Computer Activated Lottery Ticket Game System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional instant-winner lottery tickets face issues such as theft, high administrative costs, inflexibility in game design, and limitations in jackpot structures, as well as challenges in implementing progressive jackpots and interactive features, which hinder innovation and player engagement.
Innovation Solution
A system where instant-winner lottery tickets are activated only at the time of purchase or after, using a central system to provide outcome information via terminals or mobile devices, allowing for interactive features, progressive jackpots, and flexible game designs, including the option for players to access results through mobile devices or personal computers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional instant-winner lottery tickets are activated and completed before sale, then the tickets are ready for immediate play, but they become vulnerable to theft and pilferage
Solution Approach 1:
The ticket is prepared with preliminary play data and scratch-off material before sale, but the activation process is delayed until the moment of purchase. This allows the ticket to be ready for play while preventing theft, as the complete play data is only revealed after the purchase transaction occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The play data is segmented into two parts: preliminary play data that is visible on the ticket before sale, and completed play data that is revealed only after purchase. This segmentation allows the ticket to maintain security while still providing immediate playability upon activation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If tickets are activated at time of printing in secure facilities, then security is improved, but administrative costs and inventory tracking complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ticket activation process is simplified to occur automatically at the point of sale through scanning the ticket barcode. This self-service activation eliminates the need for complex centralized activation programs and reduces administrative costs while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The activation function is extracted from the printing process and relocated to the point-of-sale transaction. This separation allows secure printing without complex activation infrastructure, as activation simply occurs when the ticket is scanned and purchased.
3Productivity
If batch activation is used instead of individual ticket activation, then processing efficiency is improved, but the ability to provide interactive and progressive jackpot features is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static batch activation to dynamic individual activation at the point of sale. This allows each ticket to be activated with specific interactive features and progressive jackpot designations based on real-time game state, while maintaining efficient processing through automated scanning and system integration.
4Ease of manufacture
If scratch-off material is used to conceal play data, then the instant-winner aspect is maintained, but the ability to provide progressive jackpot and interactive features is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The scratch-off material serves multiple functions: it conceals the play data for the instant-winner game, and simultaneously protects the progressive jackpot designation and interactive feature information. This universal approach maintains the instant-winner appeal while enabling enhanced features through the same physical structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer activated system and method for selling instant-winner lottery tickets or digital simulation instant-winner lottery games by use of a central computer or other processing system communicating with widely-distributed terminals (including mobile devices and PCs), with each ticket or digital data providing an instant-winner lottery game with a chance for an added instant winner progressive jackpot and/or non-pre-designated fixed jackpot prize and/or the display of the simulation of an instant-winner lottery game on a terminal in conjunction with the optional display of advertising, advertisers' images, and/or other information. A ticket or digital data can be provided from a vending machine, a clerk-assisted terminal, a digitally displayed terminal, or, for tickets, selected from an accessible display of inactive tickets.