EP1441297A1

EP1441297A1 - Distributed lottery game

Info

Publication number: EP1441297A1
Application number: EP03075194A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Klas Moberg
Original assignee: NGF Netgame Factory AB
Current assignee: NGF Netgame Factory AB
Priority date: 2003-01-17
Filing date: 2003-01-17
Publication date: 2004-07-28

Abstract

A system of performing a lottery game, comprising a lottery ticket having lottery indicia and a lottery ticket identification, said lottery ticket being made available to players; a gaming computer being devised to receive a message from a player, said message having a player identification and a lottery ticket identification; a set of predetermined rules for controlling a gaming activity; a database of pre-generated winning or losing lottery indicia being communicatively coupled to the gaming computer; a mechanism in said gaming computer devised for generating a gaming result dependent on the lottery ticket identification and on the predetermined rules; and a communication means associated with said gaming computer devised for communicating a message of said gaming result to the player.

Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates, in general, to a lottery game with a gaming realisation that is distributed in time and space. More specifically, an aspect of the invention relates to such a game in the shape of a distributed bingo game.

Background

In a traditional bingo game a gaming session is realised with a set of lottery tickets in the shape of bingo cards. On the bingo cards there are matrices with different combinations of numerals or other symbols. Everyone of a number of participants to the game has one or more such bingo cards. A sequence of numerals (or other symbols) are randomly drawn and are communicated to the participants, whereupon the participants can compare their matrices of numerals with the drawn numerals. The one who in his matrix has a row, a column or a diagonal line of numerals that all have occurred among the drawn numerals has a winning card and announces "bingo".

Prior Art

Examples of prior art are found in the patent documents are EP 1 087 312 A2 to Nokia Corporation, which shows a system and a method for supplying selected advertising to gamers that access games suppliers over communications networks; WO 02/071351 A2 to Kamp, which shows a subscriber system and method for Lotto and lottery games; and
WO 01/23055 A1 Knowles et al, which shows a promotional gaming device for determining whether a player has matched a predetermined winning sequence of characters or symbols.

Object of the Invention

An overall object of the invention is to achieve a game that is independent of the medium for distributing lottery tickets to players, that is independent of where the player is located and that is independent of the point in time when the gaming is performed.
A more specific object is to achieve a game similar to bingo that can be played whenever and wherever a player so wishes.

Summary of the Invention

The object of the invention is realised by means of a lottery game with a lottery ticket having lottery indicia, and communication link information that is made available to the public, for example by means of publishing in mass media. For example, the lottery ticket can be made available as a printed advertisement in a newspaper or journal. A gaming computer associated with or comprising a lottery prize database of winning and losing lottery indicia is communicatively coupled to the communication link. A player of the lottery game communicates his participation in the game by contacting the gaming computer by means of the communication link, e.g. a telephone number to a text message receiver or an Internet web site address. The communication is for example advantageously performed by means of text messages (e.g. by SMS - short message services) from a cellular phone of the player. The gaming computer performs a lottery game for example by randomly drawing a set of lottery indicia from the lottery prize database and communicates these drawn lottery indicia to the player, e.g. by means of a text message (SMS) back to the cellular phone of the player. The player compares the drawn lottery indicia with the lottery indicia on the lottery ticket and observes whether there is a winning or a losing game.
In aspects of the invention, the invention is described as follows.
A lottery ticket with lottery indicia of some kind is published or made available in a medium of some kind. In embodiments of the invention the lottery ticket is published together with a game identification that for example identifies the lottery ticket, a part of the lottery ticket, a series of lottery tickets or the medium in which the lottery ticket is published (medium identification). Generally, there is also published together with the lottery ticket a contact link or a communication link, such as the telephone number of a text message receiver (SMS) or an IP-adress, that is associated with a central gaming system.
For every such lottery ticket a lottery prize database has preferably been generated beforehand. The database contains a number of winning lottery indicia and a number of losing lottery indicia.
A player sends a message of gaming activity to a central gaming system, preferably enclosing the game identification and possibly also sender identification or player identification. In case the game identification is a code for identifying the medium for making the lottery ticket available, the game identification which in this case is a medium identification code is registered for possible payment to the medium for usage of the lottery ticket or possibly for statistical purposes. The sender or player identification is registered for the purpose of debiting the player a cost for the lottery ticket or perhaps rather for the participation in the game as well as returning messages and delivering of a prize. The cost for playing is preferably debited and a monetary prize is preferably paid via a telephone subscription of the sender or the like.
A gaming event is activated in the central gaming system and a gaming result is generated for example by drawing or retrieving lottery indicia in the lottery prize database or in accordance with other predetermined rules. There are different manners of performing the drawing, for example by means of randomised drawing or a drawing based on order or priority or order of incoming playing activity message.
The central gaming system thereafter sends a return message to the player with the drawn lottery indicia enclosed. The player can compare the drawn lottery indicia with the lottery indicia of the lottery ticket, and observe whether there is a winning game or a losing game.
The central gaming system can directly after the drawing check whether the player has a winning game. The player is notified either automatically or in response to a message from the player stating an observed winning game. A possible prize is delivered to the player by means of the sender or player identification. A monetary prize is for example paid via the sender subscription of the player.

