Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02386113 2002-05-13
VALIDATION OF INSTANT WIN LOTTERY TICKETS
The present invention relates to a method of validating instant win
lottery tickets for redemption, that is payment of a prize associated
therewith when
presented as allegedly winning tickets.
;i BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Since the first introduction of instant tickets, regardless of the style,
there has been ongoing development of a variety of means to validate a winning
ticket prior to redemption. One example of the concept of using a separate
validation
number for Iattery tickets is described in US patent 4,191,376 Goldman et al.
which
was fled in 1977.
Shortly thereafter, it became common practice to place the validation
information under scratch-off. Initially this was in a separate box entitled a
VIRN
(Void if Removed Number) and subsequently was placed within the same box as
the
game symbols covered with the same scratch-off material.
Like other companies within this industry, the assignees of the present
application Pollard has been active in development of validation alternatives
and
incorporated different formats for scratch-off and pull tabs version of the
instant
ticket. The first validation system introduced by Pollard was on a pull-tab
style
instant ticket. In this case the ticket featured game indicia printed on one
side of the
2~J ticket in a variety of different configurations with winners having 3 of
the same
symbol in a single row. Pollard did develop a validation coding scheme in
which
different codes were assigned to winning and losing tickets. The code was
printed
on the outside of the ticket, on the opposite side to the game indicia and was
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covered by removable scratch-off. There were two primary functions for this
code.
The first was to prevent ticket splitting (that is removal of the front
laminate of the
ticket and subsequent application of a different front laminate from another
unit) and
the second was to validate the winning I losing status of the game indicia.
Subsequent to this development, Pollard incorporated a variety of
different means to provide for validation of instant tickets, whether pull-tab
or
scratch-off. In each case the information required to validate the winning
losing
status of the ticket was covered with a removable layer.
Traditionally, there have been two styles of instant lottery tickets in
common use within the gamingllottery industry. Both styles of ticket are very
similar
in terms of playability, etc. and each features a removable layer with
winning/losing
game indicia printed beneath.
Beginning on line 6 column 2 of US patent 4,398,708, Goldman et al.,
there is a description of instant lottery tickets, "the lottery number (or
other indicia)
printed on the ticket is concealed, e.g., by an opaque covering such as paper
than
can be tom off to reveal the number, or a removable coating or metal foil that
covers
the number". This patent was one of the deianitive patents within the lottery
industry
and is referred to many times in subsequent patent applications and patents.
International Gameco, an instant ticket manufacturer, located in
Omaha, Nebraska did develop and introduce their "Scanline Validation System"
in
1993/94. This instant ticket did feature a validation barcode located under a
removable coating. The functionality of the system, is described in a brochure
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(dated 8/94).
Similarly, in US patent 5,290,033, Bittner et al, beginning at line 48
column 3, there is described an instant lottery which "more specifically, back
side of
108 of playing portion 106 is encoded with a digital, machine-readable barcode
114.
Barcode 114 allows a pull-tab machine, when equipped with a bar-code reader as
described below to determine both the validity of the game coupon and the
number
of prize credits with which the player should be credited". The barcode
described in
this patent utilizes a standard format such as "interleaved two of five".
Further in the Bittner patent, beginning on line 59 column 8, Bittner
anticipates the same concept in other types of gaming products "One possible
application is with popular lottery games in which lottery tickets are
presently
purchased and subsequently redeemed from a cashier". This reference is to an
instant lottery ticket, with a scratch-off coating in place of the pull-tab.
Thus many companies have been utilizing the practice of placing ticket
validation information under scratch-off either in a separate box or within
the game
area for a number of years. In the majority of cases this information was
printed in a
human readable font which was designed to be read by the ticket agent during
the
winner redemption process.
However, prior to 1994, there were examples of instant scratch-off
21) lottery tickets which featured the validation information in an OCR A or
similar font.
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is a machine-readable font similar to a
barcode, which is also a machine readable font.
