WO2018129584A1

WO2018129584A1 - A lottery game machine and ticket selection method

Info

Publication number: WO2018129584A1
Application number: PCT/AU2018/050006
Authority: WO
Inventors: Phillip Patrick SWEENEY
Original assignee: Sweeney Phillip Patrick
Priority date: 2017-01-10
Filing date: 2018-01-08
Publication date: 2018-07-19

Abstract

A method and apparatus relating to a lottery or similar game of chance are disclosed. The probability of winning a prize is related to a size or region of influence of a selected finite location on the surface of an image of a three dimensional body (2, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80) relative to the total size or region of influence of all finite locations selected. A prospective ticket purchaser initiates a ticket purchase time period during which the image is rotated, spun, tumbled or otherwise animated to display a changing surface area. The three dimensional body can be a planet such as Mars (2) or a soccer ball (30) or a rugby ball (40), or a baseball (50),or a tennis ball (60), or a golf ball (80).

Description

A LOTTERY GAME MACHINE AND TICKET SELECTION METHOD

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to games, and in particular relates to apparatus used to enable lotteries to be conducted wherein the odds of the lottery are governed by an event which, whether in reality or by simulation, takes place in three-dimensional space.

Background Art

Risk-taking games may broadly be characterised as existing on a spectrum which extends between a lottery and a wager.

In general terms, a lottery is a game wherein a player purchases an entitlement to a probability of winnings. In its simplest form, there are n tickets and the probability of winning first prize is 1/n. The outcome of the lottery is usually determined on a random basis by a special purpose machine (such as a random or pseudo-random number generator or marble selector) or a similar system designed specifically for the lottery. Such machines and systems are usually designed to provide an element of random chance which cannot be deduced by the players in advance, and many such devices have been patented. The lottery can include a game card, game board, or token that is provided to the players.

Conversely, a wager may be generalised as a game wherein a punter places a bet on the outcome of an event. The outcome is usually not intended to be dependent upon man-made randomness or chance but rather a consequence of the real-world, such as a horse race or a rotation of the reel(s) of a poker machine (or slot machine) or a roulette table on the floor of a casino.

Accordingly lotteries and wagers may be differentiated by the nature of the risk. In a conventional lottery, the realisation of winnings is proportionate to the total number of purchased entitlements. In a conventional wager, the realisation of winnings is proportionate to the exercise of the punter's knowledge, skill, or intellect, with or without a residual element of chance. A further problem in relation to lotteries is the ability of the prospective ticket purchaser to comprehend where a particular purchased ticket or entitlement fits into the overall scheme of the lottery. In a conventional lottery with n tickets, these may be visualised as a string which is n tickets long. Other more complicated lotteries are much more difficult to comprehend, especially in respect of purchasers without training in mathematics, probability theory and the like.

Lotteries are often provided through small stores that rely upon customer turnover and neither have space for lottery adherents to linger while filling in printed cards nor time to reissue incorrectly filled cards. Accordingly such small stores are often limited in bench space on the shop counter for any apparatus associated with a lottery.

Prior art searches conducted after the conception of the present invention have disclosed US Patent Applications Nos 2012 0135793 and 2012 0295685. Similarly disclosed are published PCT Patent Applications Nos WO/2005/000436 and

WO/2006/049934.

Genesis of the Invention

The Genesis of the present invention is a desire to provide an apparatus and system to facilitate the running of a lottery.

In particular it is desirable to provide a lottery apparatus which lottery is associated with a prize outcome determinable from an event locatable in three dimensional space, whether real or simulated.,

Summary of the Invention

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a method of ticket selection in a lottery or similar game of chance having a probability of a ticket purchaser winning a prize, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying an image of a three-dimensional body having a surface on a visual display unit forming part of a device with computational powers,

permitting a prospective ticket purchaser to initiate a ticket purchase time period,

following initiation of said ticket purchase time period, rotating, spinning, tumbling or otherwise animating said image to display a changing surface area of said three-dimensional body, and during said ticket purchase time period permitting said prospective ticket purchaser to interact with said device to select a finite location on said three- dimensional body surface;

