CA2804956A1 - An official lottery entry offset method and system - Google Patents
An official lottery entry offset method and system Download PDFInfo
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- CA2804956A1 CA2804956A1 CA2804956A CA2804956A CA2804956A1 CA 2804956 A1 CA2804956 A1 CA 2804956A1 CA 2804956 A CA2804956 A CA 2804956A CA 2804956 A CA2804956 A CA 2804956A CA 2804956 A1 CA2804956 A1 CA 2804956A1
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Abstract
A promotional system derivs or generates Promotional Prize Draw Entries for Promotional Prize Draws from entries in government or state operated lotteries and sweepstakes, termed Official Lottery Entries and Official Lotteries. The promotional prize draw entries are distributed to customers as loyalty rewards. The outcome of promotional prize draws depend on the outcome of the official lottery entrieds. Alternatively the system issues an Official Lottery Entry to a customer as their consumer reward when they have accumulated a predefined level of Promotional Prize Draw Entry entitlements.
Description
" AN OFFICIAL LOTTERY ENTRY OFFSET METHOD AND SYSTEM "
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention The present invention relates to electronic point of sale and Internet promotional methods and systems. In particular the present invention comprises a method of generating entries in consumer prize draws as a reward for customer purchases and loyalty at various member merchants.
Description of the Prior Art Product manufacturers, distributors and merchants have for many years used sales promotions involving financial incentives such as discounted prices to encourage customers to purchase their products.
Over time these incentives have expanded to include gift vouchers, loyalty points, airmiles and other tokens as rewards for consumers taking purchase actions desired by product manufacturers and merchants.
More recently entries in lotteries, sweepstakes or other types of prize draws have been offered as an indirect financial incentive to make purchases. In general this method of sales promotion consists in using sales systems, which record customer sales data, under the control of one or more merchants and a sales promotion computer system comprising the steps of:
(a) generating and storing random numbers comprising prize draw entries in the sales promotion computer system;
(b) loading awards records on the promotion system consisting of sales criteria which define customer award entidement;
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention The present invention relates to electronic point of sale and Internet promotional methods and systems. In particular the present invention comprises a method of generating entries in consumer prize draws as a reward for customer purchases and loyalty at various member merchants.
Description of the Prior Art Product manufacturers, distributors and merchants have for many years used sales promotions involving financial incentives such as discounted prices to encourage customers to purchase their products.
Over time these incentives have expanded to include gift vouchers, loyalty points, airmiles and other tokens as rewards for consumers taking purchase actions desired by product manufacturers and merchants.
More recently entries in lotteries, sweepstakes or other types of prize draws have been offered as an indirect financial incentive to make purchases. In general this method of sales promotion consists in using sales systems, which record customer sales data, under the control of one or more merchants and a sales promotion computer system comprising the steps of:
(a) generating and storing random numbers comprising prize draw entries in the sales promotion computer system;
(b) loading awards records on the promotion system consisting of sales criteria which define customer award entidement;
(c) comparing customer transaction data received from a sales system with the award records at the promotion computer system to determine if the customer is entitled to an award, and if so;
(d) printing on a document associated with each transaction one or more of the numbers;
(e) the printed numbers constituting a ticket in a prize draw to be drawn on a periodic basis with prizes awarded to ticket holders having an entry number or numbers which are the same as or are a defined sub-set of the numbers drawn.
While there are variations as to the exact way that promotion and loyalty programs in which entries in prize draws are issued as rewards operate, all use entries and prizes generated within and internal to the program.
In this specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated = otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such documents, or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method and/or system for promotional lotteries, sweepstakes or proze draws which will at least provide the industry or the public with a useful choice.
According to one aspect the invention comprises methods and systems that derive or generate Promotional Prize Draw Entries for Promotional Prize Draws from entries in government or state operated lotteries and sweepstakes, hereinafter termed Official Lottery Entries and Official Lotteries, via the application of any combination of mathematical techniques and computing technology.
According to a further aspect the invention comprises methods and systems that issues an Official Lottery Entry to a customer as their consumer reward when they have accumulated a predefined level of Promotional Prize Draw Entry entitlements.
According to a still further aspect the invention consists in a method or system which lenables Promotional Prize Draw Entries to be linked to an original parent Official Entry in any ratio or relationship, to be separately identifiable as such and to be entitled to the full amount or a share of any prizes won by the original linked Official Entries in the Official Lottery.
According to a still further aspect the invention consists in a method of generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery entries and using these to operate Promotional Prize Draws in conjunction with sales promotion computer systems that support operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, the method comprising the steps of:
acquiring Official Lottery Entries from an Official Lottery;
generating from the acquired Official Lottery Entries, Promotion Prize Draw Entries and linking these to the Official Lottery Entries from which they are derived;
distributing the Promotion Prize Draw Entries to a sales promotion computer system for issue when sales transactions supplied by a sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entries;
receiving the results of the the Official Lottery prize draw and matching any prize-winning Official Lottery Entries to a linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries; and allocating any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
(d) printing on a document associated with each transaction one or more of the numbers;
(e) the printed numbers constituting a ticket in a prize draw to be drawn on a periodic basis with prizes awarded to ticket holders having an entry number or numbers which are the same as or are a defined sub-set of the numbers drawn.
While there are variations as to the exact way that promotion and loyalty programs in which entries in prize draws are issued as rewards operate, all use entries and prizes generated within and internal to the program.
In this specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated = otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such documents, or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method and/or system for promotional lotteries, sweepstakes or proze draws which will at least provide the industry or the public with a useful choice.
According to one aspect the invention comprises methods and systems that derive or generate Promotional Prize Draw Entries for Promotional Prize Draws from entries in government or state operated lotteries and sweepstakes, hereinafter termed Official Lottery Entries and Official Lotteries, via the application of any combination of mathematical techniques and computing technology.
According to a further aspect the invention comprises methods and systems that issues an Official Lottery Entry to a customer as their consumer reward when they have accumulated a predefined level of Promotional Prize Draw Entry entitlements.
According to a still further aspect the invention consists in a method or system which lenables Promotional Prize Draw Entries to be linked to an original parent Official Entry in any ratio or relationship, to be separately identifiable as such and to be entitled to the full amount or a share of any prizes won by the original linked Official Entries in the Official Lottery.
According to a still further aspect the invention consists in a method of generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery entries and using these to operate Promotional Prize Draws in conjunction with sales promotion computer systems that support operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, the method comprising the steps of:
acquiring Official Lottery Entries from an Official Lottery;
generating from the acquired Official Lottery Entries, Promotion Prize Draw Entries and linking these to the Official Lottery Entries from which they are derived;
distributing the Promotion Prize Draw Entries to a sales promotion computer system for issue when sales transactions supplied by a sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entries;
receiving the results of the the Official Lottery prize draw and matching any prize-winning Official Lottery Entries to a linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries; and allocating any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
According to a further aspect the method includes the further steps of:
receiving from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions, related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entries issued and storing these details and entries for participation in a subsequent Prize Draw;
accepting queries from customers with Promotion Prize Draw Entries as to whether their entries have won a prize; and processing claims and payouts of winning prizes.
According to a further aspect the method includes the further steps of:
processing accounting details associated with each prize draw including all reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries used to generate Promotional prize draw entries, reimbursement of sales outlets making any winning prize draw entry payouts, and reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws.
According to a further aspect the method includes the further steps of:
calculating a number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries required to be generated from Official Lottery Entries and to be available for issue as rewards in a Promotional Prize Draw;
calculating an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
According to a further aspect the method includes the further steps of:
determining a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries and the cost of Official Lottery Entries.
According to a further aspect the method includes:
periodically determining a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire in blocks sufficient to meet demand for Promotion Prize Draw Entries for the period, taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
According to a further aspect the method includes:
receiving from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions, related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entries issued and storing these details and entries for participation in a subsequent Prize Draw;
accepting queries from customers with Promotion Prize Draw Entries as to whether their entries have won a prize; and processing claims and payouts of winning prizes.
According to a further aspect the method includes the further steps of:
processing accounting details associated with each prize draw including all reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries used to generate Promotional prize draw entries, reimbursement of sales outlets making any winning prize draw entry payouts, and reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws.
According to a further aspect the method includes the further steps of:
calculating a number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries required to be generated from Official Lottery Entries and to be available for issue as rewards in a Promotional Prize Draw;
calculating an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
According to a further aspect the method includes the further steps of:
determining a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries and the cost of Official Lottery Entries.
According to a further aspect the method includes:
periodically determining a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire in blocks sufficient to meet demand for Promotion Prize Draw Entries for the period, taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
According to a further aspect the method includes:
randomising the order of the generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries prior to distribution to the sales promotion computer system.
According to a further aspect the method includes generating Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries by:
adding another number sequence suffix to the Official Lottery Entry to derive the required number of the Promotional Prize Draw Entries.
According to a further aspect the method includes generating Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries by:
passing the Official Lottery Entries through a predetermined algorithmn using variable parameters such that a known number of Promotional Prize Draw Entries each of which that can be reproduced using the original Official Lottery Entry and in the reverse direction each of which can be processed to derive the original Official Lottery Entry.
According to a further aspect the method includes generating Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries by:
linking the Official Lottery Entries to randomly generated Promotion Prize Draw = 20 Entries and storing the links in a database techniques or similar.
According to a further aspect the method includes allocating any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries by:
linking the value of any official lottery' prize draw prizes to the respective winning official lottery entries;
matching each prize-winning Official Lottery Entries with its linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries;
According to a further aspect the method includes generating Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries by:
adding another number sequence suffix to the Official Lottery Entry to derive the required number of the Promotional Prize Draw Entries.
According to a further aspect the method includes generating Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries by:
passing the Official Lottery Entries through a predetermined algorithmn using variable parameters such that a known number of Promotional Prize Draw Entries each of which that can be reproduced using the original Official Lottery Entry and in the reverse direction each of which can be processed to derive the original Official Lottery Entry.
According to a further aspect the method includes generating Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries by:
linking the Official Lottery Entries to randomly generated Promotion Prize Draw = 20 Entries and storing the links in a database techniques or similar.
According to a further aspect the method includes allocating any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries by:
linking the value of any official lottery' prize draw prizes to the respective winning official lottery entries;
matching each prize-winning Official Lottery Entries with its linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries;
allocating the prize so won by the Official Lottery Entry to one or more of the linked promotion prize draw entries using a predefined allocation method.
According to a further aspect the predefined allocaton method comprises:
allocating the prize to a single_linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry generated from it, by using part of the winning Official Lottery Entry number direcdy or via an algorithm to identify one of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
According to a further aspect the predefined allocaton method comprises allocating the prize to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry, by conducting a further random draw from one or more component digits of Promotion Prize Draw Entries linked to winning acquired Official Lottery Entries in order to identify the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
According to a further aspect the predefined allocaton method comprises spreading the prize by a predetermined method amongst some or all of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
According to a still further aspect the invention consists in apparatus for generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery entries and using these to operate Promotional Prize Draws in conjunction with sales promotion computer systems that support operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or = 25 merchants, the apparatus comprising at least one computer programmed to perform the methods set forth above.
According to a still further aspect the invention consists in a computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement the methods set forth above.
According to a still further aspect the invention consists in a system for generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery entries and using these to operate Promotional Prize Draws, the system comprising a promotional prize draw management system, and sales promotion computer systems that support operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, wherein the promotional prize draw management system is programmed to perform methods as set forth above, and the sales promotion computer system is programmed to:
receive records of promotion prize draw entries issued by the promotional draw management system; and issue promotion prize draw entries to customers when sales transactions supplied by a sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of a sales promotion.
According to a further aspect the sales promotion system is programmed to:
transmit details of sales transactions, related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entries issued to the promotional prize draw management system;
and the promotional prize draw management system is programmed to:
receive details of sales transactions, related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entries issued and store these details and entries for participation in a subsequent Prize Draw;
accept queries from customers With Promotion Prize Draw Entries as to whether their entries have won a prize; and process claims and payouts of winning prizes.
According to a further aspect the sales promotion system interacts with a sales system comprising point of sale (POS) systems under the control of one or more merchants and the sales promotion computer system comprises a host and a plurality of remote controllers each associated with at least one respective POS system.
According to a futther aspect the sales promotion system interacts with a sales system=
comprising EFTPOS payment processing systems which capture customer sales data in outlets operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants.
According to a further aspect the sales promotion system interacts with a sales system which records customer sales through a website accessible from a web device operated by the customer and a promotion prize draw entry is printable by a printer associated with the web device.
According to a further aspect the sales promotion system interacts with a sales system which records customer sales through a corporate merchant and wherein the customer is another business and a promotion prize draw entry is printable by the corporate merchant and included with transaction receipts = According to a still further aspect the invention consists in a method of generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery Entries by defining Promotional Prize Draw Entry entidements in a promotional prize draw management system and issuing these entidements to customers in conjunction with a sales promotion computer system that supports operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems, which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, with customers accumulating Promotional Prize Draw Entry = entidements and when the number of such entidements so accumulated equals a defined level, for an Official Lottery Entry to be issued to them as their consumer reward, the method comprising the steps of:
setting a required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry;
According to a further aspect the predefined allocaton method comprises:
allocating the prize to a single_linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry generated from it, by using part of the winning Official Lottery Entry number direcdy or via an algorithm to identify one of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
According to a further aspect the predefined allocaton method comprises allocating the prize to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry, by conducting a further random draw from one or more component digits of Promotion Prize Draw Entries linked to winning acquired Official Lottery Entries in order to identify the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
According to a further aspect the predefined allocaton method comprises spreading the prize by a predetermined method amongst some or all of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
According to a still further aspect the invention consists in apparatus for generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery entries and using these to operate Promotional Prize Draws in conjunction with sales promotion computer systems that support operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or = 25 merchants, the apparatus comprising at least one computer programmed to perform the methods set forth above.
