KR20050016543A - Lottery management system - Google Patents

Abstract

The lottery management system provides the ability to integrate various lottery systems into a single lottery management solution, allowing for customized deployment of various lottery system attributes. In one embodiment, the lottery system attributes include game type, reporting functionality, system operations, point-of-sale integration, device-network specific interfaces, and retail management. The invention may include a lottery transaction server, a message exchange component, a thin client component, a thick client component and a software development kit.

Description

Lottery Management System {LOTTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM}

The present invention relates to a lottery system, and more particularly, to a lottery management system and platform for distributing dynamic lottery system services and functions over an open communication network.

Lottery sales can generate huge income for government-run programs. Typically, a state lottery organization authorizes a lottery sales agent to sell lottery tickets in exchange for commissions for the whole sale and winning ticket sales. Lottery sales agents include common retailers, such as gas filling stations and conventional store operators, who typically provide one or more of various lottery implementation techniques for handling various types of lottery games. For example, a 24-hour convenience store is equipped with a Point-of-Sale lottery terminal behind a counter managed by a clerk as well as a self-service lottery kiosk located anywhere in the store. Typically, the purchase and delivery method depends on the type of purchase. For example, a buyer of an instant scratch ticket may pay a fee for the ticket, for example, at a POS counter or through a self-service kiosk. Instant winning scratch tickets are preprinted and issued to lottery sales agents in bulk, so no formal registration of ticket purchases is required. The ticket holder confirms the winning ticket by presenting the ticket to a clerk who can scan the authentication ticket serial number.

Alternatively, in a large lottery pool, such as BIG GAME ^™ or POWER BALL ^™ , where the buyer picks a series of numbers to win a large jackpot, the numbers should be recorded by the headquarters lottery operator. In this case, the lottery form is filled out by the buyer and presented to the clerk or self-service kiosk. The form is then read by a computer reader and the selected number is sent to the central transaction processor via a network connection so that the number is recorded and the received information is returned to the POS terminal or kiosk. The post lottery machine prints the lottery ticket currently registered for the buyer.

There are many advantages to having an electronic network for receiving and issuing lottery information. First, the registration of purchase tickets allows the lottery service provider to confirm important information such as the exact number of winning tickets and their purchase location, for example. Second, the lottery service provider may provide an authentication element or print a specific code to prevent authentication forgery or copying of the lottery. Third, the recorded information may provide useful business management information, such as what games are selling well at which time and location.

In the past, lottery systems employed specific system architectures that communicate over a "closed network." While these systems meet the needs of high performance lottery trading engines, they did not allow for easy integration with external networks. Such systems typically include operating systems and applications written in a procedural language that exactly matches their hardware platform. Efforts to tailor current software applications for different hardware platforms have been costly and time consuming. Thus, current lottery systems could not easily communicate with external networks and non-lottery applications.

There is a need for a simple means of integrating lottery retail services and a networked lottery system that allows future lottery service providers and sales agents with associated management capabilities. Such a lottery system may allow a lottery service provider to immediately respond to system management needs such as activating or deactivating a lottery sales agent, starting or stopping a specific lottery game, and isolating system network or fraud issues. The system further provides enhanced business management information at the lottery sales agent level as well as the lottery service provider level. The system operates using programming standards and network communications to enable simple scalability and scalability. These and other features are addressed by the present invention.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a substantially open standard, electronic lottery platform that allows current and future lottery service providers to easily integrate and install a lottery system feature customized package.

Summary of the Invention

The system of the present invention can provide a highly reliable, high security, fast and standardized system that enables all mission-critical business needs. In addition, through a plug-and-play architecture, the system of the present invention can ensure a high degree of reusability, thereby shortening time to market and supporting the lottery community. It provides an efficient cost reduction solution. In an embodiment of the present invention, the system of the present invention may employ the Internet to provide a new range of online customer service. The system of the present invention is platform-, operating system-, and database-independent, and can easily integrate third applications.

1 shows a layout of one conceptual architecture of the present invention.

2 is a diagram illustrating an information flow between a system of the present invention and a third terminal.

3 illustrates different types of devices and access methods according to one embodiment of the invention.

4 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a lottery platform architecture layer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a block diagram illustrating operating components of one embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a flow chart illustrating implementation steps associated with a lottery service provider in accordance with the present invention.

7 and 8 detail an exemplary logical architecture relating to a thin client embodiment and a thick client embodiment of the present invention.

9 illustrates interaction capabilities with various operators in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

10 illustrates components included in connection with an interaction component of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1-10, a lottery management and delivery system 10 is provided that can integrate existing lottery systems as well as new lottery systems that enable customization of lottery system attributes. The lottery management system of the present invention can be used to allow various lottery service providers (e.g., state lottery) to build their lottery network. In one embodiment, the lottery management service is a separate provider of essential hardware, software and network components that enable the lottery operation, and in another embodiment, the lottery management system electronically provides and supports such components to be scalable on the network. do. Among other things, the current platform assists in lottery system operations, network management, multi-state games, reporting, and integration and communication with lottery service providers and third party application developers.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lottery management system of the present invention comprises at least one lottery engine or host component (indicated generally by reference numeral 20), a message exchange component 30, a transaction processing component 40, a commerce service component ( 60), system service component 80, and channel processing component 90. In one embodiment, the platform of the present invention is based on the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, which is well known in the art. MVC is the core architectrual model for any Java2 platform, Enterprise Edition ^TM (J2EE) based system. Channel component 90 is represented by "View", commerce service component 60 is represented by "Model", and transaction processing component 40 is represented by "Controller" of the system.

