Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MULTIPLE IN-LANE
LOTTERY TICKET SALES AT A RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT
PRIORITY CLAIM
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial
No. 61/014,962, filed December 19, 2007, and U.S. Patent Application Serial
No.
12/333,408, filed December 12, 2008.
BACKGROUND
Lottery tickets are sold at many types of retail locations including, stores,
such as grocery stores, general merchandise stores, and the like. Many such
stores feature one or more check-out points, commonly referred to as check-out
lanes, with each check-out lane equipped with a point-of-sale (POS) terminal.
In
contrast, lottery tickets are typically sold at a separate lottery point-of-
sale terminal
or terminals within the same retail establishment. This system generally
requires
additional personnel to staff the lottery ticket POS terminal, or requires the
store
clerk to divide their time and responsibility between the lottery POS terminal
and
the store POS terminal. The conventional system and method also require a
separate accountability and tracking system for lottery ticket sales, which
can add
significantly to the cost and burden of providing the lottery to players at
the retail
establishment.
The present invention, referred to as Lottery I nPlay, provides a system and
method for providing lottery ticket sales at multiple POS terminals within a
retail
establishment that offer significant advantages over the conventional
methodology.
SUMMARY
Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the
following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be
learned
through practice of the invention.
A lottery system and methodology are provided that can support sales of
lottery products at multiple checkout lanes at a retail location. This may
advantageously reduce wait times, as lottery consumers need not necessarily go
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to a separate lottery point-of-sale terminal to purchase lottery products.
Additionally, the retailer may benefit from reduced labor costs, since
employees at
the checkout lanes can handle some or all of the work which otherwise would be
handled by employees at one or more lottery point-of-sale terminals.
In some embodiments, an in-lane lottery sales computing device is
interfaced to the point-of-sale equipment at each checkout lane. Lottery
customers
present a bar coded or otherwise machine-readable lottery "token" to the
cashier.
The token may be any type of readable device, such as a coupon, ticket, chip,
and
so forth, and is scanned using the point-of-sale terminal and the in-lane
lottery
sales computing device that captures lottery data as the token is "rung up" at
the
point-of-sale terminal. Additionally or alternatively, the request can be
entered at
the point of sale terminal in any other suitable manner, such as by entering a
price
look up (FLU) code, manually entering UPC data, and/or by pressing a specific
key
or touch screen "button" mapped to the specific lottery product.
In any event, the request data can then be forwarded on to a centralized
lottery system for handling the request. Then, assuming a favorable response
or
verification from the centralized lottery system, one or more corresponding
lottery
tickets are printed in-lane on appropriate material, such as secure lottery
paper
stock.
The data obtained by scanning or otherwise reading the token can be used
to treat the lottery ticket sale(s) in the same manner as other items of
inventory.
Namely, the amount of lottery sales can be tracked using the retailer point-of-
sale
system, the retailer point-of-sale system can be used to handle funds tendered
for
lottery sales, and customers can be provided with an integrated purchase
experience.
In some embodiments, an in-lane system can advantageously avoid the
need for substantial modifications to retail point-of-sale systems which would
otherwise be required to integrate lottery and retailer sales. Instead,
through use
of a loosely coupled interface (which could be considered similar in at least
some
respects to the CONVENIENCE CENTRAL SYSTEM available from Scientific
Games, Inc., of Alpharetta, Georgia), there is no lottery-specific software
running
on the retail point of sale system or terminals. Thus, setup, configuration,
and
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maintenance of the system may proceed significantly faster than in the case of
an
interface that is not loosely-coupled.
In certain embodiments, the in-lane lottery systems can comprise one or more
monitors which are used to communicate marketing and other messages directly
to
players (or potential players) in-lane. For instance, for checkout lanes that
include a
marketing display, one or more monitors can be positioned at or near the
display for the
consumer to view upon entry to the checkout lane. Additionally or
alternatively, the
monitor(s) can be placed at or above the checkout counter for viewing while
the
customer is checking out. In some embodiments, the retailer could be allowed
to use
the lottery monitor(s) to display point-of-sale transaction information,
advertisements, or
other purposes.
