Efficient distributed network imaging of instant lottery tickets
AssigneeHydra Management LLC
InventorsAllen Lorne WEIL, Fred W. FINNERTY, George Kurtz PENG
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A computer-implemented method and system are provided for enabling digital imaging of both secure and non-secure areas of instant lottery tickets on demand across a geographically diverse network. Instant lottery tickets produced with this system accommodate smaller volume print runs, process color, and a greater level of customization.
Claims34
A super-mini digital imager instant ticket printing line for producing Scratch-Off Coating (SOC) secured documents having a SOC covering variable indicia, wherein the variable indicia are unreadable so long as the SOC remains intact, comprising:
- an accepting area for web paper stock having front and back surfaces, with pre-applied lower security ink films on at least one side of the web paper stock;
- at least two full-color digital imagers configured to print on the front and back surfaces of the web paper stock;
- a first applicator for applying at least one transparent or translucent release coating on at least a portion of the variable indicia and optionally on at least a portion of the display;
- a second applicator for applying at least one upper opacity coating on the at least one transparent or translucent release coating;
- and
- a third applicator for applying at least one upper white SOC security layer on the at least one upper opacity coating;
- wherein the super-mini digital imager instant ticket printing line receives digital imaging input via a secure network connection from a central site game programming facility, such that the super-mini digital imager instant ticket printing line can be located in a different geographical location than the central site game programming facility.
The networked game server of claim 18, wherein the game server is physically located within a cloud based secure data center.
The networked game server of claim 18, wherein access control lists restrict game server access from at least one device external to the game server.
The networked game server of claim 18, wherein separate virtual private network tunnels are established for each user after authentication from at least one device external to the game server.
The networked game server of claim 18, wherein context-based access control protocol restricts game server access from at least one device external to the game server.
The networked game server of claim 18, wherein user unique individual security sandboxes are established for each user on the game server during application level authentication on the game server.
The networked game server of claim 18, wherein at least one separate hardware firewall performs stateful inspection of incoming cleartext data streams between a demilitarized zone and the game server.
The networked game server of claim 18, wherein at least one separate hardware intrusion protection system or intrusion detection system performs security inspection of incoming cleartext data streams in a demilitarized zone.
An instant ticket networked production method for just in time production of instant tickets for games defined by a plurality of tickets with variable indicia imaging data hidden by a Scratch-Off Coating (SOC) using a networked production system, the networked production method comprising:
- (a) shuffling or assigning prizes to individual tickets conducted by the networked game server within a secure facility;
- (b) generating the imaging data from the shuffled instant tickets and converting the imaging data into ciphertext;
- (c) remotely transmitting the programming and game generation ciphertext imaging data to the networked game server;
- (d) providing external audit access to the game server;
- (e) providing secure interfaces to at least one super-mini digital press, such that the imaging data can be downloaded on demand;
- (f) remotely downloading the imaging data ciphertext from the game server;
- (g) decrypting the downloaded programming and game generation ciphertext local to the super-mini digital press thereby converting the ciphertext imaging data from the game server to cleartext suitable for printing;
- (h) transferring production data from at least one super-mini digital press to the remote game server in a secure facility for generation of ship and validation files;
- and
- (i) performing data or file segmentation, thereby partitioning the imaging data into discrete pools or packets enabling downloading of individual pools or packets to different printing facilities on demand;
- wherein printing economies for the instant tickets are realized via just in time instant ticket production.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.