In one embodiment, the lottery management system and the lottery service provider processing component include a series of PC servers that individually handle transaction processing, communication, data storage, game management, and network management functions. For example, transaction processing engine 40 processes, logs, and stores all transactions on a real time basis. Transaction processing engines may communicate using Internet Protocol (IP) over one or more secure local area networks (LANs) or wide area networks (WANs). In one embodiment, the communication server may integrate various communication networks (POTS, dial-up, frame relay, x.25, Internet) used by the lottery service provider and provide an interface to the lottery terminal. The game platform service (reference numeral 200 in FIG. 5) connects to the transaction processing engine on a LAN or WAN and hosts all instant and online game identification, retailer management, billing, instant ticket distribution management and reporting functions. This is a direct interface to the lottery system of the lottery service provider. In one embodiment, the game is stored locally in a fat client arrangement. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the terminal is a thin client with a browser that accesses a game application via a web server / application server combination, as described in detail below.

Access to the system of the present invention may be via a private or public network 35 via various network enable user interfaces. For example, the lottery system of the present invention may be a chain store 11 for retail management purposes, a "point-of-lottery" device 12 (e.g., a lottery terminal or kiosk at a convenience store). A retailer checkout terminal 13 (e.g., a "Lottery Inside" ^TM terminal) adapted to programming and network connection so that the lottery system processing can be activated, the user's or player's personal computer 14, the user's mobile device 15, and the lottery director's personal computer 16. The apparatus 11-16 accesses the lottery system of the present invention through each channel 91-96 as shown in FIG. 1, thereby facilitating the execution of various lottery and non-lottery transaction types.

The lottery sales agent POS device or other lottery terminal may be a "new" client or a "type" client terminal. For new client embodiments, a web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer ^™ resides on the POS device and accesses the appropriate game application available on the network from an application server (or a combination of web server and application server). The point of sale device may be a web appliance or lottery terminal, such as a PC, an electronic cash register, Altura ^™ , a lottery reader / printer combination commercially available from GTECH Corporation, West Greenwich, Rhode Island. When a transaction occurs, input from the scene client is sent to the application server where they are processed and sent to the lottery central system for logging. The serial number is then sent back to the IP printer at the agent location and the lottery is printed. In a formulaal client embodiment, the completed lottery application may reside in a lottery terminal and data may be communicated from the lottery terminal to a central system via a network or the like. The present invention can be used by current lottery service providers with existing scene or client topology in place. The invention can also accommodate a variety of input and output devices.

As shown in FIG. 2, a third software application 18 or standard internet browser 19b may provide a user interface for the lottery activity. In other cases, the third terminal 13 may further integrate the transaction handler 19a and the peripheral server 19c. The purpose of the transaction handler 19a is to summarize system communication and security details from a third application 18 that requires further updates or modifications to the system communication and / or security separated in one controllable component. will be. In doing so, the transaction handler 19a provides an interface that the third application 18 should follow by defining how data is exchanged with the transaction handler 19a. The transaction handler exchanges data with the retailer channel 93 in a prescribed format, as understood in the prior art.

The transaction handler 19a may have other functions depending on the user interface used. In one embodiment, a transaction handler may provide a method of passing only sales information, and in another embodiment, a data exchange method for all lottery activities may be provided. The peripheral server 19c provides a service to a device such as a printer. Peripheral servers may be located in the printer and operated in the device itself, in a POS device or " black box " The server may, for example, provide a service and security for printing a ticket.

The device 13 can be designed with a browser interface that accesses the appropriate channel server if lottery functionality is required. The channel server then presents a lottery user screen displayed on the POS device. In one embodiment, the POS device enables touch screen input to allow a retailer to conduct a normal lottery sale transaction by touching some area on the screen. The lottery transaction is then processed via the IP network, channel server 93 and transaction processing engine 43. The transaction is processed and logged in the same security manner (e.g., via processor 50, message exchange component 30 and host processor 20), and then secured where the ticket is presented to the retailer via the security system. It is sent back to the lottery printer directly.

In terms of user device access, a channel (eg, reference numeral 91) is an interface to the system of the present invention. The channel operates based on the system operator, the device used and the method of communication. When receiving a request from a point-of-contact device, the channel identifies the request type, confirms the input, and routes the request to the appropriate acceptor. The channel is also responsible for managing user session data and can return any errors to the POC device. In one embodiment, each channel may include an application server that performs the requested programmatic functions and a web server that provides a suitable user interface for data input and output.

The lottery engine or host 20 may have one or more different types of lottery hosts. Lottery hosts such as AlphaGOLS ^™ , EuroGOLS ^™ and ProSys ^™ systems are examples of hosts for use in the present invention. EuroGOLS ^™ , AlphaGOLS ^™ and ProSys ^™ are commercially available from GTECH Corporation, West Greenwich, Rhode Island, USA. EuroGOLS ^™ and AlphaGOLS ^™ hosts provide online and instant ticket processing, while ProSys ^™ hosts provide video lottery processing for lottery games such as bingo, blackjack, poker and keno.

The host can operate using multiple stored procedures. In one embodiment, a stored procedure is a set of SQL statements that perform a logical grouping of database operations. For example, the Video ProSys system uses the stored procedures extensively to manage and handle video games, video lottery terminals (VLTs), and VMTs. The Video ProSys (VPS) management application uses these stored procedures to access, display, and update data on the database. Thus, in one embodiment, the VPS management application communicates with the database using stored procedures. The Video Lottery System (VLS) database server uses SQL Server to process stored procedures. The provisions for the stored procedure are maintained at the database server and accessed through the SQL server. The result of the request is returned to the VPS management application.

