Secure placement of confidential information on a circulated blank ticket.

311AH00 DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM, PROCESS AND BLJllETE FOR

THE DISTRIBUTION & 3WUM OF ILIGORO., ΑΟΠΡΙΡΕΒΟΙΑΙ

IMMIGÃO FOUNDATION

The present invention relates to the transfer of confidential information to a subscriber by means of a portable ticket. More specifically, the present invention relates to gambling in which the results are indicated to a player by means of. confidential information printed on a blank ticket in order to hide the information in sight until the player selectively exposes it.

As we all know, gambling, such as instant lotteries, is played by customers who buy lottery tickets, each of which has the result of the customer's printed lottery game. Typically, the outcome of the game is printed in any visible form on a predetermined area of ​​the bill which is then covered by a cloak to hide the outcome of the game. In the prior art, such tickets are produced by a continuous printing process which prints the result of a respective match on each ticket and then covers the printed result by an opaque cover.

Tickets with pre-printed and capped game results are then packaged and distributed by the lottery organization to agents selling tickets to lottery customers. Typically, it is necessary to take extreme measures

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security for printing, distributing and operating lottery tickets. Because tickets are pre-booked, they have a determinable value that can be confirmed if only the printed results are known. In the normal course, each ticket is assigned a unique serial number so that a prize ticket can be marked and identified prior to sale. In order to prevent unscrupulous persons who may have access to the information linking ticket serial numbers with match results from manipulating lottery results, the aforementioned security rules throughout the line are maintained. ticket distribution by lottery customers.

Because the distribution line is so long and involves so many people, including people responsible for printing, managing, storing and distributing billets to agents, security measures are extreme and expensive. Ultimately, the income earned by a lottery is reduced by the costs inherent in security measures.

Since lotteries are often used to increase income for public or quasi-public purposes, it is necessary to control the promotion costs of games to maximize the benefits that the public derives from them. Therefore, a system that would efficiently distribute confidential lottery results information to customers in an efficient and safe, but inexpensive manner would increase the benefit that the public can receive from the game.

Thus, the main object of the present invention is to enable the secure placement of confidential information:

<img file="PT80895B_D0001.tif" />

squirt n «k» * »ESCUDO®

-3in a ticket that is put into general circulation blank.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for securely placing confidential information on the blank ticket after it has been circulated.

IliVEHQÃO SUMMARY

These objects are realized by providing tickets that can be put into general circulation blank by customers who wish to obtain confidential information through one. ticket. Each ticket is capable of receiving information in a visible manner and, during and after receiving the information, hiding it from the ticket holder. Once the information is placed on the ticket, it is returned to the customer who then performs an operation to expose the hidden confidential information.

In the present invention, a ticket is circulated or transferred to a lottery customer. When the customer initially buys the ticket is devoid of any information that indicates the outcome of the game. However, the ticket has a predetermined area in which the lottery ticket information can be printed in a visible manner. A layer or layer hides the predetermined area from the customer's view until the customer removes it.

When the customer buys a lottery ticket, the ticket is entered into a printer using a printing process that places visible characters that indicate the outcome of the lottery play, through the cover to the predetermined area, such that the printed information is hidden and not indicated by the cover.

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The ticket is also printed as a serial associated with the result. Then the ticket is returned to the customer who can find out the result by removing the opaque cover or layer.

previous object and others, as well as other characteristics. The features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of an illustrative exemplary embodiment thereof made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BBEVS DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The figures in the accompanying drawings represent:

fig. 1, printing a blank general circulation ticket with hidden information;

fig. 2, the manner in which the information printed on the ticket is exposed to the view of the ticket holder;

fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a ticket constructed to receive visible information from a printer through an opaque cover that hides the printed information until removed by the holder;

fig. 4 is a mechanical schematic illustrating how a ticket is printed with secure information through the blank;

fig. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the manner in which the ticket of FIG. 3 θ the printing terminal of fig. 4 may be used in an instant lottery system; and fig. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a routine implemented by the system of FIG. 5 to safely provide the result of a lottery entry on the ticket of FIG. 3 θ to validate the result of a ticket entry.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT: 30S00 J. [sõwãí