According to a still further aspect the invention consists in a computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement the methods set forth above.
According to a still further aspect the invention consists in a system for generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery entries and using these to operate Promotional Prize Draws, the system comprising a promotional prize draw management system, and sales promotion computer systems that support operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, wherein the promotional prize draw management system is programmed to perform methods as set forth above, and the sales promotion computer system is programmed to:
receive records of promotion prize draw entries issued by the promotional draw management system; and issue promotion prize draw entries to customers when sales transactions supplied by a sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of a sales promotion.
According to a further aspect the sales promotion system is programmed to:
transmit details of sales transactions, related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entries issued to the promotional prize draw management system;
and the promotional prize draw management system is programmed to:
receive details of sales transactions, related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entries issued and store these details and entries for participation in a subsequent Prize Draw;
accept queries from customers With Promotion Prize Draw Entries as to whether their entries have won a prize; and process claims and payouts of winning prizes.
According to a further aspect the sales promotion system interacts with a sales system comprising point of sale (POS) systems under the control of one or more merchants and the sales promotion computer system comprises a host and a plurality of remote controllers each associated with at least one respective POS system.
According to a futther aspect the sales promotion system interacts with a sales system=
comprising EFTPOS payment processing systems which capture customer sales data in outlets operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants.
According to a further aspect the sales promotion system interacts with a sales system which records customer sales through a website accessible from a web device operated by the customer and a promotion prize draw entry is printable by a printer associated with the web device.
According to a further aspect the sales promotion system interacts with a sales system which records customer sales through a corporate merchant and wherein the customer is another business and a promotion prize draw entry is printable by the corporate merchant and included with transaction receipts = According to a still further aspect the invention consists in a method of generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery Entries by defining Promotional Prize Draw Entry entidements in a promotional prize draw management system and issuing these entidements to customers in conjunction with a sales promotion computer system that supports operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems, which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, with customers accumulating Promotional Prize Draw Entry = entidements and when the number of such entidements so accumulated equals a defined level, for an Official Lottery Entry to be issued to them as their consumer reward, the method comprising the steps of:
setting a required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry;
distributing details of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements;
receiving from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions along with related customers. and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements issued to them storing these Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements for allocation of an Official Lottery Entry when qualification criteria have been met;
from time to time evaluating the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated by customers participating in promotions for which Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements have been issued to them and awarding them the appropriate number of Official Lottery Entries earned by virtue of the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated versus Official Lottery Entry award criteria.the Official Lottery Entries awarded comprise actual entries in Official Lotteries that participate in Official Lottery prize draws in the normal way applicable to the relevant Official Lottery and customers to whom they have been awarded are able to check their entries and claim any prizes that their entries win using the normal facilities and processes applicable for the Official Lotteries in which they have been issued Official Lottery Entries.
According to a further aspect the method includes:
calculating in the the promotional prize draw management system an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, calculating the affordable ratio of Official Lottery Entries to Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements and using this ratio to set the required number of promotion prize draw entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry According to a further aspect the method includes:
receiving from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions along with related customers. and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements issued to them storing these Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements for allocation of an Official Lottery Entry when qualification criteria have been met;
from time to time evaluating the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated by customers participating in promotions for which Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements have been issued to them and awarding them the appropriate number of Official Lottery Entries earned by virtue of the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated versus Official Lottery Entry award criteria.the Official Lottery Entries awarded comprise actual entries in Official Lotteries that participate in Official Lottery prize draws in the normal way applicable to the relevant Official Lottery and customers to whom they have been awarded are able to check their entries and claim any prizes that their entries win using the normal facilities and processes applicable for the Official Lotteries in which they have been issued Official Lottery Entries.
According to a further aspect the method includes:
calculating in the the promotional prize draw management system an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, calculating the affordable ratio of Official Lottery Entries to Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements and using this ratio to set the required number of promotion prize draw entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry According to a further aspect the method includes:
processing in the promotional prize draw management system accounting details associated with Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issue and consequent Official Lottery Entry award including reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries issued to customers, collection from promotion sponsors of issue fees and any other fees associated with issue and processing of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws and the like.
According to a further aspect the method includes:
calculating the number of Official Lottery Entries required to match the required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements;
acquiring the required number of Official Lottery Entries;
generating from the acquired Official Lottery Entries the required Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
randomising in the the promotional prize draw management system the order of the Official Lottery Entries and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements;
distributing Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when.sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements.
According to a still further aspect the invention consists in apparatus for generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery Entries by .
defining Promotional Prize Draw Entry entidements in a promotional prize draw management system and issuing these entidements to customers in conjunction with a sales promotion computer system that supports operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems, which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, with customers accumulating Promotional Prize Draw Entry entidements and when the number of such entidements so accumulated equals a defined level, for an Official Lottery Entry to be issued to them as their consumer reward, the apparatus comprising at least one computer programmed to perform the methods set forth above.
According to a still further aspect the invention consists in a computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method of generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery Entries by defining Promotional Prize Draw Entry entitlements in a promotional prize draw management system and issuing these entitlements to customers in conjunction with a sales promotion computer system that supports operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems, which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, with customers accumulating Promotional Prize Draw Entry entitlements and when the number of such entitlements so accumulated equals a defined level, for an Official Lottery Entry to be issued to them as their consumer reward, the method being as set forth above.
According to a still further aspect the invention consists in a system including a promotional prize draw management system generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery Entries and a sales promotion computer system issuing these entidements to customers via sales systems, with customers accumulating Promotional Prize Draw Entry entitlements and when the number of such entidements so accumulated equals a defined level, for an Official Lottery Entry to be issued to them as their consumer reward, the promotional prize draw management system including a compuer programmed to perform the methods set forth above;
and the sales promotion computer system includes a computer programmed to perform the method comprising:
receiving details of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements from the promotional prize draw management system, issuing Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer;
According to a further aspect the method includes:
calculating the number of Official Lottery Entries required to match the required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements;
acquiring the required number of Official Lottery Entries;
generating from the acquired Official Lottery Entries the required Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
randomising in the the promotional prize draw management system the order of the Official Lottery Entries and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements;
distributing Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when.sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements.
According to a still further aspect the invention consists in apparatus for generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery Entries by .
defining Promotional Prize Draw Entry entidements in a promotional prize draw management system and issuing these entidements to customers in conjunction with a sales promotion computer system that supports operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems, which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, with customers accumulating Promotional Prize Draw Entry entidements and when the number of such entidements so accumulated equals a defined level, for an Official Lottery Entry to be issued to them as their consumer reward, the apparatus comprising at least one computer programmed to perform the methods set forth above.
According to a still further aspect the invention consists in a computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method of generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery Entries by defining Promotional Prize Draw Entry entitlements in a promotional prize draw management system and issuing these entitlements to customers in conjunction with a sales promotion computer system that supports operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems, which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, with customers accumulating Promotional Prize Draw Entry entitlements and when the number of such entitlements so accumulated equals a defined level, for an Official Lottery Entry to be issued to them as their consumer reward, the method being as set forth above.
According to a still further aspect the invention consists in a system including a promotional prize draw management system generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery Entries and a sales promotion computer system issuing these entidements to customers via sales systems, with customers accumulating Promotional Prize Draw Entry entitlements and when the number of such entidements so accumulated equals a defined level, for an Official Lottery Entry to be issued to them as their consumer reward, the promotional prize draw management system including a compuer programmed to perform the methods set forth above;
and the sales promotion computer system includes a computer programmed to perform the method comprising:
receiving details of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements from the promotional prize draw management system, issuing Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer;
sending details of sales transactions along with related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issued to them to the promotion prize draw management system.
In this specification hereinafter "lottery" is defined as a means of promoting sales and service by issuing numbered tickets and giving prizes to the holders of numbers drawn at random, and includes sweepstakes and prize draws.
To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.
The term "comprising is used in the specification and claims, means "consisting at least in part of. When interpreting a statement in this specification and claims that includes "comprising", features other than that or those prefaced by the term may also be present.
Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprises" are to be interpreted in the same manner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Figure 1 is a chart showing the components and application -architecture of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
This invention relates to a method and system which links participant entries into any official government, other statutory body operated or other legally authorised Or .
sanctioned lotteries, sweepstakes and wagering operations such as horse racing wagering and the like, all hereafter referred to as Official Lotteries, to entries into other unofficial lotteries or gaming events and events involving chances to win prizes, including but not limited to free to enter, promotional, metaverse, or other non-pay to enter or charitable sweepstakes or lotteries, hereafter referred to as Promotional Prize Draws.
The purpose of such linking is to enable Promotional Prize Draws to generate their participant entries based on participant entries in Official Lotteries hence enabling them to leverage the Official Lotteries draw processes and prize pools by providing their participants with the ability to win large prizes such as are offered to participants in Official Lotteries. In this respect the Promotional Prize Draw partially shadows the Official Lottery. When an entry into an Official Lottery wins a prize, the prize is shared by or allocated to the entry or entries into the Promotional Prize Draw that are linked to it via the present invention.
For the purposes of this specification a participant entry into a Lottery or Promotional Prize Draw is defined as an entity that provides at least one chance to win one of the prizes offered by the Lottery or Promotional Prize Draw, for example but not limited to in the case of a lottery an entry would be a line of numbers on a lottery ticket, or in the case of a sweepstake, a numbered ticket.
The present invention uses a combination of mathematical techniques and computer technology to link one or more entries in a Promotional Prize Draw to an actual entry into an Official Lottery. Also to issue these Promotional Prize Draw Entries to consumers as desired and to use the draw processes of the Official Lottery to determine any winning Promotional Prize Draw Entries. When an entry in an Official Lottery that is linked via the present invention to entries in a Promotional Prize Draw wins a prize, the prize is shared by or allocated to one of the entries in a Promotional Prize Draw that are linked to it.
Alternatively the system issues Promotional Prize Draw Entry entidements to customers who accumulate them and when the number of such entitlements so accumulated equals a defined level, issues the customer an Official Lottery Entry as their consumer reward.
The following is a general description of the method and system comprising the invention. However there are many different ways that the method can be applied to ==
In this specification hereinafter "lottery" is defined as a means of promoting sales and service by issuing numbered tickets and giving prizes to the holders of numbers drawn at random, and includes sweepstakes and prize draws.
To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.
The term "comprising is used in the specification and claims, means "consisting at least in part of. When interpreting a statement in this specification and claims that includes "comprising", features other than that or those prefaced by the term may also be present.
Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprises" are to be interpreted in the same manner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Figure 1 is a chart showing the components and application -architecture of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
This invention relates to a method and system which links participant entries into any official government, other statutory body operated or other legally authorised Or .
sanctioned lotteries, sweepstakes and wagering operations such as horse racing wagering and the like, all hereafter referred to as Official Lotteries, to entries into other unofficial lotteries or gaming events and events involving chances to win prizes, including but not limited to free to enter, promotional, metaverse, or other non-pay to enter or charitable sweepstakes or lotteries, hereafter referred to as Promotional Prize Draws.
The purpose of such linking is to enable Promotional Prize Draws to generate their participant entries based on participant entries in Official Lotteries hence enabling them to leverage the Official Lotteries draw processes and prize pools by providing their participants with the ability to win large prizes such as are offered to participants in Official Lotteries. In this respect the Promotional Prize Draw partially shadows the Official Lottery. When an entry into an Official Lottery wins a prize, the prize is shared by or allocated to the entry or entries into the Promotional Prize Draw that are linked to it via the present invention.
For the purposes of this specification a participant entry into a Lottery or Promotional Prize Draw is defined as an entity that provides at least one chance to win one of the prizes offered by the Lottery or Promotional Prize Draw, for example but not limited to in the case of a lottery an entry would be a line of numbers on a lottery ticket, or in the case of a sweepstake, a numbered ticket.
The present invention uses a combination of mathematical techniques and computer technology to link one or more entries in a Promotional Prize Draw to an actual entry into an Official Lottery. Also to issue these Promotional Prize Draw Entries to consumers as desired and to use the draw processes of the Official Lottery to determine any winning Promotional Prize Draw Entries. When an entry in an Official Lottery that is linked via the present invention to entries in a Promotional Prize Draw wins a prize, the prize is shared by or allocated to one of the entries in a Promotional Prize Draw that are linked to it.
Alternatively the system issues Promotional Prize Draw Entry entidements to customers who accumulate them and when the number of such entitlements so accumulated equals a defined level, issues the customer an Official Lottery Entry as their consumer reward.
The following is a general description of the method and system comprising the invention. However there are many different ways that the method can be applied to ==
achieve the desired result but all would involve the common process of entries into an Official Lottery being linked in some way to entries or entitlement to entries in a Promotional Prize Draw as a way to provide the prizes for the Promotional Prize Draw.
Referring now to Figure 1, major system components of the invention include a Promotional Prize Draw Management System A, an Official Lottery Computer System B, a Sales Promotion System C and Sales Systems D.
The official lottery computer system B may be of known type and does not constitute the invention herein. For example this may be any computer system that implements and administers an official lottery, sweepstake or draw. The system components and functional operation described as comprising parts of system B are illustrative only.
In this system components the functions may be implemented partially or entirely in software executed on general purpose or single purpose computers. However some parts of these functions may be performed physically or mentally outside of the implementing computer system. For example, typical lottery or sweepstake may involve a draw or event implemented in the physical space. Similarly, entry sales and prize payouts may be made physically at appropriate retail locations.
According to one embodiment the systems A to D interact entirely without human physical intervention. That is each system includes interfaces which exchange data to complete all interactions. The nature of these interactions becomes clear in the description of the complete system.
Each system or components of each system may be implemented in software executed on general purpose or special purpose computing platforms.