Brief Description of Drawings

The invention is described in further detail below, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig 1 shows an embodiment of a lottery ticket made available to players in a newspaper;
Fig 2 shows schematically another embodiment of a lottery ticket;
Fig 3 shows an embodiment of the communication between a player and a central gaming system; and
Fig 4 shows a schematic flow chart of steps and functional stages of embodiments of the invention.

Description of Embodiments

General Scenery of the Invention

The invention is realised by means of a lottery ticket made available to a number of players and a gaming system comprising a computer, a computer program, a database and communication means for communication gaming parameters and control parameters between the gaming system and the player. The player utilises a communication device such as a cellular telephone, a stationary telephone or a network connected computer and typically a public communications network for the communication of gaming parameters and control parameters.

Publishing medium

According to the invention the lottery ticket is a ticket that is made available to a population of different potential players. Different media are conceivable.
In one embodiment the lottery ticket is published for example as an advertisement in a newspaper or a journal.
In another embodiment a lottery ticket is made available on a server that is accessible for example through a web site on the Internet by means of a web browser.
In yet another embodiment a lottery ticket can be arranged such that it is downloadable to for example a cell phone by means of a text message (SMS).
In realisations of the invention where there are such published lottery tickets in different media possibly belonging to a common round of the game, the lottery ticket and the parameter communication preferably comprises a media identification parameter. This media identification parameter is for example used for controlling the flow of payments for lottery ticket usage through the current medium.