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J

Referring now to fig. 1, there is illustrated a note, indicated in (10), which is one of many that have been

<img file="PT80895B_D0004.tif" />

in general circulation among customers of a system that distributes confidential information. Numeric reference 10a indicates the upper surface of the ticket, which includes an area 12 on which an indication of the confidential information to be obtained by the bearer shall be printed. the ticket (10). The numeric reference (LOb) indicates the surface of the ticket obverse on which a conventional barcode (13) is printed indicating a category to which the ticket belongs, ticket (10) may comprise, for example, an instant lottery ticket. of the type in which the bearer buys

<img file="PT80895B_D0005.tif" />

the ticket and with it a lottery ticket. As is well known, a presently available instant lottery ticket, when purchased by a player in the lottery, would have already printed the result of the entry purchased by the player. As is well known, the result on such a note would be printed at the time it was made and would be covered during the printing process by an opaque cover that the customer would remove after having it padded.

Such a cover may comprise, for example, a scratch-off paint and which the customer may remove by rubbing or scraping. When said ink is removed, the information printed below is revealed.

However, the ticket 10 differs from the conventional instant lottery ticket in that the area 12 where it should be pressed would be blank when the ticket is obtained by a lottery player. In addition, in the form of realization

<img file="PT80895B_D0006.tif" />

Preferably, the area 12 is covered by an opaque cover when the ticket is distributed. The cover hiding area (12) therefore does not hide anything from the ticket holder when he initially buys the ticket (10).

In contrast to the conventional type of instant lottery ticket, the result of the lottery purchased by the ticket holder (10) is printed in area (12) through the opaque cover only after the cardholder delivers the corresponding cash. Lottery entry. Bitão, the ticket receives the impression of the result of the entry purchased through the opaque cover in the area (12). After this printing, the upper surface of the ticket (10) is indicated by (10c).

The ticket surface (10a) still has the opaque cover covering area (12). However, a result was printed through the opaque cover in area 12 so that this result is hidden until the carrier voluntarily removes it.

At the same time as the result is printed through the cover, a unique serial number (14) associated with the respective information printed in the area (12) is visibly printed at one end of the ticket surface (10c). The series is also represented by a visible bar code (16) printed on the other end of the ticket.

After the customer has obtained the ticket (10) and purchased an entry into the lottery game, he submits the ticket (10) to a lottery agent who enters it into a printing terminal (18) through an entrance slot (20). The printing terminal (18), as described below, prints the result of entering the lottery through the opaque cover in the area (12) of

<img file="PT80895B_D0007.tif" />

In such a way that the opaque cover hides the printed result when the process is complete. The printer also prints the serial number (14) and bar code (16) on the ticket and returns the ticket (10) through an exit slot. to the customer (22) at the top of the printer terminal (18).

Slot 20 is used by the lottery agent to enter a printed ticket with a serial number and a result for validation, as explained below, the validated ticket is returned to the agent through slot 24, the terminal. printer 18 includes a programmable processor, not shown, for initiating the process of outputting a lottery result by printing it on a ticket or validating a lottery result printed on a ticket, 0 The print terminal 18 also includes a cathode ray tube with a display 30 for indicating various control information fragments for the lottery agent operating the terminal.

As explained in more detail below, the printing terminal 18 obtains the information to be printed on the ticket 10a from a lottery information source 32 which provides the lottery result and serial number information for the terminal 18 is in the form of signals that the terminal translates to the printed information, for example on the ticket surface 10c.

As illustrated in fig. 2, once the ticket (10) is fully printed by the printing terminal (18) and returned to the customer, the customer may remove the opaque cover to expose the result indicated by the information printed in the area (12). For example, in fig. 2, the caption WIN @ 5.00 is displayed in sight of the ticket holder when removing the opaque cover.