the probability of said prospective ticket purchaser winning a prize in said lottery or similar game of chance being related to a size or region of influence of said selected finite location relative to a total size or region of influence of all finite locations selected in said lottery or similar game of chance.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a game apparatus for use in a lottery or similar game of chance having a probability of a ticket purchaser winning a prize, said apparatus comprising:

a visual display unit forming part of a device with computational powers and capable of displaying an image of a three dimensional body,

a timer associated with said device and able to be initiated by a prospective ticket purchaser to commence a ticket purchase time period,

said visual display unit following initiation of said timer rotating, spinning, tumbling or otherwise animatedly said image to display a changing surface area of said three dimensional body, and

said device including selection means to permit said prospective ticket purchaser during said ticket purchase time period to select a finite location on said three dimensional body surface,

Brief Description of the Drawings

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a game machine of a preferred

embodiment, indicating an image of a three-dimensional body, a visual display unit, human interfacing means, payment facility, and ticket dispenser,

Fig. 2 is an illustration of a game machine of an alternative embodiment, Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a soccer ball-like truncated icosahedron having a finite number of faces,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of an football-like ovaloid having a large number of quasi-rectangular portions,

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a sphere having surface texture and lighting intonation,

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a quasi- spherical tennis ball having geometric aberrations corresponding to a seam and a surface texture of a tennis ball's felt,

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a quasi- spherical baseball having a conventional seam disposed about the baseball,

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a golf ball having dimples,

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a ball game playing field with a superimposed notional grid or graticule, and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a ticket provided by the game machine of

Fig. 1.

Detailed Description

As seen in Figure 1, a random generation machine 4 for a lottery or similar game of chance has a visual display unit 1 capable of displaying an image of a three- dimensional body 2. Displayed on the body 2 are a plurality of constituent images 8. Each constituent image 8 corresponds to a portion of the three-dimensional body 2.

The image of the three-dimensional body 2 can be an image of a three-dimensional surface or viewable region in three-dimensional space, for example the land surface and/or atmosphere of a celestial body or planet, such as Mars as depicted in Fig. 1.

The image of the three-dimensional body 2 has a sufficiently large number of constituent images 8, each corresponding to an area of the Martian surface, so as to be suitable for a predetermined ruleset of the lottery. That ruleset involves the use of the image of the three-dimensional body 2, or its constituent images 8, in ticket allocations.

The visual display unit 1 of the game machine 4 is an electronic visual display having a monitor that can receive display signals from a device 3 having computational powers. The computational device 3 has computer hardware operating under special purpose instruction from firmware and/or software stored therein to control the outputting of the image of the three-dimensional body 2 to the display unit 1. The computational device 3 includes memory and at least one processing unit.

The machine 4 is capable of computing and outputting at least one rotation, spin, tumble, or other animation of the image of the three-dimensional body 2

(symbolically illustrated as a directional arrow of rotation 6). The machine 4 is capable of computing and outputting the image of the three-dimensional body 2 as a pre-recorded or stored render, or otherwise as a substantially real-time render generated, for example, from stored model-and-texture data.

The image of Mars 2 used for the game as illustrated in Fig. 1 is rendered

substantially in real-time by software operating on the machine 4. The render is performed using a perspective projection of a high-resolution polygonal mesh of the Martian surface having about a ten-fold vertical exaggeration of terrain. The render is performed using photographic imagery of the Martian surface taken from orbit, which is input into a rasterization algorithm. The polygonal mesh and photographic imagery are stored in the memory of the computerised device 3.

The image of the three-dimensional body 2 is animated by the computerised device 3 as a series of frames each displaying an incremental rotation of the polygonal mesh and associated textures about an axis of rotation that substantially passes through the geometric centre of the polygonal mesh. The series of frames are computed and output with a sufficiently high frame rate to display a smoothly transitioning videolike render on the display unit 1.

Also output to the display is a marking 12 such as a token, flag, symbol, shape, target reticule, cross-hairs, cursor, or similar marking that is superimposed over the image of the three-dimensional body 2. The marking 12 enables a selection of a constituent image 8, or otherwise a selection of a portion of the three-dimensional body that is correlated to the marking 12. The computerised device 3 is provided with a correlation arrangement (not illustrated) for correlating a location of the marking 12 as output to the visual display unit 1 with a corresponding location on the image of the three-dimensional body 2, or with a constituent image 8 thereof.