Lottery ticket

The lottery ticket in accordance with the invention comprises lottery indicia and control parameters for controlling an instance of a gaming activity. The control parameters comprise in different embodiments different configurations or selections of a game identification parameter, a medium identification parameter and a communication link parameter.
The lottery indicia have different contents and configurations in different embodiments of the invention. For the sake of explanation of the invention, the herein described embodiments have lottery indicia similar to those of bingo cards and are for simplicity herein also generally called bingo cards or bingo tickets.
Fig 1 shows an embodiment of a lottery ticket 101 published as an advertisement in a newspaper 100. The shown lottery ticket 101 comprises three bingo cards or bingo panels in the shape of 5x5-matrices of numerals typically in a range between 0 and 99. This embodiment is further explained below in a newspaper embodiment.
The lottery ticket 101 further comprises a field of playing instructions 104 usually held in a natural language and configured to guide a player how to play the game. There are also fields of control parameters that comprise a field of one or more identification parameters 106. The identification parameters comprises in different configurations a game identification parameter 108 or a game code for identifying the lottery ticket or the game round, and a medium identification parameter 109 for identifying the medium in which the lottery ticket is made available. The lottery ticket may further comprise a lottery indicia set identification 110 that identifies a particular set of lottery indicia, for example one or more specific numeral matrices of a bingo card. There is possibly also a lottery ticket identification 112 that identifies a particular lottery ticket or a particular edition or series of lottery tickets.
There are different conceivable layouts of the lottery ticket. In one embodiment of the invention designed to keep the game alive and interesting and to prompt the player to play more than once, the lottery ticket as e.g. advertised or made available on a web site comprises lottery indicia in the shape of four sets of bingo cards. For example as schematically shown on the lottery ticket 200 in Figure 2 each set of bingo cards 202 comprises three panels 204,206,208 each having a 5x5 matrix of 25 numerals within a predetermined numerical range, thus making up 75 numerals in each set. This enables the performance of a game wherein the player can mark each of for example 25 returned bingo numerals on matching numerals on the three bingo cards. This makes the game lasting longer and creates a feeling of "if I only get this number, I will win", and thus makes the game more lively.
In the embodiment of Figure 2 each lottery ticket comprises control parameters in the shape of a unique lottery ticket identification 212 and a unique lottery indicia set identification 214 for each set 202 of bingo cards. When playing, a player selects a set of bingo cards to play and sends the particular lottery indicia set identification 214 to the gaming computer by means of a text message or by means of web browser parameter communication. Preferably, the lottery ticket identification 212 is not shown to the player but is used for control purposes by the gaming system. In the case of a paper advertised ticket, the lottery ticket identification 212 is for example activated upon receipt of an incoming lottery ticket. In the case of a web based lottery ticket, the lottery ticket identification 212 is preferably communicated by means of web browser parameter communication to the gaming system when the lottery ticket is activated by the player on the web interface.

Gaming Control

The game is controlled by means of the control parameters communicated between the player and the gaming system, and as processed by the gaming system. Another important control parameter in addition to the control parameters related to the lottery ticket is player identification usually together with predetermined rules. The player identification is for example the telephone subscription used to send text messages of game control parameters to the game computer. Strictly speaking this does not identify the actual playing person, but in this text it is for the sake of explanation presumed that the identified player is the one who owns the subscription.
In embodiments of the invention the gaming is controlled for example with regard to the frequency of playing by a particular player dependent on the lottery ticket identification, the player identification and on predetermined rules.
In a web based embodiment the player is for example identified by means of a registration procedure and the player would have to be a registered user of the web site or of the particular playing function. A user name, a password and possibly also a telephone number would typically be used for this purpose. For example, all players are allowed to play on the same lottery ticket or the same set of lottery indicia or bingo cards each day and each player is allowed to play once a day. As soon as, for example, a set of bingo cards has been played by a particular player, the gaming computer registers this fact and closes this set of bingo cards for further playing. Further playing on the remaining sets can be open to use. The lottery ticket is changed for example once a day. In a paper advertised and telephone based embodiment the player is preferably identified by means of the identification of the sending device that is sent in a text message. The lottery ticket is e.g. changed for each edition of the paper.
The lottery indicia set identification is valid for a predetermined period of time, for example for a certain game round period such as 10 weeks. The lottery indicia set identification for a first edition of a lottery ticket may be valid for playing in parallel with the lottery indicia set identification of a later issued second edition of a lottery ticket.
The control parameters should be adapted to fit the way of entry or the player interface. So for example, when using a text message service on a cellular phone it is complicated to key in digits and therefore for example the identification codes should be alphabetic.

Sending device

In different embodiments of the invention there are different sending devices or sending interfaces. Preferred such devices and interfaces are cellular phone using text message services, web based interface accessible via the Internet and general telephone using an IVR - I nteractive Voice Response system. These ways of entry into the game are also debitable through the respective service systems. Another way of entry into the game is via a post card or an e-mail, and would in most cases be a cost free way of participating in the game. This latter way of entry into the gaming would require some manual or automated handling or transmittal of the player message and control parameters to the gaming computer.