<img file="PT80895B_D0008.tif" />

In Fig. 3 an enlarged half-section of the ticket 10 includes a blank portion 34 of the ticket consisting of a conventional seven millimeter card holder piece having a heat sensitive surface finish. A removable coating (36) consisting of a thin layer of heat-stable varnish is applied to the surface of the heat-sensitive coating. Above the removable liner (36) and over the area where the information on the ticket (10) is to be printed, an opaque cover (38) consisting of a scrape-off ink coating is provided. to overlap and cover the area (12) of the card (10) where the lottery result information should be printed. A second opaque footprint (40), consisting of a white flexographic ink camouflage coating, is applied by a printing plate having an uneven surface to make said reflective composite opaque cover diffused. A reflected light-diffusing cover surface is useful for camouflaging any side effects of the printing process that could leave a sketch or other indication of the information printed in area 12 through the cover that can be detected on a polished surface or Finally, an overlay varnish coating (42) is applied to the upper face of the ticket (10) which includes the composite cover consisting of the paint layers (38) and (40).

This particular structure allows the area of ​​the thermally coated ticket holder underlying the opaque cover to be printed by a conventional thermal printing process acting through the cover after it is positioned in place. When thermal printing is complete, printed information can be observed by scratching or rubbing the cover.

30S00 &lt;-3C $ 00

9 · to remove it.

Ç THIRTY jj 'SHELLS __j

The inventors had tickets such as the ticket (10) produced on a flexo press with various workstations. Using the flexo press, a blank ticket consisting of a seven millimeter thermally coated card holder is provided in a first step through the press, whereby a varnish is applied to the top surface of the card and cured to a finish. brilliant in an ultraviolet curing station

<img file="PT80895B_D0009.tif" />

which is part of the press. The thickness of the removable coating of the lacquer layer is left to the design criteria as required; however, the inventors successively used tickets with a layer of varnish 36 less than 1 mm thick. During the second pass of the varnished blank ticket on the flexo press, marks such as the barcode 13 on the ticket 10b are applied to a first uncoated side press station using regular flexo ink. At a second station, after marking on the untreated face of the ticket, a scuffable opaque paint coating is applied. Preferably, the ink has an optical density sufficient to conceal a portion of the surface of the ticket under it. In a third workstation, another layer of opaque ink that can be scraped on the top of the first ink layer is applied. In a fourth press station, after the application of the opaque ink layers, graphic signals are applied. next to the coated side of the ticket (10). At a fifth workstation, after the application of graphic signals, a camouflage layer (40) of

<img file="PT80895B_D0010.tif" />

<img file="PT80895B_D0011.tif" />

white flexo ink to maximize the optical diffusion of the opaque cover. Next at the sixth workstation, during the second pass of the card (10) through the press, the overlying varnish (42) is applied over the entire upper surface of the card (10). Then the ticket is finally coated through a set of knurled rollers that roughen the surface once again to optically diffuse it, and the card is cured in an ultraviolet station.

Although a wide variety of materials are available for use in the construction of the ticket (10), the inventors have successively constructed tickets from the following chosen materials:

<td>Number of</td><td>Product N9</td>

<td>Reference</td><td></td>

<td> 34</td><td>Billiard Rack, Type 2700 Blades</td>

<td> 36,42</td><td>Varnish UKJ1019-A</td>

<td> 38</td><td>Scraping paint WC-190NHP</td>

<td> 40</td><td>Flexo ink: white</td>

Manufacturer or distributor

3M, St. Paul, MN

Inmont Corp. Hawthorne NJ

Electromek, Oarlstradt NJ

Inmont Corp., Hawthorne NJ

Referring now to FIG. 4 illustrates the process and printing mechanism used by the printing terminal 18 for printing the information on the surface of the card 10 in the area 12 below the opaque cover without detracting or leaving any indication on the cover. Preferably, the printing terminal (18) comprises one of the Datamark DM family terminals available from International Totalizator Systems, Inc., the assignee of the present patent application. Although a general organization can be understood and the

