FR2849252A1 - Electronic lottery device, especially for use in supermarkets or similar, to enable winning of discount coupons or similar comprises a barcode reader and a coupon distributor - Google Patents

Abstract

Electronic lottery device in which each token (25) for participation in the lottery has a barcode (26) with information. A barcode reader device (12) is used to read the barcodes, while a distributor (15) is used to dispense coupons one by one.

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic lottery device

  Although not exclusively, it is particularly suitable for lottery or raffle games organized in stores under the guidance of organizers and intended to win vouchers, 5 lots, special offers, etc. to customers present in said stores.

  We know that, in the atmosphere and in the environment of a store, it is not easy to organize and conduct such games, which require the handling of the usual computer peripherals to introduce 10 into the device. lottery the various information concerning the lots, the players, the progress of the game, etc. The object of the present invention is to remedy this drawback and to easily allow the organization and the conduct of lotteries at the points of sale.

  To this end, according to the invention, the electronic lottery device accessible to participants (players) provided with individual participation vouchers, is remarkable: in that each of said participation vouchers carries information in the form of a code to bars; and in that it comprises: a first bar code reader, capable of reading the bar codes of said participation vouchers; and a coupon distributor, distributing them one by one.

  Thus, thanks to the present invention, it is particularly easy for a participant to play, since he need only have his participation voucher in said first barcode reader. Furthermore, thanks to the voucher distributor, he can know immediately if he won or lost.

  We can plan to issue either "won" coupons (with the corresponding gain and the procedures for receiving it) and "lost" coupons, or only "won" coupons. It is advantageous to facilitate the handling of participation vouchers. that these are in the usual form of cards. In this case, said coupon distributor can be of the unstacker type of said cards, stored in the form of one or more stacks.

  In addition, so that the facilitator of the lottery game can easily control and configure said electronic lottery device, a plurality of individual supports is provided, preferably also in the form of cards, each of which carries a bar code. corresponding to ordering and setting information of said lottery device, a second barcode reader is further provided for reading said ordering and setting barcodes.

  Thus, the conduct of the lottery game is particularly easy for the facilitator of said game.

  Preferably, said second barcode reader is one with said first barcode reader.

  According to a particularly simple embodiment of the electronic lottery device according to the present invention, therein is stored at least one number drawn randomly from a plurality of predetermined numbers, and the barcode of each entry voucher corresponds to one of said predetermined numbers.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the draw has been carried out beforehand, but it is not revealed to the players until their participation, and immediately at this time.

  In the event that the player has lost, the number carried by his entry voucher can be stored in memory by the electronic lottery system to make him participate in a subsequent draw.

  According to an alternative embodiment of the device in accordance with the present invention: all the bar codes of said participation vouchers are identical each coupon carries a bar code containing information on the drawing of lots; and the device includes a third bar code reader for reading the bar codes of said coupons inside said dispenser.

  Thus, said participation vouchers may have been distributed to participants by post, by delivery by door-to-door, insertion in a newspaper, etc. and contain only information relating to their distribution, such as date, distribution area, distribution means, etc., information which is useful to traders and which is then available in the device of the invention, after reading said participation vouchers. In this case, the drawing of lots has also been carried out beforehand and its result is found. in the distribution of said coupons inside said dispenser.

  Preferably, said coupons are also in the form of cards and said third barcode reader is also formed by said first reader.

  Said third barcode reader can read the barcode of each coupon, either prior to the distribution of said coupon, or during this distribution.

  Of course, the device according to the present invention may include display means, such as light-emitting diodes, video screen, etc., capable of displaying information relating to said lottery.

  The cards constituting said participation vouchers, said command and configuration media and / or said coupons can be in ISO 0 card format, that is to say have a length of 85 mm for a length of 54 mm They can be made of thick paper and 5 having a thickness close to 0.2 mm Their corners can be rounded. The figures of the appended drawing will make it clear how the invention can be implemented. In these figures, identical references designate similar elements.

  Figures 1 to 3 illustrate three construction variants for the electronic lottery device according to the present invention.

  Figures 4 A and 4 B illustrate the control and / or configuration of said lottery device.

  Figures 5 and 6 show two exemplary embodiments of the coupons delivered by said lottery device.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of a device for controlling and setting up said lottery device.

  Figure 8 illustrates an example of a participation slip.

  Figures 9 A to 9 D illustrate the operation of the electronic lottery device according to the present invention.

  The construction methods I, II and III of the electronic lottery device according to the present invention, respectively illustrated by FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, are respectively in the form of a box 1 placed on a support 2 (for example a table or a counter), a terminal 3 resting on the ground 4 and a cabinet 5 also resting on said ground 4.

  Whatever its mode of construction, the device according to the present invention comprises a front face 6 provided with a window 7, for reading bar codes, and with a slot 8, for distributing coupons (like this will be explained below) In addition, this front face 6 may include display means, such as light-emitting diodes 9, 10, and a video screen 10.