Gaming system

An example of general gaming system in accordance with the invention is schematically shown in Figure 3. A central part of the gaming system comprises a central gaming computer 302 being provided with a data processing unit (CPU), data storage means, I/O-interfaces and control program code 304 and having access to a lottery prize database 306. The central gaming computer is also connected to a communications means here in the shape of a text message receiver and transmitter 308 that is communicatively coupled to a communications network 310 here operating text message services. A player 312 has a communications interface 314, such as a cellular phone terminal, for communicating game control parameters 316 to the gaming computer and for receiving return parameters such as drawn lottery indicia e.g. in the shape of a series of numerals and other game related messages. In the figure there is also a lottery ticket 313.
The control program code comprises computer program code portions for directing the gaming computer to perform a game in response to and dependent on different gaming control parameters communicated between the player and the gaming computer and dependent on predetermined rules. The computer program code portions are configured to perform the functions and stages described in different part of this description.

Flow charts

Figure 4 shows a schematic flow chart of method steps, functional stages and parameter communication comprised in the realisation of embodiments of the invention. Thus in:
Stage 402: A player sends an activate game signal to gaming computer comprising control parameters in the shape of a lottery indicia set identification and a player identification.
Stage 404: The gaming computer receives control parameters from player.
Stage 406: The gaming computer records control parameters.
Stage 408: The gaming computer checks whether a playing session is allowed for current lottery indicia set identification dependent on predetermined rules.
Stage 410: If NO then the gaming computer generates and sends a stop message to player.
Stage 412: If YES then the gaming computer checks whether a playing session is allowed for the current player dependent on predetermined rules and possibly also dependent on current lottery indicia set identification.
Stage 414: If NO then the gaming computer generates and sends a stop message to the player.
Stage 416: If YES then the gaming computer initiates a gaming activity.
Stage 418: The gaming computer generates a gaming result, that is a winning or a losing game for the current game dependent on predetermined rules.
Stage 420: The gaming computer retrieves a set of return lottery indicia from the lottery prize database dependent on the gaming result and on predetermined rules.
Stage 421: The gaming computer records a gaming result for current game activity, i.e. current player and lottery ticket identification and/or lottery indicia set identification.
Stage 422: The gaming computer generates a return message comprising said set of drawn return lottery indicia.
Stage 424: The gaming computer sends the return message to the player.
Stage 426: The player or sender device receives the return message.
Stage 428: The player compares return lottery indicia with the lottery ticket and observes winning or losing game.
Stage 430: If the player observes a losing game then End.
Stage 432: If the player observes a winning game then the player sends a message of observed winning game, player identification, and possibly also lottery ticket identification to the gaming computer.
Stage 434: The gaming computer receives the observed winning game message from the player, the player identification and possibly the lottery ticket identification.
Stage 436: The gaming computer checks whether the observed winning game message is correct for the current player identification and the possible lottery ticket identification.
Stage 438: If YES then the gaming computer sends a winning game confirmation message to the player and possible additional information regarding the prize.
Stage 440 If NO then the gaming computer sends error message to player.
Stage 442 End.
There are different configurations of steps and stages in different embodiments and some of the stages are optional. Examples of the mentioned predetermined rules are found in the above and below description.

Lottery prize database

In different embodiments of the invention the lottery prize database possibly contains all 5 numeral combinations that are possible to generate by means of the 25 numerals in the 25-series
The game and the winning structure realised by the central gaming system is preferably determined upon an assumption based on the number of potential players to which the made available lottery ticket is exposed and the number of expected actual players. For example the number of potential players is the number of newspapers or journals issued in one edition, or the number of potential players that are reached by said edition. The number of actual players is à priori estimated based on statistical figures on the population of potential players or the population of people exposed to the published lottery ticket. The number of winners in a game round is preferably predetermined, for example such that for an estimate of 100 000 players or playing activities during a predetermined period of time there are 500 winners or winning return items.
When running a round of a lottery game with lottery tickets made available in different types or editions of media, the winners among players from different ways of entry to the game can be drawn from the same or different sets of prizes. In the case where the winners are drawn from the same set of prizes the percentage or actual number of winners from each way of entry may be controlled according to predetermined rules.
Different winning structures are conceivable. For example, when using lottery indicia in the shape of bingo cards the game may be arranged such that there is a winning game for return numerals that form two crossing diagonal lines on a bingo card.
In other embodiments of lottery tickets the prize database may contain other kinds of lottery indicia and winning structures. Possibly instead of having return lottery indicia in a database, the return lottery indicia may be generated by means of an executable computer program dependent on predetermined or dynamically updated rules.