In an aspect, there is provided a lottery sales system interfaced with point-
of-
sale (POS) terminals at a retail location, said system comprising: at least
one POS
terminal configured for reading codes on retail and lottery products presented
to the
POS terminal for purchase at the retail location, the POS terminal computing a
combined total price for the retail and lottery products; an in-lane lottery
sales
computing device interfaced with the POS terminal and configured to monitor
the codes
read by the POS terminal and determine when the POS terminal has identified a
code
corresponding to a desired lottery product; the in-lane lottery sales
computing device
further configured to transmit a request identifying the desired lottery
product to a
lottery central system device used to administer and coordinate the sales of
lottery
products at the POS terminal products such that lottery product information is
retained
at the lottery central system device and the point-of-sale terminal is free of
lottery
specific applications while integrating sales of lottery products and retails
products at
the POS terminal; the in-lane lottery sales computing device further
configured to
receive a verification from the lottery central system device that the request
identifying
the desired lottery product is valid; and at least one lottery display monitor
configured in
communication with the lottery sales computing device positioned in view of
the
customer as they move through the checkout lane; wherein the lottery display
monitor
is used to display point-of-sale data to the customer related the lottery
products
presented for purchase.
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In another aspect, there is provided a computerized method for providing one
or
more lottery products at a retail location, the method comprising: interfacing
a lottery
sales computing device with an existing point-of-sale terminal; scanning
retail and
lottery products presented for purchase with the point-of-sale terminal;
monitoring all of
the products scanned by the point-of-sale terminal with the lottery sales
computing
device and determining when the point-of-sale terminal has identified a
product code
corresponding to a desired lottery product; and transmitting a request
identifying the
desired lottery product to a lottery central system device in communication
with the
lottery sales computing device used to administer and coordinate the sales of
lottery
products such that lottery product information is retained at the lottery
central system
device and the point-of-sale terminal is free of lottery specific applications
while
integrating sales of lottery products and retails products at the POS
terminal; receiving
verification from the lottery central system device that the request
identifying the
desired lottery product is valid; displaying, via a lottery display monitor
configured in
communication with the lottery sales computing device, point-of-sale data to
the
customer related to the lottery products presented for purchase as the
customer moves
through the chebkout lane.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A full and enabling disclosure including the best mode of practicing the
appended claims and directed to one of ordinary skill in the art is set forth
more
particularly in the remainder of the specification. The specification makes
reference to
the appended figures, in which:
Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a plurality of exemplary checkout lanes at
a
retail location;
Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating components at an exemplary checkout
lane and other in-store components; and
Figure 3 is a flowchart showing exemplary parallel steps which may occur after
the identification of a lottery product at a checkout lane of a retail
location configured in
accordance with some aspects of the present subject matter.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Reference will now be made in detail to various and alternative exemplary
embodiments and to the accompanying drawings, with like numerals representing
substantially identical structural elements. Each example is provided by way
of
explanation, and not as a limitation. In fact, it will be apparent to those
skilled in the art
that modifications and variations can be made. For instance, features
illustrated or
described as part of one embodiment may be used on another embodiment to
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yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present
disclosure
includes modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended
claims and their equivalents.
Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a plurality of exemplary checkout lanes
104-1, 104-2, 104-3, and 104-4 at a retail location. For example the checkout
lanes may be positioned near the entrance/exit of the location, although it
will be
understood that checkout lanes could be placed at one or more other positions
in a
retail location or even outside.
In this example, checkout lanes 104-1, 104-2, and 104-3 each comprise a
conveyor or conveyors 114 and bagging area 115. Items can be selected by
persons at the retail location and placed onto conveyor(s) 114, which move the
items into reach of a cashier. The approximate locations of respective
cashiers for
each lane are shown at Cl, C2, C3, and 04. A customer/lottery game player
("player") P, Q, R, and S is shown in each respective lane.
Each cashier can pass items over a scanner 106 which is in operative
association with a point-of-sale computer system, typically via a point-of-
sale
terminal at each checkout lane. In Figure 1, point-of-sale terminals 108 are
shown
at each lane. Scanner 106 may comprise, for example, a bar code scanner which
uses reflected laser light to recognize machine-readable bar codes, such as
UPC
codes, on items. However, scanner 106 may discern machine-readable
information about items in any suitable manner, and need not comprise a bar
code
scanner in all embodiments.
Further, lanes 104-1, 104-2, and 104-3 each include a merchandising area
116. Each merchandise area 116 may comprise, for example, one or more racks,
shelves, or other displays whereby items can be offered to persons in line at
the
checkout lane. For example, in a grocery store, merchandising areas 116 may be
used to promote candy, magazines, and other impulse items.