The transaction processing engine 40 ensures the integrity of the system of the present invention by automatically transferring data between the backend lottery host and the storage component and the frontend POC device. In some cases, the transaction engine may cache and asynchronously send requests when the host is not available and may also cache the response. As shown in FIG. 1, the transaction engine includes a series of acceptors 41-46 corresponding to each channel component 91-96. The transaction acceptor (eg, reference numerals 41-46) accepts the transaction and processes them with the appropriate processor (eg, reference numerals 51-59). The acceptor identifies the message request from the channel and sends the message to the appropriate processor. In one embodiment, the acceptor is in the form of instructions and is a placeholder for business logic for authentication and ranking of game play. The command locates the correct game processor for the request and sends game option information to that processor. The acceptor may also pre-process a portion of the acceptor transaction, such as performing management and billing functions for the operator, for example. As shown in FIG. 1, acceptors communicate with each other within a system and across multiple systems. The acceptor communicates with the commerce service component 60 as well as the transaction processor 51-59.

The transaction processor manages and charges for the product used in accordance with the present invention. The role of the processor is product management. In one embodiment of the invention, the game uses a transaction processor which is a placeholder for business logic for wager, confirmation and cancellation. The current generation of processors is lightweight and most transaction processing is done at an external host connected to the system of the present invention. These processors delegate their processing functions to external systems through message exchange. For example, lightweight processors may delegate their processing functions to external systems via message exchange component 30. In one embodiment, the processor may include a sports processor 51, a number processor 53, a lotto processor 55, a PowerBall processor 57, and an instant game processor 59.

A message exchange (MX) 30 provides an interface between an internal processing system according to the present invention and an external processing system, such as provided by the host 20. MX can be based on the Application Programming Interface / Service Provider Interface (API / SPI) model. SPI is a programming interface that interfaces with external processing systems. In one embodiment, the product routing code enables the system to route directly to the trading engine, for example via MX, where the timer can be set to a trading timeout while the trading engine is in standby. . MX is a communication protocol that allows a trading engine to communicate with a lottery host. In one embodiment, the MX resides partially in the lottery host 20 and partially in the trading engine 40. The MX takes the data received via the internet protocol (IP) and allows it to be interpreted by the lottery host 20 and vice versa. Because the MX client / server architecture can support both push and pull message flow models, both client and server systems can initiate message traffic and act as senders and receivers of messages. have. Client and server side processing executed via MX is well known in the art and does not require detailed description.

As shown in FIG. 1, the system service component 80 includes a system database 82, an email server 84, Java naming and directories, as well as other system service elements such as policy server and database management programming. A Java naming and directory interface (JNDI) server 86, and a business object repository 88. Database tables used by the present invention may include, for example, retailer profiles, game parameters, and device profiles. The retailer profile may include, for example, agent costs, tellers, terminal numbers, wager units, validation units, and CDC dates. The game parameters may include values specific to each game and the device profile includes information about the terminal connected to the system.

As part of the commerce service 60 in connection with the present invention, the system of the present invention provides a claim and settlement system 61 in connection with an acceptance processor or transaction engine. The payment and settlement system 61 provides transaction settlement, auto-reconciliation, and payment management for retail operators and service providers. The system also supports multiple settlement entity types such as enactment, trade, banking, merchants, operators and terminals, while also providing settlement processing, transaction fee processing, balancing functions, and monitoring. Perform the function and report function. As shown in FIG. 1, the commerce service component manages user and device profile 62, account 63, product catalog 64, e-wallet function 65, and e-money transfer 66. Additionally provided.

3 is a diagram illustrating various device types and access methods used in connection with an example of the system of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, a device type that can access the system 210 of the present invention may be, for example, a retail terminal 212, an in-store cash register or a kiosk 213. (Including those with internal lottery processing capability), wireless telephone 215, home computer 214, interactive television 217, and management terminal 216. Retail terminal 212 may access the system 210 via, for example, a private or virtual private IP network 231. In-store register 213 may access the system via, for example, an in-store network 232 and a private IP network 231. The wireless device 215 (which may be a personal digital assistant (PDA) in one embodiment) is connected to a cellular network 233 that can ultimately connect to the system 210 via, for example, the public Internet 335. The system can be accessed via. The present invention can, for example, accommodate wireless access by a number of devices using various communication protocols. For example, the present invention may include, inter alia, short-messaging service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS), I-Mode ^™ , wireless access protocol (WAP), unstructured supplementary service data (USSD), and IVR (interactive). A voice response can be used to send a communication. Home computer 214 may also be connected to the system via the Internet. The interactive television 217 may access the system via, for example, the Internet 235 and the cable service provider network 234. The management terminal 216 can access the system 210 via, for example, an intra-site local area network 236.

Upon access, the system 210 of the present invention may provide the system and commerce service 260 as well as games and other applications 270. System and commerce services include, for example, device management, retail management, other user management, general accounting, e-commerce components, file transfers, transaction acceptance, secure execution, static web pages, players Player management, presentation primitives, wallet management, electronic money transfer, batch report repository, general repository and product catalog. Such programming may be designed to be accessible only for a particular user type in one embodiment. Application 270 may include, for example, a game presentation, retailer invoicing, check printing, bet games (instant and draw-based), and reporting manager. System and commerce services and other applications may also be in communication with a host processor as described above. As shown in FIG. 3, in one embodiment, in case of failover, hosts 221 and 222 represent initial hosting sites and host 229 represents backup sites. Hosts 221 and 222 may perform a number of functions, including, for example, providing batch reporting, product information, traditional game processing, and storing business object repositories.

As shown in Figure 4, the system is logically organized into three separate software layers. Base layer 150 (layer 1) is a system interface layer that defines communication and hardware functionality and other system components. The base layer can include a network of servers 152 that facilitates communication between a PC-based client terminal and a transaction processing engine. In one embodiment, the base layer or network layer may include a dedicated internet protocol (IP) network 155. In an IP-based network, servers on the network supply POS device addresses logically and dynamically. Data packets are routed / switched within the network based on the source and destination information contained in each packet. The IP network that can be used in the present invention provides inherent flexibility in deploying client terminals and in routing transactions through the network. Full redundancy of the network, improved recovery mechanisms, and network operation and customer support services ensure that the lottery service provider has the necessary continuous network validity. In one embodiment of the present invention, the core network may be a virtual private network (VPN).

