Preprinted lottery tickets using a player activated electronic validation machine
View Patent ↗A lottery game played on an electronic game machine using a pre-printed lottery ticket is disclosed. The lottery ticket is embedded with game and prize information that can be read by the game machine. After inserting the lottery ticket into the game machine, the player may play a game using the game machine based upon the information on the lottery ticket. If the player is a winner, an award is given to the player. The player can redeem the award for cash with the lottery authority.
1. A lottery game ticket for interfacing with a hand held electronic game device having instructions for play of a plurality of different types of lottery games stored therein, whereby a player purchases the lottery ticket for selective play of one of the lottery games stored in the electronic game device, the lottery game ticket comprising:
a substrate;
an encoded machine-readable game information embedded on the substrate the game information containing instructions for the hand held game device to retrieve a particular lottery game stored in the device for subsequent play by the player via issuing commands to the hand held game device by which the player controls play action of the game retrieved by the hand held game device wherein the game device contains a variety of games, prize levels and outcomes such that at least one particular game, prize level and outcome are activated in response to the game information embedded on the substrate;
an encoded machine-readable prize information embedded on the substrate, the prize information determining whether the lottery game played by the user on the hand held game device is a winner as well as the value of the prize awarded; and
wherein the outcome of the lottery game enabled by the encoded game information and encoded prize information is only revealed to the player via play of the lottery game on the hand held game device.
2. The lottery game ticket of claim 1 , further comprising an encoded validation information embedded on the substrate that is read by the hand held game device upon insertion of the lottery ticket therein, the validation information preventing subsequent attempts to use the lottery ticket for additional plays.
3. The lottery game ticket of claim 2 , wherein the validation information is encoded by an electrical circuit printed on the substrate and covered by a scratch-off material.
4. The lottery game ticket of claim 1 , further comprising at least one control button capable of controlling the game displayed on the electronic game device.
5. The lottery game ticket of claim 1 , wherein the prize information and game information are encoded with conductive ink circuits printed on the substrate.
6. The lottery game ticket of claim 1 , wherein the game information and prize information are encoded by a radio frequency data provided on the substrate.
7. The lottery game ticket of claim 1 , further comprising at least one control button on the lottery ticket capable of controlling the game displayed.
8. A hand held electronic lottery game apparatus for enabling a user to play a lottery game enabled by a lottery ticket purchased by the user, the lottery game apparatus comprising:
a game ticket interface unit configured for receipt of the lottery ticket and reading game information and prize information from the lottery game ticket;
a storage unit for storing instructions for play of a plurality of different lottery games wherein the storage unit contains a variety of games, prize levels and outcomes such that at least one particular game, prize level and outcome are activated in response to the game information and prize information embedded on the lottery ticket;
a controller unit for selecting a lottery game from the storage unit according to the game information received from the lottery game ticket; and
a user interface unit for displaying the game to a user and receiving commands from the user so that the user controls play action of the lottery game on the hand held lottery game apparatus to reveal the outcome of the lottery game.
9. The lottery game apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the user interface unit comprises a display that graphically displays the lottery game to the user as the game is played via inputs by the user.
10. The lottery game apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the storage unit is configured to store payout information for the particular lottery game enabled by the game ticket inserted into the game ticket interface unit.
11. The lottery game apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller and game ticket interface unit further are configured for encoding game winning information on the lottery game ticket.
12. The lottery game apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the game ticket interface unit is configured for reading the game information and prize information from conductive ink circuitry printed on the lottery game ticket.
13. The lottery game apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the game ticket interface unit is configured for reading the game information and prize information from radio frequency transmitted data from the lottery game ticket.
14. The lottery game apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a server interface unit for interfacing and communicating with a game server for receipt of games to be played on the hand held game apparatus, and for sending results of the lottery games played on the hand held game apparatus to the game server.
15. A method of playing a lottery game using a lottery game ticket and a hand held electronic lottery game apparatus, comprising the steps of:
encoding machine readable game information and prize information on a lottery game ticket that is purchased by a player;
interfacing the lottery game ticket with the hand held lottery game apparatus wherein the hand held lottery game apparatus contains a variety of games, prize levels and outcomes and that reads the game and prize information from the lottery game ticket;
based on the game information encoded on the lottery game ticket, selecting a particular lottery game to be played from a plurality of different lottery games stored in the hand held lottery game apparatus as well as selecting a prize level and outcome in response to the game and prize information embedded on the lottery ticket;
displaying the game to the user on the hand held lottery game apparatus, and playing the lottery game via the user issuing commands to the hand held lottery game apparatus by which the player controls play action of the displayed game on the hand held game device;
determining at the lottery game apparatus if the user is a winner as a function of the prize information encoded on the lottery game ticket; and
displaying to the user via the hand held lottery game apparatus if the user is a winner and the value of any prize awarded.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising receiving a validation code from the user via the hand held lottery game apparatus that authenticates the lottery game ticket and enables play of the lottery game.
17. The method of claim 15 , comprising receiving or updating the stored plurality of games from a game server by interfacing the hand held lottery game apparatus with the server.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising sending payout information related to any prize awarded for lottery games played on the hand held lottery game apparatus to the game server.
19. The method of claim 15 , comprising storing the prize information in the hand held lottery game apparatus, whereby the user presents the apparatus at a later time for retrieval of the prize information and payout of the prize award.