Checkout lane 104-4 is configured as a stand without a conveyor 114,
bagging area 115, or merchandise area 116. For instance, checkout lane 104-4
may comprise a desk or other area which can also provide point-of-sale
services.
Lane 104-4 is meant to indicate how checkout lanes can take any suitable shape
or arrangement, and need not necessarily comprise an elongated area with a
conveyor belt in all embodiments. In some embodiments, the present subject
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matter can be used alongside checkout lanes which are not each individually
serviced by a cashier (i.e. so-called "self checkout" lanes).
In this example, each checkout lane further includes a check writing stand
110. For example, each stand 110 may comprise a generally planar area which
can be used as a writing surface for those persons who desire to write checks.
Additionally, each check writing stand of this example supports a card
terminal
112. For example, each card terminal 112 can comprise a magnetic or other card
reader and keypad. The card terminals can be interfaced to the point-of-sale
terminals (and/or other suitable systems at the retail location) to facilitate
the use
of electronic payment cards, such as check cards, credit cards, gift cards,
and the
like.
In this example, each checkout lane further includes a lottery printer 118
which can be used to provide one or more lottery products 120 to interested
customers while such customers are at the checkout lanes. Thus, the customers
do not necessarily need to visit a separate lottery point-of-sale terminal to
purchase every type of lottery product. In an alternate embodiment, the
lottery
tickets may be purchased at the checkout lane with the customers being
directed
to a central station, such as a kiosk, to pick up their lottery tickets. This
configuration may be desired in that it reduces the number and complexity of
hardware components. The central location may be located, for example, at the
service desk or a location near the exit of the establishment.
Further, in this example, each checkout lane 104-1, 104-2, and 104-3
further includes a lottery display monitor 122-1. In lane 104-1, the monitor
is
positioned at the end of conveyor 114-1. In lane 104-2, monitor 122-2 is
positioned on merchandise area 116-2. In lane 104-3, monitor 122-3 is
positioned
in the same general area as check writing stand 110. As will be noted below,
lottery display monitors 122 may be used to promote lottery products and
otherwise provide information to lottery customers.
Each lane further includes an in-lane lottery sales computing device 119
interfaced via a connection 166 to a central lottery system 202 via a router
204. In
this example, connection 166 comprises a wireless connection, and the retail
location includes a wireless router 204 for communicating with the in-lane
lottery
sales computing devices and providing a connection 167 to the lottery central
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system 202. In this example, the retail location also includes a lottery
administrative/sales terminal 205 interfaced to router 204. Lottery terminal
205 can
comprise any suitable computing device. In some embodiments, the lottery
terminal 205 can include a built-in wireless router or otherwise replace or
complement the functionality of router 204.
As will be set forth below, the in-lane lottery computing devices 119 collect
data from the respective point-of-sale terminal devices 108 in each lane to
facilitate
in-lane lottery sales. Further, connections between the in-lane lottery sales
computing devices 119 and respective printers 118 and monitors 122 are also
shown. It will be appreciated that not all possible connections amongst
components are shown in Figure 1 for purposes of clarity (e.g. connections
between keyboards 109, scanners 106, card terminals 112, etc. and each point
of
sale terminal device 108 at each lane, connections between each lane and back-
office systems are not shown).
Turning now to Figure 2, the specifics of in-lane point-of-sale systems and
lottery sale systems will be discussed in more detail. This example uses block
diagrams to represent the various components which can be found at a checkout
lane, e.g., one or more of lanes 104-1, 104-2, 104-3, and 104-4.
Additionally, Figure 2 shows additional components (systems 200 and 202)
which are not necessarily at a checkout lane, as signified by the double
lines.
However, systems 200 and 202 are typically not at the same location as one
another, either. For instance, connection 162 represents a local area network
or
other connection to a retail back office system 200, which may, for instance,
comprise a server or other system used to track sales, inventory, and other
store
data and activities based on data received from one or more POS terminals 108.
Back office system 200 may be connected to other systems, such as a retailer's
enterprise-level accounting, inventory, and sales systems via additional
connections, such as a LAN/WAN connection.
As was noted above, a checkout lane can feature a point of sale terminal
device (POS device) 108. Device 108 can comprise a general purpose or
specialized computer system that runs one or more programs to facilitate the
purchase process. For instance, POS device 108 may be interfaced via
connection 150 to a bar code or other scanner 106 which can identify items so
a
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cashier need not manually input product information. Typically, a laser-based
scanner is used to read UPC bar codes which are then correlated to a listing
of
items available from back office system 200. Items may also be identified by
PLUs, manual entry, specific keys, and the like. As items are rung up and/or
after
a sale is completed, POS device 108 can provide data to retail back office
system
indicating which items were sold, the sale amount, etc.
