a third, negative, point value if the player is not awarded the first point value or the second point value,

the point tally system cumulating the awarded point values to provide a player score.

9. A system for electronic interaction of claim 8 wherein the grid of identifying objects are arranged in multiple rows and columns.

10. A system for electronic interaction of claim 8 wherein the grid of the identifying objects is arranged in multiple concentric circles.

11. A system for electronic interaction of claim 8 wherein the third negative point value is variable.

12. A system for electronic interaction of claim 11 wherein the variable third negative point value equals the difference between the player selected number and the winning number.

13. A system for electronic interaction of claim 8 wherein the objects are numbers.

14. A system for electronic interaction of claim 8 wherein the objects are letters.

15. A system for electronic interaction of claim 8 wherein includes a indication of multiple rounds.

16. A system for electronic interaction of claim 15 wherein the number of rounds is 10.

17. A system for electronic interaction of claim 15 wherein the number of rounds is less than 10.

18. A system for electronic interaction of claim 15 wherein the points are accumulated from round to round.

19. A system for electronic interaction of claim 15 wherein the system includes a display of number of draws remaining.

20. A system for electronic interaction of claim 8 wherein the first point value is greater than the second point value.

21. A system for electronic interaction of claim 8 wherein the first point value is double the second point value.