EP1468407B1

EP1468407B1 - Electronic draw-machine

Info

Publication number: EP1468407B1
Application number: EP02789128A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ulf Linde; Zeljko Oreb
Original assignee: Pollux Invest Automattjanst AB
Current assignee: Pollux Invest Automattjanst AB
Priority date: 2001-12-21
Filing date: 2002-12-09
Publication date: 2009-04-29
Anticipated expiration: 2022-12-09
Also published as: WO2003063095A1; SE0104387D0; DE60232192D1; ATE430346T1; SE519112C2; SE0104387L; EP1468407A1

Abstract

The invention concerns an electronic lottery device (10, 12) for lotteries or games and a method for the same. It comprises a processor circuit board (12) for controlling the same, which is connected to a random chance generator for determining the result of each lottery chance or game. It further comprises a counter (RV1) visible to a user of the device for registration of the number of lottery chances or games for lottery or game drawings, a counter (RV2) visible to a user of the device for new chances, a means (14) for initiating the start of a drawing and a means for presentation of the result of a completed drawing. With the random chance generator the drawing is accomplished in real-time. Additionally it comprises a counter (RV3) visible to a user of the device for registration of product prizes in the drawing. The counter for registration of product prizes prevents the counter (RV1) for the number of lotteries or games and the counter (RV2) for new chances from ending up in a constant drawing or winning loop, respectively.

Description

Technical field

The present invention concerns an electronic lottery machine for lotteries or games, which includes a processor circuit board for controlling the same, which is connected to a random chance generator for determining each lottery result, a counter visible to a user of the machine for registration of the number of lottery chances in the lottery drawing, a counter visible to a user of the machine for new lottery chances, a device for initiating the start of a drawing and a device for presentation of the result of a completed drawing.

State of the art

In lotteries there is a drawing with a certain number of chances, either with all existing chances in the lottery or also with the chances that have been sold in the lottery. This means that individual lotteries in which at a given time a participant can determine the extent of the lottery and let a random generator carry out a lottery step for one or several lotteries simultaneously cannot take place.
In present day machines for drawings, games, lotteries and competitions there is a common counter that registers both bets (credit) and prizes or alternately two counters, one for bets and one for prizes. This means that in a machine there can only be one winning category as the result. In case success is to result in different prizes a separate device is needed, e.g. a machine for sale of products, to which (prize) credit is transferred. Only after such an event has taken place can a specific prize be chosen. This prevents variations in prizes.
Prior art, such as DE-A1-4432898 describes a machine for drawings, games, or lotteries having two counters, one for bets and one for prizes.
Lottery chances can be stolen or subject to corruption or manipulation after they are bought and until or during the time the drawing takes place.
An owner of a lottery chance cannot affect the possibility of a greater chance of a prize in any way, depending on how many lottery chances are operative at any time.
He or she who buys a traditional lottery chance and receives a prize can generally use his or her prize to receive (or buy himself/herself) new lottery chances. For lotteries presently existing on the market this means that a winning chance can therefore result in a new lottery chance. The condition that a winning chance must be exchanged and does not entitle one to a new chance at once is time consuming and is experienced as tedious. For instance, he or she who has bought a Trisslott® for 25 SEK and wins 25 SEK generally wants to have a new lottery chance, but as has been explained it is not possible to scratch once more, but rather the lottery chance must be handed in and thereafter a new lottery chance bought.

Summary of the present invention

A purpose of the present invention is to provide solutions to the above problems. In particular the invention shows how a lottery drawing takes place in real-time and how registration of product prizes can be accomplished without the need of a counter included in the lottery machine ending up in a constant winning-loop.
An additional unique property of the drawing machine according to the present invention is that a recently drawn chance can result in a new chance when a counter for new lottery chances has been adjusted upward. This is equivalent to the case above when a Triss® lottery chance has given a prize in the form of 25 SEK, but the player must buy a new lottery chance with a new prize chance for the same price. With the lottery machine a player can use the new prize chance directly without buying a new chance from some authorised vendor.
The present invention as defined in claim 1 comprises an electronic lottery device for lotteries made to accomplish the above. It includes a processor circuit board for controlling the device. The circuit board includes or is connected to a random chance generator for determining the result of each lottery. A first counter visible to a user of the machine for registration of the number of chances in the lottery drawing and a second counter visible to a user of the machine for new lottery chances are connected to the circuit board.
Further means for initiating the beginning of a drawing and means for presentation of the result of a completed drawing are connected to the circuit board.
The random chance generator accomplishes the lottery drawing in real-time, which includes:

means for electronic readout of a carrier with at least one registered lottery chance;
a third counter visible to a user for registration of product prizes in a drawing; and
means for determining new lottery chances and product prizes for updating the corresponding counter, which makes it possible for the counter for registration of product prizes to avoid requiring the counter for new lottery chances to be adjusted upward for product prizes, which would put it into a constant winning loop.

One embodiment with upward adjustment of the counter for new lottery chances entails that a lottery chance to participate in a new drawing is obtained, whereby the counter for the number of lottery chances is not adjusted downward for the new drawing, or that the number of new chances is used when the counter for the number of lottery chances/games is zeroed.
In another embodiment a random chance device is included that randomly allocates one or several product prizes to at least one lottery chance after a drawing by running the counter for product prizes.
In one embodiment of the present invention the machine includes means that mark and perform drawing a plurality of lottery chances in a single drawing.
Another embodiment includes using a random chance device that randomly allocates one or several product prizes to at least one lottery chance by adjusting the counter for product prizes upward when the new chance counter has not been adjusted upward after a drawing.
In an additional embodiment there is a counter for each product prize category.

Brief description of drawings

In the following descriptive text reference is made to the attached drawings for better understanding of the present invention with its examples and embodiments, whereby:

Fig. 1 shows schematically a lottery machine according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 shows schematically a drawing with the machine according to fig. 1; and
Fig. 3 shows a flow chart for a drawing with a device according to the present invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