At the base layer or network layer, security may be realized to provide authentication, authorization, and integrity services for data transmitted over the network. This security protects the network and its users from network-based attacks, in which attempts to read data, modify data, deny services, and retrieve network configurations, such as by using network resources, can be performed by outsiders. Can help. Such protection against external attacks can be provided, for example, by firewalls, IP filtering, IP tunneling, hub authentication, and line encryption, as well as by the physical and logical protection of lottery agents and related servers and routers in the lottery service provider equipment. have.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the middle layer 200 (layer 2) is a game platform service layer, which resides on the base or network layer. The present invention has a secure and reliable network in place, and thus provides a reliable and secure transmission of information required by the lottery service provider. The game platform service layer is an intermediate function layer that provides the most commonly required intermediate function service for the lottery system. This includes transaction processing engine 40, network management 210, sales agent management 220, communication services 230, game management 240, reporting 250, security 260 and system operations, hotline application operations, Other management functions, such as point-of-sale operations and retailer management functions. As shown in Fig. 5, for the lottery service provider, the game platform service can add and delete lottery sales agents, add and delete game applications, add and delete back-office business applications, report defective network connections, Monitoring the security and effectiveness of the lottery system. The lottery transaction processing engine may host an existing transaction lottery application and process, log and store the lottery transaction from each lottery lottery sales agent for the lottery service provider. In one embodiment of the invention, the transaction processing engine may be a ProSys ^™ or AlphaGOLS ^™ transaction processing engine. In other embodiments of the present invention, in addition to those described herein, electronic funds transfer (EFT) applications may be used.

The middle tier for each lottery service provider may include a web server, an application server, a message exchange component and a lottery engine or transaction processing engine 40. The application server and the web server may configure the channel component as described above. The message exchange component takes the data delivered over the Internet protocol and makes the data interpretable by the lottery transaction engine component. Since the web server can act as an HTTP server, it serves as a conduit for a device (e.g., reference numeral 12) containing a browser for accessing an application provided by the present invention. This application server provides an application for use in the present invention and includes a lottery game application in a thin client embodiment of the present invention. The lottery game application may alternatively be stored on a separate lottery server. In one embodiment of the present invention, application server functionality is assigned across multiple application servers.

As mentioned above, in one embodiment, the application server is a Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) compliant. Typically, an application server may interface with a system database to retrieve and store transaction information. Web servers and application servers can run on a variety of operating systems, including Windows ^TM , Linux ^TM or Unix ^TM operating systems, and commercial types of various types including Sybase ^TM , Oracle ^TM , Informix ^TM , IBM ^TM and Microsoft SQL ^TM . You can interface with any available database.

As shown in FIG. 4, the top layer (layer 3) is an application or game platform API layer 300. The top layer 300 provides a communication method for accessing the game platform service layer. In this layer, the third developer application 350 can communicate with and integrate with the system of the present invention.

At the lottery lottery sales agent level, the system operating capability depends on the type of lottery enforcement technique employed and the sales agent. For example, a particular retailer may own stores in multiple locations and may wish to centrally manage the lottery behavior of each store. Such lottery ticket sales agents may be provided with system and network management capabilities, reporting, and interfaces for non-lottery third party applications.

The lottery ticket sales agent may communicate directly with their specific state lottery service provider via a public network such as a private network or the Internet. The communication between the state lottery service provider and the lottery lottery sales agent typically belongs to the purchase and recording of the lottery lottery. For example, a particular state lottery service provider may provide instant scratch tickets as well as various types of lottery games, including Pick-3 games, Pick-4 games, Super Lotto games, and multi-state games. For lottery games, it is necessary to record different information fields to determine the final prize distribution. Thus, communication from a particular sales agent may include the buyer's selection number, the store from which the purchase was made, the game associated with the purchase, and the purchase date and time. Once sent to the lottery service provider, this information is processed by the game transaction processing engine and stored in a database, and the information is sent back to the lottery lottery sales agent for printing of the lottery receipt.

As shown in the method 600 of FIG. 6, in operation, the system of the present invention may be used in a new or existing lottery system as follows. first. The lottery service provider is registered with the lottery distributor or management system, as in step 605. Then, as in step 610, the lottery service provider is provided with the necessary hardware and network equipment to support network, client and server functions. As in step 602, for each lottery ticket sales agent, an appropriate number and type of POS devices are determined and configured to establish a new client or a formal client. As in step 625, the lottery service provider is also provided with an appropriate network of servers to support IP communications, proper security, lottery game applications, lottery transaction processing engines, network management and reporting functions. Next, as in step 630, a management service may be established and the type of lottery game application may be selected by the lottery service. The lottery service provider may select a game based on various business strategies.

As in step 635, the lottery service provider may also choose to integrate a third application that may be related to the lottery or may be related to the non-lottery. Such a non-lottery application may include, for example, a business application designed to examine the recruitment data of the lottery service provider to determine which game application is most profitable. Because of the known features of the system architecture of the present invention, interfacing with third applications can be easily accomplished while maintaining data integrity, size and speed. In one embodiment of the invention, the third application is a plug-in that allows a lottery management service, lottery service provider or lottery ticket sales agent to select the most appropriate or desirable lottery or non-lottery application to assist with an appropriate level business operation. It can be provided as a play web service. For example, the lottery lottery sales agent may be able to enable intra-agent communication for the exchange of consumer goods, or the lottery lottery sales agent may be able to view video and video using a POS web browser that may be used to view and display the winning ticket number. It may be possible.