Referring now to Figure 1, major system components of the invention include a Promotional Prize Draw Management System A, an Official Lottery Computer System B, a Sales Promotion System C and Sales Systems D.
The official lottery computer system B may be of known type and does not constitute the invention herein. For example this may be any computer system that implements and administers an official lottery, sweepstake or draw. The system components and functional operation described as comprising parts of system B are illustrative only.
In this system components the functions may be implemented partially or entirely in software executed on general purpose or single purpose computers. However some parts of these functions may be performed physically or mentally outside of the implementing computer system. For example, typical lottery or sweepstake may involve a draw or event implemented in the physical space. Similarly, entry sales and prize payouts may be made physically at appropriate retail locations.
According to one embodiment the systems A to D interact entirely without human physical intervention. That is each system includes interfaces which exchange data to complete all interactions. The nature of these interactions becomes clear in the description of the complete system.
Each system or components of each system may be implemented in software executed on general purpose or special purpose computing platforms.
Figure 1 illustrates the system according to specific functional blocks whereby the interaction between functional blocks is represented by flow lines. These flow lines represent communication of data between the functional blocks. Communication of data may, for example, be by way of storage and retrieval from commonly accessible memory, or by communication between interfaces implemented in the functional blocks.
Each interface could, for example, package and send outgoing data, receive and parse incoming data, or both. Where appropriate the interface may implement encryption of data.
Each functional block may be implemented in stand alone software programs, or as routines within integrated software programs. The software programs of each system may be executed on a single computing platform or distributed across multiple computing platforms. Each software program, or parts of each software program may be stored on computer readable media, such as RAM, ROM, hard disk storage or removable disk storage, for distribution or for loading by the computer prior to execution.
Whereever possible the functions illustrated in Figure 1 and interactions between functions ilustrated by the flow lines in Figure 1 may be implemented as computer executable programs.
In the following description, unless the context requires otherwise, an action described passively should be interpreted as being the result of an action performed by a computer executing a computer program in accordance with the relevant related functional block that would be taking the action. For simplicity the system is described in terms of the functions performed by each functional block.
Persons skilled in programming computers will understand how to implement each described function in a suitable computer program on the basis of these descriptions.
Depending on commercial arrangements the Promotional Prize Draw Management System A may be located at one of:
Each interface could, for example, package and send outgoing data, receive and parse incoming data, or both. Where appropriate the interface may implement encryption of data.
Each functional block may be implemented in stand alone software programs, or as routines within integrated software programs. The software programs of each system may be executed on a single computing platform or distributed across multiple computing platforms. Each software program, or parts of each software program may be stored on computer readable media, such as RAM, ROM, hard disk storage or removable disk storage, for distribution or for loading by the computer prior to execution.
Whereever possible the functions illustrated in Figure 1 and interactions between functions ilustrated by the flow lines in Figure 1 may be implemented as computer executable programs.
In the following description, unless the context requires otherwise, an action described passively should be interpreted as being the result of an action performed by a computer executing a computer program in accordance with the relevant related functional block that would be taking the action. For simplicity the system is described in terms of the functions performed by each functional block.
Persons skilled in programming computers will understand how to implement each described function in a suitable computer program on the basis of these descriptions.
Depending on commercial arrangements the Promotional Prize Draw Management System A may be located at one of:
1. the premises of the Official Lottery operator;
2. the premises of the Sales Promotion System operator, or:
3. the premises of an independent Promotional Prize Draw services provider.
The Official Lottery Computer System B except for the Retail Sales Outlets 16 is located at the premises and/or data centre of an Official Lottery Operator. The Sales Promotion System Central Host and Central Interfaces are located at the data centre premises of a Sales Promotion operator or service provider, and the Regional Interfaces Servers may be located along with this central data centre or in a remote regional data centre. The Merchant Interfaces Servers and the Sales Systems are located at Merchant sales outlets, which may be at retail premises or in the case of Corporate Merchants and Internet Merchants, at their data centre or other central premises. Known data communications techniques are used to connect the components of these systems as required for data transfer and the like.
Using known sales promotion systems, customers completing transactions at Internet Merchants or via POS or EFTPOS units located at Retail outlets may qualify for a reward which may comprise a discount, a voucher, award of loyalty points or in the context of the present invention, an entry or entitlement to an entry, both hereinafter referred to as an entry, into a prize draw of some sort. Qualification for these rewards is based on customer transactions meeting criteria such as spending a defined minimum value or purchasing certain products currently on promotion.
Similarly for Corporate Merchants such as power utility or telephone companies who bill for goods or services provided in a billing cycle for example monthly, customers may qualify for rewards during a billing process as a result of the value of goods or services purchased meeting a defined value or including required product items and quantities.
In the case of rewards comprising entries in Prize Draws, these are typically printed on a Prize Draw Ticket in the case of sale at a retail outlet, printed on a customers account in the case of a Corporate Merchant, or stored and/or forwarded electronically to Internet =
2. the premises of the Sales Promotion System operator, or:
3. the premises of an independent Promotional Prize Draw services provider.
The Official Lottery Computer System B except for the Retail Sales Outlets 16 is located at the premises and/or data centre of an Official Lottery Operator. The Sales Promotion System Central Host and Central Interfaces are located at the data centre premises of a Sales Promotion operator or service provider, and the Regional Interfaces Servers may be located along with this central data centre or in a remote regional data centre. The Merchant Interfaces Servers and the Sales Systems are located at Merchant sales outlets, which may be at retail premises or in the case of Corporate Merchants and Internet Merchants, at their data centre or other central premises. Known data communications techniques are used to connect the components of these systems as required for data transfer and the like.
Using known sales promotion systems, customers completing transactions at Internet Merchants or via POS or EFTPOS units located at Retail outlets may qualify for a reward which may comprise a discount, a voucher, award of loyalty points or in the context of the present invention, an entry or entitlement to an entry, both hereinafter referred to as an entry, into a prize draw of some sort. Qualification for these rewards is based on customer transactions meeting criteria such as spending a defined minimum value or purchasing certain products currently on promotion.
Similarly for Corporate Merchants such as power utility or telephone companies who bill for goods or services provided in a billing cycle for example monthly, customers may qualify for rewards during a billing process as a result of the value of goods or services purchased meeting a defined value or including required product items and quantities.
In the case of rewards comprising entries in Prize Draws, these are typically printed on a Prize Draw Ticket in the case of sale at a retail outlet, printed on a customers account in the case of a Corporate Merchant, or stored and/or forwarded electronically to Internet =
Merchant Customers. Customers with an identification number stored on a Customer Identification Token or the like that is presented at the time of their transaction could also have their Prize Draw Entries stored and/or forwarded to them to check electronically as desired. Note that for Prize Draw Entries comprising Prize Draw Entry entitlements (accumulated and redeemed from time to time for actual Official Lottery Entries when sufficient entidements have been accumulated), a Customer Identification Token must be presented to enable the entidement to be recorded for the customer and hence to be included in a subsequent process to issue Official Lottery Entries when qualifying criteria are met.
After the Prize Draw has been completed, customers may check their entries via a variety of techniques to see if they have won a prize and if so, they can claim it by presenting their ticket or Customer Identification Token at a payout location.
In the context of the above summary of Sales Promotion Systems and Sales Systems the present invention is a method and system for providing the Prize Draw Entries that comprise the Prize Draw Entry reward and that are issued as described above.
In the invention these prize draws are derived from entries in lotteries run by officially licensed, authorised or sanctioned lotteries or other types of prize draws including sweepstakes and the like.
Referring to Figure 1, the Prize Draw Host 1 controls overall operation of the Promotional Prize Draw Management System component of the present invention including prize draw setup 2, prize draw entries calculation and management 3, entries acquisition 4, offset entry creation and randomisation 5, entry distribution 6, issued entry analysis and end of draw processes 7, prize draw and prize allocation 8, prize claim and payout 9, accounting system 10 and data warehouse 11. Any use of promotional prize draw entries in a prize draw under the present invention is ultimately controlled by the prize draw host 1.
After the Prize Draw has been completed, customers may check their entries via a variety of techniques to see if they have won a prize and if so, they can claim it by presenting their ticket or Customer Identification Token at a payout location.
In the context of the above summary of Sales Promotion Systems and Sales Systems the present invention is a method and system for providing the Prize Draw Entries that comprise the Prize Draw Entry reward and that are issued as described above.
In the invention these prize draws are derived from entries in lotteries run by officially licensed, authorised or sanctioned lotteries or other types of prize draws including sweepstakes and the like.
Referring to Figure 1, the Prize Draw Host 1 controls overall operation of the Promotional Prize Draw Management System component of the present invention including prize draw setup 2, prize draw entries calculation and management 3, entries acquisition 4, offset entry creation and randomisation 5, entry distribution 6, issued entry analysis and end of draw processes 7, prize draw and prize allocation 8, prize claim and payout 9, accounting system 10 and data warehouse 11. Any use of promotional prize draw entries in a prize draw under the present invention is ultimately controlled by the prize draw host 1.
When a sales promotion system operator wishes to use promotion prize draw entries created by the present invention the prize draw setup process 2 obtains details of the desired prize draw from the sales promotion operator referred to hereinafter as Promotion Program Parameters and uses these to setup the prize draw as required. -Promotion Program Parameters include desired prize values, the desired odds of winning, the estimated number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries required to be available for issue as rewards and an affordable Prize Draw Entry acquisition cost.
The affordable Promotion Prize Draw Entry acquisition cost is the price that can be afforded to be paid to the Official Lottery operator for entries in their official lottery that is being used via the present invention to create Promotion Prize Draw Entries. The affordable Promotion Prize Draw Entry acquisition cost is derived in one aspect for example firstly by the sales promotion system operator taking the total fee that is able to be charged to the promotion sponsors (i.e. that the sponsors of a sales promotion are willing to pay) for a Prize Draw Entry, called for example the Prize Draw Entry issue cost and deducting their operational costs of running the prize draw promotion.
Operational costs might include the cost of setup and distribution of the promotion, a share of distribution system hardware costs, communications costs, management overheads, profit margins and the Like. These operational costs are deducted from the Prize Draw Entry issue cost to arrive at the affordable Promotion Prize Draw Entry purchase cost.
From this affordable Promotion Prize Draw Entry purchase cost the costs and fees of the Promotional Prize Draw management system operator are deducted in turn to arrive at the affordable Promotion Prize Draw Entry acquisition cost, being the cost that it is affordable to pay for each entry derived via the present invention from an Official Lottery Entry.
The parameters established in Prize Draw Setup 2 are used in the Entries Calculation and Management module 3 firstly to calculate the affordable ratio of Official Lottery Entries to Promotion Prize Draw Entries. This is primarily based on the ratio of the affordable Promotion Prize Draw Entry acquisition cost calculated in a preceding process to the cost of an Official Lottery Entry. The cost of an Official Lottery Entry is the price that an Official Lottery operator wishes to charge for each Official Lottery Entry supplied for use in generating Promotion Prize Draw Entries via the present invention. For example if the affordable Promotion Prize Draw Entry acquisition cost is 6 cents and the cost of an Official Lottery Entry is 90 cents, then 15 Promotion Prize Draw Entries could be affordably linked to one Official Lottery Entry and the affordable ratio would be 1:15.
Secondly the Entries Calculation and Management module 3 when required calculates the number of Official Lottery Entries to be purchased in order to provide the estimated number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries required for the proposed Promotion Prize Draw. This is done using the total estimated number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries required for the promotion program and the affordable ratio of Promotion Prize Draw -Entries to Official Lottery Entries calculated in the preceding process.
Management of Promotion Prize Draw Entries is also carried out in the Entries Calculation and Management 3 module. This comprises monitoring entries distributed to the Sales promotion System Operator and initiating processes to acquire more entries if required to meet higher that anticipated demand.
The first step in the Entries Acquisition module 4 is selecting an Official Lottery that both provides the Prize level desired for the Promotion Prize Draw and that is also able =
to supply the number of entries in this Official Lottery (Official Lottery Entries) that are needed to fulfil the needs of the Promotion Prize Draw as calculated in the-preceding step. Using the selected Official Lottery, acquisition of the number of Official Lottery Entries needed to yield the required number =of Promotion Prize Draw Entries is carried out. Preferably these Official Lottery Entries would be purchased and transferred electronically from an Official Lottery computer system to the Promotion Program computer system. The acquisition method would include a "top-up" process whereby if demand for Promotion Prize Draw Entries exceeds estimated usage, additional Official Lottery Entries can be acquired as necessary.
The affordable Promotion Prize Draw Entry acquisition cost is the price that can be afforded to be paid to the Official Lottery operator for entries in their official lottery that is being used via the present invention to create Promotion Prize Draw Entries. The affordable Promotion Prize Draw Entry acquisition cost is derived in one aspect for example firstly by the sales promotion system operator taking the total fee that is able to be charged to the promotion sponsors (i.e. that the sponsors of a sales promotion are willing to pay) for a Prize Draw Entry, called for example the Prize Draw Entry issue cost and deducting their operational costs of running the prize draw promotion.
Operational costs might include the cost of setup and distribution of the promotion, a share of distribution system hardware costs, communications costs, management overheads, profit margins and the Like. These operational costs are deducted from the Prize Draw Entry issue cost to arrive at the affordable Promotion Prize Draw Entry purchase cost.
From this affordable Promotion Prize Draw Entry purchase cost the costs and fees of the Promotional Prize Draw management system operator are deducted in turn to arrive at the affordable Promotion Prize Draw Entry acquisition cost, being the cost that it is affordable to pay for each entry derived via the present invention from an Official Lottery Entry.
