AU2006208417A1

AU2006208417A1 - Lottery ticket with play action game involving predetermined set of sequential icons

Info

Publication number: AU2006208417A1
Application number: AU2006208417A
Authority: AU
Inventors: David Brouillard; Kevin Downes; Guillaume Gauthier; Carla Schaefer; Lyse Trudel
Original assignee: OBERTHUR GAMING TECH Inc; Oberthur Gaming Technologies Inc
Current assignee: Oberthur Gaming Technologies Inc
Priority date: 2005-09-09
Filing date: 2006-09-08
Publication date: 2007-03-29
Also published as: CA2559337A1; EP1762284A1; US20070063432A1

Description

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AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant/s: Actual Inventor/s: Oberthur Gaming Technologies Inc.

Lyse Trudel and Kevin Downes and Carla Schaefer and Guillaume Gauthier and David Brouillard Address for Service is: SHELSTON IP Margaret Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 CCN: 3710000352 Attorney Code: SW Telephone No: Facsimile No.

(02) 9777 1111 (02) 9241 4666 Invention Title: LOTTERY TICKET WITH PLAY ACTION GAME INVOLVING PREDETERMINED SET OF SEQUENTIAL ICONS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- File: 51549AUP00 500967835 1.DOC/5844

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00 C LOTTERY TICKET WI"H PLAY ACTION GAME The present invention is directed to a lottery ticket having a play area INVOLVING PREDETERMINED SET OF SEQUENTIAL ICON such that completion of the sequential set of icons can result in a prize being won.

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ouField of the Invention Scratch-off lottery tickets are well known forms of entertainment and are typically sponsored by government organizations State or National Lottery Commissions). The gaminvention iss playdirected to a lottery ticket havingprovide a source of amusement

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0 containing a grid of rows and columns, of individual play regions covered by a scratch-off layer in which each ofrtunity to he play regions beneath the sze. Scratch-off ttery tickets are contains an icon from athey preseletovide an instant win sequential icons suhenabling that completio n o prize sequential set of icons can result in a prizme te being purchase of the lottery ticket is made.

Background of the Invention Scratch-off lottery tickets are well known forms of entertainment and are typically sponsored by government organizations State or National Lottery Commissions). The games played on loitery tickets provide a source of amusement to the players and the opportunity to win a prize. Scratch-off lottery tickets are popular because they provide an instant win feature enabling the player to win a prize and know if a prize is won at the time the purchase of the lottery ticket is made.

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SThe lottery industry has made extensive efforts to raise the level of o 0 amusement of lottery games played on scratch-off lottery tickets. The development of a lottery game for a scratch-off ticket is limited in part by the nature of how lottery tickets are produced including limitations arising from the techniques used to print oO0 Slottery tickets.

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SThere is a well known game cf amusement offered in magazines and newspapers identified by the trademark "Sudoku" in which a series of rows and columns of individual play regions is formed into a grid. Each row and column contains nine individual play regions. The grid is subdivided into nine subgrids each containing nine individual play regions. A few of these play regions are marked with a visible number selected from 1 to 9, and thus a portion of the puzzle is provided to the player. The player inserts numbers in those individual play regions which are not marked with numbers so that each row and column of nine individual play regions contains a series of numbers of 1-9 with no duplication. The game takes skill because the player must be able to anticipate which numbers are available for each individual play region in order to properly complete the rows, columns and subgrids of numbers.

The present invention seeks to provide a game suitable for a lottery ticket which is reminiscent of the games offered under the trademark "Sudoku" but takes into account the constraints associated with lottery tickets and furthermore provides

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a framework by which the user can obtain a prize as is customary with scratch-off

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lottery tickets.

00 0 Summary of the Invention oO 0The present invention is generally directed to a lottery ticket for playing a Sgame in a variety of formats which is reminiscent of a game played in magazines C1 and newspapers known by the trademark "Sudoku". The lottery ticket of the present invention takes into account the constraints and limitations in the printing of lottery tickets and the offering of games in connection therewith while at the same time offering the opportunity for the player to win a prize.