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One example of this concept is the "Win for Life" ticket", produced by
Webcraft Games for the Connecticut Lottery in 1982. This particular ticket
featured
a Book/Ticket VIRN in OCR A. Apparently the same concept was used on
subsequent games thereafter.
A second example is the "Money Maker" ticket produced by Scientific
Games for the Illinois State Lottery in 1985. This ticket featured an 8 digit
validation
number in an OCR A font.
A third example is two tickets produced for the Pan-Malaysian Lottery.
The "Big Sweep" lottery in an ongoing series produced by Pacific Security
Systems
(a division of OGT) in 1993 in Australia. Pollard also produced tickets with
the same
OCR A feature in Canada in the same time frame. Like the above Connecticut and
Illinois examples these tickets featured the validation and book/ticket
numbers in an
OCR A font. The validation process however is identical to the use of a bar
code in
that the ticket is scanned and the information is then forwarded
electronically to a
central processor to determine if the information is contained on a
predetermined
list. Many of the scanners in the marketplace will read either format
interchangeably.
Another example of a VIRN is shown in US Patent 5,074,566
(Desbiens) assigned to OGT which shows the "void if removed" scratch-off layer
covering a validation number in Figure 3.
OGT also obtained grant of US Patent 6,308,991 (Royer) in 2002
based upon an application filed on Oct. 16/95. This patent is based on their
claim to
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have invented an alternative means to authenticate an instant lottery ticket.
The
OGT patent claims to effect authentication of the lottery ticket simply by
scanning a
bar code which contains "all information necessary to authenticate the
ticket". The
patent also states that the authentication occurs "without the input of
additional
5 information provided by the agent or the printed document or directly from
the
printed document". However this is not correct since the process carried out
on the
OGT ticket does not act to authenticate the ticket itself but merely provides
an
indication that the particular bar code is associated with a particular prize.
If the
barcode presented is therefore printed on a simple paper substrate which is
not itself
1 () a ticket than the reading of the barcode will have no ability to
authenticate the ticket.
Thus the tickets itself may be entirely counterfeit, fabricated by a ticket
purchaser or
by the agent and the process set forth in this patent will fail to identify
the counterfeit
and is not therefore an authentication process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
1;i It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved method
for confirmation of a prize to be paid on an allegedly winning instant lottery
ticket.
According to the invention there is provided a method comprising:
providing a series of instant win lottery tickets having game indicia
thereon for playing by a player, the tickets being associated together as a
game
2f~ identified by a game number printed on each ticket of the series, some of
the tickets
being winning tickets having a predetermined prize value and some of the
tickets
being losing tickets;
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providing on each ticket of the series a validation number unique to the
ticket which is printed on the ticket in machine readable format;
providing a data source having for all the winning tickets a list of the
validation numbers in association with a predetermined prize value of the
associated
ticket;
in the event that an alleged winning ticket is presented for payment of
a prize by a player, causing an agent to receive the alleged winning ticket;
providing a validation terminal;
providing at the terminal having a scanner for reading the validation
number in machine readable format;
providing at the terminal a communications link to the data source;
providing at the terminal a manual input device operable by the clerk to
enter information;
providing at the terminal an output device for communicating
1 b information to the agent;
causing the agent at the terminal to scan the ticket using the scanner
to read the validation number;
causing the output device to communicate information to the agent
requiring input of required information from the alleged winning ticket;
2n and, only upon receipt of the required information and upon the
scanned validation number properly appearing on the list of winning tickets at
the
data source, authorising payment to the player of the predetermined prize
value
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associated with that validation number.
In most cases, the input device will comprise a manual key pad,
particularly one having number input keys, but it will be appreciated that
other types
of input may be possible for the agent to enter the required information.
b In most cases, the input device will comprise a display screen which is
used to prompt the agent to enter the required information by way of a
displayed
message. However other forms of prompt including spoken or simulated voice, or
simple illuminated display lights may be used.
