ELECTRONIC-TELEPHONE-TELEMATIC SYSTEM FOR LOTTERIES

Abstract: Electronic-telephone-telematic system, for lotteries, comprising a computer (12) situated at a specially setup management office, an electronic telephone interface card (15), a vocal card, a memory store (17), a software program for managing the lottery, which computer (12), on receiving a call form a player made to the management's number, allocates a progressive or in any case a specific number to said call, informs the caller of said number, generating a casual number by means of a random process, comparing the allocated number with the casual number and considering as a winning factor identity between the two numbers, informing the caller of the result and whether or not a prize has been won.

Description: Electronic-telephone-telematic system for lotteries The invention concerns a system for participation in lotteries operated at a distance by data processing systems using a telecommunications network. Electronic or other systems are already in use by means of which a player's result can be known and games of great interest be played. There are others, also in frequent use, known as "scratch cards" and the like that immediately inform a player of success or failure. In practice a winning number is drawn by the player, this being considered stimulating and more reliable than other lotteries in which a winner is drawn some time later with no chance of control by participants. To participate in these activities a card must be purchased at an authorized selling point; availability is thus limited to certain hours and certain selling points. To collect a prize the winner must hand in the coupon where it was first purchased from the organizers. Where competitions require the card to be posted, a postage stamp must be purchased after which the participant must wait to know the result until the draw takes place; further, there is no guarantee that the card will reach its destination in good time. Extraction of a prize linked to a telephone call when a preference has been expressed, as in the case of a "televote", presumes interaction between telephone and television and is limited to the time covered by the program. In all cases a player must express a preference or agree to buy certain products or use certain services. Using the cards provided for participating in certain games often results in cancellation of the prize as it is easy to spoil the card by clumsy action. Practically speaking in no presently existing game and lottery can a prize be awarded at once, or playing it wherever the player may be and at any time of day, or trying his luck again and again whenever he wishes and in different places all round the clock. Payment of the entry fee cannot generally be delayed and is usually requested in advance. The above invention eliminates almost all the above drawbacks at the same time offering substantial advantages as will be explained below. Subject of the invention is an electronic-telephone-telematic system for taking part in lotteries: The system comprises a computer situated at a centre for operating the scheme, a telephone interface card, a vocal card, a memory store and a software program for running the lottery. This program controls the flow of data between computer, telephone, memory store and vocal card, reads the vocal card's signals and takes from the store appropriate digital information which is then transformed from the vocal card into data acceptable by the telephone network. A phone call from a player to the managing centre's number wins a prize if a number, considered distinguishing, assigned to the player's call, is identical with a number decided by the computer according to a fixed program. On receiving the call, the computer compares the distinguishing number assigned to that call with the established number and informs the caller whether it is a prize-winning number or not. The distinguishing number of the phone call is generally its progressive number or equivalent. The number decided by the computer can be obtained in various ways. It may be casually fixed according to a component of probability which the computer generates by a random process. The random function can be corrected by assigning differing importance to different solutions so that the likelihood of the number assigned coinciding with the number obtained by a random process is greater for the class of smaller prizes. The number of figures that compose the series of digits assigned to the participant, and the numerical interval within which the random solution identified the numbers to be drawn, can be varied according to the quantity of prizes available so that, from the start, it becomes possible to know what chances there are of winning for every presumed or estimated set of participants. The number fixed by the computer can be the one appearing at the end of a certain sequence of events. The sequence of events can be one that corresponds to the number of phone calls received. Or else it can be one corresponding to certain time intervals between phone calls received starting from a fixed date and time. The number decided by the computer can be one corresponding to certain properties of the number itself. These properties can consist of the formation of the number by one or more digits all the same. Other equivalent systems can of course be used to give automatic announcement of the winner. The call can be made by phone or through telematic networks, Internet and equivalent means. The player makes a call by calling a number belonging to the lines of services supplied against payment by the telephone company through a network created especially by the network's administration. The cost of the call is decided by that administration; it may be equivalent to, or less than, the cost of a single call