Radio frequency identifiers in game tickets
View Patent ↗Game ticketing systems and methods provide for the use of radio frequency identifiers (RFIDs). Game tickets such as instant lottery tickets include a substrate having game data and a removable mask covering the game data. A transponder is coupled to the substrate where the transponder stores a ticket RFID that defines a validation code of the game ticket. Game tickets can therefore be dispensed to consumers, validated and tracked using the ticket RFIDs.
1. A method of dispensing game tickets, wherein the game ticket comprises a radio frequency identifier (RFID), comprising:
receiving a ticket request;
selecting a game ticket based on the ticket request;
sending an activation code contained in the ticket RFID to a host computer; and
activating the game ticket based on the activation code from the RFID.
2. The method of claim 1 further including: receiving an activation reply, including a validation code; and dispensing the game ticket if the activation reply indicates that the game ticket is valid.
3. The method of claim 2 further including updating a ticket-by-ticket inventory listing if the game ticket is dispensed.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the activation reply includes a security code which indicates whether the game ticket has been activated and whether the game ticket is a winning ticket, the method further including writing the security code to the memory of the lottery ticket.
5. The method of claim 3 , further including: transmitting an excitation signal, the excitation signal to cause the game ticket to transmit the ticket RFID; and detecting the transmitted RFID.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the validation code includes a batch number and a ticket number corresponding to the game ticket.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the game ticket is a lottery ticket.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the lottery ticket is an instant lottery ticket.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the lottery ticket is a future draw lottery ticket.
10. A method of activating a game ticket comprising:
transmitting a radio frequency excitation signal to a game ticket, wherein the game ticket comprises a radio frequency identifier (RFID) containing an activation request and wherein the excitation signal causes the game ticket to transmit the ticket RFID;
detecting the game ticket RFID;
sending the game ticket RFID an activation request to a host computer;
activating the ticket.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the game ticket RFID comprises a validation code.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of validating the game ticket.
13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of:
updating a ticket-by-ticket inventory listing if the game ticket is activated.