  Inside the device I, II or III, behind the front face 6, are arranged, as shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 4 A and 4 B, a bar code reader 12 emitting a reading beam 13 cutting window 7, a computer 14, which receives the reading information from the reader 12 and which is capable of controlling the display means 9, 10, 11, and a coupon distributor 15, which is capable of delivering coupons 16 1 or 16 2 through the slot 8 As can be seen in Figures 5 and 6, the coupons 16 1 and 16 2 are in the form of cards 17 or 18, respectively, the cards 17 comprising only text and printed numbers 19, while cards 18 carry a barcode 20.

  In addition, devices I, II and III are associated with a set of cards 21 (see FIG. 7) each carrying a bar code 22, said cards 21 being available to a leader or operator 23 and said bar codes 22 comprising information suitable for controlling and configuring the computer 14; and a plurality of participation vouchers 24 (see FIG. 8), in the form of cards 25 and each carrying a bar code 26, each of said cards 25 being available to a participant or player 27 and said codes with bars 26 comprising information relating to the participant and / or to the game stored in the computer 14.

  Depending on the nature of the bar codes 26 of the participation coupons 24, the distributor 15 distributes coupons 16 1 or coupons 16.2. As illustrated by FIGS. 4 A and 4 B, at the start of the game, at the end of the game and at any desired time in the game, the operator 23 inserts a card 21 into the window 7 so that the bar code 22 corresponding can be read by the reader 12, after which he removes said card to free the window 7 The operator 23 can thus start, end and / or lead the game.

  When a participant 27 wants to play, he inserts a card 25 into the window 7, so that the corresponding bar code 26 is read by the reader 12 (see FIGS. 9 A and 9 B), then he takes out said card 25 from window 7 (figure 9 C).

  The computer 14 determines whether the participant has won or not and it therefore controls the display means 9, 10 and 11 accordingly. Thus, the participant knows the outcome of the game.

  In addition, the computer 14 can control the distributor 15 in the following manner if the bar code 26 of the participation coupons 24 is representative of a number, the distributor 15 contains coupons 16 1 and does not distribute any coupon 16 1, if this number is losing distributes a coupon 16 1 through slot 8, if this number is winning (see FIGS. 9 C and 9 D), said distributed coupon mentioning, thanks to the indications 19, the gain obtained and the means of rece20 see; if all the bar codes 26 of all the participation vouchers 24 are identical and if each coupon 16 2 carries a bar code 20 containing drawing information, the distributor 15 contains coupons 16.2 It advances a coupon 16 2 towards the slot 8 and the reader 25 12 reads the corresponding bar code 20 The computer 14 then determines whether the coupon 16 2 is winning or losing and orders the display means 9, 10, 11 in correspondence.

  In the foregoing, the bar code 20 of the coupons 16.2 is read during the delivery of these by the distributor 15.

  As a variant, as illustrated in FIG. 10 (which corresponds to the situation in FIG. 9 A), the reading of said bar codes 20 can be carried out prior to the issue of coupons 16 2 In the case of FIG. 10, at rest, the first coupon 16 2 to be dispensed is partially advanced out of the distributor 15, between the latter and the slot 8, so that its bar code 20 is located opposite the reader 12.

Claims (8)

  1 Electronic lottery device accessible to participants (27) provided with individual participation vouchers (24), characterized: in that each of said participation vouchers (24) carries information in the form of a bar code (26) ; and in that it comprises: a first bar code reader (12), capable of reading the bar codes (26) of said participation certificates (24); and a distributor (15) of coupons (16 1 or 16 2), distributing these one by one.   2 Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said participation vouchers (24) are in the form of cards (25).   15 3 Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of individual supports (21), each of which carries a bar code (22) corresponding to ordering information and setting of said device and a second bar code reader (12) for reading said control and setting bar codes (22).   4 Device according to claim 3, characterized in that said individual media (21) of control and configuration information are in the form of cards.   Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said second barcode reader is formed by said first barcode reader (12).   6 Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein is stored at least one number drawn randomly from a plurality of predetermined numbers, characterized in that the bar code (26) of each entry voucher (24) corresponds to one of said predetermined numbers.   7 Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized: in that all the bar codes (26) of said participation vouchers (24) are identical; in that each coupon (16 2) carries a bar code (20) containing lottery information; and in that it comprises a third bar code reader (12) for reading the bar codes (20) of said coupons (16 2) inside said device. 8 Device according to claim 7, characterized in that said third barcode reader is formed by said first barcode reader (12).   9 Device according to one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that said third bar code reader (12) reads the bar code (20) of each coupon (16 2) prior to the distribution thereof.   Device according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that said third bar code reader (12) reads the bar code (20) of each coupon (16 2) during the distribution thereof. 1 1 Device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that said coupons (16 1 or 16 2) are in the form of cards.   12 Device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it comprises display means (9, 10, 1 1) capable of displaying information relating to said lottery.