The parameters established in Prize Draw Setup 2 are used in the Entries Calculation and Management module 3 firstly to calculate the affordable ratio of Official Lottery Entries to Promotion Prize Draw Entries. This is primarily based on the ratio of the affordable Promotion Prize Draw Entry acquisition cost calculated in a preceding process to the cost of an Official Lottery Entry. The cost of an Official Lottery Entry is the price that an Official Lottery operator wishes to charge for each Official Lottery Entry supplied for use in generating Promotion Prize Draw Entries via the present invention. For example if the affordable Promotion Prize Draw Entry acquisition cost is 6 cents and the cost of an Official Lottery Entry is 90 cents, then 15 Promotion Prize Draw Entries could be affordably linked to one Official Lottery Entry and the affordable ratio would be 1:15.
Secondly the Entries Calculation and Management module 3 when required calculates the number of Official Lottery Entries to be purchased in order to provide the estimated number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries required for the proposed Promotion Prize Draw. This is done using the total estimated number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries required for the promotion program and the affordable ratio of Promotion Prize Draw -Entries to Official Lottery Entries calculated in the preceding process.
Management of Promotion Prize Draw Entries is also carried out in the Entries Calculation and Management 3 module. This comprises monitoring entries distributed to the Sales promotion System Operator and initiating processes to acquire more entries if required to meet higher that anticipated demand.
The first step in the Entries Acquisition module 4 is selecting an Official Lottery that both provides the Prize level desired for the Promotion Prize Draw and that is also able =
to supply the number of entries in this Official Lottery (Official Lottery Entries) that are needed to fulfil the needs of the Promotion Prize Draw as calculated in the-preceding step. Using the selected Official Lottery, acquisition of the number of Official Lottery Entries needed to yield the required number =of Promotion Prize Draw Entries is carried out. Preferably these Official Lottery Entries would be purchased and transferred electronically from an Official Lottery computer system to the Promotion Program computer system. The acquisition method would include a "top-up" process whereby if demand for Promotion Prize Draw Entries exceeds estimated usage, additional Official Lottery Entries can be acquired as necessary.
An alternative to acquiring the required Official Lottery Entries in one block is to monitor demand for Promotion Prize Draw Entries as a promotion program proceeds and as required periodically acquire and transfer to the promotional prize draw management system sufficient Official Lottery Entries in blocks sized to meet demand anticipated for the next period. This method both minimises processing resources and storage for handling large numbers of Entries associated with large Promotion Programs as well as minimising, risk of oversupply of purchased Official Lottery Entries should actual Promotion Prize Draw Entries not meet predicted demand.
The Entries Acquisition module 4 also carries out acquisition of Official Lottery Entries required to be issued to for customers the variant of the invention that enables customers to accumulate Prize Draw Entry entitlements which when sufficient such entitlements have been accumulated can then be exchanged for Official Lottery Entries. This acquisition process is requested by the issued entry analysis and end of draw processes module 7 and is further described below.
The Offset Entry Creation and Randomisation module 5 firstly where required generates the required Promotion Prize Draw Entries from the acquired Official Lottery Entries.
This is done by running the acquired Official Lottery Entries through a computational process that uses them along with other variables including the parameters derived by preceding modules to generate the required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries in the desired format. Each Promotion Prize Draw Entry so generated will be, linked to the Official Lottery Entry from which it is generated. There are several ways in the invention in which this can be done, using relational database techniques and/or mathematical and/or derivative techniques. For example (but without limiting the scope of the invention) the required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries could be generated by:
b. adding another number sequence suffix to the Official Lottery Entry;
c. passing the Official Lottery Entries through a known algorithmn using variable parameters as desired;
The Entries Acquisition module 4 also carries out acquisition of Official Lottery Entries required to be issued to for customers the variant of the invention that enables customers to accumulate Prize Draw Entry entitlements which when sufficient such entitlements have been accumulated can then be exchanged for Official Lottery Entries. This acquisition process is requested by the issued entry analysis and end of draw processes module 7 and is further described below.
The Offset Entry Creation and Randomisation module 5 firstly where required generates the required Promotion Prize Draw Entries from the acquired Official Lottery Entries.
This is done by running the acquired Official Lottery Entries through a computational process that uses them along with other variables including the parameters derived by preceding modules to generate the required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries in the desired format. Each Promotion Prize Draw Entry so generated will be, linked to the Official Lottery Entry from which it is generated. There are several ways in the invention in which this can be done, using relational database techniques and/or mathematical and/or derivative techniques. For example (but without limiting the scope of the invention) the required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries could be generated by:
b. adding another number sequence suffix to the Official Lottery Entry;
c. passing the Official Lottery Entries through a known algorithmn using variable parameters as desired;
d. linking the Official Lottery Entries to randomly generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
Following entry generation, the order of the generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries is randomised. This is required to ensure that generated Prize Draw Entries are distributed in a truly random way such that the chance of winning a prize from any original Official Lottery Entry is evenly spread amongst customers =receiving Promotion Prize Draw Entries derived from it. The result of the processes described for the Offset Entry Creation and Randomisation module 5 is a file of randomised Promotion Prize Draw Entries ready to be distributed to the Sales Promotion System C as required for issue via the Sales System D to qualifying customers. , Distribution of Promotion Prize Draw Entries to the sales promotion computer system C is actually carried out by the Entry Distribution module 6. When a promotion sponsor being a retailer, product supplier, product wholesaler, corporate merchant and the like wishes to run a promotion for example to promote sales and for which the reward is a Promotion Prize Draw Entry, the details of this promotion are set up and implemented via Promotion Setup 21. Details of the promotion include the period of operation, the merchant outlets at which the promotion is to be offered to customers, the conditions that must be met by customers when making purchases or the like to qualify for the promotion reward, as well as the reward being a Promotion Prize Draw Entry itself. The Prize Draw Entry Acquisition module 22 then makes requests for a supply of the desired Promotion Prize Draw Entries from the Entry Distribution module 6 in response to an instruction from the Promotion Setup module 21. Blocks of Promotion Prize Draw Entries from the Entry Distribution module 6 are supplied to Prize Draw Entry =
Acquisition module 22 as required.
The Prize Draw Entry Acquisition module 22 then supplies all details of the promotion = including the acquired Promotion Prize Draw Entries to the Promotion and Prize Draw Entry Distribution module 23 for distribution via the Central Interface module 28 to Regional Interface Servers 29 or Merchant Interface Servers 30 to the Sales System for issue to qualifying customers. Alternatively in another aspect of the present invention the Entry Distribution module 6 could distribute Promotion Prize Draw Entries directly on request to Regional Interface Servers 29 or Merchant Interface Servers 30 for issue to qualifying customers.
Note that for the variant of the invention whereby instead of an actual Promotion Prize Draw Entry customers are awarded Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements which when sufficient such entitlements have been accumulated can then be exchanged for Official Lottery Entries, there may be no Promotional Prize Draw Entries used and in this case only the generic details of the promotion including the period of operation, the merchant oudets at which the promotion is to be offered to customers, the conditions that must be met by customers when making purchases or the like to qualify for the promotion reward and the like are distributed by Prize Draw Entry Distribution module Whichever of the above options is used, the Sales Promotion System C working in combination with the Sales System D use known technology and systems to issue Promotion Prize Draw Entries to qualifying customers. This process is described further below.
Continuing with the description of the present invention, the preferred form provides the regional interface servers 29 or merchant interface servers 30 as a means of distributing Promotional Prize Draw Entries to Sales System transaction processing components. Larger merchant outlets may be provided with a merchant interface server 30 for each outlet. This enables fast response times to requests for Promotion Prize _ Draw Entries. In this form of the present Invention, customers make purchases at POS
stations 35 which at the appropriate time, usually at the end of the transaction, forward transaction details to an associated merchant interface server 30 which has previously been supplied with details of the promotion as well as a supply of Promotion Prize Draw Entries if required. The Merchant Interface Server 30 analyses these transaction details to see if any of the conditions for qualification for issue of a Promotion Prize Draw have = 23 been met. If so, either Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements are issued by the Merchant Interface Server 30 to the POS Station 35 for issue to the customer via a printed ticket or electronic means such as loading it onto a customer card or recording them in the transaction details for recording of entry issue or entitlement in a central database.
In another embodiment of the present invention, customers make purchases and details of these including payment details are supplied to EFTPOS stations 36 which at the appropriate time, usually at the end of the transaction, forward transaction details to an associated merchant interface server 30 which has previously been supplied with details of the promotion as well as a supply of Promotion Prize Draw Entries as required. The Merchant Interface Server 30 analyses these transaction details to see if any of the conditions for qualification for issue of a Promotion Prize Draw have been met. If so, either Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements are issued by the Merchant Interface Server 30 to the EFTPOS Station 36 for issue to the customer via a printed ticket or electronic means such as loading it onto a customer card or recording them in the transaction details for recording of entidement in a central database.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, at smaller merchant locations customers make purchases at POS stations 33 which at the appropriate time, usually at the end of the transaction, forward transaction details to an associated regional interface server 29 which has previously been supplied with details of the promotion as well as a supply of Promotion Prize Draw Entries as required. The Regional Interface Server 29 analyses these transaction details to see if any of the conditions for qualification for issue of a Promotion Prize Draw have been met. If so, either Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements are issued by the Regional Interface Server 29 to the POS Station 33 for issue to the customer via a printed ticket or electronic means such as loading it onto a customer card or recording them in the transaction details for recording of entidement in a central database.
Following entry generation, the order of the generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries is randomised. This is required to ensure that generated Prize Draw Entries are distributed in a truly random way such that the chance of winning a prize from any original Official Lottery Entry is evenly spread amongst customers =receiving Promotion Prize Draw Entries derived from it. The result of the processes described for the Offset Entry Creation and Randomisation module 5 is a file of randomised Promotion Prize Draw Entries ready to be distributed to the Sales Promotion System C as required for issue via the Sales System D to qualifying customers. , Distribution of Promotion Prize Draw Entries to the sales promotion computer system C is actually carried out by the Entry Distribution module 6. When a promotion sponsor being a retailer, product supplier, product wholesaler, corporate merchant and the like wishes to run a promotion for example to promote sales and for which the reward is a Promotion Prize Draw Entry, the details of this promotion are set up and implemented via Promotion Setup 21. Details of the promotion include the period of operation, the merchant outlets at which the promotion is to be offered to customers, the conditions that must be met by customers when making purchases or the like to qualify for the promotion reward, as well as the reward being a Promotion Prize Draw Entry itself. The Prize Draw Entry Acquisition module 22 then makes requests for a supply of the desired Promotion Prize Draw Entries from the Entry Distribution module 6 in response to an instruction from the Promotion Setup module 21. Blocks of Promotion Prize Draw Entries from the Entry Distribution module 6 are supplied to Prize Draw Entry =
Acquisition module 22 as required.
The Prize Draw Entry Acquisition module 22 then supplies all details of the promotion = including the acquired Promotion Prize Draw Entries to the Promotion and Prize Draw Entry Distribution module 23 for distribution via the Central Interface module 28 to Regional Interface Servers 29 or Merchant Interface Servers 30 to the Sales System for issue to qualifying customers. Alternatively in another aspect of the present invention the Entry Distribution module 6 could distribute Promotion Prize Draw Entries directly on request to Regional Interface Servers 29 or Merchant Interface Servers 30 for issue to qualifying customers.
Note that for the variant of the invention whereby instead of an actual Promotion Prize Draw Entry customers are awarded Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements which when sufficient such entitlements have been accumulated can then be exchanged for Official Lottery Entries, there may be no Promotional Prize Draw Entries used and in this case only the generic details of the promotion including the period of operation, the merchant oudets at which the promotion is to be offered to customers, the conditions that must be met by customers when making purchases or the like to qualify for the promotion reward and the like are distributed by Prize Draw Entry Distribution module Whichever of the above options is used, the Sales Promotion System C working in combination with the Sales System D use known technology and systems to issue Promotion Prize Draw Entries to qualifying customers. This process is described further below.
Continuing with the description of the present invention, the preferred form provides the regional interface servers 29 or merchant interface servers 30 as a means of distributing Promotional Prize Draw Entries to Sales System transaction processing components. Larger merchant outlets may be provided with a merchant interface server 30 for each outlet. This enables fast response times to requests for Promotion Prize _ Draw Entries. In this form of the present Invention, customers make purchases at POS
stations 35 which at the appropriate time, usually at the end of the transaction, forward transaction details to an associated merchant interface server 30 which has previously been supplied with details of the promotion as well as a supply of Promotion Prize Draw Entries if required. The Merchant Interface Server 30 analyses these transaction details to see if any of the conditions for qualification for issue of a Promotion Prize Draw have = 23 been met. If so, either Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements are issued by the Merchant Interface Server 30 to the POS Station 35 for issue to the customer via a printed ticket or electronic means such as loading it onto a customer card or recording them in the transaction details for recording of entry issue or entitlement in a central database.
