NZ248327A

NZ248327A - Using a microprocessor to draw numbers in a lottery

Info

Publication number: NZ248327A
Application number: NZ248327A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Per Lundin
Original assignee: Lundin Per Substituted For Lju
Priority date: 1992-08-07
Filing date: 1993-08-04
Publication date: 1996-03-26
Also published as: CA2141858C; ES2103380T3; HUT71762A; HU213439B; CZ31295A3; WO1994003873A1; CZ284351B6; DK0647341T3; HU9500355D0; CA2141858A1

Description

New Zealand Paient Spedficaiion for Paient Number £48327 t > .--...^.1^.1.^^ \p;cte Sp>- *- ••-•'■1 ..3: (») ;Gonc.i%/po... ;: ..H-.|.&!.?..?.. ;// &ob (= t b|; 00 iication D;ila: ;. Journal No-. (HrP.^r. ;24 8.^ ;r 0 •» ;j ^ 7 ;Patents Form No. 5 ;NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION ;| "4 AUG 1993 ;% ;1uf ^puca^stem por drawing of winners in a lottery ;Lr<0 ;SUBSTITUTION OF APPLICANT UNDER SECTiOU 24 ;PtL (2. LLiaJOipJ ;So ^ e\ igi t ;% ;we, ljung & lundin datakonstjlt ab of Swodon of 402. Sojecix^ . ;hereby declare the invention, for which We pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: ;- 1 - ;(followed by page la) ;24 8 32 ;lc* System for drawing of winners in a lottery TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention refers to a system for use of a microprocessor at drawing of winners in a lottery with an in advance given dividend, whereby each lottery ticket includes at least one counter of bingo type with a number of numbers provided in rows and columns as well as an identification that is unique for the lottery ticket.

PRIOR ART At conventional lotteries one simply draws prize tickets from the total number of lottery tickets, until an in advance givennumber of prize tickets has been obtained. The results of such draws are published by means of lottery prize-list. A disadvantage of usual lotteries is that the excitement moment is short-lived.

Interactive games of bingo type engages the participants considerably more and are therefore experienced as more exciting. A problem at games of bingo type is that the random draw of numbers gives an unpredictable dividend. It is true, that the dividend in long-term can be statistically calculated, but the uncertainty is yet very big before each individual draw.

THE TECHNICAL PROBLEM The purpose of the invention is therefore to achieve a system that makes it possible to achieve an in advance given dividend at games of bingo type. (followed by page 2) 24 8 3 2 There is thus provided a method for: (a) producing bingo type lottery tickets, each with a unique counter comprising a quantity of different numbers arranged in lines and columns and with a unique identity for each ticket, and (b) drawing randomly selected winning number sequences, according to a predetermined dividend, using the microprocessor of a computer, and (c) presenting the winning number sequences, wherein: (i) the identity and number lines of each lottery ticket are stored in a first register which is readable by the microprocessor, (ii) the tickets are printed in accordance with number data and identity data stored in said first register, (iii) a quantity of unique number sequences are stored in a second register which is readable by the microprocessor, corresponding to the predetermined dividend, and corresponding to lines of numbers on the tickets, (iv) one number sequence is selected by a random draw by the microprocessor among said stored number sequences in the second register, (v) the selected number sequence from the second register is compared by the microprocessor to the number lines in the first register, (vi) the number lines that comprise numbers in the selected number sequence are sorted out by the microprocessor, and (vii) the tickets with the selected winning v number lines and their identity ar^> presented to an audience . ~ w ,n_ % f V E 0 (followed by page 24 8 3 27 -2a- The invention will now be described by way of example or preferred embodiments of the invention.

The system according to the invention is based on the use of the conventional bingo-counter for variation games. Normally such a counter includes 75 numbers distributed in five columns with 15 rows each, with numbers 1-15 in the first column, 16-30 in the second column, 31-45 in the third column, 46-60 in the fourth column, and 61-75 in the fifth column. The invention is however not limited to this size, but can be modified regarding the number of rows and columns.

There are a total of 50.625 different ways to combine a bingo counter with 75 numbers in five columns. Each lottery ticket includes at least one of these counters. It can manageably be appropriate to use series of for example 10.000 lottery 24 8 J2 3 tickets per series. Then 10.000 of the total number of bingo counters are selected. The counters are each printed and provided with an identification number, so that every lottery ticket in each series has a unique counter and a unique identification number. If several series are present, for example nine, there are therefore 90.000 lottery tickets with nine identical counter series and 90.000 different lottery ticket numbers.

Each lottery ticket number in a series consequently represents a unique counter. The lottery ticket numbers and their respective counters are stored in a first register readable by a microprocessor.

Before each draw the prize plan shall be known. One can for example choose that there shall be 90 winners per 10.000 lottery tickets. The draw is carried out after finished sale and before the presentation of the draw result. This presentation may for example be carried out on TV, in such a way that it seems as if the draw, being of bingo character, is done in the moment of broadcasting. The presentation can furthermore be published in the daily press after the broadcasting.

