Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – With communication link
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-27
2001-08-21
Martin-Wallace, Valencia (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
With communication link
C463S017000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06277026
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods that are used to sell lottery tickets.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since its creation, the Internet has been considered to be a viable and effective system for distribution of information to large numbers of people. Despite its wide acceptance as an information distribution system, however, Internet service providers have faced significant challenges in terms of establishing sites and corresponding services that can enhance the features of the Internet and which can be used to generate revenue. In many respects, the challenges facing Internet service providers (ISPs) result from difficulties in establishing and operating successful sites that can reliably generate revenue related to repeat business. As such, since most information on the Internet is distributed for free, it has become difficult to establish Internet sites (e.g., web sites) that attempt to charge online customers for information and other services.
As ISPs and other service providers wrestle with creating and establishing sites that can reliably generate revenue from repeat sales network users have become increasingly reliant on the “free” nature of the Internet. To establish revenue generating sites, ISPs have established a wide range of online service offerings ranging from the sale of travel related services (e.g., airline tickets) to subscriptions for network content channels that deliver otherwise unavailable information. In most cases, however, such service offerings are restricted by fierce competition and availability of similar, free information from other network sites.
A service area that has not been tapped by ISPs is the sale and distribution of lottery tickets on behalf of state-run lottery commissions. Currently, there exists no system for the sale and distribution of lottery tickets online. It is well known that lottery ticket sales generate large sums of money for state-run programs. And, it is well-known that sales of lottery tickets create significant commission revenue for authorized lottery ticket selling agents. Such sales result from repeat customers who regularly purchase tickets. Unfortunate for ISPs, is the fact that many of the lottery tickets sold by lottery ticket sales agents are bearer instruments—the bearer of a winning ticket is entitled to receive payment if his ticket contains a winning number or code relative to a particular lottery game or drawing. The Internet does not lend itself to sale and distribution of instruments (official or otherwise) like bearer instruments because there are no ways to ensure that a document printed by a person's printer, for example, is authentic. Accordingly, ISPs have heretofore been unable to establish themselves as lottery ticket sales agents because they have been unable to effectively deal with the nature of lotteries and the conventional, bearer nature of lottery tickets. As such, ISPs have heretofore not been able to establish Internet sites (e.g., web sites) which can be accessed by network users on a regular basis to purchase lottery tickets and which can be used to reliably generate revenue from repeat business and lottery ticket sales commissions.
Thus, there exists a need to provide systems and methods for facilitating the purchase and sale of lottery tickets online. To be viable, such systems and methods must facilitate the sale of lottery tickets without distributing bearer-type tickets and like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses the limitations and problems associated with the related art by providing systems and methods that facilitate the sale of lottery tickets to network users (purchasers) without distributing bearer-type instruments. The systems and methods of the present invention enable lottery ticket sales through generation and recordation of secure lottery ticket purchase codes which may be used to verify the sale of a winning lottery ticket entry. As such, lottery service providers (ISPs authorized to sell lottery ticket entries) may establish and operate Internet (e.g., web) sites that encourage widespread use and repeat sales.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a system and method for facilitating the purchase and sale of a lottery ticket online that includes a data storage system and a data processing system. The data storage system is used for storing information related to a lottery ticket purchased online and to a purchaser of the lottery ticket. The lottery ticket includes a lottery game value. The data processing system is coupled to the data storage system and is operative to receive an online request from the purchaser to purchase the lottery ticket, to generate a secure lottery ticket purchase code, and to issue a purchase confirmation notice related to the lottery ticket to the purchaser. The purchase confirmation notice includes the secure lottery ticket purchase code. The data processing system is further operative to store the information and the lottery ticket purchase code in the data storage system.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for facilitating the purchase and sale of a lottery ticket online is provided. The method includes a step of receiving an online request from a purchaser to purchase a lottery ticket in the context of a lottery operated by a lottery authority or lottery commission. The online request includes information related to the purchaser and to a lottery game value to be associated with the lottery ticket. The method also includes the steps of generating a secure lottery ticket purchase code and issuing a purchase confirmation notice related to the lottery ticket to the purchaser. The purchase confirmation notice includes the secure lottery ticket purchase code. The method also includes a step of retrievably storing the information, the lottery game value, and the secure lottery ticket purchase code in a data storage system to be accessed by the lottery authority in operating the lottery.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a system for facilitating a lottery payoff based on a lottery ticket purchased online is provided. The system includes a lottery ticket issuance system that stores information related to a lottery ticket purchased online, a secure lottery ticket purchase code, and a purchaser of the lottery ticket. The lottery ticket has an associated lottery game payoff amount. The system also includes a lottery management system that is operated by a lottery authority and which is coupled to the lottery ticket issuance system. The lottery management system is operative to receive a request from the purchaser to receive the payoff amount associated with the lottery ticket. The request includes a request code. The management system also is operative to access and query the lottery ticket issuance system to determine if the request code matches the secure lottery ticket purchase code, and to receive a match status message from the lottery ticket issuance system which will indicate whether the request code matches the secure lottery ticket purchase code. Also, the management system is operative to notify the lottery authority that the payoff amount may be paid to the purchaser when the request code matches the secure lottery ticket purchase code.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for facilitating a lottery payoff based on a lottery ticket purchased online is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving a request from a purchaser to receive a payoff amount associated with a lottery ticket purchased online. The request includes a request code. The method also includes the steps of accessing and querying a lottery ticket issuance system to determine if the request code matches a previously stored secure lottery ticket purchase code, and receiving a match status message from the lottery ticket issuance system. The match status message indicates whether the request code matches the previously stored secure lottery ticket purchase code. The method also incl
Kasick Julie
Martin-Wallace Valencia
MCI Communications Corporation
LandOfFree
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