In a particular aspect of the present invention there is provided a lottery ticket comprising: a) a front surface comprising a first play area, said first play area containing a first grid comprised of first rows and first columns of individual play regions covered by a scratch-off layer, each first play region containing a sequential theme related icon selected from a predetermined set of sequential icons; and b) a first prize designation region providing information about the winning of a prize, wherein the player removes the scratch-off layer to expose the icon appearing in each first play region and if at least ones first row and/or first column contains the predetermined set of sequential icons, the player wins the prize in the prize

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c designation region. The prize designation region may be associated with each of said at least one first row or first column.

00 O In a further aspect of the invention, the first grid further. comprises a row identifying indicia and a column identifying indicia so that each row is identified by a oO single row identifying indicia and each column is identified by a single column I identifying indicia. Each first play region is therefore identified by a combination C- indicia comprising a single row identifying indicia and a single column identifying indicia. The lottery ticket of this embodirient further comprises a second play area comprising a plurality of second play regions, at least some of the second play regions each containing a single combination indicia which is covered by a scratchoff layer.

In a still further aspect of the invention there is also provided a third play area which is a substantial duplicate of the Sudoku type of game. The third play area contains a third grid comprised of third rows and third columns of individual play regions, some of which contain a sequential theme related icon selected from the predetermined set of sequential icons. The remaining individual play regions do not contain icons. The player uses a writing instrument to insert other icons in each of the remaining individual play regions in an effort to complete the game of amusement.

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Brief Descriptioi of the Drawings 00

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The following drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts are illustrative of embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the 00 0invention as encompassed by the full disclosure of the application.

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C Figure 1 is a top view of the front surface of a lottery ticket of a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a top view of a seco-d embodiment of the invention similar to Figure 1 in which no icons are provided on the scratch-off layer Fiyuie 3 is a fuiulliiL eibudiiimeiiL o.r ihe invention similar to Figure i including a second play area; Figure 4 is a further embodiment of the invention similar to Figure 3 except that the first play area does not have icons printed on the scratch-off layer, Figure 5 is an embodiment of the invention similar to Figure 3 after the game has been played by the player showing a winning ticket; and

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SFigure 6 is a still further embodiment of the invention similar to Figure 3 00 including a third game area.

Detailed Descript on of the Invention 00 ^0 The present invention is directed to a lottery ticket and particularly to a game Splayed on a lottery ticket in which a grid is comprised of rows and columns, the object of which is to provide a game reminiscent of a game commonly known as Sudoku despite the limitations placed on 1he printing of lottery tickets and the need to provide the opportunity to win a prize. The lottery ticket is provided with at least a first play area containing a grid comprisd of rows and columns of individual play regions each containing an icon. with each of the icons selected from a predetermined set of sequential icons. The object of the game is to complete within a row or column or within an optional subgrid within the main grid the sequential set of icons so that a prize may be won. A prize designation area is provided on the lottery ticket and may be particularly associated with individual rows and columns.

An optional prize designation area is provided if subgrids are present so that the player can visually determine that a prize has been won. In this feature of the lottery ticket, determination of whether a prize is won is controlled by the lottery sponsor and not by the player.

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SThe term "predetermined set of sequential icons" refers to a fixed number of 00 icons that have no duplicates. The icor s must be from a recognizable set, either known to the player or provided in the instructions accompanying the lottery ticket.

r- The most common example of a predetermined set of sequential icons is the Snumbers 1-9. Although this particular s;equential set of icons is disclosed in the IN drawings, it will be understood that a smcller or larger number of icons may be used N and the icons themselves need not be numbers. Examples of other suitable icons include letters, colors, animals Santa's reindeer), historical figures, historical events and the like. Accordingly, the lottery ticket can be developed with different themes such as a holiday theme, historic: celebrations, and the like, hence the term "theme related sequential icons". All that is required is that the icons have either a recognized sequence the player can observe that there are no duplicates) or a sequence that can be provided in the inst-uctions for playing a lottery ticket game.

