Abstract:
A lottery system including a device to receive and input a unique identifier associated with a lottery ticket wherein the unique identifier including a coded predetermined outcome. The lottery system also includes a remote server to receive a download request from the device and the device downloads software from the remote server. The device executes the downloaded software and the device transmits the unique identifier into the software upon a prompt from the software. The software verifies the unique identifier and validates the device to access to a program from the software. The device executes the program and the execution of the program reveals the coded predetermined outcome.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Embodiments of the invention relate to a lottery system and method for revealing winnings associated with a lottery ticket using an electronic device. 
         [0002]    Many traditional lottery games involve scratching off a film to reveal a win or lose outcome. Once the film is removed, the entertainment value traditionally ends. Exemplary embodiments of the invention may provide for a more interactive lottery experience. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a pre-determined lottery ticket with a unique identifier may be purchased. A device may download a program using information on the lottery ticket. The unique identifier may be used to access a downloaded program on the device. The device may run the program and reveal whether the lottery ticket is a winning ticket or losing ticket, for example, at the end of the program. 
         [0004]    In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, an electronic playing device may be used to reveal winnings associated with the predetermined lottery ticket. The unique identifier of the lottery ticket may have the predetermined winnings preprogrammed or coded on the lottery ticket itself. The lottery ticket winnings may reside in an electronic memory, circuit, or may be encoded on the lottery ticket. 
         [0005]    The above and other embodiments are accomplished according to one aspect of the invention wherein there is provided a system for a lottery which includes, according to one embodiment: A lottery system, comprising: a device to receive and input a unique identifier associated with a lottery ticket, the unique identifier including a coded predetermined outcome; and a remote server to receive a download request from the device, wherein the device downloads software from the remote server, wherein the device executes the downloaded software and the device transmits the unique identifier into the software upon a prompt from the software, the software verifies the unique identifier and validates the device to access to a program from the software, wherein the device executes the program, and wherein execution of the program reveals the coded predetermined outcome. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a detailed view of the lottery system and method according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a detailed view of the lottery system and method according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown an exemplary embodiment of a lottery system  100 . A lottery ticket  1  may have a unique identifier. The unique identifier may include a unique barcode  1 A and/or a unique serial number  1 B. The unique identifier may be compatible with existing online lottery terminals. 
         [0010]    The barcode  1 A and the serial number  1 B may be concealed prior to purchase by a consumer and displayed after purchase of the lottery ticket  1 . For example, the barcode  1 A and the serial number  1 B may be concealed by, but not limited to, tamper evident packaging, latex coatings, non-legible codes, and/or any other protection measures to protect the identity of winning lottery tickets until after a retail purchase. Alternatively or in addition thereto, the barcode  1 A and the serial number  1 B may not be activated until after the sale of the lottery ticket  1 . 
         [0011]    The lottery ticket may be issued by a jurisdiction or municipal lottery and sold in such jurisdiction or municipality. The unique identifier of the lottery ticket may be provided by a jurisdictional lottery board in the jurisdiction where the lottery ticket is purchased. An example of such jurisdiction includes, but is not limited to, a state from the United States of America, a province of Canada, and/or the District of Columbia. Consumers may be able to purchase the lottery tickets in a similar manner as other traditional lottery tickets may be purchased. 
         [0012]    The lottery ticket  1  may be sold to an individual at a location authorized to sell lottery tickets. An eligible individual may include an individual consumer who is legally able to participate in a lottery. An example of an individual consumer who is able to participate is a person of a legal age. 
         [0013]    After the sale of the lottery ticket, the unique identifier may be transmitted by a device  3 . The device  3  may include any device that is able to receive and/or transmit data. Examples of such devices include, but are not limited to, a phone, a computer, an electronic kiosk, a hand held electronic player, a custom reader, wireless handheld device, and a personal desktop assistant. 
         [0014]    In an embodiment of the invention, the unique identifier may be manually input into a device  3  for transmission via a text, e-mail, Internet, a webpage, or other measures of transfer. The device may also be used to access a webpage on the Internet for transmission of the unique identifier at the webpage. The device may also be configured so that the lottery ticket may be able to be inserted into the device and the unique identifier read. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the transmission may include, but is not limited to, scanning the lottery ticket  1  by the device  3  or transmitting a picture of the lottery ticket taken by the device  3 . 
         [0015]    In one embodiment of the invention, the lottery ticket  1  may include a phone number  1 C on the ticket. The device  3  may be used to call the phone number  1 C in order to input the unique identifier over the phone. Other ways of entering information into device may also be used. 