In another embodiment of the present invention, customers make purchases and details of these including payment details are supplied to EFTPOS stations 36 which at the appropriate time, usually at the end of the transaction, forward transaction details to an associated merchant interface server 30 which has previously been supplied with details of the promotion as well as a supply of Promotion Prize Draw Entries as required. The Merchant Interface Server 30 analyses these transaction details to see if any of the conditions for qualification for issue of a Promotion Prize Draw have been met. If so, either Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements are issued by the Merchant Interface Server 30 to the EFTPOS Station 36 for issue to the customer via a printed ticket or electronic means such as loading it onto a customer card or recording them in the transaction details for recording of entidement in a central database.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, at smaller merchant locations customers make purchases at POS stations 33 which at the appropriate time, usually at the end of the transaction, forward transaction details to an associated regional interface server 29 which has previously been supplied with details of the promotion as well as a supply of Promotion Prize Draw Entries as required. The Regional Interface Server 29 analyses these transaction details to see if any of the conditions for qualification for issue of a Promotion Prize Draw have been met. If so, either Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements are issued by the Regional Interface Server 29 to the POS Station 33 for issue to the customer via a printed ticket or electronic means such as loading it onto a customer card or recording them in the transaction details for recording of entidement in a central database.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, at smaller merchant locations customers make purchases and details of these including payment details are supplied to EFTPOS stations 34 -which at the appropriate time, usually at the end of the transaction, forward transaction details to an associated regional interface server 29 which has previously been supplied with details of the promotion as well as a supply of Promotion Prize Draw Entries as required. The Regional Interface Server 29 analyses these transaction details to see if any of the conditions for qualification for issue of a Promotion Prize Draw have been met. If so, either Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements are issued by the Regional Interface Server 29 to the EFTPOS Station 34 for issue to the customer via a printed ticket or electronic means such as loading it onto a customer card or recording them in the transaction details for recording of entitlement in a central database.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, customers make purchases at Internet Merchants sites 32 which at the appropriate time, usually at the end of the transaction, forward transaction details to an associated regional interface server 29 which has previously been supplied with details of the promotion as well as a supply of Promotion Prize Draw Entries as required. The Regional Interface Server 29 analyses these transaction details to see if any of the " conditions for qualification for issue of a Promotion Prize Draw have been met. If so, either Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements are issued by the Regional Interface Server 29 to the Internet Merchants sites 32 for issue to the customer via a printed ticket or electronic means such as loading it onto a customer card or recording them in the transaction details for recording of entitlement in a central database.
In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, customers may have made purchases from Corporate Merchants 31 details of which during a process in which they are invoiced for these purchases, usually at the end of the transaction, are forwarded to an associated regional interface server 29 which has previously been supplied with details of the promotion as well as a supply of Promotion Prize Draw Entries as required. The Regional Interface Server 29 analyses these transaction details to see if any of the conditions for qualification for issue of a Promotion Prize Draw have been met. If so, either Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements are issued by the Regional Interface Server 29 to the Corporate Merchants 31 for issue to the customer via a printed ticket included with their invoice or via electronic means such as recording them in the transaction details for recording of entitlement in a central database.
Continuing with the description of the present invention, after completion of transaction processing including analysis of transaction details to see if any of the conditions for qualification for issue of a Promotion Prize Draw have been met, details of the transaction including any associated Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements issued to their associated customers as appropriate by any of the Sales System D customer interfaces 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 are recorded in their associated Regional Interface Server 29 or Merchant Interface Server 30.
Periodically these transaction details including any associated Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements are sent by the Regional Interface Server 29 and the Merchant Interface Server 30 as appropriate via the Central Interface Server 28 to the Issued Entries and Transaction Detail Logging Module 24 of the Sales Promotion System C which copies them in turn to the Issued Entry Analysis and End of Draw Processes module 7 of the Promotional Prize Draw Management System A.
Details sent and received include full details where possible down to line item level of sales transactions along with where available details from any related customer identification tokens presented with the transaction as well as any Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements qualified for by and awarded to the transaction. These details are stored in the data warehouses 11 and 26 in particular details of Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements awarded are held in a log file accessible to the Prize Draw and Prize Allocation module 8 for participation in a subsequent Prize Draw carried out by this module.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, customers make purchases at Internet Merchants sites 32 which at the appropriate time, usually at the end of the transaction, forward transaction details to an associated regional interface server 29 which has previously been supplied with details of the promotion as well as a supply of Promotion Prize Draw Entries as required. The Regional Interface Server 29 analyses these transaction details to see if any of the " conditions for qualification for issue of a Promotion Prize Draw have been met. If so, either Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements are issued by the Regional Interface Server 29 to the Internet Merchants sites 32 for issue to the customer via a printed ticket or electronic means such as loading it onto a customer card or recording them in the transaction details for recording of entitlement in a central database.
In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, customers may have made purchases from Corporate Merchants 31 details of which during a process in which they are invoiced for these purchases, usually at the end of the transaction, are forwarded to an associated regional interface server 29 which has previously been supplied with details of the promotion as well as a supply of Promotion Prize Draw Entries as required. The Regional Interface Server 29 analyses these transaction details to see if any of the conditions for qualification for issue of a Promotion Prize Draw have been met. If so, either Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements are issued by the Regional Interface Server 29 to the Corporate Merchants 31 for issue to the customer via a printed ticket included with their invoice or via electronic means such as recording them in the transaction details for recording of entitlement in a central database.
Continuing with the description of the present invention, after completion of transaction processing including analysis of transaction details to see if any of the conditions for qualification for issue of a Promotion Prize Draw have been met, details of the transaction including any associated Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements issued to their associated customers as appropriate by any of the Sales System D customer interfaces 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 are recorded in their associated Regional Interface Server 29 or Merchant Interface Server 30.
Periodically these transaction details including any associated Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements are sent by the Regional Interface Server 29 and the Merchant Interface Server 30 as appropriate via the Central Interface Server 28 to the Issued Entries and Transaction Detail Logging Module 24 of the Sales Promotion System C which copies them in turn to the Issued Entry Analysis and End of Draw Processes module 7 of the Promotional Prize Draw Management System A.
Details sent and received include full details where possible down to line item level of sales transactions along with where available details from any related customer identification tokens presented with the transaction as well as any Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements qualified for by and awarded to the transaction. These details are stored in the data warehouses 11 and 26 in particular details of Promotion Prize Draw Entries or Promotion Prize Draw Entry entidements awarded are held in a log file accessible to the Prize Draw and Prize Allocation module 8 for participation in a subsequent Prize Draw carried out by this module.
Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements generated under the present invention as rewards will be added by the Issued Entry Analysis and End of Draw Processes module 7 to any previously accumulated Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements for customers and when sufficient such entitlements as determined by qualification criteria associated with the entitlements have been accumulated these will be exchanged for Official Lottery Entries. When such an exchange of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements for Official Lottery Entries is required, a request will be made to the entries acquisition module 4 which will either issue the required Official Lottery Entries from a stock of previously acquired Official Lottery Entries or acquire them from the corporate sales module 15 of the Official Lottery Computer System B.
Official Lottery Entries awarded as described above comprise actual entries in Official Lotteries that participate in Official Lottery prize draws in the normal way applicable to the relevant Official Lottery and customers to whom they have been awarded are able to check their entries and claim any prizes that their entries win using the normal facilities and processes applicable for the Official Lotteries in which they have been issued Official Lottery Entries.
Promotions that have Promotion Prize Draw Entries generated under the present invention as rewards will end before the end of the Official Lottery from which their Promotion Prize Draw Entries are derived. This is in order that Promotion Prize Draw Entries can participate in the prize draw of the Official Lottery from which their Promotion Prize Draw Entries are derived. After the end of such an Official Lottery the prize draw for it is conducted in the normal fashion for it applicable to the relevant Official Lottery and any prizes won by entries in it are allocated via the Prize Draw and Prize Allocation module 8.
After the Prize Draw and Prize Allocation module 8 of the Promotion Prize Draw management System has received the results of the Official Lottery prize draw from the Prize Draw and Prize Allocation module 18, using the linkage known under the invention between the Promotion Prize Draw Entries and the Official Lottery Entries from which they were generated, the Prize Draw and Prize Allocation module 8 matches any Official Lottery Entry acquired for use to generate Promotion Prize Draw Entries that has won a prize to the appropriate linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
Bearing in mind that there are likely multiple linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries for each prize-winning Official Lottery Entry, the prize so won by any Official Lottery Entry must be allocated using some predefined method to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
This may be done using one of several techniques in the invention, for example without limiting the scope of the invention by one of the following methods:
a. where any prize won by an Official Lottery Entry is to be allocated to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry, using part of the winning Official Lottery Entry number directly or via an algorithm to identify one of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated;
b. alternatively also where any prize won is to be allocated to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry, by conducting a further draw from one or more component digits of Promotion Prize Draw Entries linked to winning Official Lottery Entries in order to identify the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated;
c. In some instances if desired and where the prize is significant, spreading the prize by a predetermined procedure amongst some or all of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
In the present invention any appropriate and acceptable techniques for allocating prizes won by Official Lottery Entries to linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries may be used.
Once the results of the prize allocation process are known, details of the winning Promotion Prize Draw Entries are published and supplied to the Promotion Redemption, Prize Claim and Payout module 25 of the Sales Promotion System C.
Customers with Promotion Prize Draw Entries in any prize draw may check their entries to see if they have won a prize by any of the known methods implemented for this purpose. This will use known methods but whatever method is used to check for winning Prize Draw Entries, queries are forwarded possibly via preliminary checking for winning entries in Promotion Redemption, Prize Claim and Payout module 25 to the Prize Claim and Payout module 9 which confirms whether their entries have won a prize and if so it checks if already claimed and if not advises the Promotion Redemption, Prize Claim and Payout module 25 that it is authorised to effect payout of any prizes won.
For any prizes paid out as described above the Prize Claim and Payout module 9 makes a claim for payout in turn from the Prize Claim and Payout module 19 of the Official Lottery Computer System B. As an alternative to this individual claim approach the Prize Claim and Payout module 9 may claim all prizes won by Official Lottery Entries acquired by the Entries Acquisition module 4 in the Official Lottery immediately after the Official Lottery prize draw and hold these for subsequent payout when claimed by the holders of relevant prize winning Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
Payout of prizes won is effected for minor prizes by known systems for payout via any of the customer interface points 31 ¨ 36 of the Sales System D. For payout of major prizes, these being prizes in value greater than a level defined as comprising an acceptable security risk to payout remotely, for example prizes over a value of $100, claimants are requested to make their claim via a specialised claims process controlled by staff of the Promotion Prize Draw Management System operators who check the validity of any claim before it is paid 'out.
In the present invention fees and charges can be associated with any step of Promotion s Prize Draw Entry issue, claim and payout and these are recorded as they are incurred by the accounts system modules 10, 20 and 27. These modules abstract and consolidate the fees and charges on a periodic basis and exchange accounts information as necessary to effect settlement of all moneys due between all participants in each Promotion Prize Draw.
Via a combination of the new functionality provided by the invention as outlined above, the invention significantly simplifies the set up and operation of Promotional Prize Draws that comprise the reward mechanism for consumer and other Loyalty Reward Programs, charity fundraising programs and the like, as well as improving their appeal and practicality, all by enabling Official Lottery prize pools and prize draw processes to be used as prize pools and prize draws for the Loyalty Reward Program.
While the descriptions and examples described in the foregoing illustrate the scope of the invention, these are not intended to be all-encompassing and it is stressed that the full scope of the invention comprises a method of enabling the use of entries in Official Lotteries via any combination of the application of mathematical techniques and computing technology to comprise entries in or to generate derived entries to be used in Promotional Prize Draws such that the resultant Promotional Prize Draw entries are linked to their original parent Official entry, be separately identifiable as such and be entitled to the full amount or a share of any prizes won by the original linked entries in the Official Lottery and Gaming Event.
Awarding entries comprising chances to win prizes in a free-to-enter promotional prize draw are desirable mechanisms to reward consumers for loyalty and for complying with the conditions of a consumer promotion. Naturally for this consumer reward mechanism, the larger the potential prize, the higher the perceived value of the free to enter reward. Also the certainty that a prize pool is actually funded by a recognized organization can be an important factor in the perceived value placed on this type of reward.
However the operators of retail promotion programs offering entries in informal lotteries or gaming events are often unable to guarantee high prizes at the outset of any particular promotion program, due to an inability to predict how much revenue will be generated by the program to fund the prizes. Prizes in informal lotteries or gaming events are typically funded by a combination of fixed sponsorships and/or revenue gained from a small charge being applied to each entry awarded as a consumer reward. This charge is paid by the sponsor of a promotion to the promotion program organizer who applies part of revenue gained from all such charges to fund program prizes and part to fund the program costs. A wide range of factors affects the success of any individual promotion, hence the numbers of consumer rewards issued. Consequendy the sponsored revenue generated cannot be predicted accurately. Thus the funding of informal lottery prize pools is difficult to assure in advance.
In this situation the ability to link entries in a program promotional prize draw to entries in an official lottery is of real value in that it enables informal lottery promotion programs to offer chances of winning larger, assured prizes at a known and affordable cost. Using the method comprising this invention the number of entries into an official lottery required to provide the linked entries awarded in a promotional prize draw can be calculated and purchases of them made and managed at a known and affordable cost.
Official Lottery Entries awarded as described above comprise actual entries in Official Lotteries that participate in Official Lottery prize draws in the normal way applicable to the relevant Official Lottery and customers to whom they have been awarded are able to check their entries and claim any prizes that their entries win using the normal facilities and processes applicable for the Official Lotteries in which they have been issued Official Lottery Entries.
Promotions that have Promotion Prize Draw Entries generated under the present invention as rewards will end before the end of the Official Lottery from which their Promotion Prize Draw Entries are derived. This is in order that Promotion Prize Draw Entries can participate in the prize draw of the Official Lottery from which their Promotion Prize Draw Entries are derived. After the end of such an Official Lottery the prize draw for it is conducted in the normal fashion for it applicable to the relevant Official Lottery and any prizes won by entries in it are allocated via the Prize Draw and Prize Allocation module 8.
After the Prize Draw and Prize Allocation module 8 of the Promotion Prize Draw management System has received the results of the Official Lottery prize draw from the Prize Draw and Prize Allocation module 18, using the linkage known under the invention between the Promotion Prize Draw Entries and the Official Lottery Entries from which they were generated, the Prize Draw and Prize Allocation module 8 matches any Official Lottery Entry acquired for use to generate Promotion Prize Draw Entries that has won a prize to the appropriate linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
Bearing in mind that there are likely multiple linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries for each prize-winning Official Lottery Entry, the prize so won by any Official Lottery Entry must be allocated using some predefined method to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
This may be done using one of several techniques in the invention, for example without limiting the scope of the invention by one of the following methods:
a. where any prize won by an Official Lottery Entry is to be allocated to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry, using part of the winning Official Lottery Entry number directly or via an algorithm to identify one of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated;
b. alternatively also where any prize won is to be allocated to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry, by conducting a further draw from one or more component digits of Promotion Prize Draw Entries linked to winning Official Lottery Entries in order to identify the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated;
c. In some instances if desired and where the prize is significant, spreading the prize by a predetermined procedure amongst some or all of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
In the present invention any appropriate and acceptable techniques for allocating prizes won by Official Lottery Entries to linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries may be used.