Embodiment With Newspaper Advertisement and text message communication

In one embodiment of the invention a lottery ticket is published in the shape of a newspaper advertisement. In the advertisement the lottery ticket comprises one or more matrices of numerals or other symbols. In this exemplifying description numerals are hereinafter used as symbols. In Figure 1 an example of such an advertisement with a lottery ticket 101 in a newspaper 100 is schematically shown. In this example, the lottery ticket 101 comprises a set of three 5x5 matrices that are similar to bingo cards and each 5x5 matrix contains 25 numerals for example between 0 and 99 in a certain configuration, also called a 25-series. These 25-series have been generated in a central gaming system and a lottery prize database is generated for every set of 25-series that is published.
The lottery prize database contains a number of numeral series each having 5 numerals, so called 5-series. Dependent on the configuration of the game, the lottery prize database is arranged to contain a certain number of 5-series that are losers, low prize winners and high prize winners, respectively.
In the advertisement there is generally also playing instructions, a telephone number for sending an text message (SMS) and an identification code that identifies the specific game (game identification code), the set of bingo cards or the newspaper in which the advertisement is published (medium identification code). The identification code may also be a combination of a game identification code and a medium identification code. In the instructions the player is informed that in order to play and to receive the bingo numerals for a set of bingo cards, they have to send a text message with the code identifying the set of bingo cards to the given telephone number. The text message is charged via the text message service system and thereby the game is paid through the telephone subscription.
The player thus sends a text message to a text message receiver which is associated with the telephone number that is indicated in the advertisement and which is communicatively coupled to a central gaming computer or a gaming system. In the text message the player includes the identification code and automatically within the text message system also an identification of the sending or transmitting telephone of the player takes place and is transmitted to the gaming computer. The latter identification is here also called sender identification.
The medium identification code is used to associate the newspaper with a current playing activity and can be used as a basis for debiting or payment in relation to the newspaper for usage of the lottery ticket.
The central gaming computer of the gaming system receives the text message, records the possible game identification code, the possible medium identification code and the sender identification, and possibly debits the player a cost for the game via the telephone bill of the player.
Thereafter, the central gaming computer of the gaming system draws from or by means of the lottery prize database a number of numerals. For example 5 pieces of 5-series can be drawn, for example randomly. The gaming computer sends by means of a return text message the drawn numeral series (5-series) to the player, and possibly also a check code for afterwards result checking. The player can compare the received numeral series to the numeral matrices on the lottery ticket in the newspaper advertisement and observe the possible occurrence of a winning row, line or diagonal in the matrices.
The gaming computer knows directly after the drawing whether the drawn numeral series is a winning series or not, and the player can be notified in different ways. For example, the prize can be communicated directly after the numeral series in the same return text message, or as a consequence of the fact that the player sends a check code or another winning message, for example the text "Bingo" to the central gaming computer. In the latter case the gaming computer checks whether the sender identification of the winning player matches the identification of the sender or the winning message. A monetary prize can be paid to the telephone subscription account of the player or in some other way.
If there are no winning lines on the bingo card, the game is a losing game. The gaming system knows this when sending out the return message but the player has to check the numerals with the bingo cards.
As mentioned above, a game identification code can be indicated in the advertisement to be enclosed in the players text message to the gaming computer for the purpose of associating the current game to a specific gaming round. However, in principle the published numeral matrices can be used an indefinite number of times and independent of the point in time after publication, since the entire gaming or lottery event occurs in the central gaming computer. Possibly, new prize databases can be generated and coupled to the to the same published lottery ticket advertisement after a first gaming round has been consumed.