Through these capabilities, it can be appreciated that the present invention provides an improved platform for lottery integration. In one embodiment, the platform of the present invention may be based on the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) and allow lottery service providers to integrate their internal information systems with their internal information systems of partners, suppliers, and distributors. , Placement and tracking of orders, reporting of problems, and manipulation of account information. This may include, for example, connecting to other internal or external data sources for increased business intelligence.

7 and 8 illustrate thin and thick client exemplary implementations of the system of the present invention, respectively. In the thin retail terminal embodiment 500 shown in FIG. 7, a POS terminal (total) that can be a non-browser based terminal 505 or a browser based terminal 510. And indicated by reference numeral 502). Non-browser based terminals may include kiosk and retail convenience store POS devices. Browser-based terminals can operate using standard Internet browsers such as Mozilla 1.0 ^TM , Netscape Navigator ^TM , or Microsoft Internet Explorer ^TM version 5.0 or later. Terminal 505 may access retailer channel 590 via a simple object access protocol (SOAP) request and POS servlet 515. In this embodiment, retail channel 590 is shown as part of the MVC architecture described above. The POS servlet may access the action sublet 522 with instructions from the terminal 505 that may, for example, enable signing or performing a drawing activity. Based on this command, the POS servlet may return the appropriate command to terminal 505. Since the terminal 510 may send a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request to the action servlet 522 that may initialize the action 525 and the action form bean 532, the terminal 510 browser. You can return the Java server page on which the HTTP response displayed on the page was performed. Such SOAP and HTTP communications are well known to those skilled in the art.

As also shown in FIG. 7, a lottery transaction initiated by terminals 505, 510 is acquired by an acceptor 540 including a specific acceptor 540a-h for which a lottery transaction or message is designed and accepted. A lottery transaction or message is designed for the party. For example, the acceptor 540a-h may issue a sign-on command, a lotto command, a confirmation command, a cancel command, a reprint command, a bet payment command, home commands and a print command. It may include an acceptor to process. The acceptor processes according to the message and forwards the message to the appropriate processor as indicated by reference numeral 550 for further processing. Processor 550 communicates with system host 520 through message exchange component 530 as described above.

Acceptor 540 and processor 550 also communicate with other system and commerce services 560. The commerce services used by the retailer channel and the POS channel are retailer profile 562, game parameters 564, and device profile 566. Retailer profiles provide a placeholder for the terminal state and useful services for a particular retailer. This information is stored in the database. A sign on retail bean 542 can be created in the retailer channel 590, thereby allowing the retailer channel application to access the retailer's profile. Similarly, sale bean 545 allows the retailer channel application to access the player's sales list or winning amount. Game parameters are placeholders that manage product parameters for all games. This information is stored in the database and can be updated by message exchange. Device profiles are placeholder characteristics specific to devices such as printers, signs, readers, and the like. This information is stored in the database. When the system receives the print request, it can be entered by the lottery terminal, for example, when the player of the lottery purchases. Acceptors associated with the print function may communicate with the peripheral server 519 at a retail location that may instruct the local printer 521 to print the ordered ticket.

8, the expression on the client embodiment, the terminal 312, for example, IP network 335 or Altura ^TM or any other that is accessible to the system through other known means, such as a satellite connection (333) It may be a similar terminal. Retailer channel 390 receives communications from a terminal (eg, in FIG. 8, full-client retail channel 394 or "satellite optimized" full-client retail channel 392). As mentioned above, the channel 390 communicates with the commerce service 360 and the system service 380 and also accepts the acceptor 340 (especially the eclipse client transaction acceptor 342) and the processor 350 (especially the eclipse). Client transaction processor 352. Acceptor 340 and processor 330 communicate with commerce service 360 and system service 380 and with message exchange component 330. The message exchange component translates and transfers the processed message between the processor 320 and the host 320, which may be a ProSys ^™ or AlphaGOLS ^™ host as described above.

In the present embodiment, the commerce service 360 may include, for example, a query management system component 361, a marketing component 362, a user profile component 363, an account management component 364, for handling a query, Product catalog 365, ticket / order processing component 366 and electronic wallet component 367. System service components include database component 381, repository component 382, naming and directory component 383, policy server 384, email component 385, business object repository 386, and Electronic funds transfer component 387. The networks 333, 335 may also provide direct access to the system broadcast service 375, which may include, for example, network management 371, device management 372, and commerce add value service management 373. have. It is also recognized that the various components described above may facilitate the execution, management, communication and transaction processing of the lottery system of the present invention.

action

In operation, the system of the present invention enables interaction by game participants, lottery distributors, lottery lottery providers (eg, states), lottery lottery retailers, and third application developers. These operators can interact with game selection and delivery, game management, system setup, and commerce services. An exemplary diagram illustrating the ability to interact with various operators in an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 9. As shown here, the lottery system distributor 905 of GTECH Corporation et al. Has established a new system infrastructure (in the form of system hardware, software, network connectivity and related services) to build a network capable lottery system 910 (see FIG. 907 is provided. It will be appreciated that the components of the present invention may be adapted to the use of existing lottery systems to enable the desired functionality and access characteristics. Distributor 905 may also interact with system services, game selection, and commerce services as indicated at 915.

For example, a lottery provider 925, such as a state, may also interact with system services and game selection and commerce services, as at 930 when providing one or more lottery games for retail distribution. A third application provider 940 may interact with the system 910 by, for example, providing a business or game software application 945 to extend management and game selection capabilities to other users of the system. . Exemplary third applications and functions include: (1) authentication service software such as Experian ^™ , which is particularly advantageous in an environment without nationality authentication or identification methods; (2) electronic fund transfer linking software such as SolvSE ^™ , which provides a link to the Royal Bank of Scotland; (3) advanced betting and billing software, such as IPS ^™ ; And (4) various lottery lottery and lottery game applications.