The correlation arrangement is incorporated into the software or firmware of the computerised device 3 and results in computations being performed by the processor of the computerised device 3. The correlation arrangement for the image of the three- dimensional body 2 includes a coordinate system 13 that defines a plurality of locations on the image of Mars 2, or otherwise includes a numbering or identification system that defines the constituent images 8.

The coordinate system 13 for the image of Mars 2 illustrated in Fig. 1 is a graticule coordinate system, a depiction of which is superimposed over the image of the three- dimensional body 2 on the visual display unit 1 as illustrated in Fig. 1. The depiction of the coordinate system 13 includes grid or graticule lines, formed from lines of longitude 14 and lines of latitude 15. The grid or graticule lines are of approximately equiangular spacing as can be seen in Fig. 1.

Stored in the memory of the computerised device 3 is a position of the marking 12 on the visual display unit 1. When triggered to do so, the software or firmware can correlate the stored position of the marking 12 with a corresponding position on the three-dimensional body, that corresponding position being output, for example as a constituent image 8 to the same position on the visual display unit 1 as the

marking 12. The correlation can be performed substantially instantaneously for example using the same frame, or after a pre-determined period of time.

The correlated position on the three-dimensional body is then converted by the computerised device 3 into at least one set of coordinates or similar identifier(s) such as a number corresponding to the constituent image 8.

The computerised device 3 can correlate the marking 12 to an areal portion of the three-dimensional body that is definable by a set of coordinates from a pre-determined coordinate system 13. The set of coordinates includes a first and a second coordinate pair, namely a first longitude coupled with a first latitude, and a second longitude coupled with a second latitude.

Accordingly, a player in the game can select or otherwise be provided with a ticket or the like having a definable, and preferably unique, set of coordinates having a known correlation to a portion, position, or region, of the three-dimensional body.

The machine 4 as illustrated in Fig. 1 is suitably adapted to enable the ticket selection process, and is provided with means for human interaction including input-output hardware. This hardware includes a launch button 10, a landing button 11, and a computer mouse 16.

The launch button 10 enables the player to initiate or activate the ticket purchase activity, and to display the ticket purchase result on the display unit 1 by triggering deactivation of a screen saver that is output to the display unit 1 when the machine 4 is not in use. The screen saver preferably includes an animated rotating image of the three dimensional body such as Mars.

The landing button 11 enables the player to control the ticket creation process, by allowing the player to send a signal to the machine 4 that triggers the selection of the set of coordinates corresponding to a portion, position, or region, of the three- dimensional body, as correlated to the cross-hairs 12 on the display unit 1.

The correlation of the marking 12 to the set of coordinates can be performed by the computerised device 3 either substantially instantaneously upon the player's actuation of the landing button 11, or after the subsequent passing of a randomly generated or otherwise pre-determined period of time. An indication of the remaining time can be displayed as a count-down on a timer 12.

In an example of a lottery using the machine 4 as illustrated in Fig. 1, the initiated animation of the image of Mars 2 is rendered by the computerised device 3 and output to the display unit 1 for about twelve seconds. During the first nine seconds of the animation, the player can actuate the landing button 11 to select a position on the three-dimensional body correlating to the cross-hairs 12. Once the first nine seconds have lapsed, a visual and audible alert is output by the machine 4 indicating that only about three seconds remain for the player to make their selection. If the player fails to make a selection before the nine seconds lapses, a set of coordinates are automatically selected by the software or firmware after randomising the animation for a short time- period and then performing the correlation.

The machine 4 is also provided with a cash payment facility 5 and a card payment facility 17, a camera 18 that faces toward the player, and a ticket printer or dispenser 19.

The ticket dispenser 19 enables the machine 4 to provide the player with a ticket 20 having a reproduction of the image of the three-dimensional body 2, or substantially a two-dimensional projection thereof, which indicates the selected portion, position, or region, of the three-dimensional body. Such a ticket is illustrated in Fig. 9 in more detail. The ticket dispenser 19 can furnish the ticket 20 with a unique lottery or ticket number (not illustrated), the selected set of coordinates or similar identifier (not illustrated), and other lottery-relevant information such as a special number for a significant prize draw (not illustrated).