unit and a method of payment be arranged whereby part of the cost is paid by the administration. The memory store has two sets of files, one for storing basic vocal messages such as phrases for arrival or departure, others requesting replies by the caller and checking the answer, messages giving information, sound effects or music, and the other set containing data supplied by the computer as the game proceeds. The vocal card has two roles: one that converts signals from the caller into orders the computer can recognise, and the other that converts information in the memory store into digital signals which are then retransmitted through the telephone lines to the caller in the form of vocal messages. A guiding voice in the vocal card asks the participant for personal data, explains how the game works, tells the participant to wait for a reply and especially to hold the line for a comparison beween the number assigned and the number obtained by the random process. The administration can arrange a different series of prizes of different values and give each one a telephone code so that by associating a certain code to the phone call the participant can compete for one series or another. The lottery consists of a series of events some of which are static and some decisional, the static events being those in which the caller's role is a passive one while the computer decides the result. The decisional events are those in which the caller's role is active, so that whenever a decision must be made the computer sends the caller a message with a finite number of possible choices, namely, whether the game is to be continued or not by repeating the stakes and therefore prolonging the call, or whether by changing code he can compete for another series of prizes with a greater of lesser likelihood of winning, or any other choices the administration may suggest. The function that processes choice information has two possible configurations: one consists in assigning a single possibility to each choice and the other in utilizing the choice for starting a procedure which, according to that choice and by processing associated data, selection is made among a set of further choices thus giving the procedure other functions such as keeping an account of the caller's accumulated winnings during the game, an account of the series chosen, and so on. The number of digits forming the number assigned to the participant and the numerical interval within which the random solution identifies the numbers to be drawn, can be varied according to the quantity of prizes that make up the total available, so as to know in advance what possibilities exist of winning by each presumed or estimated set of participants. An acoustic signal can with advantage be laid on to advise the caller if the attempt has met with failure or success. The invention offers evident advantages. There are no cards or suchlike to be compiled and there is no waiting for postal delivery, while the result is immediately known. Anyone can play at any moment. All that is needed is a telephone so that the game can be played from home, from the office, from any public place or from a car or anywhere else where there is a telephone, cellular telephone or satellite, even at night, at any time during the twenty-four hours. The game is played for that purpose only and with the aim of winning without any obligation to make purchases or use services in order to play. There is no need to wait until the close of the competition to know the result, as happens with lotteries where the winner is drawn. By using a chosen telephone code, the player participates in drawing the prize, choosing the desired one from those made available. The user pays his fee on the phone bill and payment is therefore deferred compared with the time of playing. As this particular lottery is arranged by telephone linked to an audiotel or similar system, cost of playing the game is the same all over the country being unrelated to local or trunk call charges. Since participation and resulting win are linked to a computerized process, with or without telematics, maximum precision and reliability are ensured for the user. There are also considerable savings in distribution costs as the telephone is already installed throughout the country. The system of direct magnetic filing by phone calls eliminates any problem of filing cards or the other means of participation hitherto necessary for taking part in a lottery draw. Characteristics and purposes of the invention will be made still clearer by the following examples of its execution illustrated by diagrammatically drawn figures. Fig. 1 Operative diagram with an electronic interface card. Fig. 2 Diagram of the interface. Fig. 3 Diagram of the software flow for a participant. The invented system comprises a computer 12 in which the software for organizing the game has been installed. It is possible to talk with the computer using telephones 13 connected to the telephone network 14 to which the computer has been connected by means of the phonic interface card 15. The same thing may be done using terminals or computers 16 connected to the telephone network 14 to which the computer 12 is connected by a data modem 18. The electronic interface card 15 is connected to the telephone network by wiring 1 and the entry circuit 2 that electrically isolates the telephone line from the electronic logic of the interface card. An 8-bit analog/digital converter 3 converts analog-type vocal signals, coming in from the telephone line, to 8-bit digital signals that are then compressed by a vocal compresser 4. By compressing incoming vocal messages the storage space needed for them in the computer's mass storage memory is far less than that required for a non-compressed message. The vocal message is sent to the output circuit 