Patent ID: 7756742

Claim:
A method of dispensing at least one ticket to a purchaser within a store, the store having at least one point-of-sale terminal, the at least one point-of-sale terminal having at least one dedicated key for requesting ticket information including number and type of ticket from a central computer and a cash tender key that is actuated by store personnel when the purchaser tenders payment for completing a ticket purchase, said method comprising the steps of: a) monitoring the electrical communications between the point-of-sale terminal and the central computer with a point-of-sale monitor in communication with a ticket dispenser, the point-of-sale monitor passively monitoring the communications from the point-of-sale terminal that are addressed directly to the central computer; b) with the point-of-sale monitor, intercepting the electrical communications between the point-of-sale terminal and central computer corresponding to actuation of the at least one dedicated key and storing information retrieved from the intercepted electrical communications related to the number and type of ticket requested, and subsequent to actuation of the at least one dedicated key and storing of information related to the number and type of ticket requested, intercepting the electrical communications corresponding to actuation of the cash tender key of the at least one point-of-sale terminal; and c) upon intercepting the electrical communications corresponding to actuation of the cash tender key, the point-of sale monitor retrieving the stored information related to the number and type of ticket requested and instructing the ticket dispenser to dispense the number and type of tickets from the ticket dispenser in accordance with the electrical communications produced by the at least one point-of-sale terminal by actuation of the at least one dedicated key.