The commissioned lottery retailer 950 may interact with game selection and commerce services, as in reference numeral 955, and in one embodiment, the level of interaction permitted by a particular retailer is the lottery provider 925 who commissioned the particular retailer. Can be determined by The lottery or game player 965 may interact with the game selection and commerce service of the present invention as indicated at 970 to share game offers and track winnings, account information and other player information.

It is appreciated that one example of the present invention enhances the interaction of the lottery system. The interaction of the present invention provides the ability to play electronic instant and lottery games over the Internet. In one embodiment, the Internet capability is programmed to provide result-based services, such as broadcasting winning numbers to a personal computer or mobile phone, for example, by e-mail and / or SMS-based text message methods, as is well known in the art. It includes providing an information website. In another embodiment, the system of the present invention provides a fully interactive system with a wagering engine with the ability to bet on electronic instant tickets and a web-based front end. This embodiment may include two applications having a web-based front end, a player application and a full administration application. In another embodiment, a message exchange component 30 is used to connect to a host bet system 21, such as AlphaGols ^™ , thereby providing the ability to play a draw-based game.

In one embodiment, a framework that provides an instant game may separate gameplay and presentation from the game's mechanism and how it is recorded. This can be achieved by separating the presentation of the game at the front end (browser) from the data generation program (eg XML) at the back end and the system by means of a clearly defined interface. This means that the range of games that can be developed is infinite and there is no need to change the system itself, so an independent game developer can interact with the system of the present invention.

In one embodiment, the instant game framework operates such that the presentation tier, game processor, and ticket generator are separated. Any conventional API may be defined such that any number of instant game types can be easily added. In one embodiment, the present invention can use Macromadia Flash ^™ for the presentation layer and XML can be used as a standard conduit. In addition, the lottery game framework may support lotto games including, for example, Lotto ^™ , Lotto Extra ^™ , Thunderball ^™ , Hotpicks ^™ and Big Draw ^™ . The framework also handles other game types (eg numbers) along with the handling of raffle promotional tickets. Wallet management provides the ability to load, unload, and adjust wallet balance. Both the player and the operator have the ability to view funds (eg cumulative, winnings, adjustments) transactions. In addition, both player and operator individuals have the ability to view game (bet and win) transactions. The application has a separate site that provides operational functions for both the account and the application itself. Operational ease provided by the present invention may also include, for example, system validation, user or customer search, user account and game management, and authorized user creation / editing.

It is recognized that the system allows individual players and operators to create accounts. Account management includes, for example, the ability to log in, log out and password resets, provide inactivity timeouts, access bookmarks, close accounts, hold back and recover. A number of eases are provided by the system that allow an individual with appropriate privileges to load, disable, re-enable, or terminate a game. Before accessing the site by individually registering with the system, it is known as a customer. Registration can be a long time process. The system tracks the information entered by the customer and allows the operator staff to view the detailed specifications as needed to assist during the registration process. The lifecycle of both instant and raffle tickets is carefully managed by the interaction system for integrity and because of chargeback reasons.

In order to allow the customer to register and become familiar with the game provider, the present invention incorporates a facility (function) that represents an instant game that can be played without the need to bet or register using funds in the wallet. Similarly for the lottery game, the player can fill and save the play slip without being required to register. This very important facility can be added to ensure the integrity of the system and to protect the player. The system saves the specification of unplayed play and presents it to the player for completion at the next login.

In a draw based game, cancellation rules can mimic these indications at retail terminals. In one embodiment, the cancellation may only be performed by an appropriately privileged individual at the contact center. The canceled ticket can be displayed in the player's finances and game history. The interactive component of the system provides extensive configurable logging capability. The system provides the ability for the user to create preferences (eg, playslip) for Lotto ^™ and Thunderball ^™ , for example, and save them with a unique name. Once the preferences are saved, the user can recall them based on the name to pre-populate or edit the placeslips in the future.

Upon completion of the winning ticket, the system may a) enter the winnings in the user's wallet, b) enter the winnings on the user's bill card, or c) make an appointment at the regional center for the user to take the check (eg For example, about winning a senior). Before the check is printed, an appropriately privileged person may be asked to log a payment claim on the interaction system, which then sends the necessary information to the host (eg, IPS) for check processing. Next, the host sends a confirmation of the check payment to the interaction component, logs it and completes the cycle.

For a lottery game, the interactive component of the system obtains a file from a host (eg, AlphaGOLS ^™ ) that identifies and updates all raffle tickets in a winner or loser status after each lottery. The system also provides a "rollback" facility if the host has made an incorrect specification. All draw based game orders in an unknown state in the system can be tagged to be canceled at the host. To ensure this, the system creates a file and sends it to a host containing all orders unknown to the process. This file is sent on a regular basis (for example, twice a day).

In one embodiment, a standalone application can be used by game developers to test presentations and ticket generators without having to access the instant game processor of the present invention. This can help speed up the delivery of new instant games if problems are identified early in delivery. Synchronization between the host and the interaction component of the present invention may be handled by means of a "heartbeat" message. At configurable intervals, the system can poll the host to check for any system state changes. If changes have been made, they can be requested and updated in the system. The authenticated user can turn on and off the "throttle" and also configure the current user limit used by the throttle. The throttle is organized by function in the database, and each function can be mapped to a page or set of pages in a site. If one of these pages is requested and the throttle for the function is turned on, the number of current users is checked. If the number of current users is equal to or greater than the allowed number of current user configurations, then a standard error page is returned. A player may elect to be part of a group of attempts to play a new game and provide feedback. The system provides the ability to assign or withdraw players from a predetermined group of attempts. This system provides a very flexible means of limiting the allowable functional area for named groups.