The camera 18 enables the machine 4 to personalise the player's ticket 20 with a photograph of the player (not illustrated). The personalised photograph can also be superimposed over the players' ticketed or selected location on the image of the three- dimensional body 2 that is output to the display unit 1 for a pre-determined period of time following completion of the ticket purchase. The photograph can also be made accessible through a URL or other resource locator such as a scannable tag. The resource locator can be printed on the ticket 20.

Also printed on the ticket 20 is a relatively indeducible access code that can be formed, for example by combining the ticket number with the set of coordinates or similar identifier, or with another number such as the special number for the significant prize draw. The code and the resource locator enable the player to access a web page that provides details and/or a profile of their lottery interests with or without limited access to the details and/or profiles of other players in the lottery. The machine 4 is provided with a network access means 21 to a central server having memory that stores a master record of ticket or location selections and associated data, and also stores a substantially congruent master record of sets of coordinates, of constituent images 8, or of portions, positions, or regions, of the three-dimensional body that have not been ticketed or have not otherwise been selected.

Prior to an instance of selection using the machine 4, the computerised device 3 requests and receives a unique record from the server (being a subset of the corresponding master record on the server) of in-play sets of coordinates, of in-play constituent images 8, or otherwise of in-play portions 22 of the three-dimensional body. The received subset in-play record is mutually exclusive of all other subset in- play records provided by the server to other machines 4.

Prior to completion of the lottery, the computerised device 3 also requests and receives from the server a record of out-of-play sets of coordinates, of out-of-play constituent images 8, or of otherwise out-of-play portions 23 of the three-dimensional body. The received subset out-of-play record is used by the computerised device 3 to differentially render out-of-play portions or constituent images 8 of the three- dimensional body, by rendering distinct colours or textures 23 in lieu of the constituent images 8.

The master records held on the central system are preferably updated from the computerised device 3 via the network access means 21 after each instance of ticket selection or location selection.

The central server system thus enables each machine 4 to provide a unique interest or location to each corresponding player without having multiple interests being provided in respect of any one location as could arise by having multiple concurrent instances of the game on different machines 4.

In an alternative embodiment as illustrated in Fig. 2, the computational device 3 and the display unit 1 take the form of a device having a touch- sensitive display unit 1 that includes a touch-sensitive layer 7 for providing the enablement of human interfacing or interaction. The embodiment of Fig. 2 is suitable for mounting on a vendor's wall (not illustrated) whereas the device of Fig. 1 occupies bench or tabletop space.

Turning now to Figs. 3 to 8, the image of the three-dimensional body 2 can be any image suitably providing a sufficient number of constituent images 8 to be useful for a predetermined ruleset of the lottery or similar game of chance.

The image of the three-dimensional body 2 can be an image of a truncated icosahedron or soccer ball 30 as illustrated in Fig. 3. The image of the truncated icosahedron 30 has twenty hexagonal faces 31 and twelve pentagonal faces 32, amounting to a total of thirty-two faces. A subset of these faces corresponds to the constituent images 8 which make up the image of the truncated icosahedron 30 illustrated in Fig. 3 and are consecutively numbered in Fig. 3.

The image of the three-dimensional body 2 can be an image of an ovaloid or footballlike object 40 as illustrated in Fig. 4, therein being four 'primary' constituent images 45 separated by recessed circumferential or equatorial lines (42, 43). The football-like object has a plurality (about 60) of 'subsidiary' constituent images 41 that are substantially quasi-rectangular in shape.

As illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8, the image of the three-dimensional body 2 can be an image of a sphere or quasi-sphere 50. The image of a sphere 50 in Fig. 5 is formed from constituent images 8 having a different lighting contrast and/or texture (as indicated at 51). Such a quasi-sphere 50 can resemble a cricket ball, for example.

