DE10352086A1 - Game information carrier for wireless participation in e.g. betting system, has information placed on protected area in carrier, and another information selected for game that is visibly placed on carrier, where carrier is in form of card - Google Patents

Abstract

The carrier has information (16) that is selected in such away that it clearly identifies the carrier, and information (18) selected for a game. The carrier is in the form of a card, and the information (18) is visibly placed on the card. The information (16) is placed on a protected area in the card, where the area has an opaque and removable cover (22) to conceal the information (16). The carrier is made up of a plastic material. An independent claim is also included for a method of manufacturing an information carrier.

Description

The The invention relates to an information carrier according to claim 1 and a method for producing an information carrier according to claim 8.

From the DE 10023 848 A1 is a communication system or a method for wireless participation in betting and gambling systems known. Here, identification information of a registered player is transmitted to a game device of a game provider by means of a portable terminal of a wireless telecommunication system. This enables flexible, location-independent and time-independent participation in betting and gambling systems independently of gaming or betting shops. However, a player needs to participate a portable terminal used as an information carrier for game information such as the identification information. In order to participate in a game, a player must also be registered with the game or betting provider. An anonymous participation in a game is not possible.

task The present invention is therefore to propose an information carrier, which is inexpensive and a flexible, location-independent, time-independent and above all anonymous one Participation in a game allows. Furthermore, a method for producing such an information carrier is proposed become.

These Task is by an information carrier in the form of a card with the features of claim 1 and by a method for producing a such information carrier solved with the features of claim 8. Further embodiments The invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

One The essential idea of the invention is to provide a medium for games or to offer to participate in games that can be produced inexpensively and preferably easy to handle and especially at outlets without technical infrastructure for the game accepted and distributed by players without the use be used by complex technical means such as portable terminals can. These requirements are in the form of an information carrier fulfilled a card, the essential game information includes, in particular for a lottery game.

The The invention specifically relates to an information carrier in the form of a card a plastic material, a cardboard or the like material, the information for has at least one game. A first information is like that selected that they are the information carrier uniquely identified, and second information is for that at least a game chosen. The first information is in a protected area of the map and the second information is visible on the map. A player can therefore already see before buying the card (s) games) he buys, unlike cards where the games are not recognizable, since they are e.g. like a clear identification are covered. The first information does not allow any conclusions about the player, so that an anonymous participation in a game is possible in principle.

Especially includes the protected Area a field on one side of the map that is opaque and removable Cover for concealing the first located in the field Information has. To expose the first information must only the removable one Cover be removed, for example, by rubbing or scraping the Cover with one for that suitable object. further technical aids are not required. This card is therefore particularly suitable for manual transmission the first information to a game provider, for example by Phone.

alternative or additionally can the protected Area have a chip on which the first information stored is. When using the card, it can simply be plugged into a chip card reader which reads out the first information from the chip. The chip card reader can, for example be connected to a computer of a player. The first information can then over one Data network as the Internet to a game provider become.

Also alternatively or additionally can the protected Area have a magnetic strip on which the first information is stored. In this case, a magnetic stripe reader is sufficient for reading the first information of the card. This embodiment is suitable, for example for use in a point of sale, in most cases anyway magnetic stripe readers at cash registers are provided. After reading the first information this should be automatically transmitted via data line to a game provider become. But it can also be cached at the point of sale and transferred to the game provider along with initial information from other cards become.

Preferably, the first information is a unique number having a share for verifying the correctness of the remaining digits of the number. This portion may be a parity portion of the number used to verify the correctness of the remaining digits of the number. As a result, transmission errors of the unique number can be recognized the.

In a preferred embodiment The second information includes at least one lottery game the lottery numbers already selected are. For example, the card can be used as an alternative to a lottery ticket offered and by your ease of use new prospects "lure" at the lottery game.

The Lotto numbers are preferably randomly selected.

The invention further relates to a method for producing an information carrier in the form of a card according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the following steps:
Generating a first information uniquely identifying the card,
Storing the generated first information in a protected area of the card,
Determine second information for at least one game and
Apply the second information on the card.

The second information for that at least one game can be generated for example by a random number generator.

The first information is generated by a computer based on a secure algorithm to rule out fraud and in a database together with associated second information stored.

Finally, the invention relates to a method for automatically processing game information comprising first and second information on an information carrier in the form of a card according to the present invention, comprising the following steps:
Receiving a first information uniquely identifying the card over a communication channel, checking the validity of the received first information based on information from a database, and
Transmitting a record comprising the first information and the second information to a game center using the received record for a game.

Further Advantages, features and applications of the present Invention will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the embodiments illustrated in the drawings.

The Invention will be described below with reference to the drawings embodiments described in more detail. In the description, in the claims, the abstract and in The drawings are given in the list of reference numerals given below used terms and associated reference numerals. In the Drawings means:

1A the front of an embodiment of the information carrier according to the invention in the form of a map in a plan view;

1B the back of the in 1A illustrated information carrier in a plan view;

2 a flow chart of an insert of the inventive information carrier for the adoption of a lottery game; and

3 a flow chart of an insert of the inventive information carrier for the notification of the result of a lottery game and for receiving customer data in the event of a win.

The in the 1A and 1B illustrated information carrier 10 is a (lottery) card 12 representing a prefilled lot of a credit card sized lottery. The map 12 can be activated at any time and by phone. Activation is valid for the next consecutive draw. It is also conceivable activation of the card 12 via a data network such as the Internet or directly at a sales or lottery acceptance point, for example via a magnetic stripe or a chip of the card 12 ,

The map 12 includes on its front side ( 1A ) a protected area 20 in the form of a scratch-off box, with an opaque and removable cover 22 is provided. In the field is a first information 16 a game information 14 , The first information 16 is a lot number that is unique and twelve digits. It preferably includes digits and a parity share in order to verify the correctness of the lot number in a transmission can.