<img file="PT80895B_D0012.tif" />

operation of the printer terminal 18 referring to the existing Datamark maintenance manual is shown in detail in FIG. 4 a reader / printer mechanism realized in the terminal. The reader / printer accepts tickets through the entry slot (20). When the ticket enters the slot (20 ^) the light beam for a photosensor (44) is interrupted. 0 The photosensor 44 is connected to a controller 46 which comprises a programmable processor which selectively starts and operates and increments a stepper motor 48 when the light path to the photosensor is interrupted. The motor (48) is conveniently coupled to drive a drum (50) and a pair of rollers (52) and (58). When activated, the drum (50) picks up the ticket and transports it to a ticket entry passage in front of an upper roller (52) that compresses the back of the ticket against a connected conventional barcode reader (54) to the controller (46). Reader 54 reads the category code on the ticket surface corresponding to the ticket surface 10b of FIG. 1. The code is indicated to the controller (46) by the reader (54). When a lottery ticket category code is detected, processor 46 waits for input from a sensor including optical elements 56a and 56b.

When the ticket is carried by the roller (52) between ♦

the optical elements 56a and 56b interrupt a light beam. not passing between the elements, which causes an interrupt signal to be provided to the controller (46). Upon receipt of an indication that a ticket has passed between elements 56a and 56b, controller 46 activates another barcode reader 57 and an optical sensor 60, both of which are switched on. The lower roller (58) carries the ticket in front of the law12-

<img file="PT80895B_D0013.tif" />

tor 57 reading the face of the ticket corresponding to the face 10a of FIG. 1 and indicates to control the presence and the count of any barcode on the face.

Assuming that it has not been read in any coder dp hn, but by the reader (57), the controller Q5) nrenara une sefdc d? It is a lottery game by printing on the ticket at a location corresponding to the location of identical impressions on the ticket. ?, a serial number, a serial number barcode, and a lottery result, nor thermal impression. Under these circumstances, when the lower roller (58) has carried the front edge of a ticket passing in front of the sensor (60), it issues a print location signal to the reverse. (46). At this time, controller 46 introduces a conventional printing routine, passing data to a conventional thermal printer 62, exciting the printing coil 64, and sending a pulse to motor 48 each time it is to be print on a ticket a row of dots, which constitute the characters. Preferably, the thermal printer 62 makes a dot matrix format printout and prints the serial number, the lottery result and the bar code representing the serial number at the appropriate card locations.

The inventors have chosen a thermal printing process for printing on the card as such a process is efficient for printing through the constructed opaque cover, as described above, in the hidden area (12) of the ticket, which includes a portion of the surface of the ticket. thermally coated ticket that responds to thermal printing.

When printing in the hidden area (12), 0

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ΐshells · .TA ​​thermal process printing shields do not let any march or other easily discernible indication on the cane oneea · ^ orra, the sunorte of the card resonates in a technical manner to the thermal printer ητ * ο shining characters visible stops at locations on the sunken ticket and a ticket corresponding to will be located at number 10c on^ρί · &lt;τ. 1.

Thus, it is impossible for us to impress upon you!

in the hidden area and hide, nor wio ^Λη cone onac *, the information enters during and after the impresion process in such a way that the ticket is provided to the customer with n in * (w * angn still hidden in it onaca reed).

As you progress a. encumbrance^Λβ imnrcqqn, a we-impression barcode reader ^ 66) reads the bar coded serial number ^Λο ticket, nronoreicnc gives an indication ^ 0 barcode read to contvciq4_ft(46).

If the barcode read by reader (66) is correct, the controller (46) causes the coil (68) to be inactive, keeping the bypass door (70) away from the upper roller (52) so that the ticket is passed through the output slot (22) to the client.