The images of a quasi-sphere 50 in Figs. 6 and 7 each have a corresponding seam 62 extending about the corresponding quasi-sphere such that they resemble a tennis ball and a baseball, respectively. The image of the tennis ball 60 in Fig. 6 has geometric aberrations 63 disposed about the surface of the quasi-sphere that correspond with the seam 62 of the tennis ball, and texture or rasters 61 which correspond to the felt of the tennis ball, thereby providing further features for visually distinguishing the constituent images or areas (8, 51). The image of the three-dimensional body 2 in Fig. 8 is an image of a golf ball 80 having a plurality of dimples 81 disposed about the surface of the ball, a subset of which form the constituent images 8.

The constituent images 8 that collectively constitute the image of the three- dimensional body 2 are preferably visually distinguishable from each other. However, the constituent images 8 need not all be visually distinguishable, and can for example be distinguishable by computational means such as by reference to the location of, or corresponding identity of, one or more pixels or texels output to the display unit 1.

Illustrated in Fig. 9 is a three-dimensional view of a playing field 90 used for ball games such as baseball, cricket, softball and the like where during the course of play the ball, hit by a player from one side, is liable to be caught without a prior bounce by a player from the other side who may be positioned anywhere on the field 90.

Superimposed on the surface of the playing field 90 is a virtual grid 91 which notionally divides the surface of playing field into a multiplicity of small areas 98.

With this preparation, a lottery can be conducted by selling tickets corresponding to the small areas 98. Preferably the maximum number of tickets is equal to the number of small areas 98 which is also equal to the number of regions 51 on the cricket ball 50 of Fig. 5 or the baseball 62 of Fig. 7.

In the event of a catch, the lottery is won by the ticketholder corresponding to the small area 98 on which one foot, say the left foot, of the player making the catch was positioned at the time of the catch. In the event of a diving catch where the player is airborne making the catch, then the winning small area 98 is the area 98 where the left foot of the player making the diving catch last stood prior to the catch.

Turning now to Fig. 10, the reproduction 71 of the image of the three-dimensional body 2 can be a map, plan, topographical projection, atlas, or similar spatial representation of the three-dimensional body. The reproduction 71 can be provided on the ticket 20 dispensed by the game machine 4 or otherwise made accessible for example using the resource locator provided to the player. Fig. 10 illustrates a lottery ticket 20 on which is displayed a Mercator-projected reproduction 71 of the surface of the planet Mars as used by the game machine 4 and having a grid or graticule arrangement 73, and a scale 74 for depicting latitude and longitude on the planet. On the representation are included various prominent topographical features such as mountains and valleys etc.

Indicated by means of a black square 65 is the location corresponding to the player's ticket which represents an approximately rectangular surface area on the planet which has a latitude coordinate and a longitude coordinate. These coordinates 66 are printed on the ticket. Also printed on the ticket is the number 67 of the lottery ticket.

An example of a lottery using the game machine 4 of a Fig. 1 is described hereafter. The lottery has a draw between a multiplicity of players and a prize outcome of the draw that is determined using the actual, alleged, or predicted location of the landing site of a spacecraft or probe upon the surface of a celestial body such as Mars.

Each of the players is provided with an option as to whether their location or interest in a potential landing site is selected by the game machine, or is selected by the corresponding player. Those players who desire to make their own selection are then provided with a timeframe of finite duration in which to make that selection.

During that timeframe, each player is provided with an image of the three- dimensional body 2 on the corresponding game machine 4. The image is rotated for a pre-determined period of time. The rotation is modelled using three substantially distinct axes of rotation, passing through the geometric centre of the meshed or polygonal model, and disposed equiangularly in a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane of the projection.

At least half of a complete revolution of the celestial body is modelled about each of the three equiangularly-disposed axes in sequence over about two seconds each, and the cycle of rotations repeated to provide an overall animation time of about twelve seconds. Each angle revolved by the model over each corresponding axial rotation is at least partially randomised such that the plurality of locations useable in the draw, is at least partially evenly distributed across the celestial body. Each of the players' interests/locations is selected by the corresponding player during that finite selection time, whereafter any unselected interests/locations are assigned by the game machine by a substantially random process.

Accordingly each player can be provided with a corresponding interest in a corresponding first location (or 'player's interest/location') that is definable in the coordinate system and representable on the visual display unit and/or ticket or other reproduction. Preferably not more than one interest is provided in respect of any one of the locations depicted on the display unit.