6 of the interface 15 through a bus 5 that passes it on to the computer aong the parallel cable 7. Numbers are transmitted through the telephone network by sending tones of different frequencies, making it possible to recognise digit codes. A decoder 8 receives the tones from the telephone line through entry circuit 2 of the interface 15, decodes them into 8-bit binary signals and sends them to the computer through the bus 5, output circuit 6 and parallel cable 7. Through the parallel cable 7 the phonic message in binary code is received from the computer and sent to the expander 9 through the bus 5. The expander restores the compressed data, received from the computer, to standard size and passes them on to a digital/analog converter 10 for digital-to-analog conversion of the signal. The circuit 2 sends out the message on the telephone line. The microprocessor 11 serves for operating the series of devices described above and for discussion with the computer. To play the game a player calls the system by its telephone number. This number activates interface 15 and the computer 12 which puts questions to the player, stores the answers given in the mass memory store 17, forms the progressive or, in any case, the specific number for the player and informs the player of this number. Using a random procedure the computer than casually generates any number and compares it with the number previously assigned to the caller. If the two numbers - the assigned number and that obtained with the random process - coincide, the caller has won a prize and is immediately informed by the computer. Alternatively the computer can be programmed to consider a caller as having won if the distinguishing number is the same as other numbers of comparison. These numbers of comparison may be, for example, all the progressive numbers formed of more than two equal digits, such as 555, 777, 444. Numbers of comparison may be considered those found at the end of a certain sequence of numbers, for example telephone call No. 100, namely, the one at the end of a series of 100 calls, or call No. 200, or No. 300 and so on. Again, numbers of comparison can be considered those at the end of a time interval, namely, the call made after a period of 25 minutes starting from midnight on the first day of play and therefore at the end of each further period of 25 minutes or at the end of other time intervals, such as 30 minutes, 50 minutes and so forth. The same phenomena may be created using telematics instead of a telephone. The only difference lies in the form of discussion between the player and the administration, no longer vocal but in writing on the player's terminal screen and by using the keyboard of that terminal. Figure 3 explains the stages in use of software for running the game described above: 19. Is there a request for connection on the way? If not, return to the start; if there is, go to 20. 20 A message of welcome is sent. 21 Request for personal data, home address and anything else needed. 22 Storage of these data in a temporary store. 23 Message asking for choice of game. 24 Has the choice been made? If it has, go to 28; if not, go to 25. 25 Register "A" increased by 1. 26 If "A" > 3 go to 27, otherwise return to 23. 27 Close the connection. 28 Allocate a specific number to the player's stakes. 29 Tell the player what number has been allocated. 30 Transfer data previously stored in the temporary store, plus the allocated number, to the permanent mass memory store. 31 Number drawn by the random process. 32 Has the player won? If he has, go to 33; if not go to 34. 33 Inform the player of his winnings. 34 Inform the player that the number drawn is not a winner. 35 Inform the management of the outcome; go to 36. 36 Ask the player if he wants to go on playing. 37 Do you want to go on playing? If he does, go to 23; if not, go to 38. 38 Send a message to say goodbye and close the connection. Go to 27. End of program.

Claims: Claims 1. Electronic-telephonic-telematic system for lotteries characterized in that it comprises a computer (12) at a specially set up management organization, an electronic-telephonic interface card (15), a vocal card, a memory store (17), a software program for managing the lottery, which program controls the flow of data between the computer (12), the telephone (13), the memory store and vocal card, interprets the signals received from this latter card, withdraws appropriate digital information from the memory store (17), which information is then transformed by the vocal card into data acceptable by a telephone network (14), the player, on making a phone call to the management organization, winning a prize when identity exists between a distinguishing number allocated to his phone call and a number set by the computer (12) in accordance with a previously established program, the computer (12) on receiving the phone call then comparing that call's distinguishing number with the number set and informing the caller of the result of his call and whether he has won a prize or not 2. System as in claim 1 , characterized in that the distinguishing number allocated to the call is said call's progressive number while the number set by the computer (12) is created casually in accordance with a component.of probability which the computer generates by means of a random process. 3. System as in claim 2, characterized in that the random function is corrected by attributing varying degrees of importance to different solutions so that the probability of coincidence between the allocated number and that obtined by the random process is greater for the class of smaller prizes. 4. System as in claim 2, characterized in that the number of digits that compose the number allocated to the participant and the numerical interval within which the random solution identifies the numbers to be drawn, will vary according to the quantity of prizes available so as to establish beforehand a possibility of winning for each presumed or estimated set of participante. 