If the barcode is incorrect, the coil 68 is activated to move the bypass door 70 to the upper roller 52 and divert the ticket to the exit door 24 where the agent can retrieve it. it and develop the appropriate action.

The printer terminal mechanism controller 46 also controls the mechanism for processing bar-code printed tickets representing serial numbers.

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Thirty. THIRTY '1 i SHELLS - J -. 'SHELLS

Thus, when a customer finds that he has a prize printed on the ticket, he will present it to the agent who will enter it at the terminal for validation.

During the validation procedure, a ticket is introduced through the slot (20) by the agent, passes through the reader (54) and the sensors (56a) and (56b) and is guided by the lower roller (58) through the code reader. bar (57) which is the serial and trans bar code. Enter the information for the controller (46).

If controller 46 verifies that a serial number has been entered in the ticket, it also checks to see if the ticket has been validated. If not, the terminal obtains confirmation of the result and passes the ticket down the printer 64 to print a validation mark on the upper surface of the ticket. If a ticket has been previously validated, nothing else is printed on it.

When the validated ticket is carried by the lower roller (58) in front of the sensor (60), it provides a presence signal to the controller (46) that excites the coil (68). Activating the coil 68 places the bypass door 70 against the upper roller 52 and diverts the ticket out through the exit slot 24 to the agent.

Fig. 5 illustrates a system for implementing a lottery game in which blank tickets constructed as illustrated in FIG. · It will be clear that because tickets are distributed blank, security requirements to protect them during printing, storage and distribution are attenuated. Also, as tickets are blank when they are dis30 $ 00 30100 _15_ lifi ................

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ESCUfD &amp; S tribute and circulate

Thirty ^r Among the population wishing to participate in the lottery, they have a minimum starting value, which reduces the likelihood of being counterfeited.

In the system of fig. 5, a number of terminals (T), one of which is referenced to the number (70), are placed at various lottery agencies in a geographical area in which one plays. Each of the terminals is similar to terminal 18 of FIG. 1 and includes the printer / reader mechanism of FIG. 4

In addition, each terminal includes communication circuits. conventional systems that allow your controller to communicate through the communications system (72) with a central computer system (74). The communication system 72 may include, for example, telecommunication lines such as telephone lines. As is well known, printing terminals such as the Datamark family mentioned above include the ability to communicate over conventional telecommunications circuits with a central computer system. In addition, central computer systems are available that include main processors for controlling remote printer terminal game operations such as (70). For example, the Datamark terminal family is used in a conventional configuration controlled by a central computer to conduct mutual betting and lottery operations.

Algorithms and techniques that can be implemented in the central computer system 74 are known to produce random lottery results. In addition, algorithms are known that can randomly associate such results with a predetermined list of lottery ticket serial numbers. Such techniques are uti.

<img file="PT80895B_D0016.tif" />

such as when pre-printed lottery tickets are printed and processed for distribution. In the system of fig. 5, instead of providing the lottery entry results with the ticket serial numbers associated with printing on preprinted individual tickets, the results and their associated serial numbers are stored in a memory device (76) of the tickets. game dice. The game data memory 76 may comprise any available conventional memory means, for example hard disks. An exemplary data entry for the memory device (76) is represented by the data format (78). 0 The data format for each result of an individual lottery entry stored in the memory device 76 includes a ticket serial number, the lottery entry result and the information indicating whether the serial number and the result have been distributed. (d) or not to a lottery customer. Finally, an information memory sector is used to store information indicating the lottery ticket on which the serial number was printed and the result was returned to a lottery agent for validation (V).