Each of the players' interests/locations is marked on the reproduction of the image of the three-dimensional body 2 that is provided to the corresponding player, for example in the form of a ticket. The ticket also provides the player with a set of coordinates and lottery number identifying the location of their interest.

The actual landing site of the spacecraft upon the surface of Mars is represented with a second location (or 'event location') definable in the coordinate system. The representative event location need not coincide precisely with the real location, although to impart a notional fairness to the game it preferably does coincide.

The event location is marked on a reproduction of the image of the celestial body and a set of coordinates is also provided. The reproduction is made accessible to the players, and the set of coordinates of the event location able to be examined by the players for example on the internet to correlate their corresponding interests/locations.

Before determining the lottery, a third location definable in the coordinate system is ascertained. The third location's coordinates are determined by an algorithm that takes the event location's coordinates as an input. The algorithm and/or any associated random seeds are kept confidential at least until after all players' interests have been allocated.

The algorithm determines the third location's coordinates by summation of the event location's coordinates with another set of coordinates. As such it may suffice to keep that other set of coordinates confidential. The other set of coordinates are randomly generated or seeded. The other set of coordinates are constrained in value or otherwise manipulated by further components of the algorithm so as to evenly weight the probability of winnings across the plurality of locations.

A corresponding eligibility of each of the players in the lottery as contenders for the prize outcome is determined, wherein each eligibility determination depends upon a corresponding correlation of the player's interest/location with the third location. The correlation is a discrete function of whether a first location exactly coincides with the third location, or otherwise falls within a selected proximity of the third location, or the algorithm or process makes correlations to eligible players that implicitly excludes or ignores the ineligible players' locations. It is communicated to each player whether they are eligible or ineligible for the prize outcome.

A final eligibility determination is not made until the corresponding player claims that their interest or location coincides with the publicised event location. The lottery provider subsequently confirms or refutes the player's claim.

Accordingly, the random generator machine 4 enables a lottery to be conducted with a pool of participants that are each eligible as contenders for lottery winnings.

The example lottery has a secondary draw for a secondary prize, involving

determining a fourth location in the coordinate system using an algorithm that takes the third location's coordinates as an input, or that takes the second location's coordinates as an input in conjunction with a different random seed or different summative coordinates, and then performing eligibility determinations for the secondary prize using correlations of the players' interests/locations with the fourth location.

One or more further lotteries or draws can be performed subsequent to the secondary lottery or draw. The winner of the primary prize outcome is preferably deemed ineligible for the secondary prize, or any subsequent prize. A prize outcome of a lottery can preferably be shared equally amongst the prize- eligible players. In an alternative example lottery having an algorithm that determines the eligibilities using a selected proximity of the players' locations from the third location, the eligibility determinations are performed again using a smaller proximity to further reduce the pool of prize-eligible players. In another example lottery, the prize-eligible players are provided with a secondary interest/location on the lottery and the draw is repeated. In yet another embodiment, the prize outcome is determined between the eligible contenders by substantially random chance.

The example lottery provides systems for resolving having no players being determined as eligible for the prize. The prize selection and associated

correlations/determinations are repeated iteratively using a different random seed or a different set of summative coordinates for each iteration until at least one prize- eligible player is identified. In an alternative example lottery game having an algorithm that determines the eligibilities using a selected proximity of the players' locations from the third location, the eligibility determinations are performed iteratively using a larger selected proximity with each iteration, until a pool of prize- eligible players is identified.

In another arrangement, there is provided a contest on the machine 4 which is associated with an outcome or event in a real game, for example a real soccer tournament or a real tennis match. The machine 4 displays an image of a game ball corresponding to that of the real game, such as a football, soccer ball, tennis ball, or baseball.

The image of the game ball has a plurality of image portions, at least some of which are recorded in the memory of the computerised device 3 as corresponding to different possible outcomes or events in the real game.

A possible outcome or event in the real game can become determinable as having occurred, or having not occurred, at a predetermined time. For example, whether a touchdown did occur in the first 10 minutes, or a touchdown did not occur in the first 10 minutes, can be determined after at least 10 minutes into the game, such as at the 15 minute mark. The player can select an interest or ticket, for example a lottery ticket , by playing the machine 4 prior to the event or outcome becoming determinable, and at least one of the image portions on the three-dimensionally imaged game ball corresponding to a possible outcome or event in the real game is selected by the player or by the machine.