The validation number identified above may form part of additional
information including the game number, the book number and optionally the
ticket
number.
The required information is used to supplement the scanned
information. It will be appreciated that the machine readable code or bar code
may
be provided simply on a photocopied or printed sheet which is counterfeit and
the
1 ~ machine will have no ability to determine this. Thus the present invention
prompts
the agent to provide the required information as a separate and additional
information to supplement the machine read validation number. In one
arrangement,
the required information may comprise a number printed on the ticket. In other
arrangements, the information may be more complex or the information may be
more specific to an anti-counterfeiting symbol or visual feature printed
specially on
the ticket. Thus the agent, if dishonest, may scan printed bar codes from many
sources in the hope of hitting a winning number. The requirement to provide
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additional information from the ticket will prevent the agent from obtaining
an
authorisation for payment of a winning bar code unless the ticket with its
additional
information is also in front of the agent for study at the time of scanning
the bar
code.
;i Generally, the game number will not be entered as it will be contained
in the barcode. The barcode will contain the game number, book number,
validation
number and may include ticket number. During the validation process, the
central
system will first look up the book number on the good book list for that
specific game
number (ensures that the book is not a void and not stolen). If the book
number is
1 () legitimate then it will look up the validation information, for that game
number,
associated with the validation number from the ticket.
In another more simple arrangement, the required information is a
confirmation that the agent has inspected the ticket and confrrms that it
appears on
its face to be a valid ticket. While this may appear to be something the agent
would
1 ~ undertake in any event, it is believed to be important to specifically
trigger the agent
to undertake a visual inspection of the presented allegedly winning ticket in
what
otherwise might become a purely routine process of scanning pieces of paper
with
the assumption that the machine is able to authenticate the ticket from the
scanned
number, which it is not. Thus the agent, if poorly motivated, without this
prompt may
20 merely scan any substrate carrying the required bar code without
considering
whether it should be scanned at all. In this arrangement, the required
information
may also include other information, such as a number printed on the ticket,
which
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must also be read or found from the ticket by the agent.
Preferably the validation number is a void if removed number (VIRN)
covered by a scratch-off layer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the invention will now be described in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic front elevational view of a lottery ticket for use
in the present invention.
Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a validation terminal for use in the
1 U present invention.
Figure 3 is one example of a series of display screens shown to the
agent during validation of a lottery ticket in accordance with the present
invention.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in the different figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
An example of a lottery ticket is shown schematically in Figure 1 and
comprises a substrate 10 of which is printed an instant win game including
game
data 11 covered by a removable scratch off layer 12 by which the player can
reveal
the game data and play the instant win game. The game data may be complex and
involve more than one section of game data covered altogether or separately by
scratch-off layers or as is well known to one skilled in the art. The ticket
includes
further information including a logo identifying the lottery authority as
indicated at 13,
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game instructions or information as indicated at 14, again number as indicated
at 15
and a machine readable code 16 covered by a scratch-off layer 17. The machine
readable code may be provided either under the same scratch-off box as the
game
data or under its own separate scratch-off box, as is well known.
5 The ticket may further include a further number indicated at 18 which
can be hidden under the scratch-off layer either of the game data or of the
machine
readable code.
A conventional validation terminal is shown in Figure 2 and comprises
a housing 20 which includes a screen 21 for displaying information to the
agent or
10 clerk, a keypad 22 by which the agent may insert numbers or data as
instructed, a
code reader 23. All of these elements are connected to a control unit 24
within the
validation terminal and that control unit communicates through a
communications
link 25 to a central data source 26. In the alternative the information from
the central
data source may be provided actually in the terminal itself so as to avoid the
telecommunications link 25. The central data source includes a memory 27 which
carries a list of validation numbers relative to a prize to be paid in
association with
that validation number.