The general sequence of the system operations of FIG. 5 may be understood with reference to fig. 6. At the start of a game, for example an instant lottery, the central computer system 74 will randomly generate the results of the game and will also randomly associate a number of serial numbers with the results. All game results and associated serial numbers will be stored in an appropriate format in the game data memory device (76). Then, a quantity of

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Shields Shields¹ - Ticket-like tickets (10) by agents and are sold for a nominal price, or possibly even distributed free of charge to potential customers of the game. When a potential customer decides to buy a ticket to the lottery game, he pays the agent that ticket and delivers his blank ticket to the agent. It then operates its printing terminal to obtain a ticket serial number and a lottery game result from the computer's central system (74). The general sequence of operations followed by the system of fig. 5 in issuing and validating lottery entries is illustrated in FIG. 6

When the customer buys a ticket to the lottery and delivers his card to the agent, the agent places the blank ticket in the slot 20 of his terminal. As described above, the terminal controller reads the card category type in program step 80 to confirm that the ticket is a lottery ticket. Next, the serial / reference number reader 57 in FIG. $ J will be activated to determine if a serial number barcode has been placed on the ticket. This is represented by the decision block (82). Of course, a blank ticket, that is, a ticket that has never printed a lottery result, will not have any serial number. In this case, the negative output of block 82 will be followed, and in step 84 the terminal controller will establish communication with the computer's central system to obtain a serial number and input result for Print on blank ticket. At the same time, the system will enter information in the distribution sector (D) of the data memory location from which it was

<img file="PT80895B_D0017.tif" />

The serial number and result were obtained to indicate that they were distributed. Once the distribution information is entered into the memory sector, that serial number and result will not be used again for the rest of the lottery game. Then the central system 74 provides the information to the printing terminal and, at program step 86, the serial number is visibly printed in numeric code and bar code on the ticket and the lottery result is printed. pressure through the opaque cover of the ticket. The printer terminal controller then passes the ticket through the exit slot to the customer.

Returning to fig. 6, in the event that the printing terminal controller detects a serial number on a ticket during an editing routine prior to the get and print phases, it will proceed to the affirmative exit of program phase 82, providing a visual indication to the agent. lottery on the terminal display.

Thus, after a customer has purchased a ticket, has their ticket printed and removed the opaque cover of the ticket to find out the prize outcome as shown in fig. 2, he can present the winning ticket to a lottery agent for payment. In the validation routine of fig. 6, a printed ticket presented for payment is inserted into the input slot of a printing terminal, the bar code of the printed serial number is detected and the terminal controller follows the affirmative output of block 82 while imposing a sequence of operations. which results in the thermally printed bar code result reading on the ticket in the result printing area. Once read the result and inter-

<img file="PT80895B_D0018.tif" />

intended by the terminal controller, the controller communicates with the host 74 to indicate that a ticket bearing the detected serial number has been presented for payment. This is done between program steps 82 and 90.

As indicated by the decision in step 92, the central system 74 queries the data memory device register entry 76 associated with the serial number read. If the card has not been validated before, then no entry should have been entered in the information field validation sector (V) and the system 74 will send a message to the terminal indicating that it should validate the ticket for payment step (92) _ /. Once this message is transmitted by the host 74, an entry is made in segment V of the serial number register to indicate that the printed ticket has been presented for payment and has been validated. To prevent further submission of the same ticket for a payment with a claim that the computer system has malfunctioned (74), the terminal, when validating the ticket, will cause a validation mark to be printed on the ticket during the validation step. (92).

If a previously validated ticket is later presented to claim a payment, either the controller (46) or the system (74) will detect the respective validation indications and follow the affirmative output of the decision block (90). In this case, a message will appear on the display of the mine that a validation and payment has already been made for the lottery agent's information and the ticket will be held by him.

<img file="PT80895B_D0019.tif" />

<img file="PT80895B_D0020.tif" />

Although the system of fig. 5 has been presented in terms of distribution of lottery entries, it may be used to securely distribute any type of confidential information to a subscriber of the information by holding a blank ticket identical to the one described above.

Notwithstanding, an illustrative embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment shown and may be practiced in ways other than those specified above without changing its essence.