         [0016]    The device  3  is configured to transmit the unique identifier to a remote server  5 A. The form of the unique identifier transmission may vary including, but not limited to, a wired or wireless network, the Internet, secure networks, VPN, and/or other ways of transmitting the information. 
         [0017]    The remote server  5 A may be coupled to a data store  5 B, which houses a program  5 C. An example of a data store is a database. The program may also be stored on the remote server. In another embodiment of the invention, the program may be stored on data store of the remote server  5 A. The database  5 B may integral with the remote server  5 A. The remote server  5 A may receive the unique identifier and verify the unique identifier as a functioning identifier or as a nonfunctioning identifier, as shown in  FIG. 1  steps  6  and  7 . An example of a functioning identifier may include, but is not limited to, a unique identifier of a lottery ticket that was purchased and not yet transmitted to the remote server. In contrast, an example of a nonfunctioning identifier may include, but is not limited to, an identifier of a lottery ticket that has not yet been purchased or an identifier of a lottery ticket that has already accessed and downloaded a program. 
         [0018]    If the remote server  5 A recognizes the unique identifier as a nonfunctioning identifier, the remote server  5 A denies the device access to a program  5 C on the data store  5 B as shown in step  8 B of  FIG. 1 . If the remote server  5 A recognizes the unique identifier as a functioning identifier, the remote server  5 A validates the unique identifier and may permit the device  3  access to a program  5 C stored on the data store  5 B of the remote server  5 A, as shown in  FIG. 1  in steps  8 A and  8 C respectively. 
         [0019]    In an exemplary embodiment, the program may be downloaded on a different device than the device that was used to transmit the unique identifier. The remote server  5 A may provide instructions for downloading the program on a different device. In another embodiment, the phone number  1 C printed on the lottery ticket may be called to transmit the unique identifier and to obtain instructions on downloading options. 
         [0020]    After the access step  8 C, the remote server  5 A communicates with the device  3  to download a program  5 C stored on a data store  5 B of the remote server  5 A to the device  3 . The device may obtain a list of available programs from the remote server  5 A. The list of available programs may be presented to a user via an interface of the device  3 . In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a selection from the list of programs stored may be made. In one embodiment of the invention, only one program per each lottery ticket purchased may be downloaded. The program may include, but is not limited to, a game, a program with a series of game plays, a puzzle, an animation, or other type of electronic displays. Further, the program may display winnings that appear to change over the course of the program. 
         [0021]    The device  3  and remote server may cooperate to download the selected program  5 C onto the device  3 . In some instances, the program may not be downloaded permanently on the device  3 , but may only be available for a onetime use. After completion of the download  9  of the program  5 C, the program  5 C may be executed on the device  3 , as shown in step  10 . 
         [0022]    In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, interaction with the device  3  may occur in order for to play a game program. However, the game program may be for entertainment only and may not have any relationship to the winning or losing of a lottery prize  13 . The game program may simply enhance the enjoyment and pleasure aspect of lottery gaming. The winning of a lottery prize  13  may not be predicated on the ability of a player to demonstrate a skill in playing a game program. The lottery ticket  1  may have a predetermined outcome based on the unique identifier. The lottery prize  13  may be won entirely on the element of chance that a winning ticket has been purchased. In embodiments of the invention, the game played on the device  3  may be won, but the lottery ticket  1  may still not have a lottery prize  13  associated with the ticket. 
         [0023]    The device  3  displays a result of executing the program, as shown in step  11 A. The result may correspond to the predetermined outcome associated with the unique identifier. The result may be a message  11 B indicating a prize to be claimed or a message  11 C indicating that a prize was not won. The purchased lottery ticket  1  that causes the program to display a win display  11 B may be redeemed, as shown in step  12 . The prize  13  may be redeemed in a manner typical for lottery tickets. For example, the prize may be redeemed at a retail location by presenting the lottery ticket  1  to the retail location or to lottery headquarters. The retailer may verify that the lottery ticket  1  presented is a winning ticket. The winning prizes for each barcode or serial number may be stored in the data store. The lottery ticket may be redeemed or scanned by the same barcode verification infrastructure as existing traditional scratch-off lottery tickets. This may minimize extensive capital investment. 
         [0024]    In an alternative embodiment, the lottery ticket  1  may be redeemed by calling the phone number  1 C on the lottery ticket  1  and by obtaining instructions on the phone on ways to redeem the lottery ticket. 