Once the results of the prize allocation process are known, details of the winning Promotion Prize Draw Entries are published and supplied to the Promotion Redemption, Prize Claim and Payout module 25 of the Sales Promotion System C.
Customers with Promotion Prize Draw Entries in any prize draw may check their entries to see if they have won a prize by any of the known methods implemented for this purpose. This will use known methods but whatever method is used to check for winning Prize Draw Entries, queries are forwarded possibly via preliminary checking for winning entries in Promotion Redemption, Prize Claim and Payout module 25 to the Prize Claim and Payout module 9 which confirms whether their entries have won a prize and if so it checks if already claimed and if not advises the Promotion Redemption, Prize Claim and Payout module 25 that it is authorised to effect payout of any prizes won.
For any prizes paid out as described above the Prize Claim and Payout module 9 makes a claim for payout in turn from the Prize Claim and Payout module 19 of the Official Lottery Computer System B. As an alternative to this individual claim approach the Prize Claim and Payout module 9 may claim all prizes won by Official Lottery Entries acquired by the Entries Acquisition module 4 in the Official Lottery immediately after the Official Lottery prize draw and hold these for subsequent payout when claimed by the holders of relevant prize winning Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
Payout of prizes won is effected for minor prizes by known systems for payout via any of the customer interface points 31 ¨ 36 of the Sales System D. For payout of major prizes, these being prizes in value greater than a level defined as comprising an acceptable security risk to payout remotely, for example prizes over a value of $100, claimants are requested to make their claim via a specialised claims process controlled by staff of the Promotion Prize Draw Management System operators who check the validity of any claim before it is paid 'out.
In the present invention fees and charges can be associated with any step of Promotion s Prize Draw Entry issue, claim and payout and these are recorded as they are incurred by the accounts system modules 10, 20 and 27. These modules abstract and consolidate the fees and charges on a periodic basis and exchange accounts information as necessary to effect settlement of all moneys due between all participants in each Promotion Prize Draw.
Via a combination of the new functionality provided by the invention as outlined above, the invention significantly simplifies the set up and operation of Promotional Prize Draws that comprise the reward mechanism for consumer and other Loyalty Reward Programs, charity fundraising programs and the like, as well as improving their appeal and practicality, all by enabling Official Lottery prize pools and prize draw processes to be used as prize pools and prize draws for the Loyalty Reward Program.
While the descriptions and examples described in the foregoing illustrate the scope of the invention, these are not intended to be all-encompassing and it is stressed that the full scope of the invention comprises a method of enabling the use of entries in Official Lotteries via any combination of the application of mathematical techniques and computing technology to comprise entries in or to generate derived entries to be used in Promotional Prize Draws such that the resultant Promotional Prize Draw entries are linked to their original parent Official entry, be separately identifiable as such and be entitled to the full amount or a share of any prizes won by the original linked entries in the Official Lottery and Gaming Event.
Awarding entries comprising chances to win prizes in a free-to-enter promotional prize draw are desirable mechanisms to reward consumers for loyalty and for complying with the conditions of a consumer promotion. Naturally for this consumer reward mechanism, the larger the potential prize, the higher the perceived value of the free to enter reward. Also the certainty that a prize pool is actually funded by a recognized organization can be an important factor in the perceived value placed on this type of reward.
However the operators of retail promotion programs offering entries in informal lotteries or gaming events are often unable to guarantee high prizes at the outset of any particular promotion program, due to an inability to predict how much revenue will be generated by the program to fund the prizes. Prizes in informal lotteries or gaming events are typically funded by a combination of fixed sponsorships and/or revenue gained from a small charge being applied to each entry awarded as a consumer reward. This charge is paid by the sponsor of a promotion to the promotion program organizer who applies part of revenue gained from all such charges to fund program prizes and part to fund the program costs. A wide range of factors affects the success of any individual promotion, hence the numbers of consumer rewards issued. Consequendy the sponsored revenue generated cannot be predicted accurately. Thus the funding of informal lottery prize pools is difficult to assure in advance.
In this situation the ability to link entries in a program promotional prize draw to entries in an official lottery is of real value in that it enables informal lottery promotion programs to offer chances of winning larger, assured prizes at a known and affordable cost. Using the method comprising this invention the number of entries into an official lottery required to provide the linked entries awarded in a promotional prize draw can be calculated and purchases of them made and managed at a known and affordable cost.
Claims (76)
1. A method of generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery entries and using these to operate Promotional Prize Draws in conjunction with sales promotion computer systems that support operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, the method comprising the steps of:
acquiring Official Lottery Entries from an Official Lottery;
generating from the acquired Official Lottery Entries, Promotion Prize Draw Entries and linking these to the Official Lottery Entries from which they are derived;
distributing the Promotion Prize Draw Entries to a sales promotion computer system for issue when sales transactions supplied by a sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entries, receiving the results of the the Official Lottery prize draw and matching any prize-winning Official Lottery Entries to a linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries; and allocating any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
acquiring Official Lottery Entries from an Official Lottery;
generating from the acquired Official Lottery Entries, Promotion Prize Draw Entries and linking these to the Official Lottery Entries from which they are derived;
distributing the Promotion Prize Draw Entries to a sales promotion computer system for issue when sales transactions supplied by a sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entries, receiving the results of the the Official Lottery prize draw and matching any prize-winning Official Lottery Entries to a linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries; and allocating any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
2. The method of claim 1 comprising the further steps of:
receiving from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions, related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entries issued and storing these details and entries for participation in a subsequent Prize Draw, accepting queries from customers with Promotion Prize Draw Entries as to whether their entries have won a prize; and processing claims and payouts of winning prizes.
receiving from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions, related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entries issued and storing these details and entries for participation in a subsequent Prize Draw, accepting queries from customers with Promotion Prize Draw Entries as to whether their entries have won a prize; and processing claims and payouts of winning prizes.
3. The method of either claim 1 or claim 2 including the steps of:
processing accounting details associated with each prize draw including all reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries used to generate Promotional prize draw entries, reimbursement of sales outlets making any winning prize draw entry payouts, and reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws.
processing accounting details associated with each prize draw including all reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries used to generate Promotional prize draw entries, reimbursement of sales outlets making any winning prize draw entry payouts, and reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws.
4. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 including the steps of calculating a number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries required to be generated from Official Lottery Entries and to be available for issue as rewards in a Promotional Prize Draw;
calculating an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
calculating an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
5. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 including:
determining a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries and the cost of Official Lottery Entries.
determining a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries and the cost of Official Lottery Entries.
6. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 including:
periodically determining a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire in blocks sufficient to meet demand for Promotion Prize Draw Entries for the period, taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
periodically determining a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire in blocks sufficient to meet demand for Promotion Prize Draw Entries for the period, taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
7. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 including:
randomising the order of the generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries prior to distribution to the sales promotion computer system.
randomising the order of the generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries prior to distribution to the sales promotion computer system.
8. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein generating Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries comprises:
adding another number sequence suffix to the Official Lottery Entry to derive the required number of the Promotional Prize Draw Entries.
adding another number sequence suffix to the Official Lottery Entry to derive the required number of the Promotional Prize Draw Entries.
9. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein generating Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries comprises:
passing the Official Lottery Entries through a predetermined algorithmn using variable parameters such that a known number of Promotional Prize Draw Entries each of which that can be reproduced using the original Official Lottery Entry and in the reverse direction each of which can be processed to derive the original Official Lottery Entry
passing the Official Lottery Entries through a predetermined algorithmn using variable parameters such that a known number of Promotional Prize Draw Entries each of which that can be reproduced using the original Official Lottery Entry and in the reverse direction each of which can be processed to derive the original Official Lottery Entry
10. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein generating Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries comprises-linking the Official Lottery Entries to randomly generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries and storing the links in a database techniques or similar.
11. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein allocating any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries comprises linking the value of any official lottery prize draw prizes to the respective winning official lottery entries, matching each prize-winning Official Lottery Entries with its linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries, allocating the prize so won by the Official Lottery Entry to one or more of the linked promotion prize draw entries using a predefined allocation method.
12. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the predefined allocation method comprises allocating the prize to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry generated from it, by using part of the winning Official Lottery Entry number directly or via an algorithm to identify one of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
13. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the predefined allocation method comprises allocating the prize to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry, by conducting a further random draw from one or more component digits of Promotion Prize Draw Entries linked to winning acquired Official Lottery Entries in order to identify the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
14. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the predefined allocation method comprises spreading the prize by a predetermined method amongst some or all of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
15. Apparatus for generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery entries and using these to operate Promotional Prize Draws in conjunction with sales promotion computer systems that support operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, the apparatus comprising at least one computer programmed to:
acquire Official Lottery Entries from an Official Lottery;
generate from the acquired the Official Lottery Entries, Promotion Prize Draw Entries at a promotional prize draw management system and linking these to the Official' Lottery Entries from which they are derived;
distribute the Promotion Prize Draw Entries to a sales promotion computer system for issue when sales transactions supplied by a sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entries;
receive the results of the the Official Lottery prize draw and match any prize-winning Official Lottery Entries to a linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries; and allocate any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
acquire Official Lottery Entries from an Official Lottery;
generate from the acquired the Official Lottery Entries, Promotion Prize Draw Entries at a promotional prize draw management system and linking these to the Official' Lottery Entries from which they are derived;
distribute the Promotion Prize Draw Entries to a sales promotion computer system for issue when sales transactions supplied by a sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entries;
receive the results of the the Official Lottery prize draw and match any prize-winning Official Lottery Entries to a linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries; and allocate any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 further programmed to:
- receive from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions, related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entries issued and storing these details and entries for participation in a subsequent Prize Draw;
accept queries from customers with Promotion Prize Draw Entries as to whether their entries have won a prize, and process claims and payouts of winning prizes.
- receive from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions, related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entries issued and storing these details and entries for participation in a subsequent Prize Draw;
accept queries from customers with Promotion Prize Draw Entries as to whether their entries have won a prize, and process claims and payouts of winning prizes.
17. The apparatus of either claim 15 or claim 16 further programmed to:
process accounting details associated with each prize draw including all reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries used to generate Promotional prize draw entries, reimbursement of sales outlets making any winning prize draw entry payouts, and reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws.
process accounting details associated with each prize draw including all reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries used to generate Promotional prize draw entries, reimbursement of sales outlets making any winning prize draw entry payouts, and reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws.
18. The apparatus of any one of claims 15 to 17 further programmed to:
calculate a number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries required to be generated from Official Lottery Entries and to be available for issue as rewards in a Promotional Prize Draw;
calculate an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
calculate a number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries required to be generated from Official Lottery Entries and to be available for issue as rewards in a Promotional Prize Draw;
calculate an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
19. The apparatus of claim any one of claims 15 to 18 further programmed to:
determine a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries and the cost of Official Lottery Entries
determine a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries and the cost of Official Lottery Entries
20. The apparatus of any one of claims 15 to 18 further programmed to:
periodically determine a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire in blocks sufficient to meet demand for Promotion Prize Draw Entries for the period, taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
periodically determine a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire in blocks sufficient to meet demand for Promotion Prize Draw Entries for the period, taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
21. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 20 further programmed to-randomise the order of the generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries prior to distributing entries to the sales promotion computer system.
22. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 21 further programmed to generate Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries by-adding another number sequence suffix to the Official Lottery Entry to derive the required number of the Promotional Prize Draw Entries.
23. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 21 further programmed to generate Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries by-passing the Official Lottery Entries through a predetermined algorithmn using variable parameters such that a known number of Promotional Prize Draw Entries each of which that can be reproduced using the original Official Lottery Entry and in the reverse direction each of which can be processed to derive the original Official Lottery Entry.
24. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 21 further programmed to generate Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries by.
linking the Official Lottery Entries to randomly generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries and storing the links in a database techniques or similar
linking the Official Lottery Entries to randomly generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries and storing the links in a database techniques or similar
25. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 24 further programmed to allocate any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries by:
linking the value of any official lottery prize draw prizes to the respective winning official lottery entries;
matching each prize-winning Official Lottery Entries with its linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries, allocating the prize so won by the Official Lottery Entry to one or more of the linked promotion prize draw entries using a predefined allocation method.
linking the value of any official lottery prize draw prizes to the respective winning official lottery entries;
matching each prize-winning Official Lottery Entries with its linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries, allocating the prize so won by the Official Lottery Entry to one or more of the linked promotion prize draw entries using a predefined allocation method.
