Pull-tab gaming
AssigneesTechnik Mfg., Inc., USA Pulltabs LLC
InventorsDouglas J. OBAL, Anna V. SCHMITZ, Andrew J. SCHMITZ
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pull-tab-ticket vending machine is configured to automatically redeem a prize-winning pull-tab ticket in the form of a cash prize and/or purchase credits, as selected by the player. In some examples, the pull-tab-ticket vending machine includes an integrated voucher printer paired with a separate prize-redemption device, whereby, in response to the player selecting a “cash” option, the printer generates and prints a paper voucher bearing a scannable code that, when scanned by the prize-redemption device, causes the prize-redemption device to dispense the user's cash prize.
Claims20
A pull-tab-ticket vending machine comprising:
- a pull-tab-ticket collector-and-scanner;
- a voucher printer communicatively paired with a prize-redemption device;
- and
- processing circuitry communicatively coupled to both the pull-tab-ticket collector-and-scanner and the voucher printer, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
- receive, from the pull-tab-ticket collector-and-scanner, a prize-verification code encoded by a first scannable code printed on a pull-tab ticket dispensed from the vending machine;
- determine, based on a set of game data stored in a memory of the vending machine, that the pull-tab ticket is a prize-winning ticket and has not already been redeemed;
- determine, based on the set of game data, a prize denomination associated with the prize-winning ticket;
- in response to receiving a first user input, internally activate one or more credits for purchasing additional pull-tab tickets from the vending machine;
- and
- in response to receiving a second user input, cause the voucher printer to print a paper voucher bearing a second scannable code that, when scanned by the prize-redemption device, causes the prize-redemption device to dispense a cash prize, wherein a collective value of the credits and the cash prize is equal to the prize denomination for the prize-winning ticket.
A method comprising:
- receiving, by processing circuitry of a pull-tab-ticket vending machine from a pull-tab-ticket collector-and-scanner of the vending machine, a prize-verification code encoded by a first scannable code printed on a pull-tab ticket dispensed from the vending machine;
- determining, by the processing circuitry based on a set of game data stored in a memory of the vending machine, that the pull-tab ticket is a prize-winning ticket and has not already been redeemed;
- determining, by the processing circuitry based on the set of game data, a prize denomination associated with the prize-winning ticket;
- in response to receiving a first user input, internally activating, by the processing circuitry, one or more credits for purchasing additional pull-tab tickets from the vending machine;
- and
- in response to receiving a second user input, causing, by the processing circuitry, a voucher printer of the vending machine to print a paper voucher bearing a second scannable code that, when scanned by a prize-redemption device, causes the prize-redemption device to dispense a cash prize, wherein a collective value of the credits and the cash prize is equal to the prize denomination for the prize-winning ticket.
A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a pull-tab-ticket vending machine, cause the processor to:
- receive, from a pull-tab-ticket collector-and-scanner of the vending machine, a prize-verification code encoded by a first scannable code printed on a pull-tab ticket dispensed from the vending machine;
- determine, based on a set of game data stored in a memory of the vending machine, that the pull-tab ticket is a prize-winning ticket and has not already been redeemed;
- determine, based on the set of game data, a prize denomination associated with the prize-winning ticket;
- in response to receiving a first user input, internally activate one or more credits for purchasing additional pull-tab tickets from the vending machine;
- and
- in response to receiving a second user input, cause a voucher printer of the vending machine to print a paper voucher bearing a second scannable code that, when scanned by a prize-redemption device, causes the prize-redemption device to dispense a cash prize, wherein a collective value of the credits and the cash prize is equal to the prize denomination for the prize-winning ticket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.