Preferably, the nature of the possible outcomes or events as recorded in the memory of the machine 4 that are each associated with an image portion, are displayed on the machine 4 in a discernible form. For example, a possible time of the first touchdown is displayed in a portion of the visual display 1 when the marking 12 substantially coincides on the display 1 with the image portion corresponding to that possible time.

Accordingly, the machine 4 enables a class of games wherein the probability of a number of the player winning a prize both depends upon their expectation of the real game event or outcome, and on the use of the machine 4.

In other arrangements, the football of Fig. 4 can be divided into two zones each having a different colour corresponding to the colours of two competing football teams. This enables wagers to be placed as to the ultimate winner of the game. Still further, the football can be divided into four zones and a wager is placed by the ticket purchaser colouring each zone with a team colour to indicate which team scores the more points during the quarter of the game corresponding to each zone. In still further arrangements, each of the constituent images 41 can be numbered with the number of a player of the team. In this arrangement the ticket purchaser attempts to select the number of the player the team who will score the first touchdown of his team.

The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the random number generation arts, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.

For example, the visual display unit 1 can be a projector. As another example of an alternative arrangement, the coordinate system is mappable to the surface textures of the three-dimensional body on a per-pixel or otherwise areal basis such that the textures can be algorithmically projected and rendered without an intermediate meshed or polygonal model, for example by mapping pixels or textures corresponding to numerically translated and/or rotated coordinates to pre-determined locations on the display.

As another example of an alternative arrangement, the coordinate system is not visualised by superposition over the image, but rather is an inherent property of the image itself and is without direct or distinct visualisation, for example being defined solely by pixels in the image or defined by physical measurements.

As another example of an alternative arrangement, the animation can be performed by calculating movement of the observer's viewpoint in the perspective projection by translation and/or rotation, rather than by calculating movement the polygonal model per se.

As another example of an alternative arrangement, the marking is not an identifiable visual marking rather is particular visual location on the display unit such as the centre of the screen.

As another example of an alternative arrangement, the locations each correspond to point positions in the coordinate system and represent point positions for example on Mars.

As another example of an alternative arrangement, the record of ticket or location selections held can be provided to the machine 4 prior to each instance of selecting a set of coordinates, or otherwise prior to each instance of providing the lottery on the machine 4, for example by downloading record updates to the device 3.

The term "comprising" (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of "including" or "having" and not in the exclusive sense of

"consisting only of.

Claims

1. A random ticket generating apparatus for use in a lottery or similar game of chance having a probability of a ticket purchaser winning a prize, said apparatus comprising:

a ticket purchase timer associated with said device and able to be initiated by a prospective ticket purchaser to commence a ticket purchase time period,

said device including a first selection actuator to permit said prospective ticket purchaser during said ticket purchase time period to select a finite location on said three dimensional body surface, and wherein the probability of said prospective ticket purchaser winning a prize in said lottery is related to a size or region of influence of said selected finite location relative to a total size or region of influence of all finite locations selected in said lottery.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a second selection actuator associated with said ticket purchase timer and arranged to automatically generate a random finite location on said three dimensional body surface if said first selection actuator is not actuated during said ticket purchase time period.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the finite location is an areal portion of the surface of the three-dimensional body, said areal portion having pre-determined shape and dimensions.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the three dimensional body is provided with a coordinate system, and the selected finite location on the three- dimensional body surface is definable in said coordinate system.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the visual display unit includes a touch- sensitive layer, and the interaction with the apparatus is by means of the prospective ticket purchaser touching the visual display unit to actuate said touch- sensitive layer.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein a marking on the visual display unit is displayed as a superimposition over the image of the three-dimensional body, and subsequent to the interaction occurring, performing a correlation on the apparatus between the marking and the three-dimensional body surface to thereby select the finite location.

7. The apparatus as claimed claim 6 wherein the correlation is a substantially spatial correlation which identifies a position on the three-dimensional body as displayed on the visual display unit which substantially coincides with the marking.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 and further comprising a printer which provides the prospective ticket purchaser with a printed ticket after the finite location is selected.