In order to allow the user (player) to wager, the system may display a number of different notifications specifically specified for the player. These notifications inform players about important issues regarding their account status and game play status. The system makes it possible to load and use a token as a payment method for bets. The system may also allow staff with appropriate privileges to adjust the player's token balance. The system also allows players and system limits for instant games. The system also provides the ability to choose to exclude themselves from playing one instant game or all instant games. Through the operating interface, the appropriate privilege can reset these settings. In one embodiment, the system provides the ability for an authenticated user to execute a series of Unix commands to initiate "last of the day" and "weekend" processing. The interaction component may provide a number of reports covering, for example, system sales, debt, player transactions, and game status. The system also allows limited campaign management such as retail outlet, token, and promotion management, for example.

The interactive component of the present invention can easily access games on existing online transaction processing (OLTP) betting systems (eg, AlphaGOLS ^™ and ProSys ^™ ) from the interactive betting system. The term "interaction" in the present invention may apply to any channel that does not include a retailer. An interactive player based bet system may consist of some channels, such as mobile, internet and interactive television channels, for example. The present invention does not limit these channels.

By using an application programming interface (API) such bidirectional cross multiple channels can be provided in accordance with the present invention. In commercial practice, such APIs may be provided as part of a software development kit (SDK). As shown in FIG. 10, this example of the present invention may incorporate three message exchange components. First the message exchange interaction component 745 may introduce the communication capability from the interaction channel to the OLTP system. The message exchange client 750 can reside in the application server 742 and be part of a software / system development kit (SDK). In one embodiment, the message exchange client uses the underlying J2EE connector architecture to communicate with the message exchange server 760 as is well known in the art. Message exchange server 760 may reside in host system 720 to allow for the exchange of messages between the SDK and the host. Transaction processing in accordance with the present invention is based on the concept that each transaction arrives from a terminal (eg, 712) communicating over a network 735. The retailer places the betting game on behalf of the player and is responsible for all sales. However, in an interactive channel, a player may use his mobile phone (eg, reference number 714), or a web browser or any interactive channel directly to locate his bet game or only be responsible for his bet. The present invention can form a bridge in the gap between the two systems by creating and managing a pool of virtual terminals for bets coming from the interaction channel. These transactions are then sent to the message exchange server 760 and the appropriate OLTP host 722, which in one embodiment expect transaction information coming from the terminal.

If the player has placed a bet, the game processor 740 may be reached via the Internet provided by a lottery system provider or a third party. Game processor application 740 executes initialization processing and passes the bet to message exchange interaction component 744. The bet is currently assigned to the virtual terminal by the present invention using the message exchange client 750 to translate the bet into a form substantially useful to the host system and handing it over to the host 720. The host handles the bet and sends a response back to the application server 740. The response is back translated from the response into a format recognized by the component 740 assigning the virtual terminal. This response is returned to the player across the interaction channel.

In a new client embodiment, the application no longer needs to be downloaded to the terminal. They reside on an application server near the central system. Game parameters no longer need to be downloaded to the terminal. All application changes are immediately available to the POS and all game parameter changes are immediately available to the POS. Application performance is comparable to expression client applications. Applications can run on many new client devices, from full-size POS to small handheld POS. All business logic is shared and consistent across all POS devices. Only the presentation (GUI) is changed. New client implementations reduce implementation costs, reduce management for each terminal device type, and provide secure transactions and ticket printing. In one embodiment, the third POS device uses the POS channel to provide their own presentation (GUI) and still uses the same business logic as the Retail Channel to handle the bet.

The present invention makes it possible to reduce unnecessary communication and increase revenue for a lottery retailer serving a lottery service provider (eg, a state). For example, a retailer may be provided with telephony network services through the lottery system of the present invention. At least part of the network may be shared with the lottery system transaction processing, but any available network bandwidth may be used appropriately by the lottery retailer. The invention also provides a lottery retailer to view his own inventory management system using the interface according to the invention. The integration of the lottery and commercial product inventory data can store or share management to bill and mobile balance balancing reports from a single source daily.

For a lottery manager or lottery director, the present invention may affect the lottery subsystem of the present invention to provide additional management benefits. For example, the retailer reporting function may maintain separation from the lottery report by providing the retailer with secure access for reporting from a separate website than the lottery control website. In addition, the present invention enables the automatic generation and delivery of electronic reports and the electronic distribution of data retrieved from retail billing systems through NACS authentication standards for XML extensible markup language (EDI).

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or fundamental characteristics. Accordingly, this embodiment is for the purpose of description and is not intended to impose any limitation, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims of the application rather than the foregoing detailed description, and is within the range equivalent to the scope of the claims. All changes are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (32)

