System and method for scratch card implementations on mobile devices

Abstract

A gaming system is disclosed that comprises a gaming server and at least one mobile device in communication with the gaming server. The gaming system allows a user of a mobile device to play a scratcher type lottery game. The mobile device may provide one or more display system parameters to the gaming server, thereby allowing the gaming server to select, create or otherwise generate one or more game image icons to send to the mobile device. When a user selects a game image icon using some appropriate user input device of the mobile device, an animation is displayed that simulates the scratching of the icon to reveal a gaming symbol.

1 . An interactive scratch card gaming system for mobile communication devices comprising:
 (A) a gaming server configured to:
 (a) provide interactive scratch card game play information between a mobile communication device and the gaming server; 
 (b) receive personal user information for registration of the user prior to activation of a scratch card game; 
 (c) receive one or more display system parameters of a display system of the mobile communications device; 
 (d) select one or more game scratcher icon images that are compatible with the one or more display system parameters; 
 (e) transmit selected one or more game scratcher icon images from the gaming server to the mobile communication device; the transmission comprising a simulation of scratching away a cover layer of the game scratcher icon images to reveal a game prize image to the user; 
 (f) determine a win or lose scratch card game result; and 
 (g) transmit the win or lose scratch card game result to the display system of the mobile communication device; and 
   (B) at least one mobile communication device comprising: and
 (a) a display system comprising a display screen, the display system configured to receive and display scratch card game information from the gaming server; 
 (b) a data delivery system configured to provide one or more parameters of the display system of the mobile communication device to the gaming server; and 
 (c) a user input interface configured to allow the user to activate and play the scratch card game. 
   
     
     
         2 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the game scratcher icon images comprise a cover layer and a game prize image layer. 
     
     
         3 . The gaming system of  claim 2  wherein the layered animation capability of the gaming system comprises a pixel replacement process wherein pixels in the cover layer of the game scratcher icon image are replaced with pixels of the game prize image hidden below the cover layer. 
     
     
         4 . The gaming system of  claim 3  wherein the layered animation capability further comprises simultaneous pixel replacement within a refresh time period of the display screen of the mobile communication device. 
     
     
         5 . The gaming system of  claim 3  wherein the at least one mobile communication device is configured to transmits the current gaming information to the gaming server during the pixel replacement process and receive back image data of the game prize image that will be revealed as the scratcher token is removed. 
     
     
         6 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the mobile communication device is a personal cellular telephone of the user. 
     
     
         7 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the scratch card game is selected from one or more of lottery, Keno and poker type games. 
     
     
         8 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the gaming server is configured to select a game scratcher icon image and render the selected game scratcher icon image so that it can be correctly displayed on the display system of the mobile communications device. 
     
     
         9 . The gaming system of  claim 1  wherein the display system is configured to zoom in on at least one game scratcher icon image. 
     
     
         10 . A method for providing interactive scratch card gaming to a plurality of mobile communication devices, comprising:
 (A) providing a plurality of mobile communication devices and associating each mobile communication device with a single user of a plurality of users;   (B) conducting a scratch card game via an interactive scratch card gaming system in communication with the plurality of mobile communication devices;   (C) allowing for individual user input from the plurality of users, the input configured to allow an individual user to affect at least a part of play of the scratch card game; and   (D) providing graphic display content compatible with each of the mobile communication devices that enables an individual user to view progress of the game.   
     
     
         11 . A method for playing an interactive scratch card game comprising, not all necessarily in order:
 (A) providing an interactive scratch card gaming system in communication with a plurality of mobile communication devices and associating each mobile communication device with a single user of a plurality of users;   (B) transmitting personal user information from at least one of the plurality of mobile communication devices to the interactive scratch card gaming system and registering the users for playing a scratch card game prior to allowing the users to activate and play the scratch card game;   (C) transmitting display system information from at least one of the plurality of mobile communication devices to the interactive scratch card gaming system;   (D) selecting and transmitting graphic content compatible with display system requirements of the mobile communication devices from the interactive scratch card gaming system to the at least one mobile communication device, wherein the graphic content comprises a plurality of game scratcher icon images, at least one icon image comprising a cover layer and a game prize image layer;   (E) allowing the user to select one or more of the game scratcher icon images via a user input interface of the at least one mobile communication device;   (F) upon selection of the game scratcher icon image by the user, transmitting from the interactive scratch card gaming system to the at least one mobile communication device an animation that simulates scratching away the cover layer of the game scratcher icon image to reveal the game prize image to the user; and   (G) transmitting a win or lose scratch game result determined by the interactive scratch card gaming system to the display system of the at least one mobile communication device.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising animating the simulation of the scratching away of the cover layer of the game scratcher icon by replacing pixels in the cover layer pixel by pixel with pixels of the game prize image hidden below the cover layer. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein animating the simulation of the scratching of the cover layer further comprises replacing pixels simultaneously within a refresh time period of the display system of the at least one mobile communication device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising repeating steps (E) and (F) up to a maximum number of times determined by the interactive scratch card gaming system, prior to conducting step (G). 
     
     
         15 . A gaming server configured to:
 (A) provide interactive scratch card game play information between a mobile communication device and the gaming server;   (B) receive personal user information for registration of the user prior to activation of a scratch card game;   (C) receive one or more display system parameters of a display system of the mobile communications device;   (D) select one or more game scratcher icon images that are compatible with the one or more display system parameters;   (E) transmit selected one or more game scratcher icon images from the gaming server to the mobile communication device; the transmission comprising a simulation of scratching away a cover layer of the game scratcher icon images to reveal a game prize image to the user;   (F) determine a win or lose scratch card game result; and   (G) transmit the win or lose scratch card game result to the display system of the mobile communication device.   
     
     
         16 . An application executable on a mobile communications device, the application being configured to:
 (A) transmit one or more display system parameters of a display system of the mobile communications device to a gaming server;   (B) receive one or more game scratcher icon images from the gaming server in accordance with the display system parameters to the display system of the mobile communication device; and   (C) display the one or more game scratcher icon images on the display system.