5. System as in claim 1 , characterized in that the distinguishing number given to the call is its progressive number while the number set by the computer is that corresponding to the end of a certain sequence of events. 6. System as in claim 5, characterized in that the sequence of events is that corresponding to the number of telephone calls received. 7. System as in claim 5, characterized in that the sequence of events is that corresponding to certain time intervals between the phone calls received starting from a previously established date and hour. 8. System as in claim 1 , characterized in that the distinguishing number is its progressive number while the number set by the computer is that corresponding to certain properties possessed by said number. 9. System as in claim 8, characterized in that the properties of the number set by the computer consist in the formation of said number by two or more equal figures. 10. System as in claim 1 , characterized in that the call is made by telephone. 11. System as in claim 1 , characterized in that the call is made by telematic means through a computer (16) connected to the telephone network (14) to which the computer (12) at the management office is connected by a modem (18). 12. System as in claim 1 , characterized in that the call is made through Internet or equivalent networks. 13. System as in claim 1 , characterized in that analog-type vocal signals received from the telephone line (1), converted by an analog/digital converter (3) into digital signals, are sent to the computer (12) through a vocal compresser (4) that greatly reduces the space they occupy in the mass memory (17), while the digital signals received from the computer (12) are restored to standard size in an expander (9) and then sent to the telephone line (1) through a digital/analog converter (10). 14. System as in claim 1 , characterized in that transmission of numbers through the telephone line (1) is made through tones of different frequencies that make digital codes recognisable, a decoder (8) on receiving tones from the telephone line (1) decoding them into binary signals and sending them on to the computer (12). 15. System as in claim 1 , characterized in that the player makes a call by dialling a number belonging to the lines of services supplied against payment available in the telephone network (14) through a network structure arranged specially by the management of said netwok. 16. System as in claim 1 , characterized in that the cost of each phone call is set by the management of the system and can be equal to or less than a single call unit, arranging a method of payment with part of the cost paid by the management. 17. System as in claim 1 , characterized in that the memory store (17) possesses two files, one containing basic vocal messages such as are used for welcoming or taking leave of someone, or asking the caller for a reply and checking said reply, messages of information, sound effects, music of some kind, and another file containing the data supplied by the computer on how the game is proceeding. 18. System as in claim 1 , characterized in that the vocal card has two functions: one of converting signals received from the caller into orders recognisable by the computer, and the other of converting information held in the memory store into digital signals that are then retransmitted through the telephone lines to the caller in the form of vocal messages. 19. System as in claim 1 , characterized in that a guiding voice in the vocal card asks the participant for his personal data, explains how the game works, requests him to hold the line to know about the comparison between the allocated number and that obtained by the random process. 20. System as in claim 1 , characterized in that the management prepares various series of prizes of different values assigning a certain telephonic code to them so that if the participant associates one of such codes to his call, he will compete for one or other of these series. 21. System as in claim 1 , characterized in that the lottery consists of a series of events some of which are static and some decisional, the static events being those in which the caller's role is passive and the computer decides the outcome of the event, the decisional events being those in which the caller's role is active so that, when the event is decisional, the computer sends a message to the caller giving a certain number of choices that the caller can make, namely, if he wants to go on playing or not, repeat the stakes and therefore prolong the call, or whether he wants to change to another code and so compete for another series of prizes with greater or lesser probability of winning, and any other choices the management may offer. 22. System as in claim 21 , characterized in that the functiion that processes information on choices has two possible configurations: one consisting in assigning a single possibility to each choice, and the other that uses the choice to start a procedure which, according to said choice and by processing associated data, makes a selection of a group of further choices, this procedure permitting other functions such as keeping an account of the participant's winnings during the game, an account of series chosen, and so on. 23. System as in claim 1 , characterized in that the caller is advised by an acoustic signal which has been established beforehand and is different in the case of a win or a failure.

Inventors: DALLA ZORZA CSABA, DALLA ZORZA, CSABA
Applicants: DALLA ZORZA CSABA, SARDI MARCO, DALLA ZORZA, CSABA, SARDI, MARCO
Application year: 1996
Main classification: G07C15
IPC codes: G07C15