On the back side ( 1B ) the map 12 are second information 18 the game information 14 applied. In contrast to the first information 16 on the front of the card 12 are these second information 18 visible, leaving a buyer of the card 12 the offered game, in the case of Lotto the selected number combination can see.

The map 12 may have on its front and / or back nor a card serial number and / or an EAN code for billing when buying a ticket via a merchandise management system.

In the following, we will briefly discuss the essential implementation details for a technical infrastructure and the procedures involved in playing with the game according to the map 12 explained.

in the Essentially, a database for managing the map data and a language dialogue for activating a lottery game and winning information intended.

The management of stock data for lottery cards like the card 12 as well as draw list of lottery games are kept in a database. In the database is above all a table with the information 14 contain. More specifically, all lot or lot data, transactions and customer data are kept in an SQL database.

The following Tables can be provided: a table for Map data, a table for Customer data, a table for Transaction logs, a table for expired card numbers and a table for event and error messages.

to Care of the data can following functions are implemented: determination of expired Maps and archiving the data in a separate table, Clear the associated Customer data, determination of status information, deletion of obsolete Log entries.

Of the Voice dialogue is over a central phone number (0800 ..., 0180 ...) achievable and serves as input channel for the game participation with the lottery card. For the Access to the system should have its own phone number on an existing one PmX network, or new PmX-As are switched. For the speech dialogue At least one dialog server is provided.

a Call center agents may call in the event of an incoming call Lotto dialog, a mask with the following data: Card number, validity the card, Note Customer data available / not available, input fields for customer data and a button for confirmation.

For activation the lottery or lottery games may e.g. the protocol used by lottery agencies become. It is a CORBA interface with a fixed structure. Be functional for the activation transfer the jetting rows and the lot number (but not the PAN). The lottery system responds with a game receipt number, which is then the map record is assigned.

Also the profit query with amount can be carried out via this interface. For this, the game receipt number is transmitted; the lottery system answers with the profit information.

One Process to Addressing this interface can be implemented as a Java module become. This makes it possible Send a request to the Java module containing the associated CORBA service calls and returns the result.

The technical connection to the net of the lottery society can over a ISDN connection can be realized, e.g. a connection with at least 128 kbps. This would assuming a size of 100 Bytes per message have a capacity of maximum 4800 communications offer per minute. The actual Number of communications depends however directly from the dial-in options customers to the language dialogue.

In regular intervals Transfer the customer data recorded in the database to the lottery company become. Therefore a server can be implemented, which can be set in adjustable intervals read out the newly added customer data from the table of lotto cards and writes to a file. This file can then be followed by an FTP process the target system be put at the lottery company if that Target system of the lottery company via an online interface can be reached.

Short after a draw can on the systems of the lottery society already files with profit information without amounts made available become. Nevertheless, at least one information to the customer to be able to give can this file as soon as possible retrieved via FTP from the lottery system and the status information in the database of lottery cards are entered.

The 2 and 3 show flowcharts when activating a lottery game or in the profit query. The diagrams are self-explanatory, so a detailed description is not required here.

10

information carrier

12

map

14

game information

16

first information

18

second information

20

protected area

22

removable cover

Claims (12)

Information carrier ( 10 ) in the form of a card ( 12 ) made of a plastic material, a cardboard or the like material for use in a method according to any one of the preceding claims, where the card ( 12 ) the information ( 14 ) for at least one game, wherein a first information ( 16 ) is chosen so that it the information carrier ( 10 ) and second information ( 18 ) are selected for the at least one game, the first information ( 16 ) in a protected area ( 20 ) of the map and the second information ( 18 ) visible on the map ( 12 ) is arranged or are. Information carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the protected area is a field ( 20 ) on one side of the card which has an opaque and removable cover ( 22 ) to hide in the field ( 20 ) arranged first information ( 16 ) having. information carrier according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the protected area has a chip on which the first information is stored. information carrier according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the protected area a magnetic stripe on which the first information is stored is. information carrier according to one of the preceding claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, characterized characterized in that the protected Area has an individualized barcode from which the first Information can be read out. Information carrier according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first information ( 16 ) is a unique number that contains a portion to verify the correctness of the remaining digits of the number. Information carrier according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second information ( 18 ) include at least one lottery game in which lottery numbers are already selected. information carrier according to claim 6, characterized in that the lottery numbers are selected at random. Method for producing an information carrier ( 10 ) in the form of a card ( 12 ) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the following steps: generating a card ( 12 ) uniquely identifying first information ( 16 ), Storing the generated first information ( 16 ) in a protected area ( 20 ) the map ( 12 ), Determining second information ( 18 ) for at least one game and applying the second information ( 18 ) on the map. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the second information ( 18 ) are generated for the at least one game by a random number generator. Method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the first information ( 16 ) is generated on the basis of a secure algorithm by a computer to exclude fraud possibilities and stored in a database together with associated second information. Method for automatically processing game information ( 14 ), the first and second information ( 16 . 18 ) on an information carrier ( 10 ) in the form of a card ( 12 ) according to one of claims 1 to 7, comprising the following steps: receiving a card ( 12 ) uniquely identifying first information ( 16 ) via a communication channel (S1, S2, S3, S4), checking the validity of the received first information ( 16 ) on the basis of information from a database (S5, S6), and transmitting a record comprising the first information and the second information to a game center which uses the received record for a game.