If the numbers 1-9 are chosen as the predetermined set of sequential icons, the grid will contain 81 individual play regions 9 play regions in each row and 9 play regions in each column.) It will be understood that the number of icons in the predetermined set of sequential icons may be more or less than nine which will result in a more or less number of rows and columns.

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SReferring to Figure 1 there is shovm an embodiment of the present invention 00 in which the lottery ticket 2 has a front face 4 having thereon a play area 6. It will be understood that only the play area 6 is shown on the front face 4 of the lottery ticket.

Conventional graphics and pronotional information as well as 00 validation/authentication information may appear on the front face of the lottery ticket I but are not shown. The play area 6 includes a series of rows 8 and columns 10 each C containing a predetermined number of individual play regions 12 9 play regions appear in each row and column). In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the play area 6 is covered with an opaque scratch-off layer 14, The entire play area 6 is covered with the scratch-off layer 14 thereby hiding from view play indicia or icons 16 from the predetermined set of sequential icons (see Figure 5) which is printed beneath the scratch-off layer. The term "play indicia" are those particular icons that appear on a particular lottery ticket to play the game whereas the term "icon" refers, as previously described to the many different types of symbols that may comprise a predetermined set of sequential icons. The terms "play indicia" and "icons" will be used interchangeably in describing the embodiments which appear in the drawings.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, there is printed on the scratch-off layer some, but not all of the play indicia 16 in the corresponding play regions 12. For example, in the lefthandmost column the play indicia (number 1) is printed in the second individual play region of the column. The same number 1 appears below the scratch-off layer which hides that number from view. As previously indicated, the drawings depict play indicia in the form o: numbers 1-9 as representative of the type

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C1 of icons that may be used for the sequential set of icons to play the game. Other icons as previously described may be used in place of numbers.

00 The embodiment of Figure 1 alsc shows the presence of nine subgrids 18 each containing the same number of play regions as each individual row 8 and 0 column

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SAdjacent the lefthandmost column is a first prize designation area 20 having a prize amount 22 associated with each row 8. Thus, the topmost row has associated therewith in the first prize designation area 20 a prize amount of If the lottery ticket and particularly the topmost row has all icons of the predetermined set of sequential icons numbers 1-9) appearing in the row without duplication, then a prize of $5 may be awarded.

There is also provided a second prize designation area 24 having a prize amount 26 associated with each column. For example the lefthandmost column has associated therewith a prize amount of $20. If the lefthandmost column contains all of the icons of the predetermined set of sequential icons, then the prize amount of may be awarded.

It will be understood that the prize designation area need not be directly adjacent the rows and columns. A separate prize designation area may be provided

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C with all of the information necessary for the player to determine if a prize has been won and the amount of the prize.

00 An optional prize designation area 25 may be provided if optional subgrids 18 are used to award prizes. As shown in Figure 1, a prize designation area 25 is in the 0 form of a "Bonus" for the completion of any subgrid with all of the icons of the N0 predetermined set of icons.

The awarding of a prize and whether or not a ticket is a winning ticket is controlled by the lottery sponsor as there is no skill required to win a prize. The numbers that are printed beneath the scratch-off layer in each of the individual play regions are predetermined so that I:he game itself and the outcome are predetermined. However, through the use of the removable scratch-off layer, the player can play the game by removing the scratch-off layer in the individual play regions to gain a sense of playing the game as if the outcome was not controlled.

