Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – With communication link
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-17
2002-05-07
Harrison, Jessica J. (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
With communication link
C463S042000, C463S040000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06383078
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system and a method for facilitating on-line lottery games via an electronic network, more particularly to a system and a method for facilitating on-line lottery games with a function of verifying subscriber information.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Lottery games are gaining in popularity, and lottery players are often required to travel to a local lottery agent at stores and to wait on line to purchase lottery tickets. Lottery players are interested in being able to play in a comfortable setting such as lottery players' homes instead of having to travel to purchase the tickets.
The advent of global electronic networks such as the Internet facilitates on-line lottery game playing. Lottery players can participate in lottery games at physically different locations via the Internet. That is, lottery players can place their wagers using terminals, such as personal computers, lottery terminals and/or any machine capable of accessing the Internet, instead of physically having to go to designated lottery agents. A system for facilitating on-line lottery play is described in a commonly assigned U.S. application, Ser. No. 09/458,326 (attorney docket no. 8438-209) filed on Dec. 10, 1999. The disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. However, lottery games such as state-sponsored lotteries require certain prerequisite to play, such as participation of lottery plays only within borders of the state.
A system for remote lottery play by use of conventional telephones has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,865 to Scagnelli et al. Lottery players can place their wagers using telephone keypad to key in ticket numbers in response to prerecorded voice prompts. In such lottery game system, certain conditions for playing lottery games, such as lottery players' residency within borders of the state, can be verified by detecting the origin of calls placed by lottery players. The call origins are locations where the lottery players make calls to participate in lottery games using telephones. The call origins of lottery players can be detected by utilizing automatic number identification (ANI) information provided by telephone service providers such as AT&T, MCI, Sprint, and so forth. The ANI is a service for providing a called station of a telephone call with the number of the calling phone. Telephone number identification using ANI is well known. From the area code or 3-digit exchange number, the state and location of the telephone exchange in which the call is placed can be determined.
However, when subscribers to the Internet play on-line lottery games from personal computers or terminals by logging on to a website providing lottery games via the Internet, the website providing lottery games cannot determine locations of the subscribers by use of the ANI information because the website would typically be accessed through an Internet service provider (ISP) server.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a lottery game system which can provide on-line lottery games over the Internet and determine the locations where subscribers access the Internet to play on-line lottery games provided on a website. It would also be advantageous to provide a lottery game system with verification capability for verifying subscriber information with criteria required for playing on-line lottery games.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and a method for facilitating on-line lottery games with a function of verifying log-on places where lottery players access an electronic network and log on to websites providing the on-line lottery games.
To attain the above and other objects and advantages, a lottery game system according to the present invention includes a plurality of terminals each having a modem for connecting to a service provider server for accessing the electronic network, wherein the service provider server receives information associated with a player when the player requests access to the electronic network from one of the terminals, and an agent server for storing criteria required for playing the lottery games, wherein the agent server is connected to the service provider server for receiving the information when the player is routed to the agent server from the service provider server, for verifying the received information with the criteria, and for providing lottery games to the player. The agent server may include a first database for storing the criteria required for playing the lottery games, a second database for storing the information received from the service provider server, a verification unit for verifying the information with the criteria, and a data process unit for providing control and data signals to the first and second databases and the verification unit.
A method for facilitating on-line lottery games according to the present invention includes accessing the electronic network at a terminal for playing the lottery games, receiving information associated with a player who accesses the electronic network at the terminal, receiving criteria setting forth requirements for playing the lottery games, verifying the information with the criteria, and providing the lottery games to the player of the verified information. The ANI information is generated when the player accesses the Internet, and the caller ID information is generated when the player is routed to the website.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
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patent: 5983196 (1999-11-01), Wendkos
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eLottery, Inc.
F. Chau & Associates LLP
Harrison Jessica J.
Rada, II Alex F. R. P.
LandOfFree
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