Networked lottery

Abstract

A network based lottery gaming system that generates or receives lottery entries as users perform certain actions. The numbers are identified with the users and collected over a period of time—the game interval. At the conclusion of the game interval, the collected entries are compared to a winning entry to identify if and who the winners are. Awards can be generated and paid out to the winners based on a payout table.

1 . A method to provide a lottery like game, the method comprising the steps of:
 detecting the generation of an entry qualifying sequence generated as a result of an independent action not related to a lottery game;   determining an identity associated with the detected sequence;   storing the detected sequence along with the determined identity;   generating a winning sequence;   comparing the detected sequence to the winning sequence;   selecting an award based on a payout table and the comparison of the detected sequence and the winning sequence; and   providing the award, if any to an entity associated with the determined identity.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the payout table includes award definitions for complete matches and partial matches and, the step of comparing the detected sequence to the winning sequence comprises determining the commonality between the glyphs in the detected sequence and the winning sequence. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the payout table includes awards for complete matches and partial matches and, the step of comparing the detected sequence to the winning sequence comprises determining commonality between the values and positions of the glyphs in the detected sequence and the winning sequence. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the detected sequence is a telephone number and the step of detecting the generation of an entry qualifying sequence generated as a result of an independent action not related to a lottery game further comprises detecting the dialing of a telephone number. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the detected sequence is a transaction identifier sequence and the step of detecting the generation of an entry qualifying sequence generated as a result of an independent action not related to a lottery game further comprises detecting the generation of a transaction identifier as the result of performing a transaction. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the transaction is an Internet based transaction and the transaction identifier is an invoice number and the step of detecting the generation of an entry qualifying sequence further comprises detecting the occurrence of the transaction and obtaining the invoice number. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the step of detecting the generation of an entry qualifying sequence further comprises prompting the party conducting the transaction to opt in to the lottery event and then receiving an affirmative response from the party. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 defining a game interval; and   the step of comparing the detected sequence to the winning sequence applies to a plurality of detected sequences entered during the game interval.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the detected sequence is a telephone number and further comprising the steps of:
 providing a cellular telephone to a participant; and   the step of detecting the generation of an entry qualifying sequence generated as a result of an independent action not related to a lottery game further comprises detecting the dialing of a telephone number using the provided cellular telephone.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the detected sequence is a telephone number and further comprising the steps of:
 providing cellular telephone service to a plurality of participants; and   the step of detecting the generation of an entry qualifying sequence generated as a result of an independent action not related to a lottery game further comprises detecting the dialing of telephone numbers from each of the plurality of participants over a particular period of time.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the award is related to a reduction in the cost of cellular telephone service. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the award is related to an increase in the number of free minutes. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the detected sequence is based on a dialed telephone number and further comprising the steps of:
 providing cellular telephone service to a plurality of participants; and   the step of detecting the generation of an entry qualifying sequence generated as a result of an independent action not related to a lottery game further comprises detecting the dialing of telephone numbers from each of the plurality of participants over a particular period of time and using the detected number as input to generate a number to be the detected sequence.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of detecting the generation of an entry qualifying sequence comprises detecting at least one of the type of sequence types selected from the group of sequence types including a dialed telephone number, an email address, an accessed internet address, a time of day, a date and time of day and a randomly generated sequence. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the detected sequence is an analog to digital conversion of voice signals detected during a telephone call and the step of detecting the generation of an entry qualifying sequence generated as a result of an independent action not related to a lottery game further comprises detecting the voice signals and converting them into a qualifying sequence. 
     
     
         16 . A method to provide a lottery like game, the method comprising the steps of:
 detecting the dialing of a telephone number;   determining an identity associated with the origination of the dialing;   storing the detected telephone number along with the determined identity;   generating a winning number;   comparing the detected telephone number to the winning number;   selecting an award based on a payout table and the comparison of the detected telephone number and the winning number; and   providing the award, if any to an entity associated with the determined identity.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the payout table includes award definitions for complete matches and partial matches and, the step of comparing the detected telephone number to the winning number comprises determining the commonality between the values of the digits. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the payout table includes awards for complete matches and partial matches and, the step of comparing the detected telephone number to the winning number comprises determining commonality between the values and positions of the digits. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the steps of:
 defining a game interval; and   the step of comparing the detected telephone number to the winning number applies to a plurality of detected telephone numbers entered during the game interval.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the detected telephone number is one that is based on a telephone number dialed using a cellular telephone and further comprising the steps of:
 providing a cellular telephone to a participant; and   the step of detecting the dialing of a telephone number further comprises detecting the dialing of a telephone number using the provided cellular telephone.   
     
     
         21 . A method to provide a lottery like game to a plurality of cellular telephone subscribers, the method comprising the steps of:
 detecting the dialing of a telephone numbers by members of the plurality of cellular telephone subscribers;   determining an identity the cellular telephone subscriber for each detected telephone number;   storing the detected telephone numbers along with the determined identity;   generating a winning number;   comparing the detected telephone numbers received over a duration of time to the winning number;   if one or more of the detected telephone numbers is a winning telephone number by satisfying matching criteria established by a payout table, determining an award value associated with each winning telephone number; and   providing the awards the cellular subscribers associated with the winning telephone numbers.