In a second register readable by a microprocessor, a number of number sequences are stored, which include 17-20 different numbers between 1 and 75. These number sequences are unique and constructed such, that they give an exact number of winners at the use of 10.000 counters. To satisfy the demand of randomness the number of number sequences for example may include 2.000.

The draw is carried out by randomly selecting a number sequ- 2 4 8 3 ? rC;.' 4 ence among the mentioned 2.000 in the second register. Thus it is entirely random sample that determines which 90 counters per series that is a winning one.

After this draw a computer run takes place in which the selected number sequence is compared to the counters in the first register. In this way prize lottery ticket numbers are successively put together until all prize tickets in all series have been obtained.

It is now possible to carry out the presentation of the selected number series, for example in live TV, in such a way that the spectators may get the impression that the draw, of bingo game character, occurs in the moment of broadcasting.

The creation of number sequences is carried out by means of random number generator in the computer. At first five lists of random numbers (one per column) are genererated with random mutual order of the numbers 1-15 in the first list, 16-30 in the second list, 31-45 in the third list, 46-60 in the fourth list and 61-75 in the fifth list. Subsequently a random number between one and five is genererated. This number determines in which list of random numbers (column) that the last number shall be drawn. Then a suitable number of numbers in each of five lists of random numbers are drawn by means of a new random number between 1-15 for each draw. This random number points onto a position in the actual list of random numbers. This position contains the number that shall be used in the number sequence. In this way the function of random numbers of the computer is used twice to obtain a drawn number. Furthermore it is provided that the order among the numbers generated is mixed, so that not all

Claims

2 4 8 ,5 2 5 numbers from the same column appear consecutively - The distribution of numbers from the different columns is done in an appropriate way in relation to the number of winners, for example a draw of three numbers in column 1, two numbers in column 2, five numbers in column 3, one number in column 4 and three numbers in column 5 give a total of 90 winners. In this way each number sequence is generated. The computer is now used for going through and ascertain on which number counters there is a horizontal line with five drawn numbers. If the number of prize counters corresponds to the given dividend this number sequence is accepted, in other case it is rejected. In this weiy accepted number sequences are genererated until the numbers form a statistical distribution number in relation to the number of lottery tickets in each series. After a finished lottery round che selected number sequence is erased from the other register. A new draw sequence is instead created in the above described way, so that before each lottery round there is always available the amount of sequences determined in advance to choose among. The system according to the invention is very flexible and can easily be adapted to various average distributions of dividend. The invention is not limited to the above described embodiments, but several variants are conceivable within the scope of subsequent claims. For example counters with more or fewer numbers than described above can be used. -s- 2 4 8 3 2 7 CLAIMS

1. A method comprising: (a) producing bingo type lottery tickets, each with a unique counter comprising a quantity of different numbers arranged in lines and columns and with a unique identity for each ticket, and (b) drawing randomly selected winning number sequences, according to a predetermined dividend, using the microprocessor of a computer, and (c) presenting the winning number sequences, wherein: (i) the identity and number lines of each lottery ticket are stored in a first register which is readable by the microprocessor, (ii) the tickets are printed in accordance with number data and identity data stored in said first register, (iii) a quantity of unique number sequences is stored in a second register which is readable by the microprocessor, corresponding to the predetermined dividend, and corresponding to lines of numbers on the tickets, (iv) one number sequence is selected by a random draw by the microprocessor among said stored number sequences in the second register, (v) the selected number sequence from the second register is compared by the microprocessor to the number lines in the first register, (vi) the number lines that comprise numbers in the selected number sequence are sortec by the microprocessor, and (vii) the tickets with the selected winn:;L£g number lines and their identity ai presented to an audience. -7- 2 4 8 3 2 7

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the numbers in the randomly drawn number sequence are presented to an audience one by one in a bingo-manner.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first register contains all possible different number lines.

4. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first register contains a selected quantity of number lines.

5. A method according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, wherein the second register comprises fifteen sequences, and the number sequences form a statistical distribution amount in relation to the quantity of number lines.

6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each number sequence is created with consideration to the quantity of number lines, to the number of winners in the given dividend and to how long the number sequence must be to indicate winning number lines.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein each ticket includes the numbers 1-75, arranged in five columns, wherein each number sequence is created by means of an internal random number generator of the computer, wherein a number of lists of random numbers are generated to correspond to the number columns in the ticket, with random mutual order of the numbers 1-15 in the first list, 16-30 in the second list, 31-45 in the third list, 46-60 in the fourth list and _6^s± in the fifth list, that a random number betwe? -8- 24 831 J and five is generated, which number determines in which list of random numbers the last number shall be drawn, that one to five numbers are drawn in each of the lists of random numbers by means of a new random number between 1-15 for each draw, which random number points onto a position in the current list of random numbers, so that this position contains the number that shall be used in the number sequence.

8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, substantially as herein described.

9. A ticket produced by a method according to any one of the preceding claims. LJTJNG ft LINDIN DATAKONSULT AB