26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25 further programmed with a predefined allocation method comprising:
allocating the prize to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry generated from it, by using part of the winning Official Lottery Entry number directly or via an algorithm to identify one of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
allocating the prize to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry generated from it, by using part of the winning Official Lottery Entry number directly or via an algorithm to identify one of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25 further programmed with a predefined allocation method comprising:
allocating the prize to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry, by conducting a further random draw from one or more component digits of Promotion Prize Draw Entries linked to winning acquired Official Lottery Entries in order to identify the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
allocating the prize to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry, by conducting a further random draw from one or more component digits of Promotion Prize Draw Entries linked to winning acquired Official Lottery Entries in order to identify the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 25 further programmed with a predefined allocation method comprising:
spreading the prize by a predetermined method amongst some or all of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
spreading the prize by a predetermined method amongst some or all of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
29. A system for generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery entries and using these to operate Promotional Prize Draws, the system comprising a promotional prize draw management system, and sales promotion computer systems that support operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, wherein the promotional prize draw management system is programmed to:
acquire Official Lottery Entries from an Official Lottery computer system;
generate from the acquired the Official Lottery Entries, Promotion Prize Draw Entries at a promotional prize draw management system and linking these to the Official Lottery Entries from which they are derived, distribute the Promotion Prize Draw Entries to the sales promotion computer system, receive from the official lottery computer system the results of the the Official Lottery prize draw;
match any prize-winning Official Lottery Entries to a linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries; and allocate any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries, and the sales promotion computer system is programmed to:
receive records of promotion prize draw entries issued by the promotional draw management system, and issue promotion prize draw entries to customers when sales transactions supplied by a sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of a sales promotion.
acquire Official Lottery Entries from an Official Lottery computer system;
generate from the acquired the Official Lottery Entries, Promotion Prize Draw Entries at a promotional prize draw management system and linking these to the Official Lottery Entries from which they are derived, distribute the Promotion Prize Draw Entries to the sales promotion computer system, receive from the official lottery computer system the results of the the Official Lottery prize draw;
match any prize-winning Official Lottery Entries to a linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries; and allocate any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries, and the sales promotion computer system is programmed to:
receive records of promotion prize draw entries issued by the promotional draw management system, and issue promotion prize draw entries to customers when sales transactions supplied by a sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of a sales promotion.
30. The system of claim 29 wherein the sales promotion system is programmed to.
transmit details of sales transactions, related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entries issued to the promotional prize draw management system, and the promotional prize draw management system is programmed to.
receive details of sales transactions, related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entries issued and store these details and entries for participation in a subsequent Prize Draw;
accept queries from customers with Promotion Prize Draw Entries as to whether their entries have won a prize, and process claims and payouts of winning prizes.
transmit details of sales transactions, related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entries issued to the promotional prize draw management system, and the promotional prize draw management system is programmed to.
receive details of sales transactions, related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entries issued and store these details and entries for participation in a subsequent Prize Draw;
accept queries from customers with Promotion Prize Draw Entries as to whether their entries have won a prize, and process claims and payouts of winning prizes.
31. The system of either claim 29 or claim 30 wherein the promotional prize draw management system is further programmed to process accounting details associated with each prize draw including all reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries used to generate Promotional prize draw entries, reimbursement of sales outlets making any winning prize draw entry payouts, and reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws.
32. The system as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 31 wherein the promotional prize draw management system is further programmed to:
calculate a number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries required to be generated from Official Lottery Entries and to be available for issue as rewards in a Promotional Prize Draw;
calculate an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
calculate a number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries required to be generated from Official Lottery Entries and to be available for issue as rewards in a Promotional Prize Draw;
calculate an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
33. The system as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 32 wherein the promotional prize draw management system is further programmed to:
determine a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries and the cost of Official Lottery Entries.
determine a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries and the cost of Official Lottery Entries.
34. The system as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 32 wherein the promotional prize draw management system is further programmed to:
periodically determine a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire in blocks sufficient to meet demand for Promotion Prize Draw Entries for the period, taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
periodically determine a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire in blocks sufficient to meet demand for Promotion Prize Draw Entries for the period, taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
35. The system as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 34 wherein the promotional prize draw management system is further programmed to generate Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries by:
adding another number sequence suffix to the Official Lottery Entry to derive the required number of the Promotional Prize Draw Entries.
adding another number sequence suffix to the Official Lottery Entry to derive the required number of the Promotional Prize Draw Entries.
36. The system as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 34 wherein the promotional prize draw management system is further programmed to generate Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries by:
passing the Official Lottery Entries through a predetermined algorithmn using variable parameters such that a known number of Promotional Prize Draw Entries each of which that can be reproduced using the original Official Lottery Entry and in the reverse direction each of which can be processed to derive the original Official Lottery Entry.
passing the Official Lottery Entries through a predetermined algorithmn using variable parameters such that a known number of Promotional Prize Draw Entries each of which that can be reproduced using the original Official Lottery Entry and in the reverse direction each of which can be processed to derive the original Official Lottery Entry.
37. The system as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 34 wherein the promotional prize draw management system is further programmed to generate Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries by:
linking the Official Lottery Entries to randomly generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries and storing the links in a database techniques or similar.
linking the Official Lottery Entries to randomly generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries and storing the links in a database techniques or similar.
38. The system as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 37 wherein the promotional prize draw management system is further programmed to allocate any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries by:
linking the value of any official lottery prize draw prizes to the respective winning official lottery entries;
matching each prize-winning Official Lottery Entries with its linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries, allocating the prize so won by the Official Lottery Entry to one or more of the linked promotion prize draw entries using a predefined allocation method.
linking the value of any official lottery prize draw prizes to the respective winning official lottery entries;
matching each prize-winning Official Lottery Entries with its linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries, allocating the prize so won by the Official Lottery Entry to one or more of the linked promotion prize draw entries using a predefined allocation method.
39. The system as claimed in claim 38 wherein the promotional prize draw management system is further programmed to allocate any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries by:
allocating the prize to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry generated from it, by using part of the winning Official Lottery Entry number directly or via an algorithm to identify one of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
allocating the prize to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry generated from it, by using part of the winning Official Lottery Entry number directly or via an algorithm to identify one of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
40. The system as claimed in claim 38 wherein the promotional prize draw management system is further programmed to allocate any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries by:
conducting a further random draw from one or more component digits of Promotion Prize Draw Entries linked to winning acquired Official Lottery Entries in order to identify the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
conducting a further random draw from one or more component digits of Promotion Prize Draw Entries linked to winning acquired Official Lottery Entries in order to identify the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
41. The system as claimed in claim 38 wherein the promotional prize draw management system is further programmed to allocate any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries by:
spreading the prize by a predetermined method amongst some or all of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
spreading the prize by a predetermined method amongst some or all of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
42 42. The system as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 41 wherein the sales promotion system interacts with a sales system comprising point of sale (POS) systems under the control of one or more merchants and the sales promotion computer system comprises a host and a plurality of remote controllers each associated with at least one respective POS system.
43. The system as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 42 wherein the sales promotion system interacts with a sales system comprising EFTPOS payment processing systems which capture customer sales data in outlets operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants.
44. The system as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 43 wherein the sales promotion system interacts with a sales system which records customer sales through a website accessible from a web device operated by the customer and a promotion prize draw entry is printable by a printer associated with the web device.
45. The system as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 44 wherein the sales promotion system interacts with a sales system which records customer sales through a corporate merchant and wherein the customer is another business and a promotion prize draw entry is printable by the corporate merchant and included with transaction receipts.
46. The system as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 45 wherein the promotional prize draw management system is further programmed to:
randomise the order of the generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries prior to distributing entries to the sales promotion computer system.
randomise the order of the generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries prior to distributing entries to the sales promotion computer system.
47. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery entries and using these to operate Promotional Prize Draws in conjunction with sales promotion computer systems that support operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, the method comprising the steps:
acquiring Official Lottery Entries from an Official Lottery;
generating from the acquired Official Lottery Entries, Promotion Prize Draw Entries and linking these to the Official Lottery Entries from which they are derived;
distributing the Promotion Prize Draw Entries'to a sales promotion computer system for issue when sales transactions supplied by a sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entries, receiving the results of the the Official Lottery prize draw and matching any prize-winning Official Lottery Entries to a linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries, and allocating any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
acquiring Official Lottery Entries from an Official Lottery;
generating from the acquired Official Lottery Entries, Promotion Prize Draw Entries and linking these to the Official Lottery Entries from which they are derived;
distributing the Promotion Prize Draw Entries'to a sales promotion computer system for issue when sales transactions supplied by a sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entries, receiving the results of the the Official Lottery prize draw and matching any prize-winning Official Lottery Entries to a linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries, and allocating any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
48. The computer program product of claim 47 wherein the method comprises the further steps of:
receiving from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions, related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entries issued and storing these details and entries for participation in a subsequent Prize Draw, accepting queries from customers with Promotion Prize Draw Entries as to whether their entries have won a prize; and processing claims and payouts of winning prizes.
receiving from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions, related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entries issued and storing these details and entries for participation in a subsequent Prize Draw, accepting queries from customers with Promotion Prize Draw Entries as to whether their entries have won a prize; and processing claims and payouts of winning prizes.
49. The computer program product as claimed in either claim 47 or claim 48 wherein the method comprises the further steps of:
processing accounting details associated with each prize draw including all reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries used to generate Promotional prize draw entries, reimbursement of sales outlets making any winning prize draw entry payouts, and reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws.
processing accounting details associated with each prize draw including all reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries used to generate Promotional prize draw entries, reimbursement of sales outlets making any winning prize draw entry payouts, and reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws.
50. The computer program product as claimed in any one of claims 47 to 49 wherein the method comprises the further steps of:
calculating a number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries required to be generated from Official Lottery Entries and to be available for issue as rewards in a Promotional Prize Draw;
calculating an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
calculating a number of Promotion Prize Draw Entries required to be generated from Official Lottery Entries and to be available for issue as rewards in a Promotional Prize Draw;
calculating an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
51. The computer program product as claimed in any one of clams 47 to 50 wherein the method comprises the further steps of:
determining a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries and the cost of Official Lottery Entries.
determining a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries and the cost of Official Lottery Entries.
52. The computer program product as claimed in any one of claims 47 to 50 wherein the method comprises the further steps of:
periodically determining a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire in blocks sufficient to meet demand for Promotion Prize Draw Entries for the period, taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
periodically determining a number of Official Lottery Entries to acquire in blocks sufficient to meet demand for Promotion Prize Draw Entries for the period, taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
53. The computer program product as claimed in any one of claims 47 to 52 wherein the method comprises the further steps of:
randomising the order of the generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries prior to distribution to the sales promotion computer system.
randomising the order of the generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries prior to distribution to the sales promotion computer system.
54. The computer program product as claimed in any one of claims 47 to 53 wherein in the method, generating Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries comprises adding another number sequence suffix to the Official Lottery Entry to derive the required number of the Promotional Prize Draw Entries.
55. The computer program product as claimed in any one of claims 47 to 53 wherein, in the method, generating Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries comprises:
passing the Official Lottery Entries through a predetermined algorithmn using variable parameters such that a known number of Promotional Prize Draw Entries each of which that can be reproduced using the original Official Lottery Entry and in the reverse direction each of which can be processed to derive the original Official Lottery Entry.
passing the Official Lottery Entries through a predetermined algorithmn using variable parameters such that a known number of Promotional Prize Draw Entries each of which that can be reproduced using the original Official Lottery Entry and in the reverse direction each of which can be processed to derive the original Official Lottery Entry.
56. The computer program product as claimed in any one of claims 47 to 53 wherein, in the method, generating Promotion Prize Draw Entries from acquired the Official Lottery Entries comprises:
linking the Official Lottery Entries to randomly generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries and storing the links in a database techniques or similar.
linking the Official Lottery Entries to randomly generated Promotion Prize Draw Entries and storing the links in a database techniques or similar.
57. The computer program product as claimed in any one of claims 47 to 56 wherein, in the method, allocating any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries comprises:
linking the value of any official lottery prize draw prizes to the respective winning official lottery entries, matching each prize-winning Official Lottery Entries with its linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries;
allocating the prize so won by the Official Lottery Entry to one or more of the linked promotion prize draw entries using a predefined allocation method.
linking the value of any official lottery prize draw prizes to the respective winning official lottery entries, matching each prize-winning Official Lottery Entries with its linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries;
allocating the prize so won by the Official Lottery Entry to one or more of the linked promotion prize draw entries using a predefined allocation method.
58. The computer program product as claimed in any one of claims 47 to 57 wherein, in the method, allocating any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries comprises:
allocating the prize to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry generated from it, by using part of the winning Official Lottery Entry number directly or via an algorithm to identify one of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
allocating the prize to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry generated from it, by using part of the winning Official Lottery Entry number directly or via an algorithm to identify one of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
59. The computer program product as claimed in any one of claims 47 to 57 wherein, in the method, allocating any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries comprises:
allocating the prize to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry, by conducting a further random draw from one or more component digits of Promotion Prize Draw Entries linked to winning acquired Official Lottery Entries in order to identify the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
allocating the prize to a single linked Promotional Prize Draw Entry, by conducting a further random draw from one or more component digits of Promotion Prize Draw Entries linked to winning acquired Official Lottery Entries in order to identify the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries to which the prize is to be allocated.
60. The computer program product as claimed in any one of claims 47 to 57 wherein, in the method, allocating any prizes won by the Official Lottery Entries to the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries comprises:
spreading the prize by a predetermined method amongst some or all of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
spreading the prize by a predetermined method amongst some or all of the linked Promotion Prize Draw Entries.
61. A method of generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery Entries by defining Promotional Prize Draw Entry entitlements in a promotional prize draw management system and issuing these entitlements to customers in conjunction with a sales promotion computer system that supports operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems, which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, with customers accumulating Promotional Prize Draw Entry entitlements and when the number of such entitlements so accumulated equals a defined level, for an Official Lottery Entry to be issued to them as their consumer reward, the method comprising the steps of:
setting a required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry, distributing details of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
receiving from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions along with related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issued to them storing these Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements for allocation of an Official Lottery Entry when qualification criteria have been met;
from time to time evaluating the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated by customers participating in promotions for which Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements have been issued to them and awarding them the appropriate number of Official Lottery Entries earned by virtue of the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated versus Official Lottery Entry award criteria the Official Lottery Entries awarded comprise actual entries in Official Lotteries that participate in Official Lottery prize draws in the normal way applicable to the relevant Official Lottery and customers to whom they have been awarded are able to check their entries and claim any prizes that their entries win using the normal facilities and processes applicable for the Official Lotteries in which they have been issued Official Lottery Entries.
setting a required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry, distributing details of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
receiving from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions along with related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issued to them storing these Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements for allocation of an Official Lottery Entry when qualification criteria have been met;
from time to time evaluating the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated by customers participating in promotions for which Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements have been issued to them and awarding them the appropriate number of Official Lottery Entries earned by virtue of the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated versus Official Lottery Entry award criteria the Official Lottery Entries awarded comprise actual entries in Official Lotteries that participate in Official Lottery prize draws in the normal way applicable to the relevant Official Lottery and customers to whom they have been awarded are able to check their entries and claim any prizes that their entries win using the normal facilities and processes applicable for the Official Lotteries in which they have been issued Official Lottery Entries.
