Game at cash register

• US 9,495,829 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Lutnick, Howard W., Gelman, Geoffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Assistant Examiner(s): PINHEIRO, JASON PAUL
• Application Number:
  US13/300,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20120129586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,821 Days
• Field of Search: 463/17, 463/25, 463/42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• 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 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• 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 17/3253 involving articles, e.g. paying in bottles, paying out toys
• 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 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/24 with change-giving

Abstract

In various embodiments, a method may include receiving an indication of a price of an item to be purchased by a person from a merchant, receiving an indication of an amount tendered by the person, determining an amount of change due to the person based on the price and based on the amount tendered, determining the rules of a game, generating a first outcome of the game using a random number generator, determining based on the rules whether the first outcome is winning or losing, authorizing, if the first outcome is winning, that the amount tendered be returned to the person and that the person be allowed to keep the item, and authorizing, if the first outcome is losing, that the amount tendered be kept by the merchant.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by at least one computing server, from a point of sale terminal (POS terminal) an indication that a person is purchasing or paying for an item, wherein the item comprises a product or a service, wherein the POS terminal comprises a credit card reader and is operable to process credit card transactions and comprises an enclosure for storing cash, wherein the POS terminal detects a mobile device in use by the person, and wherein receiving from the POS terminal the indication that the person is purchasing or paying for the item comprises receiving from the POS terminal an indication of the mobile device and an indication of a purchase price of the item;

offering, by the at least one computing server, to the person via the mobile device an opportunity for the person to play a game wherein a payout of the game is a reduction in or elimination of the purchase price of the item;

receiving, by the at least one computing server, from the mobile device an indication that the person wants to play the game;

receiving, by the at least one computing server, from the person via the mobile device a desired probability of winning in the game;

based on the desired probability of winning in the game received from the person and the payout, determining, by the at least one computing server, a wager amount for the person to play the game;

presenting, by the at least one computing server, to the person via the mobile device the determined wager amount;

receiving, by the at least one computing server, from the person via the mobile device a placement of a wager on the game at the determined wager amount;

determining, by the at least one computing server, one or more outcomes of the game;

based on the one or more outcomes, determining, by the at least one computing server, whether the person won the game; and

in response to determining that the person won the game;

communicating, by the at least one computing server, to the person via the mobile device an indication that the person won the game; and

communicating, by the at least one computing server, to the POS terminal an indication that the person won the game.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that the person lost the game, the person pays the purchase price for the item and loses the wager amount.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that the person won the game, the person receives the item for free and has the wager amount returned.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the person tenders the wager amount in cash, casino credits, casino chips, or comp points.

5. A method comprising:

receiving, by at least one computing server, from a point of sale terminal (POS terminal) an indication that a person is purchasing or paying for an item, wherein the item comprises a product or a service, wherein the POS terminal comprises a credit card reader and is operable to process credit card transactions and comprises an enclosure for storing cash, wherein the POS terminal detects a mobile device in use by the person, and wherein receiving from the POS terminal the indication that the person is purchasing or paying for the item comprises receiving from the POS terminal an indication of the mobile device and an indication of a purchase price of the item;

offering, by the at least one computing server, to the person via the mobile device an opportunity for the person to play games wherein a payout for playing the games is receiving the item for free or at a reduced price;

receiving, by the at least one computing server, from the mobile device an indication that the person wants to play the games;

determining, by the at least one computing server, that the person has won the item for free or at a reduced price as a result of the person winning a plurality of the games; and

in response to determining that the person has won the item for free or at a reduced price;

communicating, by the at least one computing server, to the person via the mobile device an indication that the person has won the item for free or at a reduced price; and

communicating by the at least one computing server, to the POS terminal an indication that the person won the item for free or at a reduced price;

wherein the person begins with an initial balance in order to bet on the games, and

wherein determining that the person has won the item for free or at a reduced price comprises determining that the person, in winning the plurality games, has parlayed the initial balance into a target balance.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein the person tenders an amount to purchase or pay for the item, the amount tendered being greater than a price of the item by a difference, the difference comprising an amount of change due to the person;

and

wherein the amount of change due to the person is the initial balance.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein if, as a result of playing the games, the initial balance reaches zero the person loses the amount tendered, including the change due, but retains the item.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the person purchases or pays for the item with cash, casino credits, casino chips, or comp points.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the target balance comprises a purchase price of the item.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory device electronically coupled to the at least one processor and having software stored thereon that when executed by the at least one processor directs the at least one processor to;

receive from a point of sale terminal (POS terminal) an indication that a person is purchasing or paying for an item, wherein the item comprises a product or a service, wherein the POS terminal comprises a credit card reader and is operable to process credit card transactions and comprises an enclosure for storing cash, wherein the POS terminal detects a mobile device in use by the person, and wherein receiving from the POS terminal the indication that the person is purchasing or paying for the item comprises receiving from the POS terminal an indication of the mobile device and an indication of a purchase price of the item;

offer to the person via the mobile device an opportunity for the person to play a game wherein a payout of the game is a reduction in or elimination of the purchase price of the item;

receive from the mobile device an indication that the person wants to play the game;

receive from the person via the mobile device a desired probability of winning in the game;

based on the desired probability of winning in the game received from the person and the payout, determine a wager amount for the person to play the game;

present to the person via the mobile device the determined wager amount;

receive from the person via the mobile device a placement of a wager on the game at the determined wager amount;

determine one or more outcomes of the game;

based on the one or more outcomes, determine whether the person won the game; and

in response to determining that the person won the game;

communicate to the person via the mobile device an indication that the person won the game; and

communicate to the POS terminal an indication that the person won the game.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein in response to determining that the person lost the game, the person pays the purchase price for the item and loses the wager amount.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein in response to determining that the person won the game, the person receives the item for free and has the wager amount returned.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the person tenders the wager amount in cash, casino credits, casino chips, or comp points.

14. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory device electronically coupled to the at least one processor and having software stored thereon that when executed by the at least one processor directs the at least one processor to;

receive from a point of sale terminal (POS terminal) an indication that a person is purchasing or paying for an item, wherein the item comprises a product or a service, wherein the POS terminal comprises a credit card reader and is operable to process credit card transactions and comprises an enclosure for storing cash, wherein the POS terminal detects a mobile device in use by the person, and wherein receiving from the POS terminal the indication that the person is purchasing or paying for the item comprises receiving from the POS terminal an indication of the mobile device and an indication of a purchase price of the item;

offer to the person via the mobile device an opportunity for the person to play games wherein a payout for playing the games is receiving the item for free or at a reduced price;

receive from the mobile device an indication that the person wants to play the games;

determining, by the at least one computing server, that the person has won the item for free or at a reduced price as a result of the person winning a plurality of the games; and

in response to determining that the person has won the item for free or at a reduced price;

communicate to the person via the mobile device an indication that the person has won the item for free or at a reduced price; and

communicate to the POS terminal an indication that the person won the item for free or at a reduced price;

wherein the person begins with an initial balance in order to bet on the games, and

wherein to determine that the person has won the item for free or at a reduced price comprises to determine that the person, in winning the plurality games, has parlayed the initial balance into a target balance.

15. The apparatus of claim 14,

wherein the person tenders an amount to purchase or pay for the item, the amount tendered being greater than a price of the item by a difference, the difference comprising an amount of change due to the person;

and

wherein the amount of change due to the person is the initial balance.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein if, as a result of playing the games, the initial balance reaches zero the person loses the amount tendered, including the change due, but retains the item.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the person purchases or pays for the item with cash, casino credits, casino chips, or comp points.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the target balance comprises a purchase price of the item.