Intuitive system and method for entering a wager transaction

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for inputting a wager transaction based on the simulation of a hand-marked wager selection using a pen or pencil. The method uses electronic means via a software program, visual display, and a point-of-sale computer device. A preprinted wager slip is realistically reproduced on a computer display through the use of colors, character fonts, and graphical layout. The process of marking the marksense slip with a pen is replaced with an electronic process where selections are made via a computer input point device, such as a touch screen, a keyboard, or a mouse for example. The software program does not allow the user to make invalid selections and provides real-time feedback to the user about the completion of the selection process. A system implementing the above-mentioned method is also provided.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of entering a wager transaction comprising the steps of: 
 a) creating a first electronic image representing an unmarked wager marksense slip; and    b) in response to the first electronic image, modifying the first electronic image to create a second electronic image representing a marked wager marksense slip, whereby a user represents a wager in an electronic format.    
     
     
         2 . The method as in  claim 1  wherein a computerized system is provided to record wager transactions, and including a further step, following Step b), of: 
 c) in response to the second electronic image of the marked marksense slip, registering a wager transaction in the computerized wagering system.  
 
     
     
         3 . The method as in  claim 2  including a further step, following Step c), of: 
 d) providing a validation signal from the computerized wagering system that the wager transaction is successfully registered.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method as in  claim 3  including a further step, following Step c), of: 
 e) creating a hardcopy of the second electronic image, whereby a user is given a marked marksense slip which matches their transacted wager.  
 
     
     
         5 . The method as in  claim 1  wherein the electronic images includes a first plurality of fields, with a second plurality of selectable field subsets expressing a correctly formatted wager, in which Step a) includes providing the first plurality of fields, in which Step b) includes selecting a field subset, and including further steps, following Step b), of: 
 b1) checking the selectable field subset to determine if the wager is incorrectly formatted;  
 b2) providing an indicator that the wager is incorrectly formatted, whereby a user is warned of an error in marking their electronic marksense slip.  
 
     
     
         6 . The method as in  claim 5  including a further step, following Step b), of: 
 b3) returning to Step a), whereby Steps a) through b2) are repeated a plurality of times, giving a user feedback of proper and improper choices until the electronic marksense is completed.  
 
     
     
         7 . The method as in  claim 5  in which Step a) includes the first electronic image including a plurality of panels, with each panel representing an unmarked wager on a marksense slip, and in which Step b) includes the modification to the plurality of panels in the first electronic image to create a plurality of panels in the second electronic image, whereby a plurality of wagers are transacted with a single electronic marksense slip.  
     
     
         8 . The method as in  claim 7  including a further step, following Step b), of: 
 b4) providing an indicator of which panels include incorrectly formatted wagers, whereby the user is warned which panels need correction.  
 
     
     
         9 . The method as in  claim 7  including the further step, following Step b), of: 
 b5) providing an indicator of which panels have been modified in Step b) and which panels remain unmodified, as in Step a), whereby the user is warned of marked and unmarked panels on the electronic marksense slip.  
 
     
     
         10 . A method as in  claim 1  wherein a number selector is provided, in which Step b) includes incompletely modifying the first electronic image, and including a further step, following Step b), of: 
 b5) using the number selector to complete the modification of the first electronic image into the second electronic image, whereby the wager selections are completed for the user.  
 
     
     
         11 . In a electronic system of wager transactions, a method for a user to enter a wager transaction comprising the steps of: 
 a) presenting a visual display representing an unmarked marksense slip that is responsive to commands from the electronic system;    b) establishing communications to the electronic system from the user; and    c) in response to the visual display in Step a), communicating with the electronic system and modifying the visual display to represent a marked marksense slip, whereby a user communicates their wager through the modification of the electronic visual display.    
     
     
         12 . A method of checking the format of a wager transaction, wherein a plurality of selectable field subsets are provided, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) determining if the wager transaction includes invalid field selections;    b) generating indicators to denote invalid field selections; and    c) in response to the indicators in Step b), modifying the wager transaction until the invalid field indicators are eliminated, whereby the wager can be registered without errors.    
     
     
         13 . The method as in  claim 12  wherein a marked marksense slip is provided, and including a step, preceding Step a), of: 
 optically reading the marked marksense slip, whereby the marking of the marksense slip is checked for errors.  
 
     
     
         14 . The method as in  claim 12  in which Step b) includes generating a bitmap image of the wager transaction, and in which Step c) includes modifying the bitmap image, whereby the marksense slip is re-marked electronically.  
     
     
         15 . The method as in  claim 12  including a further step, preceding Step a), of: 
 generating a bitmap image representing an unmarked marksense slip; and  
 modifying the bitmap image to create a wager transaction, whereby the marksense slip is generated electronically, and then corrected.  
 
     
     
         16 . The method as in  claim 12  wherein a system is provided to accept wager transactions, and including further steps, following Step c), of: 
 d) recording the corrected wager transaction with the system; and  
 e) generating a hardcopy of the corrected wager transaction.  
 
     
     
         17 . A system for entering a wager transaction comprising: 
 a user interface having an input to receive commands from a user, said user interface translating user commands into electronic signals, said user interface having an output to communicate the electronic signals;    an indicator visually representing a wager transaction having an input to receive signals modifying the visual representation; and    a remote computer having a first output operatively connected to the input of said indicator, and a first input operatively connected to the output of said user interface, said remote computer modifying the signal to said indicator in response to user commands, whereby a user modifies a wager transaction electronically in response to visual cues.    
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the wager transaction is formatted as a marksense slip, in which said remote computer first output generates signals to create a bitmap image representation of a marksense slip, in which said indicator accepts signals from said remote computer to display a bitmap image representation of a marksense slip, and in which said user interface outputs commands to modify the bitmap in response to user commands, whereby the user responds to the display of a marksense slip to modify the bitmap image.  
     
     
         19 . The system as in  claim 18  in which said remote computer has a second output to signal the registration of the wager transaction, and a second input to accept a signal signifying that the wager transaction has been registered, and further comprising: 
 a central computer having at least one input operatively connected to the second output of said remote computer, and at least one output operatively connected to the second input of said remote computer, said central computer registering a wager transaction and acknowledging the registration of the wager transaction.  
 
     
     
         20 . The system as in  claim 18  wherein the marksense slip includes a first plurality of fields and wherein a correctly formatted wager transaction includes correctly entering a second plurality of selected field subsets, in which said remote computer includes a routine to check if the selected field subsets are correctly formatted, said remote computer outputting signals on the first output to said indicator to represent errors in the selection of fields, said remote computer continually updating the bitmap image file in response to user commands to reselect fields until the wager transaction is judged as a correctly formatted wager transaction, and said remote unit withholding the registration of a wager transaction until the wager transaction is judged a correctly formatted wage transaction.  
     
     
         21 . The system as in  claim 20  wherein the user provides a hardcopy marksense slip, and further comprising: 
 an optical reader having a first input to scan the hardcopy marksense slip, and an output to provide electrical signals representing the scanned marksense slip; and  
 in which said remote computer has a third input operatively connected to the output of said optical reader, said remote computer generating a bitmap image file representation of the scanned marksense slip and checking the bitmap image file to determine if the selected field subsets are correctly formatted, whereby a marksense slip is scanned for errors, and corrected, before a wager is registered.  
 
     
     
         22 . The system as in  claim 17  in which said remote computer has a third output to provide printing commands, and further comprising: 
 a printer having an input operatively connected to the third output of said remote computer, said printer providing the user a hardcopy of the wager transaction.