Existing electronic machines for games and lottery drawings have one or two counters visible to a user of the machines. In the case of one counter the counter is adjusted upward, from an amount put into the game machine, with possible game prizes, and a possible final sum on the counter is paid out in cash when a player initiates disbursement on the machine.
When a game machine has two counters, one for the number of games and one for prizes in the same category as the one for the number of games, for example the number of SEK, that gives a prize in the same category, i.e. SEK, there is no problem. Either the player chooses that the prize that is marked on the counter for prizes is paid out, or the player chooses to transfer the prize to the counter for the number of games and the player can then proceed with his or her game.
Problems occur when a device for games or lotteries must be able to pay out prizes in different categories, for example in the categories money and products. Then one counter is used or two counters are used for one category, usually with markers that are directly convertible to money. Prizes in the products category can therefore not easily be transferred to one or several counters that count money.
Especially for lotteries it is desirable that product prizes can be paid out. In lotteries it is well known that prizes can consist of products such as travel, electronic equipment, food, etc. Of course money is not excluded in lottery prizes.
For drawing real lottery chances a unique embodiment of the present invention solves the problem that new lottery chances must be bought or old ones exchanged for new lottery chances. The problem is solved by a counter designated new lottery chances that makes a new drawing chance possible one or several times depending on the number of won lottery chances marked on the counter for new lottery chances. This embodiment with a new lottery chance is unique and not previously known in lotteries or applied to lottery machines.
To rebuild a device so that it converts product prizes to money requires that comprehensive work be done. In many cases it is not desirable to convert to money since a player may wish to have the product prize. The circuit boards that control games or lottery machines are standard products made by special manufacturers of such items. They control only one or two counters that are visible to a player as has been described above.
An embodiment of a game or lottery machine according to the present invention is shown in fig. 1. Figure 1 shows a mother board or processor circuit board 10 for controlling a lottery machine for games or lotteries. The two headed arrow in fig. 1 indicates data communication between the circuit board 10 and a schematically shown front drawing panel 12 or game console for a lottery machine according to a feasible embodiment of the present invention.
In one embodiment the lottery machine has a game or lottery field in the form of a matrix with six boxes. Common markings in the boxes for determining prizes or in conventional games a blank are fruit symbols, for example three lemons in a line, a column or diagonally in the matrix. Of course there exist symbols other than fruit symbols for marking prizes and blanks. The fruit symbols are used only for exemplification purposes and numerous other symbols such as graphics, sounds, lights, etc. can be used for marking. The single headed arrows in the matrix mark all the prize chances in a matrix with six game fields according to fig. 1. There can be additional prize chances such as bonus prizes when for example all the matrix boxes have symbols of the same colour after a drawing.
In order to mark games or lottery drawings in the matrix for example buttons 14 for different combinations are used in a well-known manner. Each line, column and diagonal in the matrix has an electronic marking ring 16 for drawing or playing. By pushing the buttons 14 games or drawings are selected with for example ones in the rings 16. In fig. 1 only the two diagonals and top bar in the matrix are marked with ones for illustrative purposes. In other embodiments of the lottery machine the counter for the number of chances RV1 can count something other than lottery chances. For a subsequent lottery drawing three lottery chances have therefore been chosen for drawing of the 100 that are available according to the selection on the calculator RV1 in the figure. The counter RV2 for indicating new lottery chances is zeroed since no drawing with new chance prizes has yet taken place. In the same way there is also a counter for product prizes RV3, not previously known for lottery machines, which is zeroed since no product prizes have been registered.
For completed games when the counter for new lottery chances is not zeroed prizes can be paid out in money corresponding to the value of new chances on the said counter.
In an embodiment of the present invention each so-called "blank drawing" gives at least one product prize point. The lottery machine according to the present invention can be used to determine the category of prize to which a given lottery result is entitled. The existence of the phrase blank drawing is connected with other known technology where no prize is normally given for drawing non-paying symbols. Other feasible pay outs or markings of product prizes are not excluded because of that. Figure 2 shows only the drawing panel 12 for a completed lottery drawing. Two lottery chances have been drawn with the lottery machine's random chance generator. The lottery chances have been played as marked in the rings 16, i.e. in the left diagonal and upper rows in the checker matrix. The counter RV1 for the number of lottery chances has therefore been adjusted down by two and displays 098 lottery drawings remaining. As an example it is assumed that the diagonal marks a prize according to a lottery plan, which means that the counter for new lottery chances RV2 has been adjusted up by one prize consisting of new chances, here 020, which can correspond for example to two new lottery chances or for example 20 SEK cash disbursement after the game is fmished. This means that a new drawing chance has the value 10 SEK in this example. If the player chooses to use the two new lottery chances received instead of corresponding hard cash a button 14 is pushed corresponding to this choice, once for one new chance and for example two times for two. This corresponds to the example of drawing a Triss® lottery chance, with the difference that the player can continue the lottery in real-time without buying a new chance in another location. When new chance is selected by the player the counter RV I for the number of lottery chances is not adjusted down since that was a new chance prize for a drawn chance. In an embodiment the lottery machine can be adjusted so that the number of new lottery chances cannot be used before the calculator RV1 for the number of lotteries/games is zeroed.
In the same drawing also product prizes have been won for all lottery chances that did not give a new chance result. Since two lottery chances were played it was the upper bar in the checker matrix that did not give a new chance. According to the game plan with a product prize for each played lottery chance not resulting in a new chance the counter for product prizes RV3 shows 001, which for example can correspond to points for product prizes. If all eight playable lottery chances in the checker matrix in fig. 2 had been played RV3 would have shown 007 according to the point counting system in effect for product prizes. In one embodiment there is a random chance device that randomly allocates one or several product prizes to at least one lottery chance that did not give a new chance by adjusting the counter RV3 for product prizes upward.
In one procedure, according to the principle that product prizes for lottery chances do not give a new chances the counter for new chances RV2, and possibly also the counter for the number of lotteries RV1 in certain game forms, would need to be adjusted upward by the points for product prizes, whereby for a user the lottery drawing would end up in a constant loop with never ending lottery chances. The calculator RV3 thus solves the problem of prizes in different prize categories for games or lottery drawings from game or lottery machines according to the present invention.
It should be observed that the present invention has two embodiments of the lottery machine, one for lotteries and one for game drawings. The lottery machine has one or several readers 18 for one or more carriers in the form of cards 20 of the type smart card, mini-CD card, credit card with magnetic reader or the like. They can also be intended for other types of carriers or other materials such as paper tickets with a readable number of lottery chances or the like, for example with bar codes. In one embodiment especially for smart cards or cards with for example mini-CDs included the reader also registers new drawing chances/cash prizes and/or product prizes according to counters RV2 and RV3 and possibly the number of remaining lottery chances if they have been adjusted upward on counter RV 1. In other cases they are already registered on the card.
In a lottery it can happen that lottery chances are not bought back by the lottery manager. They must be opened to determine a prize value. Therefore a player should play the number of lottery chances that the counter RV 1 has registered. This does not exclude letting the player draw chances at different times.
Using a flow chart fig. 3 shows how a drawing is carried out in a specific embodiment of the lottery machine, for example a lottery or game machine. A card 20 of credit card size is inserted in the reader 18 and the number of lottery chances is read 100 and transferred to the counter RV 1 for the number of playable lottery chances. The lottery player chooses 110 to bet between one and eight lottery chances in this embodiment of the machine. RV1 is adjusted downward 120 by the number of bet lottery chances, as selected using the input buttons 14, and the player pushes 130 on the start button 14 for a lottery drawing, whereby the random chance generator carries out the drawing in real-time, i.e. the lottery prize result is not decided in advance according to previously known methods, but rather the lottery chances that give prizes are selected by the random chance generator.
After the drawing has taken place and if no new chance has resulted 140 for example the not played lottery chances between two and eight are transferred to the counter for product prizes RV3 with for example one point 150 for at least one lottery chance that did not give a new chance. The player can now choose if he or she wants to accept the product prize 160, and if that is the case to call the personnel 170 for presenting products.
In the next alternative the player chooses whether to continue the lottery with possible remaining lottery chances on RV1, in which case the flow diagram for the lottery drawing continues at the choice of the number of lottery chances 110 for games. If the player wants to finish his or her game the number on the counter RV2 for new chances can possibly be converted to hard cash to be paid out 190.
In case the drawing gave a new chance prize 140 it is transferred to the counter RV2 and in one embodiment the player is asked if he or she wants to double the bet 200. If that is not the case he or she is asked to proceed with a new drawing 180. Here the player can chose to finish the drawing 180 and the winnings are paid out 190.
When a player decides to double a new drawing chance 200 a random process begins 210 in which a new chance is either doubled 220 and the prize is transferred to RV2 or the chance is used up 230. Thereafter the flow diagram for drawing follows the sequence according to the boxes 180, 110 or 180, 190.
The present invention has been described here in the form of an example and preferred embodiments, but it is not therefore limited to them. Rather, it is the attached patent claim formulation that provides additional embodiments for a professional in the technical field.

