Method and Apparatus For Checking A Ticket Status From A Random Draw Game

Abstract

Mobile device software application that uses the camera in a web-enabled PDA, cellular phone or smart phone to capture a barcode image off a random draw game ticket, convert the barcode image to its unique serial number, pass the converted barcode through a database query using cellular data service to a remote computerized database to generate a result set of win/loss data as to the game ticket, and returning the result set to the PDA device for display.

1 . A method for checking a results status of a ticket held by a player from a random draw game having a plurality of tickets each ticket bearing a unique identifier with at least one of the plurality of tickets selected at random as a winning ticket by which the player in possession of the selected winning ticket wins a prize, comprising the steps of:
 (a) imaging an identifier of a ticket from a random draw game having a plurality of tickets each ticket bearing a unique identifier, with an imager of a mobile computer device to create a digital representation of the identifier;   (b) communicating the digital representation with a communications connector of the mobile computer device to a remote computer that maintains a database of a winning ticket and its identifier selected from the plurality of tickets in the random selection game, for interrogating the database as to the status of the ticket;   (c) receiving from the remote computer a response indicating the status of the ticket based on the interrogation; and   (d) displaying the response on a display screen of the mobile computer device.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the mobile computer device comprises a cellular telephone having a built-in camera. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the step (a) comprises enabling an imaging operating mode of the mobile computer device, aligning the identifier of the ticket within a designated viewer displayed on the display screen, operating a switch to record an image of the identifier, and converting the image to the digital representation of the identifier. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of interrogating the digital representation as to at least one validation test of determining whether the ticket has a valid identifier, of whether a drawing event has occurred for the random draw game, and/or of matching a winning number maintained in the database, and returning the response indicative of the status of the ticket. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of storing the digital representation in a storage media of the mobile computer device; and periodically repeating steps (b), (c), and (d). 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of emitting a sound from a speaker of the mobile computer device upon receiving the response indicating that the ticket matches a winning ticket from the random draw game. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of associating a unique user identification with the digital representation, communicating the user identification with the digital representation to the remote computer server; and recording the user identification in association with the identifier of the lottery ticket. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the digital representation is encrypted prior to step (b). 
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of storing in a memory device the image created in step (a). 
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the result is undetermined due to a selection event to draw the winning ticket not yet occurring, further comprising periodically repeating steps (b) (c) until the winning ticket is selected and the status of the ticket is determined, then step (d). 
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 associating a user identification code to the digital representation; and   maintaining the user identification code in association with the ticket on the database.   
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the user identification code accompanies the digital representation communicated to the remote computer in step (b). 
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the random draw game comprises a lottery game. 
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the random draw game comprises a game offered by a commercial establishment. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of
 creating a digital ticket representation of an image of the ticket by photographing the ticket with the imager of the mobile computer device;   communicating the digital ticket representation to the remote computer; and   maintaining the digital ticket representation in association with the ticket on the database.   
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of registering an owner of the ticket in association with a key that identifies the mobile computer device communicating the digital representation to the remote computer. 
     
     
         17 . A system for checking a results status of a ticket held by a player from a random draw game having a plurality of tickets each ticket bearing a unique identifier with at least one of the plurality of tickets selected at random at a drawing event as a winning ticket by which the player in possession of the ticket matching with the selected winning ticket wins a prize, comprising:
 a remote computer server that maintains a database of a winning ticket number associated with a random draw game having a plurality of tickets each bearing a unique identifier of which at least one of the plurality of tickets is selected randomly as a winning ticket for a prize;   at least one mobile computer device configured for imaging, for communicating with at least the remote computer server, and for displaying a response from the remote computer server on a display screen; and   a computer application having a sequence of instructions for being executed by the mobile computer device to image the identifier of a ticket in the possession of a player of a random draw game, convert the imaged identifier to a representative number, communicate the representative number to the remote computer server for interrogating the database as to the status of the ticket; and displaying on the display screen a response from the remote computer server indicating the status of the ticket.   
     
     
         18 . A mobile computer device configured with a set of computer instructions, which when executed, captures an image of an identifier printed on a ticket of a random draw game having a plurality of tickets each bearing a unique identifier using a built-in camera on the mobile computer device, converts the image into a digital representation, and using a data connection of the mobile computer device submits the digital representation to a winning ticket database maintained by a remote computer to record tickets and winning tickets of random draw games which winning tickets are selected randomly at a drawing event of the random draw game, for the remote computer to interrogate the wining ticket database as to the status of the ticket associated with the digital representation and for returning a status response to the mobile computer device, and displays the status response on a display of the mobile computer device. 
     
     
         19 . The mobile computer device configured with a set of computer instructions as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the image further comprises an image of the ticket, which ticket image communicates with the digital representation and with a key that identifies the mobile computer device communicating the ticket image and the digital indicator to the remote computer for storing in the database in association with the ticket.