         [0025]    An example of a lottery prize  13  may include, but is not limited to, a monetary prize, a free pass for another lottery ticket, a pass to download another program, a pass to rerun the program previously run, or a physical object. An example of a physical object may be a vehicle. 
         [0026]    In an alternative embodiment, the interactive steps described above in order to determine whether the lottery ticket purchased is a winning ticket need not be executed. The program need not be downloaded in order to find out the results of the lottery ticket. The interactive steps may be bypassed and the purchased lottery ticket may be presented for verification, for example, presenting the ticket to the retailer for the retailer to verify a prize. As with traditional scratch-off lottery tickets, a winning lottery ticket according to an embodiment of the invention, may be validated and redeemed at the point of purchase using existing barcode scan verification systems or by selected in option from calling the phone number  1 C. 
         [0027]    In an alternative embodiment, the results of the lottery ticket&#39;s unique identifier may be determined by a variety ways including, but not limited to, calling a specified phone number and submitting the unique serial number, looking up the unique serial number online, or scanning the unique barcode in a specified reader. 
         [0028]    Accordingly, the purchase of the lottery ticket may constitute the completed lottery game transaction. The lottery ticket has a winning or non-winning outcome regardless of the running of the program. A potential prize may be immediately redeemable based on the unique identifier. 
         [0029]    In  FIG. 2 , there is shown an alternate embodiment of a lottery system  200 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , a lottery ticket is provided with a unique identifier. The unique identifier may comprise a unique barcode  21 A and a serial number  21 B. As shown in step  29 , a device  23  may download software  25 C located on a data store  25 B of a remote server  25 A. The software may include one or a plurality of programs. An example of such program may include a generic set of games. The software  25 C, stored and run on the device  23 , may allow the device  23  to access various menus. An example of a menu may include a menu to set the display options of the software. Once the software is loaded onto the device  23 , no more communication is required with the remote server to execute the software. The device becomes a stand alone player of the software and programs. However, the device may download updates from the remote server for updates to the software or to download new programs. The software  25   c  may be executed and a unique identifier may be input into the device to allow the device to access the one or a plurality of programs stored on the device. 
         [0030]    In  FIG. 2 , the device  23  verifies the unique identifier as shown in step  27 . If the software  25 C located on the device  23  recognizes the unique identifier as a nonfunctioning identifier, the software denies the device  23  access to the program as shown in step  28 B of  FIG. 2 . If the software  25 C recognizes the unique identifier as a functioning identifier, the software validates the unique identifier and permits the device  23  access to the program, as shown in  FIG. 2  in steps  27  and  28 C respectively. 
         [0031]    Once the device  23  is permitted to access the program, the device  23  may run the program as shown in step  20 . The device may obtain a list of several programs available. The list of available programs may be presented to a user via an interface of the device  23 . 
         [0032]    In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a selection from the list of programs stored may be received by the device. In one embodiment of the invention, only one program per each lottery ticket purchased may run. An endless series of programs for each lottery ticket purchased may be played once the software is loaded once onto the device. 
         [0033]    The device  23  may display a result of executing the program, as shown in step  21 A. The result may correspond to the predetermined outcome associated with the unique identifier. The result may be a message  21 B indicating a prize to be claimed or a message  21 C indicating that a prize was not won. The purchased lottery ticket  21  that causes the program to display a win display  21 B may be redeemed, as shown in step  32 . The prize  33  may be redeemed in a manner typical for lottery tickets. The lottery ticket may be redeemed or scanned by the same barcode verification infrastructure as existing traditional scratch-off lottery tickets. 
         [0034]    The winning prizes for unique identifier may be stored in the software. The software may include a table of outcomes that is accessible by the device. The table includes the predetermined outcome associated with the unique identifier. 
         [0035]    The security of the lottery system and method may depend on the lottery ticket itself. The winning prize may be predicated on the winning prize evidenced by the barcode or serial number at the redemption stage. If a winning prize display on the device conflicts with the winning prize evidenced by the barcode and/or serial number at the redemption stage, the winning prize based on the barcode or serial number may trump the contrary display. This prevents potential manipulations of the winning prize display by code manipulators. 
         [0036]    The lottery ticket may be manufactured at a certified secure facility. A secure automated computerized system may use an algorithm to determine the barcode and/or serial number with the predetermined outcome for each lottery ticket. Production personnel may not have access to the information presented on each lottery ticket during production. The automated programming system may electronically log the barcode and/or serial number with the predetermined outcome. The barcode and/or serial number with the predetermined outcome may be uploaded to a secure central validation computer database. The lottery ticket is then prepared for distribution and sale. 
         [0037]    It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.