Claims

An electronic lottery device (10; 12) for lotteries or games including:
a processor circuit board (12) for controlling of the device;
a random chance generator connected to said processor circuit board (12) for determining each lottery chance or game result;
a first counter (RV1) visible to a user of the machine for indicating remaining lottery chances or game drawings, which have been paid;
a second counter (RV2) visible to the user for indicating new lottery chances or games, which have been won;
means (14) for initiating the start of a drawing;
means visible to the user for presentation of the result using the chance generator performs the drawing in real-time;
means (18) for electronic readout of a carrier (20) with at least one registered lottery chance or game; characterised in that the device further includes
a third counter (RV3) visible to the user for registrering the product prizes which are to be paid
means for selecting, when a lottery game has been won, either a new lottery chance or game or a product prize and for incrementing the corresponding second or third counter (RV2, RV3)
An electronic lottery device according to claim 1, characterised in that incrementing the second counter (RV2) entails that a drawing chance to participate in a new drawing is obtained, whereby the first counter (RV1) is not adjusted downward for a new drawing, or that the number of new chances is used when the first counter (RV1) for the number of lottery chances/games is zeroed.
An electronic lottery device according to either of claims 1 and 2, charact erised in that it includes one or more means that mark and draw a plurality of lottery chances or games in a single drawing.
An electronic lottery device according to claims 1-3, characterised in that it includes a random chance device that randomly allocates one or several product prizes to at least one lottery chance by adjusting the third counter upwards when the second counter (RV2) has not been adjusted upwards after a drawing.
An electronic lottery device according to claims 1-4, characterised in that it has a visible counter (RV3) for each category of product prize.