62. The method as claimed in claim 61 including:
calculating in the the promotional prize draw management system an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, calculating the affordable ratio of Official Lottery Entries to Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements and using this ratio to set the required number of promotion prize draw entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry.
calculating in the the promotional prize draw management system an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, calculating the affordable ratio of Official Lottery Entries to Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements and using this ratio to set the required number of promotion prize draw entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry.
63. The method as claimed in either claim 61 or claim 62 including:
processing in the promotional prize draw management system accounting details associated with Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issue and consequent official Lottery Entry award including reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries issued to customers, collection from promotion sponsors of issue fees and any other fees associated with issue and processing of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws and the like.
processing in the promotional prize draw management system accounting details associated with Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issue and consequent official Lottery Entry award including reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries issued to customers, collection from promotion sponsors of issue fees and any other fees associated with issue and processing of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws and the like.
64. The method as claimed in any one of claims 61 to 63 including:
calculating the number of Official Lottery Entries required to match the required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, acquiring the required number of Official Lottery Entries, generating from the acquired Official Lottery Entries the required Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, randomising in the the promotional prize draw management system the order of the Official Lottery Entries and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, distributing Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements
calculating the number of Official Lottery Entries required to match the required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, acquiring the required number of Official Lottery Entries, generating from the acquired Official Lottery Entries the required Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, randomising in the the promotional prize draw management system the order of the Official Lottery Entries and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, distributing Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements
65. Apparatus generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery Entries by defining Promotional Prize Draw Entry entitlements in a promotional prize draw management system and issuing these entitlements to customers in conjunction with a sales promotion computer system that supports operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems, which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, with customers accumulating Promotional Prize Draw Entry entitlements and when the number of such entitlements so accumulated equals a defined level, for an Official Lottery Entry to be issued to them as their consumer reward, the apparatus comprising at least one computer programmed to perform a method comprising:
setting a required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry;
distributing details of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, receiving from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions along with related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issued to them storing these Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements for allocation of an Official Lottery Entry when qualification criteria have been met;
from time to time evaluating the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated by customers participating in promotions for which Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements have been issued to them and awarding them the appropriate number of Official Lottery Entries earned by virtue of the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated versus Official Lottery Entry award criteria.the Official Lottery Entries awarded comprise actual entries in Official Lotteries that participate in Official Lottery prize draws in the normal way applicable to the relevant Official Lottery and customers to whom they have been awarded are able to check their entries and claim any prizes that their entries win using the normal facilities and processes applicable for the Official Lotteries in which they have been issued Official Lottery Entries.
setting a required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry;
distributing details of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, receiving from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions along with related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issued to them storing these Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements for allocation of an Official Lottery Entry when qualification criteria have been met;
from time to time evaluating the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated by customers participating in promotions for which Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements have been issued to them and awarding them the appropriate number of Official Lottery Entries earned by virtue of the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated versus Official Lottery Entry award criteria.the Official Lottery Entries awarded comprise actual entries in Official Lotteries that participate in Official Lottery prize draws in the normal way applicable to the relevant Official Lottery and customers to whom they have been awarded are able to check their entries and claim any prizes that their entries win using the normal facilities and processes applicable for the Official Lotteries in which they have been issued Official Lottery Entries.
66. The apparatus as claimed in claim 65 wherein the programmed method includes calculating in the the promotional prize draw management system an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, calculating the affordable ratio of Official Lottery Entries to Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements and using this ratio to set the required number of promotion prize draw entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry
taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, calculating the affordable ratio of Official Lottery Entries to Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements and using this ratio to set the required number of promotion prize draw entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry
67. The apparatus as claimed in either claim 65 or claim 66 wherein the programmed method includes:
processing in the promotional prize draw management system accounting details associated with Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issue and consequent Official Lottery Entry award including reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries issued to customers, collection from promotion sponsors of issue fees and any other fees associated with issue and processing of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws and the like.
processing in the promotional prize draw management system accounting details associated with Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issue and consequent Official Lottery Entry award including reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries issued to customers, collection from promotion sponsors of issue fees and any other fees associated with issue and processing of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws and the like.
68. The apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 65 to 67 wherein the programmed method includes:
calculating the number of Official Lottery Entries required to match the required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
acquiring the required number of Official Lottery Entries;
generating from the acquired Official Lottery Entries the required Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
randomising in the the promotional prize draw management system the order of the Official Lottery Entries and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
distributing Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements.
calculating the number of Official Lottery Entries required to match the required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
acquiring the required number of Official Lottery Entries;
generating from the acquired Official Lottery Entries the required Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
randomising in the the promotional prize draw management system the order of the Official Lottery Entries and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
distributing Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements.
69. A system including a promotional prize draw management system generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery Entries and a sales promotion computer system issuing these entitlements to customers via sales systems, with customers accumulating Promotional Prize Draw Entry entitlements and when the number of such entitlements so accumulated equals a defined level, for an Official Lottery Entry to be issued to them as their consumer reward, the promotional prize draw management system including a compuer programmed to perform a method Including:
setting a required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry;
distributing details of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
receiving from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions along with related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issued to them storing these Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements for allocation of an Official Lottery Entry when qualification criteria have been met;
from time to time evaluating the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated by customers participating in promotions for which Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements have been issued to them and awarding them the appropriate number of Official Lottery Entries earned by virtue of the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated versus Official Lottery Entry award criteria.the Official Lottery Entries awarded comprise actual entries in Official Lotteries that participate in Official Lottery prize draws in the normal way applicable to the relevant Official Lottery and customers to whom they have been awarded are able to check their entries and claim any prizes that their entries win using the normal facilities and processes applicable for the Official Lotteries in which they have been issued Official Lottery Entries;
and the sales promotion computer system includes a computer programmed to perform the method comprising:
receiving details of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements from the promotional prize draw management system, issuing Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer;
sending details of sales transactions along with related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issued to them to the promotion prize draw management system.
setting a required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry;
distributing details of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
receiving from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions along with related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issued to them storing these Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements for allocation of an Official Lottery Entry when qualification criteria have been met;
from time to time evaluating the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated by customers participating in promotions for which Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements have been issued to them and awarding them the appropriate number of Official Lottery Entries earned by virtue of the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated versus Official Lottery Entry award criteria.the Official Lottery Entries awarded comprise actual entries in Official Lotteries that participate in Official Lottery prize draws in the normal way applicable to the relevant Official Lottery and customers to whom they have been awarded are able to check their entries and claim any prizes that their entries win using the normal facilities and processes applicable for the Official Lotteries in which they have been issued Official Lottery Entries;
and the sales promotion computer system includes a computer programmed to perform the method comprising:
receiving details of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements from the promotional prize draw management system, issuing Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer;
sending details of sales transactions along with related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issued to them to the promotion prize draw management system.
70. The system as claimed in claim 69 wherein the promotional prize draw management system is programmed to:
calculate an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, from this cost calculate an affordable ratio of Official Lottery Entries to Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, and from this ratio set the required number of promotion prize draw entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry.
calculate an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, from this cost calculate an affordable ratio of Official Lottery Entries to Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, and from this ratio set the required number of promotion prize draw entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry.
71.
prize draw management system is programmed to:
The system as claimed in either claim 69 or claim 70 wherein the promotional process in the promotional prize draw management system accounting details associated with Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issue and consequent Official Lottery Entry award including reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries issued to customers, collection from promotion sponsors of issue fees and any other fees associated with issue and processing of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws and the
prize draw management system is programmed to:
The system as claimed in either claim 69 or claim 70 wherein the promotional process in the promotional prize draw management system accounting details associated with Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issue and consequent Official Lottery Entry award including reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries issued to customers, collection from promotion sponsors of issue fees and any other fees associated with issue and processing of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws and the
72. The system as claimed in any one of claims 69 to 71 wherein the promotional prize draw management system is programmed to:
calculate the number of Official Lottery Entries required to match the required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
acquire the required number of Official Lottery Entries;
generate from the acquired Official Lottery Entries the required Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
randomise in the the promotional prize draw management system the order of the Official Lottery Entries and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
distribute Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements.
calculate the number of Official Lottery Entries required to match the required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
acquire the required number of Official Lottery Entries;
generate from the acquired Official Lottery Entries the required Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
randomise in the the promotional prize draw management system the order of the Official Lottery Entries and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
distribute Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements.
73. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method of generating Promotional Prize Draw Entries from officially operated Official Lottery Entries by defining Promotional Prize Draw Entry entitlements in a promotional prize draw management system and issuing these entitlements to customers in conjunction with a sales promotion computer system that supports operation of Promotional Prize Draws via sales systems, which record customer sales data, operated by one or more product suppliers or merchants, with customers accumulating Promotional Prize Draw Entry entitlements and when the number of such entitlements so accumulated equals a defined level, for an Official Lottery Entry to be issued to them as their consumer reward, the method comprising the steps of:
setting a required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry;
distributing details of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
receiving from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions along with related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issued to them storing these Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements for allocation of an from time to tune evaluating the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry Official Lottery Entry when qualification criteria have been met;
entitlements accumulated by customers participating in promotions for which Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements have been issued to them and awarding them the appropriate number of Official Lottery Entries earned by virtue of the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated versus Official Lottery Entry award criteria.the Official Lottery Entries awarded comprise actual entries in Official Lotteries that participate in Official Lottery prize draws in the normal way applicable to the relevant Official Lottery and customers to whom they have been awarded are able to check their entries and claim any prizes that their entries win using the normal facilities and processes applicable for the Official Lotteries in which they have been issued Official Lottery Entries.
setting a required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry;
distributing details of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
receiving from the sales promotion system details of sales transactions along with related customers and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issued to them storing these Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements for allocation of an from time to tune evaluating the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry Official Lottery Entry when qualification criteria have been met;
entitlements accumulated by customers participating in promotions for which Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements have been issued to them and awarding them the appropriate number of Official Lottery Entries earned by virtue of the number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements accumulated versus Official Lottery Entry award criteria.the Official Lottery Entries awarded comprise actual entries in Official Lotteries that participate in Official Lottery prize draws in the normal way applicable to the relevant Official Lottery and customers to whom they have been awarded are able to check their entries and claim any prizes that their entries win using the normal facilities and processes applicable for the Official Lotteries in which they have been issued Official Lottery Entries.
74. The computer program product as claimed in claim 73 wherein the method Includes:
calculating in the the promotional prize draw management system an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, calculating the affordable ratio of Official Lottery Entries to Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements and using this ratio to set the required number of promotion prize draw entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry
calculating in the the promotional prize draw management system an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
taking into account an affordable cost of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, calculating the affordable ratio of Official Lottery Entries to Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements and using this ratio to set the required number of promotion prize draw entry entitlements that a customer must have accumulated to qualify for an Official Lottery Entry
75. The computer program product as claimed in either claim 73 or claim 74 wherein the method includes:
processing in the promotional prize draw management system accounting details associated with Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issue and consequent Official Lottery Entry award including reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries issued to customers, collection from promotion sponsors of issue fees and any other fees associated with issue and processing of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws and the like.
processing in the promotional prize draw management system accounting details associated with Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements issue and consequent Official Lottery Entry award including reimbursement for Official Lottery Entries issued to customers, collection from promotion sponsors of issue fees and any other fees associated with issue and processing of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements, reimbursement of any service fees associated with participation in prize draws and the like.
76. The computer program product as claimed in any one of claims 73 to 75 wherein the method includes:
calculating the number of Official Lottery Entries required to match the required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
acquiring the required number of Official Lottery Entries;
generating from the acquired Official Lottery Entries the required Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
randomising in the the promotional prize draw management system the order of the Official Lottery Entries and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
distributing Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements.
calculating the number of Official Lottery Entries required to match the required number of Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
acquiring the required number of Official Lottery Entries;
generating from the acquired Official Lottery Entries the required Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
randomising in the the promotional prize draw management system the order of the Official Lottery Entries and Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements;
distributing Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements to the sales promotion computer system for issue to customers when sales transactions supplied by the the sales system to the sales promotion computer system meet the criteria of any sales promotion for award of customer Promotion Prize Draw Entry entitlements.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/NZ2009/000139 WO2010005325A2 (en) | 2008-07-10 | 2009-07-10 | An official lottery entry offset method and system |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2804956A1 true CA2804956A1 (en) | 2010-01-14 |
Family
ID=45812849
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA2804956A Abandoned CA2804956A1 (en) | 2009-07-10 | 2009-07-10 | An official lottery entry offset method and system |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU2009270035A1 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2804956A1 (en) |
| NZ (1) | NZ598005A (en) |
-
2009
- 2009-07-10 CA CA2804956A patent/CA2804956A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2009-07-10 NZ NZ598005A patent/NZ598005A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2009-07-10 AU AU2009270035A patent/AU2009270035A1/en not_active Abandoned
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| AU2009270035A1 (en) | 2012-03-01 |
| NZ598005A (en) | 2014-02-28 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request |
Effective date: 20140707 |
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| FZDE | Dead |
Effective date: 20180710 |