Method and device for data input

A method of generating a lottery ticket, comprising:

• receiving a pick slip including a first bar code defaced by marking with a writing instrument, a first human-readable indicia representing a first user-selectable lottery number and associated with the first bar code, and a first marking area containing at least a portion of the first bar code;
• scanning the play slip with a bar code scanner;
• failing to read the first bar code in the scanning;
• and
• printing a lottery ticket containing the first user-selectable lottery number.

A method of generating a lottery ticket, comprising:

• receiving a pick slip including a plurality of bar codes, a first subset of the plurality of bar codes having been defaced by marking with a writing instrument, a second subset of the plurality of bar codes being unmarked, a plurality of human-readable indicia each associated with a respective one of the plurality of bar codes and each representing a respective user-selectable lottery number, and a plurality of player marking areas each associated with a respective one of the plurality of bar codes;
• scanning the play slip with a bar code reader without reading the first subset of the plurality of bar codes;
• and
• printing a lottery ticket containing a subset of the plurality of user-selectable lottery numbers, each user-selectable lottery number in the subset of the plurality of user-selectable lottery numbers being associated with a bar code in the first subset of the plurality of bar codes that has not been read when the play slip was scanned.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by a processor, the instructions which, when executed, define a series of steps to be used to control a method for inputting data, said steps comprising:

• marking with a writing instrument a printed media to indicate selected user input values, the printed media including thereon
• a plurality of predefined machine-readable codes, and
• a plurality of human-readable indicia each indicating a respective user-selectable input value and associated with a respective one of the plurality of predefined machine-readable codes, the marking defacing a first subset of the machine-readable codes, the first subset of the machine-readable codes associated with the selected user input values;
• reading a second subset of the plurality of predefined machine-readable codes from the printed media that have not been defaced by the marking;
• and
• writing as the selected user input values the user-selectable input values associated with the first subset of the machine-readable codes.

A data input device, comprising:

• a scanner;
• a processor in communication with the scanner;
• a set of predetermined input values each associated with a machine readable code configured to be marked with a writing instrument by a user to reflect a user selection of a respective one of the set of predetermined input values, the set of predetermined input values accessible to the processor;
• and
• an output device in communication with the processor, the output device configured to communicate a user selected value when an input media is scanned with the scanner and a machine-readable code associated with the user selected value in the set of predetermined input values is not read by the scanner because said machine-readable code associated with the user selected value has been defaced with a writing instrument by the user to indicate a user selection.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by a processor, the instructions which, when executed, define a series of steps to be used to control a method of generating a lottery ticket, said steps comprising:

• receiving a pick slip including a first bar code defaced by marking with a writing instrument, a first human-readable indicia representing a first user-selectable lottery number and associated with the first bar code, and a first marking area containing at least a portion of the first bar code;
• scanning the play slip with a bar code scanner;
• failing to read the first bar code in the scanning;
• and
• printing a lottery ticket containing the first user-selectable lottery number.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by a processor, the instructions which, when executed, define a series of steps to be used to control a method of generating a lottery ticket, said steps comprising:

• receiving a pick slip including a plurality of bar codes, a first subset of the plurality of bar codes having been defaced by marking with a writing instrument, a second subset of the plurality of bar codes being unmarked, a plurality of human-readable indicia each associated with a respective one of the plurality of bar codes and each representing a respective user-selectable lottery number, and a plurality of player marking areas each associated with a respective one of the plurality of bar codes;
• scanning the play slip with a bar code reader without reading the first subset of the plurality of bar codes;
• and
• printing a lottery ticket containing a subset of the plurality of user-selectable lottery numbers, each user-selectable lottery number in the subset of the plurality of user-selectable lottery numbers being associated with a bar code in the first subset of the plurality of bar codes that has not been read when the play slip was scanned.