At least one point-of-contact device for processing end user sales and end user lottery activity information; At least one channel processing component in bidirectional communication with the at least one POC device receiving and granting at least one request from the at least one device, the request comprising information identifying the request type, the identity of the requester, and the request item. At least one channel processing component; At least one acceptor for retrieving and processing the request; A transaction processing engine for bidirectionally communicating with the at least one channel processing component, the transaction processing engine comprising at least one non-game transaction processor for managing and paying for non-gaming transactions; A commerce service component in bidirectional communication with the at least one channel processing component and the transaction processing engine for the at least one non-lottery monitoring and processing comprising a financial service component in bidirectional communication with a funds transfer component; A message exchange component in bidirectional communication with a transaction processing engine and a commerce service component; A host system in bidirectional communication with a message exchange component for external monitoring and processing; And A lottery management system comprising a channel processing component, a transaction processing engine, a commerce service component and a system service component in bidirectional communication with a host system. The method of claim 1, And the transaction processing engine comprises at least one game transaction processor for managing and paying for at least one game transaction. The method of claim 2, And wherein the at least one game transaction is taken from a group consisting of ticket purchase, ticket cancellation, ticket validating, query for results and winner processing. The method of claim 1, And the POC device is taken from a group consisting of a point-of-sale device, a kiosk, a drawable terminal, a cordless phone, and a personal digital assistant. The method of claim 1, The commerce service component includes a user profile component, a device profile component, a bill payment component, a product catalog component, an order / ticket component, an electronic wallet component, and a money transfer component. The method of claim 1, And the host system is capable of monitoring at least one of a video lottery operation, an instant game operation and a draw-based game operation. An online-centric service transaction processor that provides a plurality of other secure computerized lottery services including transaction acquisition, transaction processing, game application management, game application delivery, and commerce services; At least one game participant interface device capable of bidirectional communication with the online processor; At least one lottery distributor interface capable of bidirectional communication with the online processor; At least one lottery provider interface capable of bidirectional communication with the online processor; And And means associated with each of the at least one interface for selecting at least one game application for delivery to the at least one game participant interface device. The method of claim 7, wherein And a means relating to the at least one lottery distributor interface for selecting at least one commerce service. The method of claim 7, wherein Means for relating to said at least one lottery provider interface for selecting at least one commerce service. The method of claim 7, wherein The game application management includes the ability to provide draw and instant lottery games. The method of claim 10, The game application management further comprises the ability of the at least one game participant to mount and store a format for executing the lottery lottery game. The method of claim 7, wherein And the interface may be a web browser interface. The method of claim 7, wherein And at least one lottery ticket retailer interface capable of two-way communication with the online processor. The method of claim 7, wherein The game application management includes determining a performance for at least one game selected by the at least one game participant, wherein the game application delivery causes the game participant interface device to operate without operating game management on the game participant interface device. And displaying the result of the determined outcome to the game participant via the lottery management platform. The method of claim 7, wherein And at least one inspection interface device for testing the operation of at least one of the game management, the commerce service, the transaction processing, and the game application delivery. A player management component that manages information about the game player; A game management component that manages game applications used by the player; A purchasing component for managing a lottery game purchase by the player; A payment component that manages financial institution transaction processing in connection with the lottery game purchase; And at least one general purpose management component for managing the player, game, purchase and payment components. The method of claim 16, And the at least one universal management component comprises a first management component allowing access by the lottery distributor and a second management component allowing access by the lottery provider. Providing at least one channel processor for receiving a lottery related electronic message from at least one of a point-of-sale device, a wireless device, and a device comprising a non-point-of-sale personal computer; Providing a transaction engine having at least one acceptor component corresponding to the at least one channel processor, further comprising at least one transaction processing component; Delivering the lottery related electronic message from the channel processor to the transaction engine; Providing a host processing system for processing at least one of an online lottery transaction message, a video lottery message, and an instant ticket lottery message; Providing a message exchange component for two-way electronic communication between the transaction engine and the host processing system; Delivering the message from the transaction engine to the host processing system via the message exchange component; Processing the message through the host processing system; And Delivering a response message to the at least one device. The method of claim 18, And wherein the lottery-related electronic message is a game play decision. The method of claim 18, And wherein the lottery related electronic message is a commerce service request. The method of claim 18 And wherein the lottery-related electronic message is received from a mobile telephone. The method of claim 18, And the channel processor is capable of receiving the lottery related electronic message from at least one of a lottery distributor, a lottery provider, a lottery retailer, and a lottery game player. A raffible network having an online centric service transaction processor that provides a plurality of different secure computerized lottery services to an online input / output capable device, including transaction acquisition, transaction processing, game application management, game application delivery, and commerce services; A game management interface for selecting a game application for end user participation; A commerce application management interface for selecting business and system management software applications using the platform; A device management interface for selecting an input / output device to receive a lottery related message; And And a host management interface for selecting at least one transaction processing host type to process the lottery related message. A method for providing an interactive lottery service in a secure lottery communication network, Providing an online centralized service transaction processor capable of providing a plurality of other secure computerized lottery services including transaction acquisition, transaction processing, game application management, game application distribution, and commerce services; Providing a plurality of lottery distribution input / output device types, a plurality of game applications, a plurality of business applications, and a plurality of host processor types; And Receiving a selection from a user of at least one input and at least one output device type, at least one game application, and at least one host processor type; And Configuring a lottery platform based on the selection for delivery of the service. Means for receiving transactional and non-transactional messages; Means for classifying each of the received transaction messages into a lottery or non-lottery; A lottery transaction engine processing each of the received lottery transaction messages; And And a commerce service engine for processing the non-lottery transaction message and the non-transactional message. The method of claim 25, And the means for receiving the lottery transaction message comprises means for receiving the message via a wireless device, a personal computer, a point-of-sale register and a lottery kiosk. The method of claim 25, And a first processing subsystem for processing the lottery transaction message and delivering a response message to at least one wireless device, personal computer, POS register and lottery kiosk. The method of claim 27, And a second processing subsystem for processing the non-transactional message. As a method of delivering a special interactive interface to a lottery network user, Providing a computer program application having a special function; And Providing an interface to the application, the interface being capable of providing a plurality of other secure computerized lottery services including transaction acquisition, transaction processing, game application management, game application distribution, and commerce services. Providing the interface to enable the application to be accessed over a network having a transaction processor. The method of claim 29, The lottery network user is a lottery game player and the application is a game application. The method of claim 29, The lottery network user is a lottery system provider and the application is a business application. Receiving lottery information from a lottery holder at a lottery redemption location; Processing the lottery information through a network having an online centralized service transaction processor capable of providing a plurality of different secure computerized lottery services including transaction acquisition, transaction processing, game application management, game application distribution and commerce services. step; And And when the lottery is won, paying the winnings of the lottery to the lottery holder.