POS device may further be interfaced to a scale 106A for use in weighing
items (e.g. at a supermarket), a keyboard 109 for user input, one or more
printers
111, and one or more displays 107 for use by the cashier and/or customers in
reviewing sales and other activity at the checkout lane. Display(s) 107 can
comprise, for instance, black-and-white or color monitors (using CRT, plasma,
LCD, or other suitable technology), LCD, LED, or other text displays, and the
like.
Additionally, some checkout lanes may include a card terminal and keypad 112,
which can be used by the cashier and/or customers to input data for making
payments via credit, debit, gift, and other cards. For instance, card terminal
and
keypad 112 may comprise a magnetic stripe reader and numerical input pad,
along
with a capture area for obtaining electronic signatures.
The various point-of-sale terminal components can be connected to POS
device 108 in any suitable manner. The connections can include, but are by no
means limited to, USB, RS-232, IEEE 1394, or another serial, parallel, or
other
data connections.
The discussion above of exemplary aspects of checkout lanes and POS
terminal device 108 is for purposes of example only and is not intended to be
limiting. Rather, the particulars arrangement and setup of a checkout lane,
POS
terminal, and back office system will depend on the needs of the retailer or
other
entity.
In any event, Figure 2 further illustrates additional exemplary components
which can be used to provide in-lane sales of lottery products in accordance
with
one or more aspects of the present subject matter. In this example, the
checkout
lane further includes an in-lane lottery sales computing device 119, one or
more
lottery monitors or displays 122, and one or more lottery printers 118.
Monitor(s)
and printer(s) 118 are connected to the in-lane lottery sales computing device
119
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via any suitable connections including, but not limited to, USB, RS-232, IEEE
1394, or another serial, parallel, or other data connection.
In-lane lottery sales computing device 119 can comprise any suitable type
of computer system. In some embodiments, device 119 is a streamlined computer
with minimal memory, processing, and other capabilities can be positioned
under a
checkout counter or otherwise in an unobtrusive location. In-lane lottery
sales
computing device 119 is also connected via connection 164 to POS device 108.
Connection 164 may, for instance, represent a single cable between the
computer
comprising POS device 108 and the computer comprising in-lane lottery sales
computing device 119. Any suitable connection standard / data format supported
by POS device 108 can be used. As will be discussed below, connection 164 can
be used by the in-lane lottery sales computing device to "watch" for lottery
products that are processed by POS device 108.
In-lane lottery sales computing device 119 is connected to a router 204 (not
shown in Figure 2), which can be located away from the checkout lane, via
connection 166, which could comprise, for example, a local area network, local
loop, etc. However, in some embodiments, connection 166 is a wireless
connection made via a wireless router 204 interfaced to lottery central system
202
over connection 167, which may represent a wide-area connection. In-lane
lottery
sales computing device 119 may accordingly comprise suitable hardware to
support a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) or other wireless communication protocol.
Lottery central system 202 can also be connected (via connection 167,
router 204, and local area connection 166) to one or more terminals or devices
205
at the retail location which are used to administer and coordinate the sales
of
lottery products at the retail location. Terminal(s) 205 may be used for
tracking
sales and the like at the retail location and/or dispensing lottery products
and
prizes, for instance. Lottery central system 202 may further be connected to
other
appropriate systems operated by a lottery sales authority or provider in order
to
track and validate the sales of lottery products across multiple locations. In
some
embodiments, lottery central system 202 can be configured to support
consolidated reporting so that lottery sales reports from multiple in-lane
lottery
sales computing devices could be viewed in a single store report.
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In-lane lottery sales computing device 119 is configured to "watch" the
activities of POS device 108 in order to discern when bar codes or other
suitable
identifier(s) of lottery products are processed by POS device 108. For
instance,
lottery sales computing device 119 can be programmed to recognize the various
data format(s) and/or communication protocol(s) used by POS device 108 to
communicate sales data to back office system 200.
When the data indicates that POS device 108 has processed a lottery
product, in-lane lottery sales computing device 119 can relay a request to
lottery
central system 202 for the particular lottery product (or products) that have
been
processed. For example, when connection 166 is a wireless connection, data
identifying the requested lottery product(s) can be relayed to lottery system
202 for
validation. Assuming the request is proper, lottery system 202 can confirm the
request to in-lane lottery sales computing device 119. Then, in-lane lottery
sales
computing device 119 can send appropriate data/commands to in-lane printer(s)
118 for the appropriate lottery product(s) 120 to be printed.