The play indicia appearing on top of the scratch-off layer may be applied in the same manner as disclosed in U.S. Reissue Patent No. Re. 34,673 which is incorporated herein by reference. The play indicia appearing on the top of the scratch-off layer may also be applied in :he same manner as disclosed through the use of a non-opaque scratch-off layer such as the use of a dual transparent system as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,076,860 also incorporated herein by reference. It will be understood that the number of plaiy indicia which appears above the scratch-

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c off layer can vary although, obviously, the number of play indicia appearing above the scratch-off layer must be less than the number of individual play regions.

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In a further embodiment of the invention, none of the play indicia appear above the scratch-off layer. Referring to Figure 2, the scratch-off layer has none of 00 Sthe play indicia appearing thereon. The player may simply remove the scratch-off ND layer from the entire play area to reveal the play indicia below the scratch-off layer or C as described in connection with Figure 1. may remove the scratch-off layer from the individual play regions to simulate playing the game even though the outcome is predetermined.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the player does not receive the benefit of all of the play indicia appearing in the individual play regions of the first play area. In this regard, and referring to Figure 3, there is provided a second play area 27 comprised of a series of rows 28 and columns 30 defining a plurality of individual play regions 32 covered by a s cratch-off layer 34. Beneath the scratch-off layer 34 appears combination indicia 36 (see Figure 5) which identifies a particular individual play region 12 within the play area 6 which the player may expose by removing the scratch-off layer 14 therefrcm. Reference is made to Figure 5 showing combination indicia (represented by the letters IJ) lying beneath the scratch-off layer 34. It will be understood that the combination indicia can comprise a variety of different types of icons numbers, historic symbols, etc.) so long as the combination indicia is able to identify a particular individual play region 12 within the play area 6.

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0 In this embodiment of the invention, the play area 6 is provided with a row oO identifying indicia region 38 (representec. by the letters A-I) and column identifying indicia region 40 showing the identification of each column by the letters J-R.

The game showed in Figure 3 is played when the user exposes the IND combination indicia 36 appearing in tha second play area 27 by removing the scratch-off layer 34 therefrom. The player then goes to the individual row and column in the first play area 6 which corresponds to the combination indicia 36 and exposes the play indicia 16 appearing thereunder by removing the scratch-off layer therefrom. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the player will expose less than all of the play indicia 16 appearing in the plaiy area 6 as shown in Figure 5. A prize will be won as shown in Figure 5 if at least one of the rows, columns or subgrids contains all of the predetermined sequential Icons without duplication. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, a $15 prize is awarded because all of the sequential icons are exposed in the bottommost row. Similarly a prize of $20 is awarded because all of the sequential icons are e>:posed in column The scratch-off layer 34 will be opaque in order to hide from view the particular combination indicia 36 that will be used to play the game. However, one or a small number of the individual play regions 32 in the second play area 27 may be

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C1 exposed to reveal combination indicia 36 as an enticement to purchase a ticket and play the game.

00 For example, in the embodiment :hown in Figure 3, the combination indicia "ER" is exposed in the second play area. The individual play region corresponding 00 Sto "ER" in the first play area 6 appears in column The prize designation area 24 D shows a $50,000 prize if column is completed. One way of exposing the Sindividual play region 32 bearing the combination indicia "ER" in the second play area 27 is to apply the dual transparent marking system of U.S. Patent No.

6,076,860.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 3-5 the first play area may be provided with one or more marking systems to enable the player to visually observe which individual play regions have been exposed and the combination indicia employed to play the game. Such marking systems include those disclosed in U.S. Reissue Patent No. 34,673, the dual transparent system of U.S. Patent No. 6,076,860, and the border marking system of U.S. Patent No. 5,386,985, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. The border marking system comprises a border surrounding an individual play region having a color different from the color of the .scratch-off layer above it, wherein when the scratch-off layer is removed the border surrounding the individual play region is exposed in a visually distinctive color different from the color of the removed scratch-off layer.