Internet On-line Embodiment

One embodiment of the invention is realised as an on-line game that is accessible via a web site on the Internet.
Preferably, the master of the web site is responsible for checking that the players are valid, for example properly identified. This is usually managed by a registration and login procedure involving a user name and a password.
The user interface is typically a web page with a lottery ticket window or field having the layout and contents as described above. When a correctly verified player activates a game his browser is redirected to the gaming system. The player selects the set of lottery indicia, for example the set of bingo card numeral matrices, he wants to play and clicks on a command field for communicating to the gaming computer a control parameter in the shape of a lottery indicia set identification. Upon receipt of the lottery indicia set identification the gaming computer generates according to a predetermined scheme a gaming result, for example randomly selects whether the players activated game is a winner or a loser. An appropriate set of 25 return numerals are retrieved or generated by means of the prize database and are communicated back to the player by sending and displaying the numerals on the web browser of the player. For example if the return numerals of the current game form two diagonal lines crossing each other in one of the panels of the set of bingo cards, the player wins a prize.

Embodiment with Interactive Voice Recorder - IVR

One embodiment of the invention is realised by means of an IVR-system (IVR - Interactive Voice Response), where the player makes a phone call to a talking menu connected to the gaming computer in order to receive their return numerals. The control parameters have to be adapted to fit this technical way of entry into the game as well as any other coexisting player interface such as text messaging. As for other matters, this embodiment is realised as described above.

Claims

A method of performing a lottery game, comprising the steps of:

making available to players a lottery ticket having lottery indicia and a lottery ticket identification;

receiving in a gaming computer a message from a player, said message comprising a player identification and said lottery ticket identification;

generating in said gaming computer a gaming result dependent on the lottery ticket identification and on predetermined rules; and

communicating a message of said gaming result to the player.
A system of performing a lottery game, comprising

a lottery ticket having lottery indicia and a lottery ticket identification, said lottery ticket being made available to players;

a gaming computer being devised to receive a message from a player, said message having a player identification and a lottery ticket identification;

a set of predetermined rules for controlling a gaming activity;

a database of pre-generated winning or losing lottery indicia being communicatively coupled to the gaming computer;

a mechanism in said gaming computer devised for generating a gaming result dependent on the lottery ticket identification and on the predetermined rules; and

a communication means associated with said gaming computer devised for communicating a message of said gaming result to the player.
A system for performing a lottery game, comprising a computer configured to:

receiving a message from a player, said message having a player identification and a lottery ticket identification;

generating in said gaming computer a gaming result dependent on the lottery ticket identification and on predetermined rules; and

communicating a message of said gaming result to the player.
The method or system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the lottery ticket is made available in a mass medium and is usable by a plurality of players.
The method or system of any of the preceding claims, further comprising:

retrieving from a database return lottery indicia dependent on said generated gaming result and on predetermined rules; and

communicating the return lottery indicia to the player, who thereby can compare the return lottery indicia with the lottery indicia of the lottery ticket and observe a winning or a losing game.
The method or system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the lottery indicia on the lottery ticket is a set of matrices comprising a selection of numerals in a specific configuration and within a predetermined range of numerals.
The method or system of any of the preceding claims, further comprising generating a gaming result dependent on a predetermined scheme of winning and losing games.
The method or system of any of the preceding claims, wherein a database containing a number of winning lottery indicia and a number of losing lottery indicia has been generated beforehand.
The method or system of any of the preceding claims, further comprising randomly drawing lottery indicia from a database of pre-generated winning and losing lottery indicia.
The method or system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the return lottery indicia comprises a set of numeral series within a predetermined range of numerals.
The method or system of any of the preceding claims, wherein a gaming activity is initiated dependent on the player identification and on predetermined rules.
The method or system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the message from the player further includes a player identification.
A computer program product for performing a lottery game, comprising computer program code portions that are executable on a data processing unit and devised to direct the data processing unit to perform any of the steps or functions of the preceding claim.