It will be appreciated in this regard that of course the instant win ticket
has game data which is predetermined to form a losing ticket or predetermined
to
win a prize of a predetermined amount. Thus the individual game data
associated
with the ticket is also associated with a validation number which is printed
on the
ticket as the machine readable code so that the lottery can carry in the
memory of
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the central data source the list of tickets which are winning tickets and the
prize
associated therewith.
The process of validation therefore includes the following steps:
1. A customer on finding an allegedly winning ticket presents it to the
agent for payment of the prize associated with that ticket.
2. The agent is prompted by the screen 21 to effect scanning of the ticket.
In order to effect the scanning, it may be necessary for the agent to remove
the
scratch-off layer 17 over the machine readable code 16. The coating 17, on
some
cases, is covered by the instruction "void if removed" and this provides a
level of
1O security as is well known to a person skilled in the art as described in
the above prior
art patents. However this is not essential and the machine readable code may
be
located under the game scratch-off or may simply be exposed. The scanning
action
is effected by inserting the ticket into the scanner 23. Different types of
scanner can
be used but primarily the scanner is preferably a laser type scanner which
effects a
1;~ scanning action of a bar code type machine readable code without the
necessity for
contact between the laser scanner and the bar code itself. Such scanners are
well
known and are widely used and can read various types of bar code or machine
readable code as required.
The type of machine readable code can be any arrangement of
2g characters or markings which are set out to provide readable data in a
manner which
can be readily scanned using the type of scanner available, as is well known
to one
skilled in the art.
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The effect of scanning the ticket provides data communicated from the
scanner 23 to the control unit 24 which is then communicated through the
telecommunications link 25 to the central source as a query providing the
scanned
data which forms the validation number and requesting information as to
whether
Ei that validation number applies to a winning ticket and if so what prize
amount is
associated with that ticket.
3. However before the prize winning data is communicated via the screen
21 to the agent, a further prompt is provided to the agent on the screen 21
which
requests infot'mation from the agent as to whether the agent has visually
inspected
the ticket and ensured that it appears to be on its face to be a genuine
ticket. The
agent is prompted to press a certain key if it is believed to be genuine and
another
key if it is believed not to be genuine. This step does not require that the
agent carry
out any action to validate the ticket but merely to ensure that the agent has
inspected the ticket sufficiently to ensure that it appears to be a lottery
ticket with
scratch-off materials as oppose to a photocopy or even as oppose to a simple
piece
of paper carrying only the machine readable code. This action is used to
prompt
unmotivated, untrained or otherwise ineffective agents to carry out the
required
visual inspection.
4. A further prompt to the agent provides on the screen after the above
2g step requires the input of an additional piece of information taken from
the ticket.
One example of the additional information may simply comprise the game number
which is readily available printed on the front face of the ticket. This would
ensure
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that the game number printed on the ticket corresponds to the game number
obtained from the machine readable code to protect against fabricated tickets
put
together from different parts. Another example of information which can be
taken
from the ticket may be more secret information such as the number indicated at
18.
Thus for example the agent may be prompted to enter the "number printed in
blue at
the bottom of the game data". This information may therefore vary for
different
tickets of the game series and may be available only after the game has been
played by removing the scratch-off layer 12.
It will be appreciated that the system has the potential for requesting
different data from different game series so that neither the clerk nor the
customer
will be aware of exactly what additional information will be required to be
entered in
addition to the scanning action of the validation number.
The additional Information required beyond the scanned validation
number may include all of the above or only one element of the above. The
point is
1;i that the act of authentication of the ticket is improved by the fact that
more
information is provided than simply the scanned validation number. This
information
may be provided by the clerk merely visually inspecting the ticket or may be
provided by the clerk removing and entering numbers or other data from the
ticket.
The information does not need to be numerical but could simply be an answer to
a
question relating to the ticket, such as "is the game data printed in blue".
The additional information may be stored in the memory 27 in
association with the validation number or may be stored at the terminal 20
itself.
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While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described
above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be
made
therein, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications
which
may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