For example, in some embodiments, printer 118 comprises a thermal printer
with access to secure lottery paper stock. When an instant ticket is
requested, in-
lane lottery sales computing device 119 can use printer 118 to provide an
instant
lottery ticket in-lane.
In-lane purchase of lottery products can be facilitated in any suitable
manner. For example, in some embodiments, shoppers are provided access to
lottery "tokens" corresponding to different products. The tokens can represent
any
particular games for which in-lane sales are desired. The tokens may be placed
in-lane for players to pick up while waiting to check out (e.g. in
merchandising area
116) and/or at one or more other positions at the retail location.
Each particular lottery product can have a unique identifier which can be
identified by the point-of-sale system used at the retail location. For
example, if a
retail location uses UPC bar codes, the point-of-sale system can be configured
so
that the token for each lottery product sold in-lane has a corresponding UPC
bar
code. This allows the sales of lottery products to be tracked using the same
point-
of-sale software and systems that the retailer uses to track other products.
Further, the accounting and payment handling (i.e. tender) for lottery
products and
other products can be combined. The retailer can use the sales data gathered
via
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the existing point-of-sale system in order to separate lottery sales and
perform any
needed balancing, tender transfers, etc. Further, balancing and reconciling
lottery
sales and other sales may be facilitated by lottery sales reports available
from
lottery central system 202.
Generally speaking, using a loosely-coupled interface as discussed herein
can greatly simplify the task of integrating lottery sales with a retailer's
existing
point-of-sale system. For instance, as noted above, by using a point-of-sale
lottery
computing device at each lane, only a single connection between the lottery
computing device and the POS terminal device is needed. To integrate the
systems, the lottery computing device need only be configured to recognize
data
sent using the data interface specifications used by the existing retail point-
of-sale
system. This is in contrast to tightly-coupled systems, which generally
require the
use of lottery-specific applications at POS terminals and/or on the retail
back office
system(s).
Briefly, Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an exemplary process 250 that
includes parallel steps which are triggered by processing of a lottery product
at a
point of sale terminal. Steps carried out by the lottery-specific systems
(i.e. the in-
lane lottery sales computing device, lottery central system, etc.) are on the
right
side of the page.
At 252, a point-of-sale terminal scans or otherwise obtains data indicating a
lottery product code. For instance, as was noted above, a UPC code
corresponding to a lottery product may be scanned by a laser bar code scanner.
The point-of-sale terminal at 254 adds the lottery product to the current
sale. At
253, the in-lane lottery sales computing device routes a request to the
lottery
central system. The request may simply comprise the UPC or other code for the
lottery product in some embodiments. However, in other embodiments, the in-
lane
lottery sales computing device can correlate the UPC to a specific lottery
product,
with the request identifying the lottery product and any particular options,
etc. for
the lottery product.
Depending upon other purchases (if any) to be made by the shopper,
additional products (lottery or non-lottery) may be scanned or otherwise
identified
at the point of sale terminal. Each lottery product sold in-lane can trigger a
corresponding request to the lottery system when identified based on data from
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point of sale system. At 256, the sale amount is totaled by the point of sale
system
and tender (i.e. payment) is accepted. At 258, the point of sale system
updates
the sale/tender total and other data in the retail back office system.
At 255, after appropriate requests are made to the lottery system (and
assuming such requests are validated), the in-lane lottery printer provides
the
requested lottery product(s). For example, online lottery tickets can be
printed on
secure lottery stock. The numbers may be received from the lottery central
system.
Of course, the in-lane lottery sales computing device and/or lottery central
system/terminal can be configured to address common point-of-sale situations,
such as conditions under which lottery sales are temporarily prohibited,
enforcing
other regulations (e.g. age verification for ticket sales), and addressing
cases in
which tickets fail to print or are otherwise not available. Further, the
system could
be configured not to print tickets until appropriate payment is verified, etc.
As was mentioned above, in some embodiments, a checkout lane can
comprise one or more lottery monitors 122 which are connected to the in-lane
lottery sales computing device 119. Monitors 122 can comprise, for example,
one
or more LCD or other flat panel displays. The use of one or more such displays
can advantageously allow for in-lane marketing of lottery or other products.