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0 In a still further embodiment of the invention as shown in Figure 6, the same 00 game as provided in Figure 3 also includes a third play area 42 which includes rows 0 44 and columns 46 and subgrids 48 as described above. However, the third play r"area does not include play indicia printed below a scratch-off layer. There is no 00 scratch-off layer in the third play area 42 but there is provided indicia 50 printed in N some of the play regions 52 of the rows 44 and columns 46. The play area 42 may Sbe completed by the player by inserting ndicia within the unmarked individual play regions. In this way, the player can partake in a game of amusement (no prizes awarded) wherein one of the games may be a Sudoku type game in which the player attempts to complete the rows, colunns and grids with a complete set of predetermined sequential icons.

In a further aspect of the inventior shown in Figure 6, the indicia provided in the individual play regions of the third play area is the same as those appearing in the first play area on top of the scratch-off layer. Beneath the scratch-off layer in the first play area are the remaining indicia which completes the puzzle by providing the predetermined sequential set of icons in all of the rows, columns and subgrids.

These indicia correspond to the indicia which would be inserted by the player to properly complete the third play area. The first play area therefore provides the solution for completing the third play area. Thus, if the player does not want the solution but instead wants to complete thi third play area on his own, he should play the third play area first then proceed to play the game associated with the first and second play areas. In this way, the player can play the game in the first play area to 14

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0 00 see if a prize has been won and play the game in the third play area as a non-prize 1 winning form of amusement.

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Claims

2. The lottery ticket of claim 1 wherein the icons are numbers.
3. The lottery ticket of claim 1 further comprising at least one second grid at least partially contained within the first grid and comprising second rows and second columns comprising less than all of the individual first play regions of the first rows and first columns, and a second pri:.e designation area associated with each of said second grids.
4. The lottery ticket of claim 1 wherein the first scratch-off layer is opaque. IO O The lottery ticket of claim 1 further comprising a marking system 00 associated with the first scratch-off layer, said marking system containing icons O corresponding to the icons printed below the first scratch-off layer for less than all of the first play regions. 00
6. The lottery ticket of claim 5 wherein the first scratch-off layer employed 0 for the marking system is transparent.
7. The lottery ticket of claim 1 wherein the first grid further comprises row and column identifying indicia so that each row is identified by a single row identifying indicia and each column is identified by a single column identifying indicia. each first play region is thereby identified by a combination of indicia comprising a single row identifying indicia and a single column identifying indicia, said lottery ticket further comprising a second play area ccmprising a plurality of second play regions, at least some of the second play regions containing a single combination indicia, and said second play area being covered by ai second scratch-off layer.
8. The lottery ticket of claim 7 wherein the second scratch-off layer is opaque.
9. The lottery ticket of claim 8 wherein a select group of at least one individual play regions are covered by a ron-opaque scratch-off layer. IO O 0 10. The lottery ticket of claim 9 wherein the non-opaque scratch-off layer is 00 transparent.
11. The lottery ticket of claim 7 wherein the second play area is comprised 00 of rows and columns. IO
12. The lottery ticket of claim 7 lurther comprising a border marking system comprising a border region surrounding each first play region having a color different than the color of the first scratch-off layer, wherein when the first scratch-off layer is removed from said first play region, the border surrounding the same is exposed enabling the player to mark said first play region.
13. The lottery ticket of claim 7 further comprising a third play area containing a third grid comprised of thirc rows and third columns of individual play regions, some of the individual play regions having designated icons marked therein and the remaining individual play regions being unmarked adapted to be completed by the player wherein the player completes the unmarked individual play regions in a manner which provides the sequential set of icons.
14. The lottery ticket of claim 13 wherein the third grid, when properly completed by the player, contains the same pattern of preselected set of icons as the first grid. IO The lottery ticket of claim 7 wherein the combination indicia present in at least one e-i second play region is visible to the player which the remaining combination indicia in 00 the second play region is hidden by the second scratch-off layer.
16. The lottery ticket of claim 1 wherein the first prize designation region is associated 0 0 with at least on row and/or first column. IN C- 17. A lottery ticket substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and/or examples. -19-