9. The apparatus as claimed claim 8 wherein said printed ticket includes a reproduction of the image of the three-dimensional body or a projection thereof, said reproduction or projection indicating the finite location.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein the printed ticket includes a set of coordinates that correspond to a position of the finite location in the coordinate system.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the printed ticket includes a resource locator that enables the prospective ticket purchaser to access an internet website that, after determination of the lottery, indicates a winning location on the image of the three-dimensional body, or on a reproduction or projection thereof.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 and having a photographic camera positioned to photograph the ticket purchaser, said ticket being personalised with a photograph of the ticket purchaser that is taken using said camera and the image of the three-dimensional body, or a reproduction or projection thereof.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said three-dimensional body is selected from the class consisting of a planet, a football, a tennis ball, a baseball, a golf ball, and a soccer ball.

14. A random method of ticket selection in a lottery or similar game of chance having a probability of a ticket purchaser winning a prize, said method comprising the steps of:

following initiation of said ticket purchase time period, rotating, spinning, tumbling or otherwise animating said image to display a changing surface area of said three-dimensional body, and

during said ticket purchase time period permitting said prospective ticket purchaser to interact with said device to select a finite location on said three- dimensional body surface;

whereby the probability of said prospective ticket purchaser winning a prize in said lottery is related to a size or region of influence of said selected finite location relative to a total size or region of influence of all finite locations selected in said lottery.

15 The method as claimed in claim 14 including the further step of providing a second selection actuator associated with said ticket purchase timer and automatically generating a random finite location on said three dimensional body surface if said first selection actuator is not actuated during said ticket purchase time period.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the finite location is an areal portion of the surface of the three-dimensional body, said areal portion having predetermined shape and dimensions.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 including the further step of providing the three-dimensional body with a coordinate system, the selected finite location on the three-dimensional body surface being definable in said coordinate system.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 including the further step of providing the visual display unit with a touch-sensitive layer, and the interaction with the device is by means of the prospective ticket purchaser touching the visual display unit to actuate said touch- sensitive layer.

19. The method as claimed in claiml8 further comprising the steps of displaying a marking on the visual display unit as a superimposition over the image of the three- dimensional body, and subsequent to the interaction occurring, performing a correlation on the device between the marking and the three-dimensional body surface to thereby select the finite location.

20. The method as claimed claim 19 wherein the correlation is a substantially spatial correlation to identify a position on the three-dimensional body as displayed on the visual display unit that substantially coincides with the marking.

21. The method as claimed in 20 including the further step of providing a limited time during which the interaction can occur, and if the interaction does not occur during said limited time, the method further comprises the step of substantially randomly selecting the finite location without user input.

22. The method as claimed in 21 further comprising the step of providing the prospective ticket purchaser with a printed ticket after the finite location is selected.

23. The method as claimed claim 22 wherein said printed ticket includes a reproduction of the image of the three-dimensional body or a projection thereof, said reproduction or projection indicating the finite location.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23 including the further step of providing the printed ticket with a set of coordinates that correspond to a position of the finite location in the coordinate system.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24 including the further step of providing the printed ticket with a resource locator that enables the prospective ticket purchaser to access an internet website that, after determination of the lottery, indicates a winning location on the image of the three-dimensional body, or on a reproduction or projection thereof.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25 including the step of providing a photographic camera at the site of ticket purchase, and the method further comprises the step of personalising the image of the three-dimensional body, or a reproduction or projection thereof, with a photograph of the ticket purchaser that is taken using said camera.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26 further comprising the step of transmitting a record of previously selected locations to the device prior to the selection of the finite location, and displaying said previously selected locations on the image of the three-dimensional body in a discernible form.

28. The method as claimed in claim 27 further comprising the step of transmitting a unique subset of a record of previously unselected locations to the device prior to the selection of the finite location, and only permitting selection from said subset.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28 including this further step of making each useable location displayed on the three-dimensional body surface correspond to an individual image.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29 wherein said three-dimensional body is selected from the class consisting of a planet, a football, a tennis ball, a baseball, a golf ball, and a soccer ball.