As
was noted above, a lottery display may be positioned at one or more of the
check
writing stand, merchandising area, or bagging area. In some embodiments
multiple monitors are provided per checkout lane.
The use of such monitors could further allow for retailer incentives to
encourage selling of lottery tickets in-lane. For instance, the in-lane
lottery sales
computing device could be configured to provide marketing messages specified
by
the retailer for some or all of the lottery displays. Further, the lottery
displays could
be configured to support input from the retailer point of sale systems (e.g.
POS
device 108) for use in displaying sales amounts, item descriptions, etc. This
functionality could compliment or replace the display functionality provided
by
point-of-sale system display(s) 107. Point-of-sale display data could be
provided
by a connection between lottery monitor(s) 122 and POS device 108 and/or by in-
lane lottery sales computing device 119.
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Examples of lottery tickets above included instant-win tickets. However, the
present subject matter can be used to sell any suitable type or variety of
lottery
product which can be printed by an in-lane printer. For example, the system
could
be configured to support in-lane sales and printing of "quick pick" tickets in
which
random numbers are selected for one or more lottery drawings.
The technology discussed herein makes reference to systems, servers,
databases, software applications, and other computer-based systems, as well as
actions taken and information sent to and from such systems. One of ordinary
skill
in the art will recognize that the inherent flexibility of computer-based
systems
allows for a great variety of possible configurations, combinations, and
divisions of
tasks and functionality between and among components. For instance, server or
other processes discussed herein may be implemented using a single server or
multiple servers or other devices working in combination. Databases and
applications may be implemented on a single system or distributed across
multiple
systems. Distributed components may operate sequentially or in parallel.
When data is obtained or accessed between a first and second computer
system or component thereof, the actual data may travel between the systems
directly or indirectly. For example, if a first computer accesses a file or
data from a
second computer, the access may involve one or more intermediary computers,
proxies, and the like. The actual file or data may move between the computers,
or
one computer may provide a pointer or metafile that the other computer uses to
access the actual data from a still further computer.
The various computer systems discussed herein are not limited to any
particular hardware architecture or configuration. Embodiments of the methods
and systems set forth herein may be implemented by one or more general-purpose
or customized computing devices adapted in any suitable manner to provide
desired functionality. For instance, one or more computing devices may be
adapted to provide desired functionality by accessing software instructions
rendered in a computer-readable form. The device(s) may be adapted or
configured to provide additional functionality complementary or unrelated to
the
present subject matter, as well.
When software is used, any suitable programming, scripting, or other type
of language or combinations of languages may be used to implement the
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teachings contained herein. However, software need not be used exclusively, or
at all. For example, some embodiments of the methods and systems set forth
herein may also be implemented by hard-wired logic or other circuitry,
including,
but not limited to application-specific circuits. Of course, combinations of
computer-
executed software and hard-wired logic or other circuitry may be suitable, as
well.
Embodiments of the methods disclosed herein may be executed by one or
more suitable computing devices. As noted above, such devices may access one
or more computer-readable media that embody computer-readable instructions
which, when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer
to implement one or more embodiments of the methods of the present subject
matter. Additionally or alternatively, the computing device(s) may comprise
circuitry that renders the device(s) operative to implement one or more of the
methods of the present subject matter. Furthermore, components of the
presently-
disclosed technology, such as databases used to store lottery sales data,
other
lottery activity data, and other data may be implemented using one or more
computer-readable media.
Any suitable computer-readable medium or media may be used to
implement or practice the presently-disclosed subject matter, including, but
not
limited to, diskettes, drives, and other magnetic-based storage media, optical
storage media, including disks (including CD-ROMS, DVD-ROMS, and variants
thereof), flash, RAM, ROM, and other memory devices, and the like.
The present disclosure also makes reference to the relay of communicated
data over one or more communications networks. It should be appreciated that
network communications can comprise sending and/or receiving information over
one or more networks of various forms. For example, a network can comprise a
dial-in network, a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), public
switched telephone network (PSTN), the Internet, intranet or other type(s) of
networks. A network may comprise any number and/or combination of hard-wired,
wireless, or other communication links.
The material particularly shown and described above is not meant to be
limiting, but instead serves to show and teach various exemplary
implementations
of the present subject matter. As set forth in the attached claims, the scope
of the
present invention includes both combinations and sub-combinations of various
13
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PCT/1B2008/055297
features discussed herein, along with such variations and modifications as
would
occur to a person of skill in the art.
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